[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6130948,"mediaKeyId","5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91","parentId",5734463,"title","Sunland Park outlines multimodal projects, says city will form its own utility amid water dispute","audioSeconds",1297,"startMs",264000,"endMs",1561000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91&start=264&end=1561","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91/thumbnail_264000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6130948/New-Mexico/Sunland-Park-outlines-multimodal-projects-says-city-will-form-its-own-utility-amid-water-dispute","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130948-a77246978e40f2905ae21a63195c2895/orig.mp4?Expires=1770820099&Signature=F0nJDbqrRbQNu2j7OTrmoJuLT1zd6DCBO1fVa6MY39NTcRWpXamKMNj51GQ56J5sDQs5mhjvtZQjvtGEbCQxACz025CPlK-T7DfpafCUJFIsbts3oHe4HOWFQwjMZ~FOK4OB42gymEZ82PngehGcv-NtmRZcfRDaZE~93kRyJzcu5MLVMpS4L79ze6tzLCq3T9J0YA4S1CC2fomb3dZJLMBAtn4z1K247bHs1PBJCoqhkuDNcB9EwX4t1Dgq7q5uFnuQW9ClwgVKqQ9BqRS2Ul3FxtIukKlgevoLXHcB8ij0w5Z9fTpWNheCGxGW948wJ5UvKs9lFZxOldik6E2sZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Interim - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee","date","2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","article","Sunland Park City Manager Mario Juarez Infante told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee at a meeting in Sunland Park that the city is pushing a package of multimodal projects intended to link an entertainment corridor, trail segments and new housing while moving to operate its own water utility.

The presentation focused on Futurity Drive — the town’s “entertainment corridor” — where Sunland Park is advancing a two‑lane roundabout and pedestrian improvements. Infante cited a letter dated 05/23/2025 from U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez requesting $3,000,000 toward the project and said the city has been notified that the federal/state funding process could allow design agreements this fall and construction to start in 2026 with completion in 2027 if awards are executed as anticipated. “We hope…we would be well under construction” in 2026, he said.

Why it matters: the site is a gateway to 10 miles of planned Rio Grande Trail and abuts existing anchors — a casino, racetrack and Western Playland — the city argues will increase visitor traffic, pedestrian activity and economic opportunity. Infante said Sunland Park recently completed 1.25 miles of trail and is designing an additional 5 miles in packages aimed at competing for federal construction funds.

Officials presented traffic and safety data for the intersection of Southern Park Drive and Futurity Drive: level‑of‑service F during the evening peak and 19 reported crashes from 2018–2022, nine of them rear‑end collisions. City staff said that roundabouts and streetscape work aim to reduce crashes and support walkability and placemaking. The presentation included renderings and a proposed timetable: design completed, funding agreements in the new federal fiscal year, and construction beginning in 2026 with a 2027 finish if schedules hold.

Infante also described a mixed‑use concept on McNutt/riverfront property where ground floor retail would underlie a four‑story multifamily building. He said a market analysis purchase order would be issued this fall and that Sunland Park will seek projects and partnerships with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (NMFA) and others in early 2026.

On water utilities, Infante said the county notified the city of a termination of the joint powers agreement (JPA) on May 13 and that Sunland Park’s council on June 4 passed a resolution directing development of a municipal utility. \"Make no mistake about it: the city of Sunland Park is going to create its own utility department,\" he told the committee. He said an amendment to the JPA approved by the county board and city council allows migration of fiscal and administrative services to the city and that the county has given a verbal commitment that investments made inside city water infrastructure would remain with the city. Infante said the city is compliant with consumer confidence/arsenic requirements and offered to provide written documentation of testing and reports.

Committee members asked about affordable housing and school and public‑safety coordination. Infante said the city is pursuing a cost‑share agreement with a private landowner, expects the market analysis this fall, and has made housing one of five council priorities. He described ongoing coordination with the school district for easements and school‑area connections, and said the city provides and coordinates with school resource officers and other public‑safety partners.

