Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Managing editor
With the backing of the Portales City Council, a Santa Fe developer will again try to secure funding to turn the defunct Portales Inn into workforce housing.
The council voted to transfer the property to Steve Crozier of Tierra Realty, who plans to renovate the Portales Inn into 68 housing units, according to Roosevelt County Economic Corp. Director Stanley Livengood. City documents also indicated Tierra plans to build new apartment complexes on adjacent property.
The deal is conditional on Crozier obtaining housing tax credits in the amount of $12.7 million from the state Mortgage Finance Authority.
The council approved a similar proposal last year, but the project missed the funding threshold by two points last year, City Manager Doug Redmond said, when 13 out of 32 applicants were funded.
As part of the deal, the city will pay Tierra Reality $350,000 through the Local Economic Development Act when a certificate of occupancy is issued. Redmond said donations to projects are worth points in the funding formula.
Redmond said the Portales Inn property is assessed at $675,000. He said it would cost $1 million to $1.2 million to tear the building down.
The building has been unoccupied for more than 20 years, Redmond said.
“If we don’t invest now, we’ll invest even more heavily later,” Councilor Keith Thomas said before the proposal was unanimously approved.
Mayor Sharon King also heartily backs the project.
“I see it as an asset for us to attract more industry and companies because the price range of the apartments are in line with the type of workforce we would attract,” King said. “There’s lots of new houses around, but I know I can’t afford one.”
Redmond believes the housing would also be attractive to Eastern New Mexico University students and Cannon Air Force Base personnel.
In other action Tuesday, the council:
• Approved the transfer of ownership of Cattle Baron’s liquor license to a modified ownership group;
•Approved a $55,000 Emergency Fund Act grant request through the state Department of Heath by the Portales Fire Department. The department receives its annual allotment based on level of service, call volume and population,” Fire Chief Gary Nuckols said.
He said the department received $19,499 last year and hopes for a similar amount this time;
•Approved the sale of 5 acres of land in the industrial park to Southwestern Public Service for $35,000. The power company plans to build a substation on the property to help keep up with increase demand.
•Approved for Redmond and city attorney Randy Knudson to negotiate with the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority to a lease property in the industrial park to build a pump station to deliver water to Elida.
•Authorized city staff to start legal proceedings against the property owners of 824 E. Elbe St. to compel them to clean up the property.
Building Inspector Sammy Standefer told the council his staff could not even get onto the adjacent property at 820 E. Elbe St. to begin abatement proceedings because of the abandoned vehicles and rubbish next door.
•Tabled a request for Curry County for a resolution seeking support for an amendment to the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Act to allow for alternate board members to be appointed by participating entities.
•Approved the adoption of the final draft of the city’s water conservation plan, a requirement to apply for a grant to rehabilitate the city’s water towers, Redmond said.
•Set 5:30 p.m. Jan. 6 as the time and date for a public hearing on the city’s plan to raise water rates.
