Curious about the West Side Stadium?

April 11, 2011

West Side Sports Complex FAQs

New questions and answers posted on April 11, 2011.

Scroll down or click to read them!

Q: What is this project and what does it include?

A: The West Side Sports Complex is a collection of athletics fields to be used primarily by Albuquerque Public Schools high schools. It includes an approximately 7,000-seat football stadium, track and, possibly, softball fields, soccer fields and tennis courts to be developed at some point in the future. The city of Albuquerque is developing plans to buy an adjacent 81 acres on the west side of APS’ property for a park and additional community soccer fields.

Q: Who else will use the stadium complex, and will other kinds of events be held there?

A: The primary users will be APS high school athletics teams, in season. State tournaments, hosted by the New Mexico Activities Association, could be held there, as well as district tournaments. There is NO truth to the rumor that the stadium would host rock concerts. The complex will be used seasonally for a few day and evening events which won’t create nearly the amount of noise and traffic as the full-time use of the property if it were developed residentially or commercially.

Q: Where is the stadium complex located?

A: The stadium complex is located just north of I-40 and the 98^th St. exit on the south side of Arroyo Vista Blvd. NW at the intersection with Tierra Pintada Blvd. NW.

Q: Why was this location chosen?

A: The property is centrally located on the West Side, with nearby interstate access. It is convenient to get there from any part of the West Side, as well as all areas of Albuquerque and other New Mexico communities.

Q: How did APS acquire the property?

A: The APS Board of Education approved the purchase of two 110-acre parcels of land (one parcel on either side of Arroyo Vista NW) from Western Albuquerque Land Holdings, LLC, in February 2011 for $7.7 million, or about $35,000 per acre, based on an independent fee appraisal.

Q: What has APS done to address the concerns of residents of nearby neighborhoods?

A: The district has met—and continues to meet—with representatives of the Tres Volcanes Neighborhood Association and other West Side residents, listened to their concerns and answered questions. One example is the suggestion to move the stadium to the southwestern part of the site, further away from homes, to minimize the potential effect of lights and noise. That suggestion is being incorporated into the site design. The stadium site cannot, however, be reversed with the city’s proposed site because of high-power transmission lines.

Q: Why is APS moving the stadium complex from the previously-chosen site next to Atrisco Heritage Academy High School?

A: There are several reasons, such as the site not being close to an interstate. Additional land would have to be purchased in the area for a promised K-8 school and other anticipated APS recreational facilities at that site. Land in that area is also considerably more expensive than the Arroyo Vista land.

The central location of the new site will result in shorter travel time and distance for most APS students, parents and spectators—saving travel costs—and will be a much safer commute.

Q: Was another site considered previously?

A: Yes. In 2003, APS entered into an option agreement with Westland, Inc., to acquire a site on Paseo del Volcan, north of I-40. APS exercised the option in 2006, and Westland sold its interests to SunCal (aka Westland DevCo.) shortly thereafter.

Westland, and later Westland DevCo., were required to have water and sewer facilities available to the property prior to closing, and either they could not or would not meet this requirement. In addition, when the economic downturn hit, Westland DevCo.’s financial difficulties kept the deal from being completed. APS kept up hope that a deal could be reached, but Westland DevCo.’s landholdings in New Mexico were eventually foreclosed upon, forcing the district to move on to the Atrisco Heritage site in March 2010.

As it turns out, the new site is even more convenient than the original Westland site because 1) it is more than two miles closer to the center of the city with more convenient interstate access; and 2) roads and utilities are already in place.

Q: Is the city of Albuquerque involved in the project?

A: The city of Albuquerque is considering the purchase of 81 acres adjacent to the western edge of the APS property for a future park with additional soccer fields. The purchase is contingent on approval of bond funding, scheduled to go before voters in the October 2011 election.

Q: What is the timeline for the project?

A: Now that the land purchase has been approved, there will have to be some redesign work done in order to adapt the project to the new site. That is expected to be completed in late fall 2011. After that, bids will be requested from potential contractors. Construction will start approximately 60 days after a contractor is selected.

Q: How much does the stadium complex project cost?

A: The stadium project’s total budget is estimated to cost $38 million, with funding approved by voters in the 2010 bond/mill levy election. By law, this funding can only be used for capital projects; it cannot be used for teacher salaries or classroom programs. Not building the complex would not help the district’s bottom line. In fact, the project will help the local economy by putting people to work to build it.

Q: Why is this stadium project necessary?

