Valencia County’s development attractions — large tracts of cheap land, transportation options, generous incentive packages — are magnets to big businesses
If you want to see the future, look to Valencia County. A majority of voters there have chosen the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1952, according to the U.S. Election Atlas, a longer streak than any other place in the country. They anticipated Trump’ surprising win over Clinton. But could they have predicted that their community — known for centuries as a mostly rural expanse with a modest agricultural industry — would become one of the bright spots in New Mexico’s economy? For Lucero Chavez, owner of the Los Lunas-based New York Barber Salon, the recent uptick in activity has been surprising, ome. “We are really busy,” she said. “It’s a lot of people who work at Facebook, on the data center
Economic development officials describe Facebook as the crown jewel in a triad of recent successes for the county. The social media company announced in September of last year it had chosen Los Lunas as the site of its new data center, an investment now predicted to top $1 billion. A few weeks later, bottled water supplier Niagara Bottling said it, too, was coming to Los Lunas. Then early this year, manufacturer Keter Plastics announced it would move into the long-vacant Solo Cup plant in Belen. impacted Those projects other sectors have of the local economy: Several chain restaurants and gas stations are moving into the county to accommodate increased traffic, and gros receipts tax revenue in Los Lunas is up by nearly $2 million, largely as a result of Facebook’s construction activity (though some of that will be reimbursed to the company; see sidebar).
“For a lot of these businesses, it’s very much a game of ‘follow the leader,’” said Ralph L. Mims, Los Lunas’ economic development manager. “This is just the beginning.”
Much to offer
Mims said Valencia County has much to offer big businesses, particularly those with operations that require large tracts of land. The land is often cheaper than more densely populated areas in New Mexico, and because much of that property is owned by a few landowners, property purchase negotiations are streamlined, Mims said. Places like Los Lunas also have something many other rural areas can’t offer: an abundance of undeveloped land in tandem with sewer access, waterlines, and other infrastructure.
Steven Tomita, Belen’s planning and economic development manager, said transportation is also a key component of the county’s appeal. Albuquerque and the Sunport are a short drive on I-25, and the Rail Runner can be ridden from Belen to Santa Fe. A rail hub is in development in Los Lunas, and Belen’s railroad infrastructure has long been one of its most important assets.
“Keter told us they were originally looking at coastal cities, but started looking at Belen because of our rail network,” Tomita said. “That type of transportation network is crucial for a big manufacturer.”
Valencia County has another attraction, too, one that garners more controversy than its infrastructure or transportation offerings: Its officials have shown that they are willing to offer businesses millions of dollars in incentive packages in conjunction with the state. Executives at Facebook, which received $10 million in Local Economic Development Act funding, a gross receipts tax reimbursement, and a hefty property tax break, have consistently cited the ease of doing business in Los Lunas as the primary reason the company chose New Mexico over the other state they were considering for the data center, Utah. In Utah, incentive negotiations stalled