It's GROUNDBREAKING TIME - Phase 0! Wed, Dec 13th at 10:00am at North Domingo Baca Park 

(9/7/23) IMPORTANT UPDATE:

1) We have asked CABQ (in the 9/6/23 City Council meeting) to quickly provide an updated timeline on the Aquatic Center due to their delays. Extreme interest in this project means the City must make this visible to us. We will post it here under the "Schedule" tab once the updated timeline is provided. 

2) We are questioning the VERY HIGH $4.5m price tag CABQ is stating for the retaining wall & ground preparation (Phase 0). The City failed to send out an RFP to various contractors (which could happen with a 7-day turnaround) to get competitive bids on this. Instead, their plan is to use their "on-call contractor" without obtaining any bids. We are asking for a halt to this without an RFP. We do NOT believe Phase 0 should cost us 10% of available project funds. 

3) Citizens citywide are showing up to every single City Council meeting to keep CABQ 100% focused on this project - we cannot let them get distracted, again. (See the 'Speak Up Now' flyer to sign up for the next meeting. You get 2-minutes to speak. Voice your thoughts and passion for this project!)

4) Councilor Bassan keeps going to bat for this project in the City Council chambers and beyond. Invest 30+ minutes to update yourself on the conversations happening in City Council & the citizens speaking out. (Please Note: City Council seems very supportive of this project. So, we are putting pressure on them to keep the Keller Administration focused on this and not allow distraction.)

• ABQ City Council Meeting (Sept 6, 2023)  Click on this link at 33:45 mark to hear Councilor Bassan's questioning of the City Administration, and 1:23:00 mark to hear citizen comments regarding the project.

• ABQ City Council Meeting (August 7, 2023) Click on this link around the 11:00 mark to hear a huge conversation about this project. 

5) We have made a records request on the funding sources for the Splash Pad recently installed at North Domingo Baca Park. The City Administration broadcast widely on Sept 1 (at the ribbon-cutting and elsewhere) that the Splash Pad was Phase Zero of the Aquatic Center (which it is NOT). This raises concerns that the City may be attempting to tap Aquatic Center funds for the $1 million splash pad. Only $792k was made available for the splash pad in 2019. We want to know where the rest of the funding came from. We do not want to see the City commingling funding for these projects. 

(8/16/23) Distracted CABQ is not prioritizing what Citizens say they WANT: the Aquatic Center (click on this link to see 8/15/23 KOB News investigation)

URGENT UPDATE (7/31/23): 

We are receiving reports that the CABQ Administration has failed to send out the RFP (Requests for Proposal) to construction companies who will bid on the Aquatic Center construction. The RFP should have been sent out many weeks ago as the design phase is now complete. We don't know WHY this is being delayed. But, we do know that the City is losing focus again on a hugely desired project with immense support city- and statewide. It seems the CABQ Administration is much more interested in making another attempt for building the United stadium and also the $80m neon tumbleweed/rail trail (another project to benefit the south side of the City). 

IF YOU WANT THIS POOL, YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION ASAP...because these delays by the CABQ Adminstration are costing this project and taxpayers an estimated $200,000/month as inflation forces prices to rise. 

HERE'S WHAT WE NEED CITIZENS TO URGENTLY DO:

1) Email CABQ's primary decision-makers: Mayor Keller (TKeller@cabq.gov) and Lawrence Rael (CABQ's COO) (LRael@cabq.gov) and copy ("cc") Parks & Recreation staff (who give advice on the project): Dave Simon Dsimon@cabq.gov , josh@cabq.gov , and Municipal Development staff (who are in charge of the construction): smaden@cabq.gov , patrick@cabq.gov .

2) Sign up to attend the next City Council Meeting - instructions on how to do so are shown on the "Speak Up Now" flyer. Additional meeting details, times and dates can be found by clicking HERE. 

3) Complain to your zoned State Legislators (each person can find their Representatives AND Senators here). Tell them that CABQ is delaying what they helped to fund: https://www.nmlegis.gov/members/find_my_legislator 

4) Submit your thoughts to the Albuquerque Journal: https://www.abqjournal.com/site/forms/online_services/speakup/

Let everyone you reach out to know that:

• You want to see FAST action and to get the RFP out to bidders now.

• These delays cost the project $200k/month.

• This project is the most desired and requested project in the entire city.

• Delaying this project denies people of all ages, income levels, abilities, and backgrounds the chance to improve their health and well-being. 

• The City needs to adhere to the timeline for groundbreaking.

STOP AQUATICS INEQUALITY IN NORTH ABQ!

Currently, the northern half of Albuquerque is severely lacking in indoor (year round) AND outdoor public aquatics facilities. Yet, swim is the #1 activity preferred by youth and the #5 activity preferred by adults.  It's time for Albuquerque to address this inequality and significant need, and fulfill it's long-standing promise to it's citizens (of all economic levels).