White Rock Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA)

Overview

The designation of a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) zone allows for the contribution of public resources to private redevelopment projects, thereby helping catalyze reinvestment in the area [See Benefits one-pagers in the Resources section]. The designation of a MRA is the first step to the development of a corresponding MRA Plan that outlines potential redevelopment projects and activities based on comprehensive community engagement and economic analysis.

Los Alamos MainStreet previously requested New Mexico MainStreet consultants’ assistance to assess the potential in White Rock [see White Rock Designation Report in the Resources section], which was complimentary as a result of Los Alamos MainStreet’s good standing with the state and national accreditation status.

White Rock officially became part of a County-wide Los Alamos MainStreet program in late 2018. Since that time, Los Alamos MainStreet has taken steps to speak with business and property owners about the benefits of designating the MainStreet district in White Rock as a MRA zone, in conjunction with simultaneous efforts by the County to initiate a downtown master plan for both White Rock and Los Alamos downtown districts, for which an independent consultant has already been selected by Los Alamos County.

Updates

Spring & Early Summer 2020

Discussions with businesses and property owners about the possible White Rock MRA.

August 2020

Continued discussions with businesses and property owners about the possible White Rock MRA.

August 18, 2020

Los Alamos MainStreet and Los Alamos County Council discussed the potential designation of the White Rock Commercial Center as a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) a Virtual Work Session open for public comment. The recording may be found at http://losalamos.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

Should the County decide to pursue a MRA Plan for White Rock, planning costs could be reimbursable through a grant via the New Mexico Finance Authority. Los Alamos County is one of the few counties in the state without an existing MRA.

Contact

Contact Los Alamos MainStreet at mainstreet@losalamos.org or 505-661-4844.