The presentation closed with an invitation to a year‑end ribbon cutting for trail segments and a call for partnership on the South Connector Road and other DOT projects.

Ending: The city presented assembled designs, crash data and a short funding timeline centered on a congressionally‑requested $3 million allocation for the Futurity Drive phase. City officials framed the work as a coordinated push to make Sunland Park a trail and entertainment gateway and to centralize water services under a new municipal utility to improve local responsiveness and planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Interim - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee (Pt.2) - Jul 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Sunland Park City Manager Mario Juarez Infante told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee that the city is advancing a multimodal plan — including a Futurity Drive roundabout, river‑trail segments and a mixed‑use housing concept — and that the city council has voted to establish a municipal utility amid a post‑JPA transition of water services.","taxTitle","Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee, Interim, Committees, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",65451,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130934,"Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino says operation has generated hundreds of millions in tax revenue and supports seasonal jobs",139,2655000,2794000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91&start=2655&end=2794","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91/thumbnail_2655000.jpg","/articles/6130934/New-Mexico/Sunland-Park-Racetrack-Casino-says-operation-has-generated-hundreds-of-millions-in-tax-revenue-and-supports-seasonal-jobs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130934-37b4cd47b9ca33f6af7b5e6789e23a54/orig.mp4?Expires=1770820099&Signature=By3gL7~L6eRKfUZtWfNtV2595ZfRmKCHPPEoBem~vl3QuhogTTfHcnDnJrsGURlhFFySPh19PeKT6d7EEExGrj-vHf9QG-pIDvVrA~ORuyMU5crUGr~NVfUz~g2ioR5a0kya4lNCwyDF9lHIyx-CMD3y35pIbnG5fg7fXd6T-iyc7Vcfacf3enwnXr5oOyTRtg97ZDansLqRUs5V15w7pp8smnl4cSs2n6RwOvzQ1TWyNbS2fs-jyPB1P4v4JCn5~gkfm9gW5b8mc4eAWu40KyTTTgHbiYHYYJayqRmOljC8mVA6q1B9rtPwfaMaeBhi3d2sW1bfahpRe9Hc73ZbBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ahmed Magni, representing Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee that the facility — opened as a race track in 1959 and expanded after casino gaming — has generated more than a half‑billion dollars in tax revenue to date and remains an important employer and tourism draw for the border region.

Magni told members that approximately 26% of the casino’s revenues go to taxes that flow to the New Mexico general fund and that about 20% of revenue is deposited to a horsemen’s account used for purses and to support racing quality. He said the operation employs roughly 200 full‑time workers year‑round and expands to about 300 employees during live racing season.

Magni also described racing operations — thoroughbreds and quarter horses — year‑round simulcast wagering and electronic table games, and noted the facility’s role in regional tourism and binational customers coming from El Paso and Mexico. Members asked about impacts from flooding at Ruidoso Downs and whether races would shift; Magni said races sometimes relocate when tracks are affected but that he could not confirm specific schedule changes that morning.

Ending: The racetrack representative thanked the committee for the invitation and said the facility looks forward to working with state lawmakers on regional economic contributions.","A Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino representative told the committee the facility has generated more than $500 million in taxes to date, channels a share of revenue to horsemen’s purses and is a leading local employer with summer seasonal expansion.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130938,"Union Pacific details safety investments and hazardous‑materials training, urges grade separations at Santa Teresa",2152,7260000,9412000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91&start=7260&end=9412","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91/thumbnail_7260000.jpg","/articles/6130938/New-Mexico/Union-Pacific-details-safety-investments-and-hazardousmaterials-training-urges-grade-separations-at-Santa-Teresa","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130938-6e07518d88d3617bc52d07446ab9b3bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770820099&Signature=eQ7HfOmbl-lCOK46GHAjBhdYoELG6KRRwK-M6YnbwvdKFDQX-7Ty1tM24zZ7YkN-Ae80-TMC56pw4gX~0yAnY3HlybtXHaPGxowr9xlKsoxWnwa~WeoIq9m1X3kDaa8w~CvmmT236j9-c9GgponTuZ6P~NlmXRb7wERukLalmdgAb~SxkhVklqeY27Yg5-0CofnEPQBbfP24s-dkPs2v51kYdyiMZOiK8Y9WXHcAU9poebzVn7wXhZVSxxFGb3zAB8dQBx4-hmSW12fqL1QaKBp--xqRzZX5EuMrRl2ind8PLoPNm0GNOHNa6V0ey6YMu5U0BcZGHc6LfnyHHEtZbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Raquel Espinosa, director of public affairs for Union Pacific, and Raymundo Vasquez, the railroad’s hazardous‑materials and safety manager for the Southwest, briefed the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee on rail investments, safety technology and community preparedness at the Santa Teresa industrial gateway.

