Airport, industrial park and affordable housing development on Las Cruces city council agenda
LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces City Council will convene Monday to vote on a grant application for the development of city airport terminal facilities, an agreement with Mesilla Valley Habitat for Humanity to develop affordable housing and a contract with a company to promote the city's industrial park.
At a regular meeting March 21, beginning at 1 p.m., the council will vote to allow the city to seek federal money to fund terminal improvements at the Las Cruces International Airport, which has been eyeing the resumption of commercial passenger service.
The council will vote on a resolution to approve an application for an $11,875,000 grant request and to approve a required cash match of $625,000, which will come from state capital outlay and New Mexico Department of Transportation grant funds.
The city said it would seek federal funding through the FAA's Airport Terminal and Tower Program, which will provide $1 billion per year over the next five years to develop terminals and control towers. The funding was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the $1 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress in November.
If the grant funding is approved, the city says it will be used to renovate the terminal buildings at 8990 and 8960 Zia Blvd. The project would include the construction of a TSA control building and linking all buildings together.
"The existing buildings at the (airport) are insufficient to accommodate air travelers and the related amenities for travelers," the city states in an informational packet about the grant resolution. "This funding would allow the (airport) to develop a terminal for both intra- and interstate travel complete with the required TSA screening component."
The council will also vote on the approval of a contract with Griffin & Associates Marketing, Inc., which is doing business as Sunny505 and is a marketing and public relations firm in Albuquerque. The firm would promote the Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park under the agreement.
The proposed $140,000 contract would be for an initial one-year term and would be renewable for up to three additional years. The city hopes to recruit businesses to the LCIIP with a focus on three industries — aviation, aerospace, and defense; advanced manufacturing; and value-added agriculture.
The council will also vote on a Community Development Block Grant agreement with Mesilla Valley Habitat for Humanity. If approved, MVHH will use up to $96,000 of CDBG funds to acquire two parcels in the Dos Sueños Subdivision to develop owner-occupied affordable housing. MVHH will use the remaining $61,150 of CDBG funds for future land acquisition opportunities.
The homes built will be sold to qualified low-income households, the city states, and the CDBG funding will allow for more affordable mortgages to the new homeowners.
The city says it will also file a Land Use Restriction Agreement against each property to maintain each home's affordability and use as residential owner-occupied housing.
The council meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St. It will also be broadcast live on Comcast cable channel 20 and in high definition on channel 298. It will be live-streamed on YouTube at YouTube.com/clctv20 and will be available at clctv.com.
Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, mmcdevitt@lcsun-news.com or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Airport, industrial park and affordable housing on Las Cruces council agenda
