Works in Progress

Central Park

In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Works in Progress Administration, AMS has decided to restore our historic downtown park. AMS has met with the City of Artesia to discuss the need for preservation and restoration of Central Park, and both are currently working together to develop the scope of work for the project. AMS is currently contacting landscape architects to develop proposals for the project design. To date AMS has raised over $1,000 for future renovations to Central Park. November 10 and 11 Artesia MainStreet, Inc., in partnership with the City of Artesia, hosted a series of “Charrettes,” design planning meetings (pictured below), concerning Artesia’s Central Park.  The feedback provided by local citizens guides the overall design and feeling of Central Park. Please direct questions or comments to the MainStreet office. 

Derrick Floor: Pathway of Progress

AMS is currently working with Ellen Hopkins and John Etheridge on the design of this one-of-a-kind project.  A wall to honor oil and gas pioneers and to reflect historic city growth as a result of oil and gas development activities will be erected in the Oil Patch Plaza.   This wall, combined with the current Derrick Floor Bronze statue, will be a fitting tribute to our city's trailblazers.  This privately funded project is currently being researched and is slated for completion in 2012.

City Hall Campus

During the Master Plan Update, AMS determined that maintaining City offices in the downtown area was a crucial element to a vibrant downtown, even though the current trend for communities is to relocate out of downtown.  Over the last year, AMS has been working closely with the City of Artesia in developing a long-term development plan for their offices in the downtown area.  AMS has recently contracted with architect Jose Zelaya to complete “Artesia City Hall Campus Study.”  Mr. Zelaya will also be working with Scott Verhines and GC Engineering to complete the eight-month study.  The project will consist of an urban design study, conceptual design, and schematic design of a potential “campus.”    Each design phase will consist of analyzing the entire downtown area and stakeholder input in creating a downtown campus environment.  Information to be utilized in the study will be the City of Artesia’s Space Needs Analysis Survey and a parking utilization study which is currently underway.  AMS recently started the project with a “kick-off” meeting on August 11, 2008, with area stakeholders, to determine their vision for downtown.  The architect and engineers are currently working on developing a design for the layout of the “campus” and will be presenting preliminary designs within the upcoming months.  Upon acceptance by the City of Artesia for the layout design, Jose Zelaya will then begin designing all buildings and any additions to the campus concept, with final deliverables consisting of schematic drawings for the entire campus revitalization.  The project was recently awarded funding by the 2009 New Mexico MainStreet Special Appropriation Funding in the amount of $130,000, and designs are expected to be complete by spring 2009.

Second and Texas Street Improvement

Phase I of Second and Texas is currently underway. Phase II is currently being researched for final design, phasing, and construction costs.  AMS has received $110,000 in Capitol Outlay and $40,000 from the legislature to assist in the final design of Phase II.  AMS is coordinating this project with the recent development of the “City Hall Campus Project.”  The City of Artesia currently lists the 2nd and Texas Project as a priority on their ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan) listing, and we hope to continue working with the city to secure funding for the project's completion within the near future.