HOUSE MEMORIAL 87

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Paul A. Pacheco

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOURISM AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENTS, TO CONDUCT AN ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A TRICULTURAL CENTER OF THE SOUTHWEST ON THE WEST SIDE OF ALBUQUERQUE.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has had the great fortune in its four- hundred-plus year history to be the hub for American Indian, Spanish-Mexican and Anglo-cowboy music and culture; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexicans consider the maintenance of their heritages and cultures to be of paramount importance, including the unique music and dance particular to each group; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico reaps many millions of dollars each year through tourism because these cultures are a vibrant part of the fabric of the state; and

     WHEREAS, since 1983, the gathering of nations, the world's largest powwow, has been held in Albuquerque in a space that is increasingly too small to contain this worldwide attraction, which generates twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) to thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) for hotels, restaurants and other businesses; and

     WHEREAS, the annual mariachi spectacular generates approximately six million dollars ($6,000,000) and is outgrowing its usual space at the Sandia casino amphitheater; and

     WHEREAS, the western music association has held conventions in Albuquerque since 2005 and hopes to move its hall of fame, museum and offices to New Mexico if adequate space is available; and

     WHEREAS, the three groups envision a single "tricultural center of the southwest" that will provide adequate performance, classroom, meeting and office space, as well as display complexes, for the groups and will offer a venue for other performances, conventions and trade shows of a size for which there is no other space available in Albuquerque; and

     WHEREAS, Albuquerque and the state have an opportunity to help drive a significant economic and tourism engine by collaborating with these three groups to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area and provide jobs in construction, production, operation, recording and broadcasting, sales, tour guiding, restaurants, maintenance and other occupations and professions necessary to the management of the tricultural center of the southwest;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the economic development department, in collaboration with the tourism and cultural affairs departments, be requested to conduct an economic feasibility study of a tricultural center of the southwest on the west side of Albuquerque; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the departments be requested to consider:

          A. the number, types and salaries of potential jobs that would be created during construction and operation of a tricultural center of the southwest;

          B. the number of expected destination tourists to the center;

          C. the value in advertising that the three major events — the gathering of nations, the mariachi spectacular and the western music association's annual event and hall of fame — will bring to the state;

          D. the economic benefit to Albuquerque, Bernalillo county and the state through employment and tourism; and

          E. any other matters the departments deem necessary; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the economic development department report its findings and recommendations to the legislative finance committee and the appropriate interim committees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretaries of economic development, tourism and cultural affairs.

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