EXPO NM Community Meeting this Friday

The future of "EXPO NM" is something many of us may not have thought much about -- but it will change (that's pretty much assured), and the question of its future direction could have major impact not only on the Albuquerque area, but statewide as well.

For those of us in the media community, there could be some big opportunities as well.

From the Democracy for New Mexico Blog:

Friday: Gov. Richardson Wants to Hear Your Ideas for EXPO New Mexico

Governor Bill Richardson has announced he'll hold a community meeting at 1:30 PM on Friday, August 8, in the auditorium at the African American Performing Arts Center on the State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque. He wants to hear directly from New Mexicans who have ideas for redeveloping EXPO New Mexico (see aerial photo).

“I want to hear from the public, including the private sector and neighborhood associations, to explore every option for renovating the state fairgrounds,” said Governor Richardson.

The Governor will be accompanied by EXPO officials, Finance Secretary Katherine Miller and local legislators, who will be available to the public for questions and comments about the state fairgrounds. The event will be moderated by Tim Keller, Senator-Elect from District 17, where EXPO New Mexico (the fairgrounds) is located.

Governor Richardson is interested in ideas that may include replacing Tingley Coliseum and the Downs Racetrack with a world class EXPO New Mexico Exhibit Center. In effort to maximize the use of the space, the State is open to considering alternative uses for the property, including community green space, multi-use buildings and commercial or residential development.

EXPO New Mexico consists of 237 acres within the city of Albuquerque and contains approximately 1,000,000 square feet of buildings and 7,500 parking spaces.

The community meeting will be held on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 1:30 PM in the auditorium at the African American Performing Arts Center on the State Fairgrounds. This event is open to the media and the public. We urge those who would like to attend, to arrive prior to 1:30 PM.

For more info on the process set out to garner redevelopment ideas, see the EXPO New Mexico website, this New Mexico Business Journal article and Request for Information (pdf) on Ideas to Redevelop the Property at EXPO New Mexico.