Hiland Plaza Housing Construction in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, Begins

Construction has commenced on Hiland Plaza in Albuquerque, a new L-shaped affordable housing development for the blind and hearing-impaired located at 5000 Central Avenue SE., the site of the former Desert Sands Hotel that was demolished back in 2016. 

Developed by the Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership that received the commercial building permit for the project in February 2022, Hiland Plaza housing is coming up on approximately 79,800 square feet piece of land, more than 2,000 square feet of which will be designated as commercial space that will be occupied by the Deaf Culture Center of New Mexico. 

The four-story buing, designed by Hartman + Majewski (H+M) Design Group, a full service architecture, planning, engineering, and interior design consulting firm located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, consists of one, two, and three bedroom units, for a total of 92. These units will be complemented by patios, trees and green landscaping to enhance the outdoor experience for residents of the property. 

All the 92 units and shared spaces in the premises will be equipped with amenities such as intercom systems and lighting for the hearing impaired who communicate using sign language. 

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Cost, funding and expectations for the Hiland Plaza Housing project

US$ 19M was originally budgeted as the developmental cost and about US$ 14M for the Hiland Plaza housing project in January 2021 , but the expected expenditure has since increased to US$ 23M and US$ 18M, respectively, due to the rising prices of materials.

Contributors and partners responsible for financing the Hiland Plaza housing project  include the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Albuquerque Housing Authority, the City of Albuquerque, Raymond James and PNC Bank. 

According to the executive director of the Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership, Filipe Rael, the construction of the Hiland Plaza which will be carried out by Jaynes Corp, an industry-leading construction company, in a span of about 14 months to reach completion by June 2023.

Preferential leasing arrangements will be offered to future residents of the Hiland Plaza development, who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing. Up to 15% of the entire Hiland plaza housing units will be set at market rates, while the remaining 85% will be reserved for families who earn 60% of the median income in the counties of Sandoval, Torrance, Valencia and Bernalillo.