The approval for Mesa Film Studios on the West Side, a project the Chamber has long supported, is still on the table.
On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council heard from appellants, studio owners and city staff about the proposed $80 million film studio project near Double Eagle II Airport.
The West Side Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, Santa Fe Village Neighborhood Association and the Native American Voters Alliance joined to try to put a stop to the development, which is near the Petroglyph National Monument.
Jane Baechle, represented the appellants and said the appeal comes as the plans are being rushed without enough input from the community.
The Chamber supports the Mesa Film Studios project as it will provide:
- Six stages, each approximately 20,000 square feet
- Two flex buildings; one at 12,000 square feet and the other 24,000 square feet
- A mill building to build and store sets and props at 80,000 square feet
- A permanent three-wall blue/green screen on the back lot
- 50,000 square feet of office space
The Chamber has testified that this level of hardscape investment means jobs — 320 construction jobs, 25 full-time jobs with annual salaries and benefits of $1.4 million, and the hundreds of jobs that come with the projects that choose Albuquerque as their base of operations.
Studio representatives estimate it would bring in 1,200 jobs a year on the 60-acre plot of land.
Councilor Klarissa Peña said the project would be “an important part of creating and helping with the jobs-to-housing imbalance on the West Side.”
Councilor Dan Lewis made a motion to deny the appeal, which Peña seconded. The Council voted unanimously 9-0 to deny the appeal.
The Council then voted unanimously to defer the appeal pending the city staff analysis of changes to the project. The item will be brought up at the April 21 Council meeting for approval of the changes.