A: Currently, APS has two football stadiums—Milne, built in 1939, and Wilson, built in 1967. The district now has 13 high schools—with three teams each—using the stadiums. St. Pius X High School also uses these facilities. It causes tremendous scheduling issues, especially if a game is postponed for some reason, as well as heavy wear and tear on the fields. A new stadium will bring some much-needed relief.

While the proposed new stadium will also be used by all APS high schools, having this centrally located stadium available for West Side high schools will reduce the amount of travel miles and travel time for students, parents, and community spectators, saving travel costs and allowing for a much safer commute.

Q: What do we know about the height of the lights, the size of the scoreboard and the direction and volume level of the audio system?

A: Because the stadium is undergoing a redesign, there are some details we don’t have yet. Updated information will be posted when it becomes available.

New Questions and Answers

Q: How far is the stadium from the Storm Cloud neighborhood?

A: The distance from the southwest corner of the neighborhood—at Arroyo Vista and Tierra Pintada NW—to the center of the stadium is 0.4 miles. The Storm Cloud neighborhood and the APS recreational complex are separated by Arroyo Vista Blvd.  Arroyo Vista is designated as a major east/west arterial beginning at the I-40 exit at 98th Street, continuing west to (and beyond) Paseo del Volcan. The 180-feet wide Arroyo Vista Blvd. right of way will be constructed with three travel lanes, plus right and left turning lanes and there is additional space for a transit, bike and pedestrian lanes, in each direction. The six lanes of Arroyo Vista will be divided by a landscaped median.

Q: Why weren’t area residents notified about the project sooner?

A: Land acquisition negotiations are handled confidentially when they involve government agencies so that land prices don’t artificially rise; it’s intended to protect tax dollars. Because of the nature of the foreclosure action, APS was asked to keep the negotiations confidential.

Western Albuquerque Land Holdings did not acquire title to the land until Dec. 15, 2010. The APS Board of Education authorized the administration to finalize negotiations to acquire the property on Dec. 21, 2010.  The board approved the purchase agreement and the new location of the stadium site on Feb. 23, 2011, in separate votes. If the school board had not approved moving the stadium, there would not have been any reason to provide any notification. Representatives of Western Albuquerque started notifying local elected officials and city staff immediately following the APS board approval. Next, representatives of Western Albuquerque notified members of the Westside Coalition of Neighborhoods and the Tres Volcanes Neighborhood Association.

Q: How will property values be protected for those who bought homes in the communities near the stadium?

A: While APS cannot guarantee property values, housing prices have risen in other areas of Albuquerque where schools and school-related facilities have been built. The median sales price of homes in the area east of the proposed stadium that includes the Tres Volcanes NA decreased about 8 percent last year. Approximately 35 percent of homes closed last year in the area east of the proposed stadium that includes the Tres Volcanes NA were either bank-owned sales or short sales (sales under threat of foreclosure).

The proposed APS project will help revitalize the area. Western Albuquerque owns about 302 finished lots in Storm Cloud Units 1, 2 and 3, which are located in the Tres Volcanes NA – they have more to gain or lose with regard to this matter than any single home owner. Representatives for Western Albuquerque have spoken with several developers and builders (local and national) and all agree the added benefits of the schools and recreational complex of the APS Westside Educational Complex are an integral part of the infrastructure needed to make the Westland Master Plan a success that will benefit the overall valuation of the homes within the surrounding subdivisions. The representatives of Western Albuquerque say that the announcement of the APS Westside Educational Complex has been one of the driving factors in sparking developer and builder interest in future development opportunities within the Westland Master Plan, and specifically in the lots in Storm Cloud Units 1, 2 and 3. Furthermore, the local and national developers and builders shared that even in today’s current real estate market, home prices and permit activity in development areas with similar school and recreational facilities (such as The Trails, Montecito and Loma Colorado in Rio Rancho) have increased.

Q: Why can’t the entrances to the stadium be off Ladera NW instead of Arroyo Vista?

A: The property is considered to be fronted, or facing Arroyo Vista, so that’s where entrances must be installed. Upon full development, the 180-feet wide Arroyo Vista right-of-way will be constructed with three travel lanes, plus right and left turning lanes and there is additional space for a transit, bike and pedestrian lanes, in each direction and there will be a landscaped median.  Also, the Ladera Dam system separates the stadium site from Ladera Blvd. It would not be cost effective for APS to extend streets and utilities any farther than necessary to serve the property.

Q: How many football games will be played at the stadium?

