The City Council has agreed to study the viability of a massive downtown arena/hotel/entertainment project near Broadway and Central. Here's why I think this location and this project make sense:(1) Ancillary Benefits — not only would this project benefit downtown redevelopment which appears to be at a tipping point, but equally important it will help capture millions of lost convention/tourism dollars as described in a recent New Mexico Business Weekly piece "Report says tourism is at a crossroad" (May 30 - June 5, 2008). According to the story, ABQ convention business has been dropping steadily since 1994 in part because the city doesn't have the necessary convention or hotel space.
(2) Transportation — If we've learned anything from $4 a gallon gas, it's that we need transportation options. A Broadway and Central location allows attendees of arena events to travel by car, Rapid Ride, and most importantly, Rail Runner. It's pretty cool to think that because of Rail Runner, events at this location would be able to tap the Belen and Santa Fe markets from day one.
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