Espinosa said Union Pacific operates 32,000 miles of track across 23 states and is investing about $3.4 billion systemwide this year in track, ties and technology. In New Mexico she said UP operates roughly 600 miles of track, employed about 400 people in‑state and invested tens of millions locally in recent years; she noted the Santa Teresa Intermodal Terminal opened in 2014 after a state locomotive fuel tax deduction helped site the facility.

Safety and technology: Espinosa described investments in positive train control (PTC), machine‑vision inspections, drones for bridge inspection and continuous‑rail monitoring that aim to detect defects without stopping trains. \"Nothing is more important to Union Pacific than the safety of our employees and the communities that we serve,\" she said.

Hazardous‑materials preparedness: Raymundo Vasquez described a four‑pillar approach — prevention, preparedness, response and recovery — and summarized classroom and hands‑on training the company provides with Dona Ana Community College and local fire departments. He said responders receive realistic drills with full‑size tank cars, and that Union Pacific offers a mobile app (referenced in the briefing) that lets certified first responders access train consist and commodity information on scene.

Blocked crossings and grade separations: Union Pacific told the committee that growth at Santa Teresa has increased deliveries to on‑site spurs, which can temporarily block crossings while cars are placed. The railroad urged investment in overpasses or other infrastructure to avoid recurring traffic blockages. Espinosa said the county had secured about $37 million in federal funding for an overpass at Industrial Road and that the county was proceeding with design work to advance that grade separation. She suggested states consider targeted grade‑separation funding programs similar to a recently enacted Texas program.

Environmental and mobility benefits: UP framed rail freight as a fuel‑efficient, lower‑emission alternative to truck movement, noting a single train can replace some 300 truckloads and is roughly four times more fuel‑efficient per ton mile.

Committee members asked about cross‑border crew operations, long‑term plans for intermodal traffic and Port of Long Beach impacts: Espinosa said Union Pacific serves all six major gateways to Mexico but does not operate trains inside Mexico; she also said operational innovations — including limited cross‑border crew arrangements at specific bridges — can reduce delays when permitted by CBP and other agencies.

Ending: Railroad officials reiterated an ask for public investment in grade separations and for continued partnership on hazmat training and port modernization planning to keep the corridor safe and efficient.","Union Pacific public affairs and hazardous‑materials managers briefed the committee on rail investments, safety technology, an intermodal terminal at Santa Teresa and the company’s community training programs; they urged public funding for grade separations to reduce blocked crossings.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130943,"Santa Teresa industrial cluster drives $2B in annual revenue; leaders urge water, port and road investments",3173,3376000,6549000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91&start=3376&end=6549","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734463-b274fce12c67a828fe284c9a8041ce91/thumbnail_3376000.jpg","/articles/6130943/New-Mexico/Santa-Teresa-industrial-cluster-drives-2B-in-annual-revenue-leaders-urge-water-port-and-road-investments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130943-31ba8d69224b62090635c85d2fb62049/orig.mp4?Expires=1770820099&Signature=M7CAiux6GFBatPwmj9fhVzUrPsWl3GqoSU5hQEh3uuKmfgVgZwaUELXeCLRF5WlYwYgYKmk~G5mtC3EYsB~-b5YhMmVMBrGTXUP3mFbNzma3mlc-hyKKB6c0NpwxT6TdRrkBv8oQJGQFdAiq8mQzxvImukGN8fQdQbtmvn8J5uiDM6AlXj9K7l16Olvjxi49VX-D3hd5JvkyVAV9J0qtYeBt4zVl1Y54xJxnqjqNwQorT2VC5hyhHKE0Yzbvk2jgACVcmo7Gj2kWHHLJJnQVrFqip~GEpg5B03oT9FPsVIFlcy6YApl7~E55CqmyctLBpbEyDs8H2PDeZB8Jv7nPcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jerry Pacheco, president of the Border Industrial Association, told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee that the Santa Teresa industrial region is a major export and jobs engine for New Mexico but needs targeted infrastructure investment to sustain growth.

