Food Hall Near Presbyterian, Welcome Party at Flock of Moons, Drone Show at Isotopes and More
Publisher’s Note:
Due to the 4th of July holiday, we are sending Nob Hill News a day early. You will not receive an edition tomorrow. See you back on Monday. Wishing you a happy Independence Day on behalf of the team at Nob Hill News!
Construction Begins on Food Hall Near Presbyterian Hospital
Titan’s Nob Hill boutique hotel forges along, too
By Damon Scott
A development designed to offer more food options near Presbyterian Hospital hit a milestone a couple of weeks ago when ground started moving on the highly anticipated Highlands Central Market on Central Avenue just east of I-25.
The Titan Development project will also increase the number of available hotel rooms in the area, as Central Market—a food hall—will be located on the ground floor of a three-story, 126-room Residence Inn extended-stay hotel.
“They got the fence up; they’re moving dirt,” Titan partner Josh Rogers told Nob Hill News last week. “We’re hoping for two years of construction to get this thing open. The food hall could be open before that.”
Rogers wouldn’t disclose the project’s cost.
Central Market is expected to be approximately 15,000 square feet in all. For comparison, the 505 Central Food Hall in downtown is about 13,000 square feet, while the Sawmill Market in the Sawmill District is much larger at about 40,000 square feet. Rogers said Titan is hiring an operator that will oversee what will be close to a dozen food hall vendors at the Central Market.
“We're close to getting that all wrapped up and then from there we'll coordinate with the master operator to identify potential local artisanal tenants for each of the spaces,” he said.
Rogers said Titan’s research shows that nearly 5,000 people work at or visit Presbyterian Hospital each day, while the facility only offers an in-house cafeteria and a Subway location.
“We're really excited that we're finally moving forward on this project, because it's a food desert over there,” he said.
Rogers added that while the food hall will be easily accessible to those at Presbyterian via a sky bridge, it’s also designed for the general public to enjoy.
“The neighborhoods—Sycamore, Spruce Park, Silver Hill and EDo—these are walkable areas in our city, and it's going to be a really great new place for people to visit. It’s not just for the hospital,” he said.
On tap and on hold
The food hall and Residence Inn are part of a larger development near Presbyterian called The Highlands. It includes the already completed Springhill Suites, which is connected by the sky bridge to the hospital and the adjacent 92-unit Olympus Highlands North multifamily development.
The Allaso Highlands project—a proposed six-story, 228-unit multifamily development with a slew of amenities and ground floor retail—is in a holding pattern, however.
“We’re just on pause right now between construction costs and the property tax situation in New Mexico,” Rogers said. “It just doesn’t work. We’re waiting to see how a few things unfold. We’d love to do that project.”
Rogers said it was possible that Allaso could be redesigned at a smaller scale. Titan has three remaining tracts to develop in the area, including one near the Crossroads Motel.
“The timeline is undetermined, but hopefully we can tee up some projects in the next couple years,” he said. “They're all collectively being thought about constantly.”
Nob Hill hotel makes progress
Meanwhile, Rogers said Titan’s $34 million, 112-room Marriott Tribute boutique hotel at the site of the former Hiway House Motel in Nob Hill is in the final stages of design and continues to move forward.
“It's coming along really great and we’re very excited,” he said. “We're working on it very diligently, but there's a lot that happens in the background to bring something like that to fruition.”
One of those behind-the-scenes tasks was securing a vacation right-of-way for a small segment of Bryn Mawr Drive, which Rogers said was approved by the city June 25.
“We're heading to site plan approval next week,” he said.
The hotel is expected to open as early as mid-2027. Read more in Nob Hill News here.
Pakistani Folk Group Kicks off US Tour in Albuquerque
Pakistani folk group, Khumariyaan, is slated to kick off a 12-stop US tour with a concert right here in Albuquerque. After a welcome party in Nob Hill followed by a show at the Fusion Theater, they’ll be heading to cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago and New York City.
Known for blending traditional with modern styles, the group sees music as a form of resistance against “Talibanization, sectarian violence, military operations, and neo-imperialist expansions,” according to their website.
The welcome party will be held at Flock of Moons Brewery (111 Harvard Dr. SE) on July 7 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are free and are available here. Food truck Masala Munchies will be serving Pakistani food.
The concert will be held at the Fusion Theatre downtown on July 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased here.
The tour is a part of Center Stage, “a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.”
First Ever Drone Show at Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park will host its first-ever drone show this Saturday after the game. The Mariachis de Nuevo México (the Isotopes’ alter egos) will play the El Paso Chihuahuas July 5. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. Tickets are available here. The first 3,000 fans will receive a paint-your-own lowrider Bobblehead.
SkyElements Drone Shows, which, according to their website, have been hired by Disney, Marvel and Coca-Cola will be putting on the show.
In Other News
Open-air ‘Lobo Crossing’ retail center coming to UNM’s South Campus - KRQE