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Proponents of the United stadium scored a big win just after noon on Thursday when the City of Albuquerque’s Environmental Planning Commission voted 8-1 to recommend the city council approve a change to the Balloon Fiesta Park’s master development plan allowing for the construction of a “multi-purpose” stadium on an unused part of the large city-owned property.
In a chicken and egg moment before the City Council last month, councilors deferred approval of the lease between the United and the city until the EPC had ruled on the pending application for a change to the site development plan. Some councilors argued that approving a lease was premature unless the zoning on the property was changed to allow for a stadium. According to the application approved Thursday, the amendment to the park’s development plan “would facilitate development of the Multi-Use Stadium and additional parking on 7-acres north of the launch field.”
The decision of the EPC can be appealed to the City Council and several neighborhood organizers have previously expressed an intent to do so if they failed to dissuade the EPC from approval.
A vote on the lease to allow stadium construction is currently scheduled for Monday, November 20th at 5:00 pm before the City Council. Attend the meeting and see the agenda at cabq.gov/council