Jesse Jones, Author at City Desk ABQ

Council to review Keller’s 2026 legislative priorities, new housing project on Monday

By Jesse Jones — Albuquerque City Councilors are expected to review Mayor Tim Keller’s 2026 legislative priorities Monday, Oct. 6, including public safety measures and housing policies the administration wants state lawmakers to address when the session begins in January. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Vincent E. Griego Chambers, One Civic Plaza […]

“A tunnel to Rio Rancho” or more bridges? Mayoral candidates pitch plans for Westside traffic woes

Should Albuquerque tunnel under the Rio Grande or build new bridges across it? Mayoral hopefuls Eddie Varela and Darren White pitched big ideas to ease Westside traffic during a recent candidate forum hosted by business leaders. The exchange came at a mayoral forum Tuesday, Sept. 30, hosted by business leaders with the National Association of […]

City will pay to air Keller speech on TV, again

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Friday afternoon with comments and clarification on the timeline for the ad purchases provided by a spokesperson Friday after the original story was published. The city had not responded to our questions on the day before publication. The City of Albuquerque is paying to rebroadcast Mayor Tim Keller’s […]

Pictured is the start of the Albuquerque international Balloon Fiesta in years past. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/City Desk/Abq

Housing & Homelessness

Will the government shutdown affect Balloon Fiesta? We asked. Here’s what we found.

by Jesse Jones October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are flying into Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta, just as a federal government shutdown puts Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers on the job without pay. Starting Saturday, Oct. 4, those screeners will handle the airport’s busiest week of the year. So far, federal and local officials said the shutdown hasn’t […]

Six Albuquerque mayoral hopefuls clashed over crime, homelessness and housing Tuesday, Sept. 30, at a business forum, laying out starkly different visions for a city struggling with safety concerns and stalled growth.

Albuquerque mayoral candidates debate crime, homelessness at NAIOP forum

by Jesse Jones October 1, 2025November 6, 2025

Six Albuquerque mayoral hopefuls clashed over crime, homelessness and housing Tuesday, Sept. 30, at a business forum, laying out starkly different visions for a city struggling with safety concerns and stalled growth. The forum at Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, hosted by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) New Mexico chapter and 13 business […]

Local Gov.

United Stadium moving forward — quietly

by Jesse Jones September 30, 2025September 30, 2025

After years of delays, New Mexico United’s stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park moved closer to reality. Monday, Sept. 29, Mayor Tim Keller announced construction will begin this winter with a 2028 opening target — though officials stayed silent on a Court of Appeals case challenging the project filed just six weeks ago. The announcement, made […]

Albuquerque City Councillor Dan Lewis, District 5.

Local Gov.

Ethics complaint alleges Lewis violated settlement over Air Quality Board in budget discussion

by Jesse Jones September 29, 2025October 2, 2025

Lewis says budget oversight was appropriate, complaint is “frivolous”

Housing & Homelessness

After 27 years, ABQ’s Uptown Connect housing project gets green light

by Jesse Jones September 26, 2025September 29, 2025

About 11,000 people head to work in Uptown every day, but only about 100 can afford to live there. That imbalance has lingered for decades. On Thursday, Sept. 25, Mayor Tim Keller said the city will finally move forward with Uptown Connect, a $120 million project that has been stalled for 27 years. The development […]

Pacific Fusion announced an expansion in New Mexico with a new Research and Manufacturing Campus, which will be located at Mesa Del Sol. During a press conference representatives from local government came to address the media on details. Pictured is City Councillor Joaquin Baca signing a rendering of what the facility will look like.

Housing & Homelessness, Jobs, Workers & Economy

Exclusive: Pacific Fusion on why they chose ABQ for $1 billion fusion research campus

by Jesse Jones September 26, 2025September 26, 2025

Pacific Fusion is bringing a $1 billion fusion energy campus to Albuquerque, adding more than 200 permanent high-paying jobs, nearly 1,000 construction jobs, and new momentum for New Mexico’s push to become a national leader in advanced energy technology. The California company’s move, confirmed in an exclusive interview with CityDesk, marks one of the biggest […]

Mayor Tim Keller uses virtual reality technology Thursday to preview the planned Uptown Connect development during a press conference at the current Uptown Transit Center. The $120 million mixed-use project will transform the underutilized transit hub into 239 apartments, along with commercial space, restaurants and a dog park. The development represents the culmination of a 27-year effort that began when the city purchased the land in 1998 with federal transit funds. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, with completion expected by 2028.

Housing & Homelessness

Photo of the day: Mayor Keller takes virtual tour of Albuquerque’s future

by Jesse Jones September 25, 2025September 26, 2025

Mayor Tim Keller gets a virtual reality glimpse of the future Uptown Connect project during the development’s launch event on Thursday. The innovative mixed-use development promises to link affordable housing with public transportation, employment opportunities, and entertainment in Albuquerque’s Uptown area. Check back tomorrow for a full story on Uptown Connect, a $120 million mixed-use […]