Daily Lobo new mexico
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Monday, O c tober 18, 2021 | Vo l u m e 1 2 6 | I s s u e 1 0
Community members rally against 50 million sports stadium bond
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By Madeline Pukite @madelinepukite
In light of an upcoming vote on Nov. 2 for a bond that would allocate $50 million to construct a multi-purpose sports
stadium that would primarily be used by the NM United soccer team, a rally gathered in Albuquerque on Oct. 13 in protest. Organized by the grassroot campaign Stop the Stadium, workers and residents spoke out about the issues of gentrification with the stadium that would
Shelby Kleinhans / Daily Lobo / @realShelbyK
Vic Gomez, a concerned resident of the Barelas neighborhood, speaks at the Stop the Stadium press conference on Oct. 13 about how their parents witnessed the displacement of people when the ABQ Biopark was built.
Fight For Our Lives shuts down permanently By Rebecca Hobart @rjhobart After three years of civic engagement initiatives dedicated to education, justice and service in Albuquerque, Fight for Our Lives, a student-led organization established to propel social justice causes, announced their self-decided shutdown on Oct. 2. FFOL was focused on advocating for gun violence prevention in 2018, seeking climate crisis action in 2019 and creating ABQ Mutual Aid in 2020, according to FFOL cofounder Jonathon Juarez-Alonzo. He said on social media that the decision to dissolve the organization was a tough one and that “all good things must come to an end.” A key legacy of FFOL was the
youth involved in the movement’s work, who were able to develop leadership skills through organizing efforts, according to co-founder and former President Zoey Craft. Former Vice President Emil Phan said she got involved with FFOL in high school with the goal of advancing action and conversations on urgent social justice issues, which directly pertained to Albuquerque’s underserved communities. “I felt like I could be someone who could make a difference,” Phan said. Juarez-Alonzo said he expressed a need to step away from FFOL before the decision to dissolve was in the works, but ultimately the rest of the organization followed suit. “(Juarez-Alonzo) and I felt like
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FFOL page 2
heavily impact the Barelas and South Broadway neighborhoods. While many that support that bond speak about the positive economic situation it will bring to Albuquerque, there is major contention that a majority of the funding is publicly financed. The $50 million in tax money from the state would be accompanied by the $32.5 million that NM United is committing. Part of that is the $10 million capital investment that they would commit before construction and the other $22 million would be paid back to the city over the next 25 years. “These people are capable of paying for a stadium out of their own damn pockets,” said Charles Knoblauch, a long-time resident of the Barelas neighborhood. “They have no need to reach into the pockets of those people of Albuquerque. They can do it themselves to finance their little hobby.” The city itself would pledge gross receipt tax revenue to pay back their debts, which officials estimate would cost $3.2 million annually for 20 years.
Frances Armijo, a resident of the South Broadway neighborhood, said she feels that the voices of those impacted by the stadium have not been prioritized enough. “All the discussion surrounding the proposed soccer stadium is about its economic value, or lack thereof, to downtown and the Rail Yards,” Armijo said. “Nowhere do I read or hear of the economic and social impact it will have on the Barelas and South Broadway neighborhoods. That’s because, in my opinion, we simply don’t matter (to proponents of the bond).” Despite the opposition, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller is in favor of the proposed stadium and said that the publicly-owned stadium will be “a long-term investment for families of the future” at a recent mayoral forum. He also said that the city would create a community benefits agreement with the neighborhoods affected to offset the damages caused to the neighborhoods. In addition, some residents of the Barelas neighborhood have come out in support of a statement from
the Barelas Neighborhood Association, which called on residents to vote “yes” on the measure to economically benefit the community. “At a moment when the rich history and culture of our communities is being appropriated and exploited, bond measure R-21-187 creates an opportunity to craft a national model for how to more equitably redevelop an urban core,” the statement reads. Yet, many remain unsure. Barelas resident Vic Gomez said that while the project will create jobs, of the 780 promised, 500 are just temporary construction jobs. In addition, Gomez speculated if the other jobs would even be above minimum wage or have benefits. Bex Hampton, a Stop the Stadium organizer who had been pushed out of their prior neighborhood due to increased rent costs, said that while they are not against development, they are against it only benefiting the wealthy. “They're not trying to improve (the neighborhood) for the people
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Stadium page 2
LGBTQ Resource Center tailgates Lobos football game (see page 9)
Shelby Kleinhans / Daily Lobo / @realShelbyK
Attendee LaTrenda Wheeler raises a flag while dancing with students from the LGBTQ Resource Center during their tailgate event on Oct. 16.