City buys 145-acre open space for $1.4M: Diamond Rock property is 'jewel' for city

Alaina Mencinger , Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·3 min read

Sep. 18—It's been a saloon and a feed store.

Now, it's going to become an education center for city and county residents, as well as visitors to Albuquerque's green spaces.

The City of Albuquerque bought the Diamond Rock property, a 145-acre parcel of land at the base of the Manzano Mountains. The property includes a historic building, which after some "additional love and attention," according to Parks and Recreation director Dave Simon, will eventually become the Eastside Open Space Center.

A second open space center was once planned for the Elena Gallegos park; however, that idea was tabled in April 2023. There is currently one open space center on the Westside.

The open space property was purchased for $1.4 million, after the city identified the spot as being "under severe threat of development" in a 2021 report identifying the properties the city would most like to buy. The report stated the property was for sale to develop into 117 residential lots.

Simon identified the location as a key wildlife habitat.

"It will be saved from development," Simon said at a press conference attended by Mayor Tim Keller, City Councilor Renée Grout and County Commissioner Eric Olivas. "There was a development proposal for this 145 acres, and that is not going to happen. What is going to happen is wildlife habitat and recreational opportunity for you and your grandchildren."

Diamond Rock abuts two other green spaces — the Manzano/Four Hills open space and the Route 66/Tijeras Arroyo Open Space. Now, the city has acquired 338 acres in the Tijeras Arroyo Biozone. Across the Tijeras Creek watershed — which includes the Tijeras Arroyo Bio-Zone, the southern Sandias, and the Manzano/Four Hills area — there are 2,000 acres of open space.

"This is another jewel in the crown of one of the country's best open space systems," Simon said. "The Diamond Rock property now is preserved in perpetuity, and is going to add to this legacy for present and future generations."

The funding for the purchase came from general obligation bonds, although Keller noted more money would be needed to complete the project. Simon said the city is expecting a $730,000 grant from the National Parks Service's Land and Water Conservation fund.

The Parks and Recreation Department applied for the grant in October 2022. A spokesperson for the department said "preliminary feedback from the NPS has been positive."

The total price tag for the project is unknown right now. But, a proposed 2023 general obligation bond package would give the department $2 million for an education center in the Tijeras Arroyo Bio-Zone.

A public meeting to create a site plan is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 15600 Central SE. Among the current plans for the area as a whole is a trail accessible to people with a variety of disabilities and a potential nature education facility. Starting this fall, the city plans to start monthly public access days to the property, including guided hikes, and will continue the free outdoor concert series at the spot.