How will Taoseños direct and benefit from the change?
What is the Taos Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Plan?
Video about the Taos MRA Plan
Taos MRA Plan
The Taos MRA Plan is a community planning process designed to protect what we love about our community while addressing the very real economic challenges we face.
The planning process engages Taos residents to identify catalytic projects and programs that will create a more beautiful, welcoming, and accessible downtown.
Check out how Farmington used their MRA to support MainStreet revitalization
Once adopted by Town Council, the Taos MRA Plan will increase the financial tools available to the Town for downtown (re)development and will ensure these activities provide tangible community benefit.
A public hearing is required prior to its adoption by the Town Council.
Taos MRA District
The Taos MRA Plan will define redevelopment strategies within an adopted MRA boundary. The original Taos MRA boundary was adopted by Town Council on October 22, 2019. That resolution is located here.
On January 9th, 2024, the Taos MRA boundary was amended to incorporate Couse Pasture, Kit Carson Park, and commercial properties along North Paseo. These properties offer opportunities to:
strengthen and expand local business activity
make improvements to vacant and deteriorating buildings
develop additional housing downtown
support partnerships on events at Kit Carson Park
The inclusion of additional properties within the MRA boundary helps ensure that community planning processes guide future development in these areas. The Boundary Amendment Resolution can be found here.
The proposed boundary expansion
Taos MRA Plan Timeline
Taos MRA Plan Timeline - The Taos MRA Plan will take place between August 2023 and August 2024. Engagement activities will include community events, community conversations, interviews, and public meetings.
Please join us for an Open House conversation on June 13th at the Taos Civic Center, Council Chambers anytime between 5:30-7:30. We look forward to your input on the draft plan.
Community Questionnaire and Business Survey
Thank you to everyone who provided input through the Taos MRA Plan surveys. We are reading through all of your responses and will share what we heard shortly.
Community Conversation on December 13th
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a community conversation on December 13th at the Taos Civic Center, Council Chambers. The input we heard at the meeting helped to identify the challenges faced by downtown businesses and organizations and the types of projects, programs, and incentives that could help create a thriving downtown for everyone.
Local events
Look out for the Taos MRA team at local events, farmers markets, and other venues around Town. We will be:
Spreading the word about the plan
Connecting with those who want to participate in the planning process
Having conversations with Taoseños about what they value about their community
Taos MRA Plan - QR Code banner at PASEO
MRA Outreach at PASEO 2023, the Taos Farmer's Market, and Halloween on the plaza - participants wrote what they love about downtown Taos and placed their stickers on a large QR code banner that leads to this project website.
Community Workshop
At the community workshop, we will share the draft MRA Plan and host a conversation about the plan’s recommendations. Stay posted for the date.
Public Hearings
Both the boundary expansion and MRA Plan will include a public hearing during Town Council Session. A public notice will go out prior to these hearings.
Questions about this project?
Reach out to Charles Whitson, Director of Taos MainStreet: director@taosmainstreet.org.
What we've heard from community engagement
01 / 05
How can an MRA Plan help downtown Taos?
The MRA Plan is designed to identify specific redevelopment projects that when implemented will help stimulate business and community building activity.
MRA projects can include building rehabilitation and adaptive reuse, facade improvement grant programs, streetscape and public infrastructure improvements, construction of community facilities and cultural facilities, and public/private partnerships (P3s) for redevelopment projects including mixed use and affordable housing.
Once adopted, the MRA Plan enables the contribution of public resources to private redevelopment projects that have been identified in the MRA Plan. These projects are guided by development agreements that ensure projects provide tangible community benefits.
Learn more about how Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas can be used to support downtown revitalization.
The City of Lovington pursued an MRA Plan to help prioritize the types of business development the community would like to see in their downtown. The plan laid out a vision for Public-Private partnerships for the redevelopment of vacant properties along their Main Street.
The MRA Plan enabled a public/private partnership for the redevelopment of a public property that had remained vacant for decades. The City worked with NMMS and a local entrepreneur to develop Drylands Brewing Company.
Drylands Brewing
NMMS developed a conceptual site plan, a project implementation plan, and business plan with the entrepreneurs to build a pizzeria and brewpub. Additional development planning was provided through funding from the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance. Drylands received $100,000 in state LEDA funds for the expansion, in addition to local LEDA funding.
Drylands Brewing Company restaurant, tap house and canning facility opened in 2017 in the Lovington MainStreet District. The business is creating 10 manufacturing jobs and 20 service jobs supported by the new brewing and canning operation. The project is the newest addition to Lovington’s MainStreet area and will support the continued growth of Lovington’s downtown district.
Why Get Involved?
The community has real and legitimate concerns about growth and change in downtown Taos. Together, we can guide development for the better.
Taos MRA Plan will involve community engagement throughout the planning process. This image shows people gathering in the John Dunn Shops to discuss downtown alleyways
Your voice and involvement throughout the MRA Planning process will help to:
Develop a shared understanding of community concerns, strengths, values, and priorities....
Community engagement will help to develop a shared understanding of community concerns, strengths, values, and priorities. This picture shows shops in the historic Taos Plaza
identify projects that offer opportunities for the community to come together while building a thriving local business scene....
identify strategies to expand reasonably-priced housing options for Taoseños who live and work here....
define and prioritize the community benefits required of redevelopment projects....
engage key stakeholders to support MRA plan implementation....
Taos Planning Context
The Taos MRA Plan builds on previous planning efforts such as Strong at Heart and the Town of Taos Comprehensive Plan. These plans included extensive community dialogue that inform how we are approaching our planning process.
Strong At Heart
Rendering of La Fonda alleyway revitalization from Strong at Heart (2018).
Strong at Heart (2018) identified the designation of an MRA district and the development of an MRA Plan as important strategies to enable quality downtown development guided by community values. Participants in the planning process identified economic development goals which could make Taos more livable and align with its unique sense of place. Goals included building a stronger, more diverse, and resilient economy, expanding housing choices and affordability, improving employment opportunities, expanding options for local businesses, and protecting historical character and natural resources.
The Taos MRA Plan will jump back into this conversation with the intention of providing the community with the financial tools and organizational capacity needed to guide and manage future growth, ensuring residents can flourish in their home community.
Other plans we are referencing in this planning process include:
Town of Taos Comprehensive Plan (2021)
Town of Taos Affordable Housing Plan (2020)
Town of Taos Community Tree Care Plan (2019)
Strong at Heart (2018)
Town of Taos Parks + Recreation Master Plan (2018)
US 64-NM 68 Cultural Resource Survey (2018)
Enchanted Circle Trails Plan (2017)
Town of Taos Bicycle Master Plan (2017)
Taos Congestion Relief Study Phase 1B (2016)
Parallel Plans
The Taos MRA Plan engagement is distinct from the planning and engagement efforts for the Taos Destination Stewardship Plan (also called Tourism Revisited). If you would like to learn more about this project and community engagement, please visit their project website:
