3 finalists named for midtown campus
Trio to be further interviewed by Santa Fe officials with goal of picking partner by April
The Dating Game has started for the midtown campus.
The city of Santa Fe has narrowed the list of potential master developers from seven to three to bring new life to the city-owned midtown campus and will now intensely interview the finalists to find the best match as a partner to shape the future of the 64-acre former college campus on St. Michael’s Drive.
“We want to figure out if they have their heart and soul in community development and are committed to the community,” said Daniel Hernandez, the city’s contracted project manager for the midtown campus.
The city announced Tuesday that Central Park Santa Fe, KDC Real Estate Development and Investments/ Cienda Partners, and Ra±es Education Corp. will be further interviewed — in written form and face-to-face — to determine which one may end up as the master developer for what could become a $400 million-plus project over at least seven to 10 years.
Hernandez wants to have a master developer chosen in April. But he and Mayor Alan Webber have previously said there is no guarantee that this wooing process — akin to the old ’60s TV show — will culminate with a suitable suitor.
The applicants not making the short list are Santa Fe Innovation Village headed by Silicon Valley executive John F. Rizzo; the National Nuclear Security Administration, which administers Los Alamos National Laboratory; Santa Fe developer Zydeco; and Specialized Capital Partners, an entity giving a Chicago condo address.
As in double-elimination sports tournaments, nobody is necessarily out of the picture yet.
The master developers not on the short list can still offer to collaborate with the short-list master developers. And the other 14 applicants for smaller midtown campus projects will start getting more into the picture in the coming months.
“We want the best ideas to come forward,” Hernandez said. “All the applicants had good ideas. We are reviewing all their proposals right now. We would like to introduce building owners and tenants to master developers.”
Many of the 14 other applicants have already lined themselves up with one or more of the seven master developers. These are applicants who proposed to develop only a portion of the campus, own specific buildings or be tenants on campus.
Rizzo said Santa Fe Innovation Village is in talks with Ra±es, the Singapore entity that previously tried to buy the campus while the Santa Fe University of Art and Design was still in operation.
“It is to get the innovation village concept of technology and innovation companies together to complement the film and education elements,” Rizzo said. “All of these complement each other. You start getting a snowball effect of people wanting to be part of it.”
Ra±es Education Corp. and KDC/Cienda Partners would not comment. Cienda owns La Fonda on the Plaza.
The city has shrouded the proposals in secrecy, citing a state procurement law, and has insisted applicants not discuss their proposals publicly, though 11 of 21 applicants, including three master developers, have shared their ideas with The New Mexican.
Hernandez said the secrecy is meant to stick to the city’s established evaluation criteria rather than coloring the process with public opinion.
For now, Allan Affeldt, who leads the short-listed Central Park Santa Fe team, is not seeking any collaborations with the 20 other applicants.
“Not at all,” Affeldt said. “We have a stand-alone proposal. As far as I know, we are the only developer to present a complete master plan.”
The mayor, however, has said the city will make suggestions for the developer to consider other ideas. In the process to find a master developer, the city set the vision for the midtown campus and is holding the reins in deciding its future. Master developers have said they are following the city’s lead.
Hernandez and Webber have acknowledged the selection process is similar to finding the ideal suitor. Hernandez said three qualities are paramount.
“We want someone with deep experience in public-private partnerships in large-scale projects,” he said. “We want a developer who knows how to build place. Who know how to build the fabric of a neighborhood where people can live, power, play and learn. That is place making.”
Hernandez said the chosen master developer will must have a depth of capacity and financial capacity to carry out the project.
“Do they know how to implement community development and public policy objectives?” Hernandez asked. “They will be able to address their understanding of community development.”