Big changes possible downtown: Pay attention

Back in 1964, members of the Capitol Buildings Improvement Commission held a grand news conference at La Fonda in January to unveil a proposed new $6 million Capitol building, designed in what its architect described as “monumental pueblo style.”

The long-awaited artist’s rendition had been causing a ruckus because many citizens believed the building failed to meet requirements of the city’s historical design ordinance. It would be massive, round and made of pre-cast concrete divided by windows. Even before the design was made public, city officials had made it clear the building wouldn’t pass muster.

Then-Mayor Pat Hollis told The New Mexican at the time: “This is not a Santa Fe style building.” That reaction was nearly universal, even after architects had attempted to make adjustments to accommodate Santa Fe architectural traditions.

The New Mexican, circa 1964 under the ownership of Robert M. McKinney, led a vigorous fight against the architect’s vision, writing in a forceful editorial: “With this building and those that must necessarily follow, Santa Fe will no more be the city with a character. It will become a faceless place like thousands of others the world over.

“And we must not settle for a few minor changes,” the editorial went on to say. “The exterior design must be changed completely.”

Fast-forward to 2023. The Roundhouse, obviously, was built. It remained round, or doughnut-shaped, as it was called at the time. But the exterior received a massive makeover before construction, allowing touches of New Mexico Territorial style so the structure blended in despite its circular shape and height. The state and concerned citizens compromised.

As noted architect John Gaw Meem argued in 1964, “It is inconceivable that the State of New Mexico should be willing to handicap the city in its efforts to preserve its unique historical character.”

That remains true today.

The emerging controversy is perhaps less heated but no less engaged. It’s just getting started, after all. State officials are proposing a large-scale, multistory executive office building across the street from the Roundhouse. It would cost $194 million and significantly change the appearance of the neighborhood, including destroying what once were homes on South Capitol Street and Don Gaspar Avenue. Also on the chopping block is the Concha Ortiz y Pino Building, where employees from the State Engineer’s Office now work, and a motor pool and garage building on South Capitol Street.

The idea is to consolidate state business in one building and save millions of dollars now going to lease space in other buildings. The General Services Department estimates the state is paying $10 million for such leases annually in Santa Fe.

This time around, architects have stayed true to the Territorial-style architecture that signifies a Santa Fe building. The problem, say critics, is the scale of the building. At 200,000 square feet, the new office building would be close in size to the Roundhouse, which is around 232,000 square feet. That’s a lot of office space for downtown Santa Fe, especially considering the report from last year claimed the state is overestimating its office needs for employees.

Is this big a building necessary? The original 2014 proposal called for a 56,000-squarefoot structure at a much more reasonable cost of $25 million. It will be interesting to learn what has changed in the last decade to require such an expansion.

With 700 employees expected to work in the new building, there also are questions of traffic congestion to be faced. That many cars and trucks converging on downtown at 8 a.m. and then departing at 5 p.m. would be a massive load for city streets to bear. Much, it seems, remains to be discussed.

On Tuesday, the Historic Districts Review Board will hear the state’s request asking to demolish four small buildings built in the 1930s. They once served as homes and are considered “significant” contributors to the neighborhood’s historical designation. Their destruction would make way for the construction of the building.

At the same meeting, members of the board will consider a request by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum for a 56,000-square-foot building to be built in downtown Santa Fe. It would come with nearly an acre of green space and would replace the museum’s Education Annex at 123 Grant Ave.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave. As this newspaper said in 1964, show up and speak up.