Commission extends inducement resolution for Mesa Film Studios while land‑use lawsuit proceeds
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Summary
Bernalillo County approved a 180‑day extension of an inducement resolution for Mesa Film Studios to allow a pending land‑use lawsuit between the city and neighborhood to be resolved. Staff said the extension helps developers preserve financing momentum while litigation plays out; final IRB action will return after land‑use clarity.
Bernalillo County commissioners approved a 180‑day extension of the inducement resolution for the Mesa Film Studios project, a proposed film‑studio complex near Double Eagle Airport. Director Marcos Gonzales told the commission the extension allows the financing process to continue while a district‑court land‑use lawsuit between the city and neighborhood proceeds.
Why it matters: The inducement resolution signals county willingness to consider an industrial revenue bond (IRB) and can help a developer advance financing commitments, staff said. Gonzales said the project’s private investment par value is roughly $186 million and that direct studio employment would be 48 jobs, while production firms using the studio could create “a little over a thousand” jobs.
Commissioners pressed for details. Gonzales said the city has entered a ground lease with Amasa Studios and that state and city ELITA funds are committed to the project but conditional on the land‑use matter’s resolution. Commissioners expressed support for allowing the due process of litigation to proceed and for giving the parties time to negotiate alongside litigation.
Outcome: The commission approved the inducement‑resolution extension by a 4–0 vote. Staff said the extension is intended to allow the city/neighborhood land‑use question to be resolved before the county takes final action on an IRB.
Next steps: Staff said it will return the inducement and an IRB ordinance to the commission for final consideration after land‑use issues are settled in court.