Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ — The New Mexico Senate approved nearly $100 million in bonds Friday for the State Fairgrounds redevelopment, advancing a long-debated project. The investment could reshape Albuquerque’s International District with new housing and parks, or it could lead to relocating the State Fair after 87 years in the city.
The Senate approved Senate Bill 48 by a vote of 26-12, sending the legislation to the House of Representatives. Supporters say the funding will bring new housing, parks and infrastructure to one of Albuquerque’s most economically challenged areas.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham praised the action, calling the Senate vote a “historic revitalization” that will create mixed-income housing and economic opportunity in the International District. To get to the governor, the bill must still pass the State House and have any amendments agreed to by the Senate before the legislative session ends in 10 days on Feb. 19.
Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, sponsored the bill with Rep. Janelle Anyanonu, D-Albuquerque. Stewart said the $92 million bond will pay for property acquisition, water and sewer upgrades, traffic calming along Central Avenue and San Pedro Drive, and new green space.
The funding supports park and infrastructure improvements ahead of a final master plan, which the Stantec design firm expects to finalize in March.
She said the State Fairgrounds District Board, created in the 2025 legislative session, does not have the authority to decide the fair’s location. That decision rests with the State Fair Commission, an appointed body.
The debt would be repaid through a tax increment development district using 75% of gaming revenue from the Downs Casino and gross receipts taxes generated on site, totaling about $9 million annually, according to Stewart.
Several Republican senators raised concerns on behalf of rural communities. Minority Whip Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, questioned whether lawmakers were effectively ceding control to an unelected commission.
“I’m really upset where a commission gets to make the decision for every person in the state,” said Sen. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell.
Ezzell also criticized conditions in the surrounding neighborhood, saying the state should “clean up the streets” before investing in beautification.
The State Board of Finance has already approved $89.35 million for land acquisition and a 10-acre public park with trails and pedestrian safety upgrades along the fairgrounds boundary.
Debate over the fairgrounds’ future has intensified since the state released three design concepts in December, ranging from limited redevelopment that keeps the fair in place to relocating it entirely and redeveloping the 236-acre site, according to previous City Desk reporting. The State Board of Finance approved $67 million in bonds the same month for park space and pedestrian upgrades.
City Desk reported rising costs and the loss of major events such as the Gathering of Nations have intensified questions about the fair’s long-term future in Albuquerque.
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