WHAT'S NEW IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Coming Soon To ABQ

New Hotels & Renovations

Renovations Continue at Hotel Andaluz

Renovations are continuing in 2025 at Hotel Andaluz. The remodel includes an updated lobby, sleeping rooms, corridors, meeting space, second-level mezzanine and gift shop. The restaurant bar and second-floor rooftop bar will be reopened with new concepts during the renovations, and a lobby bar will be added as well. The restaurant will be called Char, with a focus on live-fire cooking. Renovations are expected to be finished by the end of summer 2025.

Historic Nob Hill Motel to Get a Revamp

Titan Development has purchased the Hiway House Motel in Nob Hill with plans to turn it into a boutique hotel. The vacant motel was originally built in 1959, and will be demolished with a new building in its place. Plans include about 100 guest room, a rooftop bar and meeting spaces. There are also plans to revitalize the motel's original neon sign.

Culinary News

Laguna Burger Opening in UNM Area

Laguna Burger will open in winter 2025 in the Bricklight District near the University of New Mexico. There will be 95 seats indoors and outdoors and will feature a menu similar to its other locations.

New Restaurant Coming to Downtown Albuquerque

Wolf N' Swallow will soon have a storefront. The husband-and-wife team behind the business is planning to open a restaurant and wine bar in the former 2G's Bistro at Central Avenue and Edith Boulevard.

Wells Park Warehouse to House New Food Spots

An old Wells Park Warehouse has been remodeled, and will soon host more restaurants. Burning Daylight Coffee Company and Cultura Cocina will join Kosmos Restaurant as tenants.

Marco's Pizza to Open Albuquerque Locations

Marco's Pizza is set to make its New Mexico debut in 2025. Two locations are scheduled to be open in Albuquerque by end of April 2025.

In-n-Out is Coming to Albuquerque

The popular burger chain In-n-Out is expanding to Albuquerque. A location is expected to be open by 2027.

Attractions & Facilities

Route 66 Motel Turning Into Food Court and Shopping Center

The Hacienda Motel is being transformed into the Hacienda Shopping Center. The project will include a food court, a live music space and fountain. There will be eight retail locations, seven restaurants and two bars. It is expected to open in spring 2025.

Heritage Farm at the ABQ BIoPark Botanic Garden to get a Refresh

Renovations are currently underway at the Heritage Farm in the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. Updates include stained glass windows featuring Native wildlife, new animal pastures and barns, an outdoor classroom and an electric train that will take up to 100 people around the one-mile loop surrounding the Heritage Farm. This section of the Botanic Garden will get its own entrance and ticket booth as well. Renovations are expected to be completed in 2025. There will be a new "Lebanon and Beyond" exhibit that will feature native Mediterranean plants and Lebanese architectural elements alongside some New Mexican species. An artist's rendering is above. It will be located to the southeast of the botanic garden's Mediterranean Conservatory, which is one of the two buildings that feature a vast array of plants kept indoors. It is expected to open in fall 2025.

Development

UNM Building Arts and Technology Center

The University of New Mexico is building a new $80 million center for the College of Fine Arts. The 60,000-square-foot center is called the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology. The new space includes a soundstage, 600-seat performance hall, exhibition space and an arts, research, technology and science lab. The center is expected to open by summer 2026.

New Commercial Soundstage Production Facility Under Construction

Rio Bravo Studios is building a new commercial soundstage facility in the South Valley. It will include four 20,000-square-foot sound stages near the intersection of Rio Bravo Boulevard and Second Street. It is set to open sometime in 2025.

New Aquatics Center Under Construction

A new aquatic center is being built at North Domingo Baca Park. The center will feature a 50-meter indoor competition pool, a diving pool, a heated therapy pool and a recreational play area with two slides. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.

Dream of Flight: Albuquerque International Sunport’s “Once in a Lifetime” Renovation

Visitors to the Land of Enchantment will soon be able to experience a real taste of Albuquerque as soon as they deplane, thanks to an ambitious modernization project now underway at the Sunport. The new TSA screening checkpoint opened in late 2023. Future updates will include a new “mini shopping mall” highlighting made-in-New Mexico products, fresh local art installations, as well as updated carpeting and seating throughout the Sunport. Three new restaurants will be coming to the Sunport. National burger chain Smashburger will become the company's first location in New Mexico. Next to it will be Frank's Famous Chicken & Waffles, a popular Nob Hill Restaurant. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's eatery Indian Pueblo Kitchen will also have a location in the new food hall. The folks behind the renovation hope fans of the Sunport’s current Burqueño vibe will appreciate the updates to come. “We are maintaining our incomparable sense of place, the look and feel of the Sunport as we know it, by enhancing it. We’re bringing in more traditional colors of New Mexico—drawing out the turquoise and dark red hues—and offering more local flavors in both dining and shopping,” according to Manriquez.

New Retail Hub Planned in Northwest Albuquerque

A new retail hub is being planned near the Petroglyph National Monument on the southwest corner of Paseo del Norte and Kimmick Drive. The development will include a mix of retail, medical, restaurant, grocery and early childhood learning tenants. A groundbreaking is expected in 2025.

Legacy Development & Management Plans for Sunport Hotel

While it remains in the planning stages with the City of Albuquerque, Legacy has plans for a five-story hotel that will encompass 112 rooms across 73,595 square feet near the Albuquerque International Sunport. The project remains conceptual at this point, Kassam said. The hotel would be located off Sunport and University boulevards at 1500 Sunport Ave. SE, down the street from Interstate 25.

Cinelease Studios to Expand in Albuquerque

Cinelease Studios is investing $95 million to expand its studio space in Albuquerque. The expansion includes five soundstages and three ancillary buildings. It is expected to be completed in two phases, and finished by 2029.

Anniversaries

Route 66 Turns 100 in 2026

Route 66 will turn a century old in 2026. The highway was commissioned in 1926 and connects Chicago with Los Angeles. The first route ran north to south through Albuquerque as part of a curve that connected Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Los Lunas and several Native American reservations. By 1937, the road had straightened out and ran in a more east-west direction along the route we’re more familiar with today. Today, the route runs through the heart of Albuquerque along Central Avenue, leading travelers through some of the city’s most beloved neighborhoods and still serves as a jumping off point for transportation. 

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Turns 50 in 2026

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center will be celebrating its 50th birthday in 2026. The IPCC works to preserve Pueblo culture, and provides a place to discover and learn more about Pueblo culture. It is owned and operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico.

ABQ BioPark Zoo Turns 100 in 2027

The ABQ BioPark Zoo will celebrate its centennial birthday in 2027. The 64-acre Zoo has been offering guests close encounters with exotic and native animals since 1927.

KiMo Theatre Turns 100 in 2027

The historic KiMo Theatre in downtown Albuquerque turns 100 in 1927. It is a tribute to "Pueblo Deco" architecture and hosts theatrical performances, concerts and more.

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