More than 10 years in the making, organizers get ready to show off the fruits of their labor

by Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican

Fiesta has come and gone, but all of Santa Fe is invited to attend another party this weekend.

The Santa Fe Railyard officially opens for visitors beginning Saturday, and organizers are offering opportunities to explore newly developed public spaces, get to know businesses and learn about other tenants on the city-owned land that has undergone a major redevelopment.

The transformation has been nothing if not dramatic and, in true Santa Fe style, has taken its time. About 13 years have passed since the city worked with the Trust for Public Land to wrest the 47-acre Railyard from would-be private developers. Thousands of residents participated in a planning process that stretched on for several years.

Ground was broken in 2004, and since then, construction brought more action to the property than it had seen in perhaps the 100 years since trains first started chugging in.

The showpiece for many is arguably the Railyard Park, 10 acres of carefully planned gardens, pathways and other gathering spaces. A large square of green turf is brilliantly visible from Cerrillos Road, along with an inviting children’s play area, a circular ramada lined with porch swings.

The park, developed by the Trust for Public Land, won’t be 100 percent complete on opening day, however. “There will be a fair amount of work yet undone on our grand opening,” said Brian Drypolcher, park project manager at the Trust.

Among missing pieces are a pair of slides for the children’s play area that were delivered too late to install.

A water-harvesting system that will catch rain to irrigate landscaping has been installed, but delays in approvals for the electrical components that drive it mean it won’t be in operation until later this month.

Plant life in the park is also not in its final state, he said. “I would ask people once again for their patience as we wrap things up. It’s a very fresh park, a very young park. So, it is important that we tread lightly because of the new plantings and the new grasses,” he said, “… and then next year it will all be there for us and in great shape.”

The process of paying for the park is not completely wrapped up, either. The Trust collected about $13 million to develop the park but still has to come up with another $500,000 to cover costs. While about half the money raised came from private donors, including those who bought bronze prairie dogs or had trees planted in their honor, significant public funds came from federal, state and local governments.

Still, Trust director Jenny Parks is asking the City Council to kick in more money to make up the shortfall. The Trust also is seeking gross receipts tax funds through the joint city/county Regional Planning Authority.

One reason the project needs more funds, she said, is that the cost of construction materials increased since the original $11 million budget for the project was set.

“The park and the plaza are frankly more fantastic than we thought they would be, and the community is going to fall in love with them,” she said, noting she hoped people would see the value of additional public investment.

The grand opening weekend is being planned by the city, the Trust and the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp., a nonprofit that is managing the property.

Richard Czoski, the nonprofit’s director, said the weekend of events is an important welcome for the community.

“A lot of people have just seen it from the perimeter, and as you drive by you see activity,” he said. “But really you need to get into the middle of it before you can appreciate what has been done.”

Those who attended the Farmers Market’s first Saturday at a new site on the Railyard got an advance look at the area last weekend. The crowd was packed elbow to elbow, and an underground parking garage was about half full.

All weekend, restaurants and food vendors, including some who are regulars on the downtown Plaza, will peddle hot dogs, funnel cake, carnitas and other fare in the Railyard. Children’s activities are planned, along with two stages for musical performances aimed at encouraging dancing. A community dance will be held Saturday night, after which families can settle onto blankets to watch cartoons and a movie.