By Connor Currier
The Albuquerque City Council will consider tonight a proposed an ordinance that could speed up the process of demolishing what it calls “problem properties.”
Mayor Tim Keller has made cleaning up problem properties a priority but the process could take up to six years.
Now City Councilor Brooke Bassan, District 4, is sponsoring an update to the ordinance that streamlines the review process, cutting down the timeline from up to a year to less than 90 days.
Property owners will still receive notice and have the opportunity to repair or demolish the structure on their own. And they will be able to make an appeal, which could extend the timeline.
Abandoned buildings are a problem across New Mexico, and in 2019 the state Economic Development Department issued a white paper on the topic.
“…These vacant commercial buildings, which were once banks, hotels, department stores, churches, and theaters, may be costly to adapt, rehabilitate and repurpose for other uses,” the report states. “When commercial buildings stay vacant, their declining status leads to blight, discourages economic development, diminishes property values, and can act as fire hazards and magnets for crime.”
Albuquerque’s proposed change applies to commercial buildings as well as outbuildings, apartments and houses.
Since 2022, Albuquerque has demolished 32 structures following a lengthy approval process in the Planning Department’s Divisions for Code Enforcement and Building Safety. This January 31 the city identified 15 more for potential demolition.
This is a new part of Albuquruqe’s efforts to keep improving community safety by destroying unsafe structures to make room for more new housing projects. Last year on Tuesday, March 4. The city began to demolish unsafe structures around local communities to improve neighborhood safety.
Find more information about what’s happening at City Council here. To contact your counselor, click here.
