The New Mexican
September 30, 2007
A master-planned community called Rio West could rival the size of Rio Rancho in the next couple of decades, bringing in 70,000 people and new aerospace manufacturing jobs.
Sandoval County commissioners last October unanimously approved development of Rio West on almost 12,000 acres about five and a half miles west of Rio Rancho.
The developer is Aperion Communities, formerly Recorp New Mexico Associates of Scottsdale, Ariz. Aperion partner David Maniatis said the project began 24 years ago.
“We’ve been working on this a long time,” Maniatis said. “We wanted to do this right.”
Rio West planners envision 30,000 homes, a 2,300-acre industrial park, a general aviation park for commuter-size planes, a 27-hole golf course, a resort and 2,000 acres of open space, according to Sandoval County development director Michael Springfield.
Aperion Communities’ Web site touts the development as having “zero-eco impact.” Sandoval County commissioners were most concerned about transportation and water, and reluctant for Rio West to become a bedroom community for Albuquerque, Springfield said.
So the developer has agreed to build a four-lane, divided highway between Rio Rancho and the Rio West property. “They’re required to build that right up front,” Springfield said.
The 18,000 acre-feet of water needed for the development could come from two deep wells the county is constructing.
The deal clencher was jobs. “We are trying to develop an industrial base out there for the whole northwest sector of Albuquerque,” Springfield said. “We want to provide jobs and reverse the traffic flow so it is going west instead of crossing bridges into Albuquerque.” The Sandoval County Commission hopes the basic industry in the Rio West industrial park will be aerospace and provide between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs.
Rio West is supposed to satisfy half its energy needs from renewable sources such as biomass, solar and wind.
Contact Staci Matlock at 470-9843 or smatlock@sfnewmexican.com
Comments