The ABQ BioPark is moving forward with plans for a major renovation of its gorilla habitat, a $22 million project that will create two expansive areas specifically designed for the park’s gorillas. The new habitats will incorporate the space previously used for orangutans, which were moved to the park’s award-winning Asia expansion that opened in […]

Author Archives: City Desk ABQ
Bernalillo County honors lifeguards for heroic rescue
By Connor Currier In a heartfelt ceremony at its Aug. 4 meeting, the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners recognized a dedicated team of lifeguards for their swift, coordinated actions that saved the life of a young swimmer at the South Valley Aquatic Center on June 23. The lifeguards’ quick thinking, teamwork and professionalism were pivotal […]
Council to weigh $2 million incentive for redevelopment of old 23K gold bank towers at San Mateo and Central
The 17-story skyscraper at the corner of San Mateo and Central Avenue and the 10-story “mini version” next door are clad with 23-karat gold tiles and once served as the symbol of Albuquerque and New Mexico’s booming extraction and atomic economy. Today, it stands vacant and its lots are filled with the remnants of overnight […]
Here’s where you can find National Night Out events in your neighborhood tonight
Once a year, neighborhoods across the country — including many right here in Albuquerque — spruce up, make snacks, and get together to celebrate their neighborhood and reconnect with neighbors. It’s called National Night Out and this year it happens tonight, Tuesday August 5th. What is National Night Out? National Night Out started in 1984 […]
City study reveals housing crisis for Albuquerque’s Native American residents
Nearly three-quarters of Albuquerque’s 25,400 Native American residents cannot afford monthly housing payments of $1,500 or more, according to a groundbreaking three-year city study released Friday that marks the first comprehensive urban Native housing analysis led by a municipal government. The finding creates a stark affordability gap in a city where median home prices currently […]
Albuquerque activates ‘Operation Cooldown’ as triple-digit heat hits
As temperatures soar into triple digits this week, the City of Albuquerque is offering families free ways to cool off through its “Operation Cooldown 2025” initiative, which includes activating park sprinklers and maintaining extended hours at spray pads throughout the city. The Parks & Recreation Department will turn on sprinklers at 10 different parks over […]
Albuquerque restaurant facing lawsuit for sexual harassment, retaliation
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Scalo Restaurant, alleging the Albuquerque establishment’s male managers sexually harassed female employees and then retaliated against workers who complained about the abuse. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, accuses the Nob Hill restaurant of allowing years […]
AFR rescues a person from an underground storm drain downtown. How did they get in there?
A midday call for help outside a Downtown high-rise office building led Albuquerque firefighters to an unusual rescue Tuesday morning. At about 10:40 a.m., rescue personnel were summoned to 5th Street and Marquette Avenue for reports of a person “stuck in a storm drain.” They soon found a person “below grade” (aka below the street […]
Water district sets public meeting for farmers during centennial year
Bernalillo County farmers and irrigators who help fund most of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District’s operations will have a chance to hear updates on water management during a public meeting on July 31. The meeting, set for 9 a.m. at the South Valley Multipurpose Senior Center, comes as MRGCD celebrates its 100th anniversary while […]
Six candidates qualify for public financing in Albuquerque City Council election
The Office of the City Clerk certified the publicly financed candidates Monday, with four incumbents and two newcomers earning the right to receive lump-sum grants from the city’s Open and Ethical Elections Fund to run their campaigns through November’s election. City Clerk Ethan Watson’s office announced that the following candidates qualified for public financing: Ahren […]