More than 7,000 square feet of retail space is headed to Rio Rancho.
Maestas Development Group earlier this week unveiled plans for Northpoint Plaza, a retail project slated for the corner of Northern and Unser boulevards. The project is expected to break ground toward the end of the year and businesses should be up and running a year from the groundbreaking, the developer said.
Maestas Development said the space has room for two food concepts, with one having drive-thru access. As of Wednesday, it said it has “definite interest” from possible tenants but have yet to announce who will occupy the spaces.
The developer fielded suggestions on what tenants should occupy the space on its social media and found a large number of commenters clamoring for a grocery store. Other suggestions included coffee shops, food concepts, breweries and a bank.
“Northpoint Plaza will provide needed services to the second most underserved trade area in the metro market, and the response from residents who live nearby demonstrates businesses within the center will thrive,” said Steve Maestas, CEO of Maestas Development Group, in a statement. “This project will dramatically increase convenience, create jobs and improve resident’s quality of life by providing access to services and restaurants.”
Northpoint Plaza is expected to be a standalone project, but a strong response from the local community is causing Maestas to look at future developments in the surrounding area, the developer said. Albuquerque-based Wilger Construction is slated to be the project’s general contractor, according to Maestas.
Maestas is the developer on a few local projects that recently broke ground, including Nuevo Atrisco, a $26 million mixed-use development on Albuquerque’s Westside, and Central Avenue projects such as Highlands North, a 4-story, 92-unit apartment complex and the Marriott SpringHill Suites Hotel, a nearly 93,000-square-foot, 118-room hotel and the second home of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico.
Maestas broke ground for phase two of its Las Estancias project — a 155,000-square-foot project which is set to include a Hobby Lobby, Ross and Shoe Department Encore — in December, according to previous Business First reporting.
By Ron Davis | Albuquerque Business First | May 9, 2019