$148 million capital improvement project expected to transform Las Cruces

The $148 million capital improvement (CIP) project approved by Las Cruces City Council will transform the city, City Manager Robert Garza said.

Garza tells ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom this is the city’s biggest project ever.

The CIP consists of 541 different projects. Construction on some projects will start this summer.

The biggest expense is replacing pavement and reconstructing neighborhoods, which will cost the city more than $22 million.

For $1.5 million the city will convert all street lights to LED to conserve energy. For $7 million, it will convert Church and Water Street from one way to two way streets.

Garza says a lot of the projects will be paid for through the cities Gross Receipts Tax. Council imposed the tax in 2013 without voter approval.

“It’d be really easy to just start paying bills with those new monies, instead I’ve encouraged them to leverage those funds through project development, so later, when we don’t have the money, it won’t matter. Our operating costs will go down because of the investments we make today,” Garza said.

ABC-7’s Jamie Warren will have a full report at 5 and 6.