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By the 1940s the Santa Fe Railyard was an active center for the locals in Santa Fe. Neighbors, still living next to the Railyard today, remember those afternoons picking wild lettuce and swimming along the acequia. The Railyard was the place where people came during the Depression to be given free meat from the warehouses; there was ice skating in the winter; it was the performance site for the circus.
Recent Developments
1980s The 1980s was a boom-time for growth in Santa Fe; the period also became a time of great planning. In ten years Santa Fe developed the Citywide General Plan, the Business Capital District Plan and several other plans that would impact the Railyard area.
1985 Mayor Montaño announced a plan to develop the Railyard.
1987 Trust for Public Land (TPL) approached Mayor Pick to encourage acquisition of the Railyard.
1987 June: the City of Santa Fe passed a resolution declaring the Railyard a “blighted area” which required the City to follow State laws on the redevelopment of the property.
1987-88 City began planning the Railyard. The Metropolitan Redevelopment Commission (MRC) was created, began hearings and hired Robert Charles Lesser Co. to develop a Master Plan for the Railyard. The City did not commit to a purchase of the Railyard.
1989-90 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company formed Catellus Development Corporation to prepare development plans for the Railyard.
1991 Catellus Report for the Railyard was released. The plan included demolition of most existing buildings and new buildings 2 to 6 stories tall with 1.2 million square feet of development planned.
1992 Catellus Plan was rejected by the MRC and the City Council.
1992-93 Neighborhood Coalition held hearings to discuss neighborhood desires for the Railyard.
1994 City of Santa Fe General Plan update reflected a major shift in policy in community planning and participation.
1995 December: the City of Santa Fe purchased the 50 acres of the Railyard with bridge financing support from the Trust for Public Land.
1996 December: the City issued an open invitation to the citizenry of Santa Fe to come and vote for what they wished to have on the Railyard. The number one desire was to keep the railroad running to the historic depot. The public also requested a large park, local business opportunities, and an arts and cultural district within the Railyard. They valued protection of adjacent neighborhoods and keeping the “rugged, gritty” look of the Railyard.
1997 February: the City held a four week long design process. In week one, over 200 people worked with local architects and planners to design preliminary land use concepts for the Railyard. During week two, the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team and local designers produced the Community Plan. The report was released as a donation and gift by the Santa Fe Reporter, so that everyone in town could receive a copy.
1997 Spring: City Council unanimously approved the Community Plan.
1997 Fall: the Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan was produced by City staff to meet State requirements.
1998 The City of Santa Fe staffed a Railyard Center office to implement redevelopment of the Railyard.
2000 January: the City and TPL approved a 13 acre easement agreement for a park, a rail line alignment, a plaza and alameda in the Railyard.
2001 March: Design Workshop Inc. was selected by the City of Santa Fe to develop a more detailed Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
2001 June & September: Public meetings were held to provide the opportunity for involvement of the full community.
2001 August: TPL signed an agreement with the City to manage and finance the design and development of the park, rail and plaza-alameda easements of the Railyard.
2002 February: The Railyard Master Plan was approved by the governing body of the City. The Master Plan honors the history and cultural heritage of the site – embracing the “rugged, gritty” look of the Railyard and encouraging the presence of local businesses, particularly non-profits, with a focus on arts, culture and community. The Railyard already celebrates these ideals with the presence of such entities as the Santa Fe Farmers Market, SITE Santa Fe, Warehouse 21 and El Museo Cultural.
2002 February: The Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation (SFRCC), a New Mexico non-profit corporation, entered into a lease and management agreement with the City.
2002 July: SFRCC took over responsibility to develop the 37 acres of mixed-use space that will include museums, galleries, restaurants, retail shops, office space and live/work residential units for artists and craft persons.
2003 April: SFRCC Board hires an Executive Director.
2003 Fall: SFRCC received commitments for city, state and federal grants and loans in the amount of $6,101,467 and is eligible for an additional $2,400,000. The grants and loans include monies from the City of Santa Fe, HUD/EDI, New Mexico Finance Authority and Governor Richardson’s Economic Development Plan.
2003 Fall: Bohannan Huston of Albuquerque was contracted through an RFP process to develop the plans for the new infrastructure. Klinger of Albuquerque was contracted to serve as SFRCC’s project manager for the infrastructure.
2004 September: Ground breaking occurred on the Railyard with the beginning of archeaological studies.
2005 Infrastructure construction begins. 2006-2008 Development of building sites.
Recent Progress
For recent developments on the Railyard please refer to the News & Updates.
The Railyard history is long and complex and connected to the broader history of the Southwest. For more detailed historical information including the arrival of the spur line, historical railroad structures, old lease information, and the potential significance of some sites, please see the Appendix portion of the Master Plan.
The Master Plan can be downloaded from this site, the City of Santa Fe website, or purchased from Copy Shack Inc. on Sandoval Street in Santa Fe. |
