that there’s a high demand. We draw a good number of patients from the west side of El Paso, a lot of it because the area in Sunland Park offers less traffic congestion, which is preferable, we’re seeing from the community.” Preliminary design work is expected this spring, with site development potentially beginning in mid 2026. That means we’re looking at the earth work and the ground utility support infrastructure,” Juarez-Infante details. “It’s a $1.8 million investment.” Funding is being pursued through the state legislative process, including a $4.8 million request for construction of the urgent care facility. If approved, building construction could begin in 2027. “We do believe we’re in a very strong position because of the eligibility criteria. Even though we’re competing statewide, it’s kind of a unique funding application submission,” he says. Recognizing the housing challenges throughout the state, Sunland Park is working to diversify its inventory. “Right now we have a lot of single-family dwellings, but I think there’s the opportunity to bring in higher density housing to reduce the stress on municipal services and also provide additional opportunities for economic growth,” Mayor Perea outlines. Mixeduse and multifamily development are part of this strategy, including the site of the medical campus, which has plans for ground-floor commercial retail with multifamily housing above. “We do need a pharmacy, maybe a small neighborhood-scale grocery store, some retail, and other medical offices that can support this development, as well as multifamily housing,” explains Juarez-Infante. The new municipal building site also has three acres available for mixed-use development. The city is completing entitlement work to make these projects shovel-ready, with the hope of attracting national developers. “We want to have high density,” he asserts. “We understand the cost 139 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 SUNLAND PARK, NM
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