A: The exact number may vary from year to year, and will likely increase over time as more west side residents make the effort to attend games because their travel commute will be much shorter than it has been. Varsity football games, which draw the largest attendance, will be played in the facility on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays throughout the season. In addition, APS intends to play sub-varsity football games in the facility on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons or evenings. At this time, APS estimates 30-35 evening games (7 p.m. start) will be played at the stadium in any given football season, which generally runs from late August into the second week of November. For the 2009 APS football season, the largest attendance was approximately 4,500 people. The average attendance for varsity football games was 1,428, with only two of the games at the two existing stadiums exceeding an attendance of 3,500.

Q: If developed at all, weren’t the parcels of land that APS purchased supposed to be developed into single-family homes?

A: No. The APS recreational site is already approved for about 2,280 medium to high density dwelling units on 85 percent of the property and for commercial uses on the remaining 15 percent of the property. Past owners of the property have already received zoning approval for the property. The permitted uses outlined in the current zoning for the property also allow for publicly-owned recreational facilities.

Q: What happens to the animals currently living on the land?

A: There will still be a great deal of open space in the area around the sports complex, due to its location near the city-owned Atrisco Terrace Open Space, the AMAFCA Ladera Dam System and the Petroglyph National Monument.

Q: Is another I-40 exit going to be built at 118th Street?

A: If future traffic demands require it, there may be a 118th Street on/off ramp on I-40. The determining entities in the ultimate decision will include the participation of several local and state level agencies and landowners. If it is determined that the 118th Street on/off ramp is needed, it will occur many years in the future.

Q: Traffic is already backed up during rush hour for the 98th Street exit off I-40. How will this situation be addressed when there are practices and games?

A: Because each high school has its own on-campus practice field, there will be no practices at the stadium. There generally will not be any conflict between rush hour traffic and game traffic because of the timing of each. When compared with the traffic generated by the already approved zoning, the daily traffic generated by the proposed stadium will be much lower. Major traffic improvements will be constructed in the area in advance of the stadium opening.

Q: Can the stadium be moved further west, away from homes?

A: No, the stadium is being designed as far west as it can be within the property boundaries.

Q: Why is the complex placed in an established neighborhood? Can it be moved back to the originally considered site on Paseo del Volcan?

A: The new site already has established infrastructure—road access, water, sewer and power. It would cost many millions more in tax dollars to build the Stadium on Paseo del Volcan. That site is no longer available for the facility. Previous owners of that property (Westland, and later Westland DevCo.) were required to have water and sewer facilities available to the property prior to closing, and either they could not or would not meet this requirement.

Q: Where will roads be widened and who will pay for it?

A: APS plans to cover the cost of street improvements along the entire boundary of the property it acquires in advance of the completion of construction of the future APS facilities that will be constructed on each specific parcel. Additionally, APS will cover the cost to fully improve Arroyo Vista NW between Ladera and Tierra Pintada. Such improvements will include building the west half of Arroyo Vista from Ladera to Tierra Pintada creating a continuous six (6) lane roadway from I-40 to the intersection of Arroyo Vista and Tierra Pintada (including intersection improvements). It will also include an interim two-lane road on the south half of Arroyo Vista, from Tierra Pintada to the western boundary of the APS Recreation Complex property. The north half of Arroyo Vista, an additional two lanes from Tierra Pintada to the western boundary of the APS High school site, will be completed in advance of/with the construction of the high school.   Tierra Pintada will be increased by two lanes to a four-lane road to the APS boundary to the northeast in advance of / with the construction of the K-8 school in future years. Western Albuquerque will be required to construct the Mirehaven Arroyo Crossing improvements farther north on Tierra Pintada, so that it will be connected between Arroyo Vista and Unser.

Q: How do the property costs on Paseo del Volcan compare with those at the new site?

A: It would cost many millions more in tax dollars to build the Stadium on Paseo del Volcan.  That site is no longer available for the facility. Previous owners of that property (Westland, and later Westland DevCo.) were required to have water and sewer facilities available to the property prior to closing, and either they could not or would not meet this requirement.

Q: When are the proposed new schools going to be built?

A: The first step is to acquire land for future school sites, which is what is being done with the current purchase agreement. New schools are subject to a future bond election, and will be based on the recovery of the housing market. It is estimated that the new schools are probably more than five years from being built. The idea is to create another “education corridor” with schools and a sports facility in close proximity like Volcano Vista HS, Tony Hillerman MS, Tierra Antigua ES and the soccer complex in the far northwestern part of the city.