Sunland Park, New Mexico

SUNLAND PARK , NEW MEX I CO There are discussions for a river walk and a study is being conducted to make Mount Cristo Rey into a state park. On the entertainment side, the city is even considering opening an arena in the future. In the new few months, a new development on the state lines of Texas and New Mexico will begin construction. The concept is for a big entertainment venue with a nightclub and a food hall. Currently near the site is the State Line Restaurant, where the restrooms are in Texas but the restaurant and bar are in New Mexico. That makes Perea happy because, as he notes, “we get the taxes on that. Attracting people to the region and keeping them here is our focus.” The city is also creating community by bringing a facelift to the Sunland Park Sports Complex that will provide venues for festivals, weddings, quinceañeras, and more. Construction of a new splashpad has begun and the groundbreaking ceremony for a new multipurpose community center with majestic views of the Franklin Mountains will occur in the upcoming months. The city is also scoping the costs to turn the current fields into artificial turf. Perea adds, “In conjunction with investments in commercial development, these quality-of-life projects are what entice people to stay.” In the next three to five years, Perea’s goal is that Sunland Park will have its Presidential Permit for a new port-of-entry with Mexico. He shares, “Once acquired, it will be the catalytic project that will develop a new downtown corridor. We also want to capture the sports tourism industry. We’re looking at spaces for fields. It has become a growing industry and we want to provide some diversity in our entertainment options.” He also reports that New Mexico legalized recreational marijuana on June 29th of this year. One company is already purchasing land within the city with the intention of bringing in a facility to provide residents with recreational marijuana. Recognizing there is significant potential in the cannabis sector, the city plans to work alongside the state to get the appropriate guidance for regulation and safety. Looking to the future with great optimism, Perea says, “I hope we can further capitalize on the biggest assets we have: the Cristo Rey and the Rio Grande. If we can develop those areas into a river trail or walk, that automatically becomes an entertainment venue where people gather. Visitors can spend their time and money here, and then take their happy experience of Sunland Park back home with them wherever that may be.”