Don’t dawdle on midtown campus
Spending nine months on additional community forums to find out what people want to see happen at the former Santa Fe University of Art and Design is a waste of time and money.
Community members have been pretty clear about what they want at the midtown campus property — higher education, housing, space for film and television production, and open space for fun — just to name the top priorities.
The goal of everyone, from city officials to neighbors, was to use the 64-acre campus to help revive the middle of Santa Fe in what has been called a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
Public input was taken throughout the process, although city officials were not as transparent as we would have wished as they reviewed actual proposals. Now, it’s time to move forward.
What has to be determined is whether anyone wants the property. Selected developer KDC Real Estate Development & Investments/Cienda Partners pulled out, saying the project is too expensive and buildings on the former college campus have deteriorated. If that’s the case — and we believe them — why would the city of Santa Fe want to wait nine more months while the buildings disintegrate further?
This is not to say that we don’t support community input. We need it, but hours upon hours of meetings — both in person before the pandemic and more recently via Zoom — already have occurred to ask members of the community what they hope to see.
Now, it’s time for action.
When city officials chose a Dallas-based firm to develop the campus, seven proposals made the shortlist, with three finalists. The process was complicated in that the proposals were collectively shaped — housing partners, educational partners, business and nonprofit partners, all working under individual umbrellas. Do any of the runners-up, or their affiliates, still have interest? The uncertainty of pandemic times, thankfully, seems to be receding with vaccinations and federal stimulus dollars. The city needs to be ready to take advantage of the economic recovery that is coming.
What’s more, real estate is taking off in Santa Fe — these parcels are valuable. Yet, as City Councilor Signe Lindell pointed out, the campus is a money pit, costing thousands of dollars a day.
We agreed in 2009, when Mayor David Coss led the charge to buy the College of Santa Fe/Santa Fe University of Art and Design property, that preserving the acreage in the middle of town was a worthy expenditure. The for-profit school there failed, leaving the city holding the bag (and the mortgage). That presented another opportunity, one the city needs to seize.
If the city wants to gather additional input — do it quickly. Going back for “community input,” especially during a city election, is hardly efficient. By the time input is gathered, the election will be here and no decisions will have been reached. There’s a better path forward.
Use the months ahead to seek new proposals. When they are delivered, involve the community in a more open process — that’s when input is required and where the city fell short in the last go-round. At the same time, present a maintenance plan to the City Council, too, showing how this asset is being protected. Lay the groundwork for future successes by addressing zoning and traffic issues before development can begin. So much can be done, even while consulting the community.
Time is money. And in Santa Fe, both are being wasted right now.