Las Cruces council rescinds 2009 resolution tying Museum of Art to old post office; staff recommends expanding current campus

The Las Cruces City Council on Monday voted to rescind a 2009 resolution that had directed the Museum of Art be moved to the city—uilding commonly known as the old post office, currently used as the Municipal Court building.

City staff told the council that renovating the Municipal Court building to meet museum standards would be significantly more expensive than expanding the museums at their current downtown campus, and recommended rescinding resolution R09-270 so the museums could pursue expansion where they are today.

Carol Bray, director of the city epartment of Quality of Life, told the council the Municipal Court building would require substantial rehabilitation. "Just to expand the Municipal Court Building, ... it was approximately $22,000,000 to renovate the building," she said, adding that additional costs to relocate and renovate or build a new municipal court could push the total substantially higher. Bray said expanding the existing museum campus was estimated at about $20 million and could include space for collections, classrooms and exhibits and avoid an off-site collections storage cost that she said runs about $100,000 a year.

Garland Courts, deputy director for the city ivision of Museums, said the museums—omplex dvances a "synergy" for school groups and visitors because the Museum of Art, the Museum of Nature and Science and other city-run cultural sites are adjacent. Courts noted the museum master plan from 2020 analyzed both options and favored expansion on the existing footprint.

Speakers at the meeting also urged care for the Municipal Court building as a historic asset. Deb Dennis, vice president of the Amador Hotel Foundation, asked the council to explain the future of the old post office building if it would no longer be considered for the Museum of Art. Former Councilor (name given in public comment as) Smith and resident Greg Smith both said the city must give historic buildings a long-term purpose or they will sit vacant.

Council members discussed those competing priorities. Councilor Curran praised the museum master planning process and said rescinding the old directive was consistent with the evidence staff presented. Councilor Flores said the building is historically important and said the council must preserve historic buildings while also addressing municipal court needs.

The motion on the item (Resolution 25-128, rescinding the earlier museum resolution) was moved and seconded; the council recorded votes in favor from Councilors McClure, Matisse, Graham, Kran and Flores, with Councilor Bencomo absent; the mayor voted yes. The resolution passed.

Staff and council listed next steps as follow-up planning to pursue expansion of the downtown museums and continuing discussion about a long-term, historically appropriate use for the Municipal Court/old post office building.