Posts Tagged ‘City of Las Cruces’

Private sector funding from the businesses and organizations throughout the New Mexico Borderplex is a mainstay of MVEDA’s ability to continue in its mission of creating new employment opportunities for area residents. MVEDA is proud to announce four new Partners:  Jaynes Corporation; Bohannan Huston, Inc.; The Dwyer Law Firm, LLC; and the Arid Group, LLC.

The Jaynes Corporation is the largest general contractor in New Mexico. Their headquarters are in Albuquerque and they have offices in Farmington, Durango, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Diego, California. They are presently constructing the City of Las Cruces Administration Building, the Las Cruces Convention Center and the Las Cruces Regional Recreation and Aquatics Center.  Rick Marquardt is the President and COO.

Bohannan Huston, Inc. is a full service engineering firm headquartered in Albuquerque. They have offices here in Las Cruces as well as Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colorado. Their Las Cruces office is managed by Rob Richardson, Senior Vice President and Managing Principal. Rob serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce and is the Chair of Leadership Las Cruces.

The Dwyer Law Firm is a new downtown business in Las Cruces specializing in tax law. Licensed to practice law in New Mexico, Joshua Dwyer is a member of the Taxation and Business Law Sections of the State Bar of New Mexico as well as a member of the American Bar Association.

The Arid Group, LLC, located in Las Cruces, is an agricultural research company specializing in water supply and irrigation systems.  Matthew H. Stong is the managing partner.

MVEDA’s Partners are linked from MVEDA’s website.

The City of Las Cruces Public Works Department and URS Corporation will hold a public meeting for the Jackrabbit Interchange (I-10/US 70) Study Project on Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the Picacho Middle School, W. Picacho and N. Motel Blvd.

Study Team members will provide project information and results of the Phase A investigations.  There will be an opportunity to view proposed alternatives and speak with team members during the open house from 6:30-7:00 p.m.  A presentation on the project will be given at 7:00 p.m., followed by questions and comments.

Background

A study is being conducted of the I-10 / US70 interchange (Interchange No. 135, commonly referred to as the “Jackrabbit” Interchange) to investigate and identify recommended geometric and operational improvements, and to accommodate future traffic growth and the planned High Mesa Road.

The origin of this study is based on recent and ongoing growth experienced in and around the City; evolving land development activity; and pending changes in the regional transportation network. Separate initiatives are presently underway to evaluate improvements to other segments of I-10 serving the City, dispose of large tracts of BLM land destined for new development, and advance planning for High Mesa Road which will access I-10 at or near the Jackrabbit interchange location. Expansion of the I-10 Industrial Park and the Las Cruces International Airport are also anticipated. The desire of the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces MPO, Dona Ana County, and the New Mexico Department of Transportation to respond to and plan for the effects of these influences creates the need for this study.

If you require special accommodations please contact Denise Weston at Parametrix by calling (575) 522-7400 or by emailing dweston@parametrix.com.

In its monthly board meeting of October 21, 2009, the MVEDA Board of Directorsadded two new board members.  Kendall Wallin, Business Banking Manager with Wells Fargo Bank, was elected to fill the unexpired term of Jim Easley. Easley is in the process of relocating to Albuquerque to assume another position with Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo Bank is a Platinum MVEDA Partner.

Gilbert Apodaca, President of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, replaces Rachel Garcia-Banegas as the Chamber’s representative to the MVEDA Board.  Apodaca is the Administrative Director for Memorial Medical Center.  Memorial Medical Center is also a Platinum MVEDA Partner.

MVEDA is governed by a board of directors representing both the private and public sectors. Institutional members represent the City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, and White Sands Missile Range. Private sector board members represent a wide diversity of business and industry. They serve 3-year terms and are elected by the board.

The City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County will host the fourth round of Vision 2040 public input meetings the week of October 19, 2009.  All residents of Dona Ana County and Las Cruces who are interested in long range planning and improving their community are encouraged to attend.

These meetings will be led by our consultants at Peter J. Smith & Company.  The primary focus will be a presentation of current draft Vision 2040 documents.  Participants will be asked to provide their comments on the draft documents, as we chart a preferred course for our region.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Monday, Oct. 19^th, 5pm-8pm; Hatch - Hatch Community Center, 837 W. Hall St.

Wednesday, Oct. 21^st, 10am-1pm; Las Cruces - Dona Ana County Gov. Center, 845 Motel Blvd

Wednesday, Oct. 21^st, 5pm-8pm; Chaparral - Chaparral Middle School, 290 E. Lisa

Thursday, Oct. 22^nd, 9am-12pm; Vado/Del Cerro - Del Cerro Community Center, 180 La Fe Ave.

Thursday, Oct. 22^nd, 5pm-8pm; Las Cruces - Sonoma Elementary School, 4201 Northrise Dr.

Vision 2040 is a long-range, regional comprehensive planning project that is evaluating the needs of the region for the next thirty years, and identifying ways the City and County should act to meet those needs. Specific topics will include population growth and land use, transportation and infrastructure, environmental issues, affordable housing, economic development and many others.

In addition to the public meetings, the City and County are seeking written comments on draft documents.  These documents include the Vision 2040 Regional Plan, City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County Comprehensive Plans, Inventory, and Appendix.  These documents are available for download from http://vision2040.nmsu.edu/documents.html.  Hard copies will also be available for review soon at the following locations:

• Munson Senior Center
• Mesilla Park Community Center
• Benavidez Community Center
• East Mesa Recreation Center
• City Hall
• City Office Center
• Mesilla Town Hall
• Doña Ana County Planning Office
• Hatch Community Center
• Radium Springs Community Center
• Doña Ana Community Center
• Del Cerro Community Center
• Anthony Water Offices
• Chaparral Water Offices
• Sunland Park Planning Offices
• Organ Community Center
• Rincon Community Center

The public is encouraged to submit comments on these documents by Friday, October 30th.  Written comments may be submitted online at http://vision2040.nmsu.edu/Comments.html, by e-mail to ahume@las-cruces.org, or by mail to Andy Hume, PO Box 20000, Las Cruces, NM 88004.

For more information, e-mail ahume@las-cruces.org, visit http://vision2040.nmsu.edu/or contact Andy Hume, at 575/528-3047. The TTY number is 541-2182.

The first Spaceport Community Council Meeting was held on July 21, 2009 at the Dona Ana County Government Center.  The public meeting was sponsored by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee. The event was moderated by Garrey Carruthers, former governor and Dean of the New Mexico State University College of Business.

Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America, provided the audience an update on the progress of Spaceport America. His presentation included videos (click the links to view) of the May 2^nd New Mexico Education Launch and the June 19^th Spaceport America ground breaking event.  Videos are also available on YouTube.

Wayne Savage, Chair of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee provided an overview of the committee’s activities in the community to help develop and publicize business opportunities related to the Spaceport. He announced that the next public forum would be held on October 20, 2009 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. The event, The Leonard R. Sugerman Public Forum, is part of the 2009 International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS).

Following the presentations, questions from the audience were answered by representatives from Spaceport America, the Las Cruces Public Schools, MVEDA, and elected officials, including State Representative Andy Nunez, County Commissioner Scott Krahling, and City Councilor Dolores Connor. The event was taped and is being aired on the City of Las Cruces’ CLC-TV cable channel 20 for those that are unable to attend.