Pacheco cited an NMSU‑commissioned economic study (updated 2023–24) that he said values the industrial base at roughly $2 billion in annual revenues and supports about 7,000 jobs. He told members Santa Teresa is the easternmost New Mexico port of entry and that the port has been among the fastest‑growing gateways; the port’s trade value rose 44% in a recent year and the region ranks among the top U.S.–Mexico land ports by trade value. Pacheco said New Mexico has led the nation in export growth percentage to Mexico in recent years, driven in large part by the Santa Teresa complex.

Why it matters: officials said the cluster anchors statewide exports, and that companies already in the park — including automotive suppliers, electronics makers and food processors — depend on reliable water, wastewater and freight access. Pacheco described recent private and international investment tied to Foxconn and other suppliers and said the park’s growth has generated roughly 4,000,000 square feet of recent or planned industrial construction.

Infrastructure needs Pacheco highlighted included:
- Water and wastewater capacity: Pacheco called water the industrial base’s “Achilles’ heel” and said the region must invest before new firms can be reliably recruited and housed.
- Port modernization: GSA work and a port modernization study have been cited; Pacheco said federal planning would likely expand Santa Teresa’s commercial capacity and that the port was on priority project lists.
- Road and grade separation: he urged funding for more Rio Grande crossings and other connectors to avoid congestion and long permitting timelines for new bridges.
- Airport/jetport improvements: Pacheco described state and federal commitments that he said total about $22.5 million for runway and airfield work to make the Santa Teresa Jetport capable of larger cargo jets and to support logistics growth.

Pacheco also described a 12‑mile overweight zone created by state statute that lets heavier inbound Mexican trucks access warehousing and distribution operations without costly re‑handling; he said that change has helped attract produce and logistics operations. He said the industrial base supports a diverse supply chain — from cold storage and corrugating plants to precision automotive suppliers — and that the Border Industrial Association’s supplier program has generated $63.6 million in contracts across the state by connecting local vendors to park tenants.

On workforce and local benefits, Pacheco said three partners (community colleges, industry and local economic development) are training workers; he noted Union Pacific’s and Dona Ana Community College’s training programs and the role of apprenticeships and forklift/warehouse certificates in hiring.

Committee members asked about housing, tariffs and lost opportunities. Pacheco told the committee that tariffs on steel and aluminum have delayed or deferred expansion by several firms and paused an EV school‑bus project; he urged congressional engagement on trade policy that affects supply‑chain siting decisions.

Ending: Pacheco invited committee members to the Border Industrial Association’s general meeting and emphasized that federal, state and local cooperation on water, roadway grade separations and port modernization will determine whether the region converts current interest into long‑term investments.","Jerry Pacheco of the Border Industrial Association told the committee that Santa Teresa’s industrial complex supports thousands of jobs and growing exports but faces infrastructure bottlenecks—especially water/wastewater, port modernization and additional bridge/overpass capacity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sunland Park outlines multimodal projects, says city will form its own utility amid water dispute

Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino says operation has generated hundreds of millions in tax revenue and supports seasonal jobs

Union Pacific details safety investments and hazardous‑materials training, urges grade separations at Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa industrial cluster drives $2B in annual revenue; leaders urge water, port and road investments