Celebration to Support Railyard Park + Plaza Project (NM)

Santa Fe, N.M. 6/26/2006: The New Mexico State Office of The Trust for Public Land (TPL) will launch the final phase of its $11.5 million Come Together capital campaign to build the Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza on Sunday, July 2, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe Southern Railway Depot. TPL needs to raise $3.8 million to reach the final $11.5 million goal.

The free community celebration will update Santa Feans about progress on the 12-acre park, plaza and walk-bike trails being developed in the historic Santa Fe Railyard by The Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the City of Santa Fe.

Guests can enjoy free train tours of the Railyard Park and Plaza sites. Plans for the 10-acre park, plus two acres of walk-bike trails, pocket parks and a plaza, will also be displayed. Other highlights include food from Chicago Dog Express, The Flying Tortilla, Anasazi Roasted Corn and Taos Cow Ice Cream; children’s activities from the Museum of New Mexico’s Van of Enchantment, Science Toy Magic and others; and live music from Sid Hausman, The Hoodoos and Alex Maryol.

Santa Feans also will learn how private businesses, individuals and families can help TPL raise the final $3.8 million needed by December 2006 to complete the project by fall 2007. In addition, members of the Santa Fe Community Foundation will unveil the contents of its 25th Anniversary time capsule, which will be buried in the completed Railyard Park.

“The success of the Railyard Park and Plaza will be due to a vibrant public-private partnership between a variety of organizations who are cooperating to make every piece of the railyard development puzzle fit into place,” said Jenny Parks, director of TPL’s New Mexico office. “With this final stage of our capital campaign, we’re asking the community to come together to help us complete the funding for the park and plaza so that we can finish the long-awaited railyard project for the residents of Santa Fe.”

Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, who will attend the event along with various Santa Fe City Councilors and other local, state and federal dignitaries, praised the longstanding partnership between the City of Santa Fe and TPL.

“The City of Santa Fe and The Trust for Public Land have formed an excellent partnership,” Coss said. “As mayor, I’m very supportive of TPL’s park initiative and want the public to know the city is behind this project 100 percent.”

To date, The Trust for Public Land has raised $7.7 million in combined private and public funding for the project, including $2.6 million in federal transportation funds for bikeways and walkways secured by U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman and U.S. Representative Tom Udall. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson recently appropriated $1 million in state capital outlay funds for park construction. The New Mexico State Legislature, City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County also have made substantial financial contributions. Meanwhile, the railyard-based Santa Fe Southern Railway provided the project’s first major private contribution of $2.7 million.

“This event will give The Trust for Public Land an opportunity to publicly thank our many supporters thus far, without whom this project could not happen,” said TPL’s Jenny Parks. “We also want to thank the energetic corps of volunteers who are working with us to create these beautiful public spaces where all of Santa Fe will come together.”

The alliance between the City of Santa Fe and TPL began in 1995 when the City asked TPL to facilitate the purchase of the long-neglected 50-acre railyard site and bring the community’s vision for a new park and plaza to fruition. TPL has since worked to plan, design and raise funds for the development, which is being designed by the New York-based team of landscape architect Ken Smith, public artist Mary Miss and architect Frederic Schwarz. Assisting the primary design team are several Santa Fe professionals in areas of water harvesting, horticulture, engineering, landscape architecture, children’s play design and more. Current plans for the project were approved by the Santa Fe City Council in May 2005.

The Railyard Park and Plaza project is an integral part of an exciting revitalization currently underway throughout the 50-acre railyard site. When finished, the redevelopment will include a mix of live-work, commercial and nonprofit entities, including the Santa Fe Farmers Market, El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Warehouse 21 Teen Arts Center and SITE Santa Fe. The nonprofit Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation is the developer and property manager for the railyard businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The Trust for Public Land’s Come Together community celebration is free for all ages. The event is sponsored in partnership with The City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Southern Railway, The Santa Fe New Mexican, KBAC-Radio Free Santa Fe, Tomasita’s, Coca-Cola, Whole Foods, The Flying Tortilla, Science Toy Magic and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information about TPL’s July 2 Come Together event call Carmella Padilla at 471-8821 or carmpad@aol.com.

For more information about the Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza call 988-5922 or visit www.railyardpark.org

Posted 6/26/06