Richardson & Richardson, Inc. was excited to be the general contractor for the new Bernalillo County Animal Care and Resource Center. This brand new, state of the art 17,143-square-foot facility is located at 3001 Second St. SW.
The project broke ground in August 2017. Construction took about 11 months to complete, with the facility grand opening in January 2019. The $7.5 million price tag was covered by General Obligation Bond money. Albuquerque- based BDA Architecture PC was the architect. Bernalillo County Commissioners voted to move forward with the project Spring of 2016. With planning, site selection, and funding, the facility has been in the works for approximately 11 years.
The site near 2nd St. and Woodward was chosen after evaluating more than 15 potential properties. The site was selected because it met criteria that included:
Close proximity to the South Valley, (About 90% of animals handled by the Animal Services Department originate from the South Valley.)
Access for residents from other areas of the County, (This site is reasonably close to the freeway and main roads of Broadway and Rio Bravo for access.)
Appropriate Zoning, (This property is zoned M-2)
Project budget, (This property is within the budget restraints of the project.)
Access to Sewer and Water, (A 1,300 foot sewer extension was built to Woodward street.)
No Flood Plain or Environmental Restrictions.
This beautiful new facility is located in the traditionally under-served South Valley of Albuquerque, with mountain views and established trees. The recently completed building has room for 115 dogs and approximately 25 cats, and includes animal recreation and isolation areas, and veterinary care spaces.
The facility was also designed to include spaces for community outreach events, such as community volunteer opportunities, educational and training classes for people and animals, youth camp programs, and foster care and animal adoptions. Families can meet an animal for adoption in dedicated rooms, and there is a separate family lobby and surrender area. Kennels with outside hatches allow off-hours drop off of animals.
The building also includes operational areas for the Animal Care Services Department, which includes the County’s animal control officers, and their support services. This facility is a great boon to this urban area; it is currently the most up-to-date, state of the art animal facility in New Mexico.
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