The Village began preparing to create a development project at the corner of 4th Street and Osuna in the 2010 Master Plan (adopted in 2000). In 2002 the Village adopted a VC (Village Center) Zone that identified the area, potential uses and development restrictions. The intent was to promote a commercial center while at the same time protecting the surrounding neighborhoods. The vision was to provide a place for public gatherings, encourage pedestrian activity, and provide a pleasurable destination for residents to gather and shop. To support this commercial center, the zone allowed for higher density residential development.

The Village of Los Ranchos wanted to create a Village Center at the corner of 4th and Osuna. The Village Board of Trustees adopted a VC (Village Center) Zone in 2002 and passed a resolution declaring the area a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area in 2007. In March 2018 the Village adopted the Village Center MRA Plan with the goal of promoting economic activity along 4th Street, providing a destination for residents and visitors, and honoring the Village’s agricultural heritage. The Village then released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify a developer to create the Village Center. The Village Board of Trustees selected Palindrome as the developer.

Trailhead at Chamizal, which is the first phase of the Village Center, will be complete in the summer of 2024.

Trailhead at Chamizal will include 204 apartments that will be both income- and rent-restricted, which means households must be at or below 60% of area median income and will pay affordable rents. Trailhead residents will also need to pass a background and credit check.

The income limits are typical for renters in Bernalillo County and are updated annually. The 2023 income limits vary based on household size but would be $38,400 for a two-person household and $47,940 for a four-person household. The types of jobs that pay at this level include a municipal government accountant, construction worker, entry-level firefighter, private school teacher, county sheriff cadet, store manager, film crewperson and medical assistant. Once a resident has been qualified to live at Trailhead at Chamizal, they may continue to live in the apartment indefinitely. If their earnings were to increase and begin to exceed the income limit, the resident would still be eligible to stay in their apartment. If that resident moved out, the apartment would be rented to a new income-qualified tenant.

The 2023 rent limits are $900 for a one-bedroom, $1,080 for a two-bedroom, and $1,246 for a three-bedroom. Rent limits are also adjusted annually.

Trailhead at Chamizal will offer a variety of retail options on the ground floor of the building on the southeast corner of 4th Street and Osuna. These micro-retail spaces are targeted to small, local businesses that provide diverse offerings. Palindrome hopes to include retail tenants such as a coffee shop, wine bar, art gallery, and specialty retail shop.

Palindrome aims to include a local, natural full-service grocery store that offers high-quality products with a focus on locally grown and produced items.

The last phase of the development of the Village Center is currently scheduled to be complete in July 2026. This development timeline is subject to change based on the needs of the Village of Los Ranchos.

The Village Center will offer extensive open space for Village residents and visitors to enjoy. The Village Center will provide pedestrian access to the Chamizal Lateral, and this trailhead area will also include a picnic area and fenced dog park. An acequia will flow onto the site with landscaped pedestrian walkways and bridges. Near the hotel, a plaza and long portal with covered seating areas will provide a place for the community to gather, and a small auditorium will provide a place for small performances and community events. In the southeast corner of the Village Center, a farm and orchard will provide green space and will honor the history of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

The Village Center’s boutique hotel will honor the agricultural roots and history of the Village of Los Ranchos and provide amenities to Los Ranchos residents and visitors. In addition to hotel rooms on the upper floors, the ground floor will include micro-restaurant spaces featuring unique and local food and drink offerings and a main interior common space to gather. It will also include incubator spaces that will provide an interactive experience for Village residents and guests; local masters will be able to teach their techniques and traditions in preparing food and drink in these spaces. The design and decor of the hotel will be an ode to the North Valley, and Palindrome hopes to offer historical photos and information on the Village of Los Ranchos in the common areas. The hotel is also surrounded by a plaza area at the entrance, a long portal with covered outdoor dining and a small amphitheater and stage. Village residents and visitors will have views of the Village Center’s farm, orchard and acequia water feature.

Palindrome has been providing quality housing opportunities in New Mexico for over twenty years, and much of our staff are proud New Mexicans currently living and working in the state. Palindrome has developed nearly 2,200 apartments in New Mexico, mostly in the Albuquerque metro area. Many of our developments have been mixed-use communities offering residential, retail and restaurant options. Examples include the renovation of the El Vado Motel and development of the Sawmill District in partnership with the Sawmill Community Land Trust.