Commercial construction projects on rise

Santa Fe is experiencing an uptick in commercial construction this spring, particularly on the south side.

The city Land Use Department has issued about half a dozen major commercial construction permits in the last 60 days.

Notable projects along city's southwestern edge include a McDonald's restaurant, State Employees Credit Union, and Murphy's Oil filling station going in at Las Soleras development east of Cerrillos Road near the Super Wal-Mart. Work has begun on a new building for a Guadalupe Credit Union on the south side of Airport Road, just east of Jemez Road, and a Dollar General store west of South Meadows in the same area was recently completed.

Downtown, the Drury Hotels chain last week started construction of a parking garage that will accompany its planned renovation of the old St. Vincent Hospital buildings into a 200-room hotel.

"What we are seeing is commercial construction that is self-financed on the corporate level," said Land Use Director Matthew O'Reilly.

Construction in the city slowed in fiscal year 2009/10, but this fiscal year shows some signs of recovery.

The total volume of building permits issued has increased about 35 percent from the 2009 trough, he said. Those numbers are somewhat deceiving, however, because many of the permits are for very small projects such as home renovations.

"I don't know if it is a sign of recovery, but for Santa Fe, it is a sign that people are spending some money on real estate, whether they are renovating a commercial building or renovating or doing additions to residential structures," O'Reilly said. "I think that is a good thing. It puts money into the economy and employs contractors and it means people are wanting to invest back into their property."

At a Little Caesars Pizza restaurant and drive-thru on the west side of Cerrillos Road between the Arby's Restaurant and the Long John Silver's, Star Construction expects to wrap up exterior work next month. Another contractor will do interior work, said foreman Isaac Cisneros. The Albuquerque-based company started in January and brought all its workers to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, Edgewood and Moriarty. It also bought most of its supplies there, he said.

For Winona Nava, president and chief executive officer of Guadalupe Credit Union, having Santa Fe workers was important, she said.

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Commercial construction projects on rise