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Taos leaders weigh reuse of former US Bank building; moving arts group outlines youth programming model
Summary
Town staff proposed an RFI and short‑term restroom work for the newly acquired former US Bank building; visiting nonprofit Moving Arts Espanola promoted a youth‑powered programming model and an architect said the building can support multiple uses including second‑floor housing.
Town staff and local consultants presented options Jan. 27 for next steps at the former US Bank building at 120 West Plaza, an asset the town purchased in 2024.
Town Manager Martinez and Assistant Manager Mark Flores summarized appraisal and purchase details and recommended issuing a request for information (RFI) to solicit ideas for reuse. Martinez outlined the purchase accounting: the town reserved funds in 2023 (Resolution 40) and closed in September 2024; the appraisal‑based replacement cost and depreciation figures in staff materials produced an estimated current asset value and showed a residual available balance of roughly $394,000 to begin limited renovations.
Staff recommended a 30‑day RFI solicitation, five days for staff review, and returning responses at a subsequent workshop. Flores and Martinez said staff would prioritize short lead items — beginning with restroom work downstairs and upstairs — because the site currently has only single‑user restrooms that limit community use. The presentation included a town‑funded feasibility/programming document prepared in 2024 showing possible space breakdowns (visitor services, staff offices, storage, and community spaces) and recommended the council decide a desired public purpose before larger interior renovations.
Roger Montoya, executive director of Moving Arts Espanola, described his organization’s model for youth programming and how a community arts campus can serve families: a broad menu of low‑cost classes, meals, and wrap‑around supports that currently serve hundreds of children weekly in Espanola. Montoya emphasized the sustainability challenges of nonprofit operations and warned that a market‑rate rent would likely be unaffordable for many nonprofits; he urged flexible, low‑cost lease terms or partnership models to enable an organization to operate programs affordably.
Local architect Doug Patterson, invited by staff, said the building is structurally sound, could support a second floor or added units and that using the second floor for small housing units or live/work studios is viable without an elevator (apartments are private spaces and different accessibility rules apply than for public spaces). He also cautioned that if the council wants the building to serve as a youth assembly space or community center, restroom standards and renovations will be different and should be planned to fit the final use.
Ending: Councilors generally favored youth‑focused reuse, asked staff to craft an RFI targeted to youth programming while keeping the solicitation broadly written to allow other proposals, and asked staff to return with a short list of costs (restrooms and basic accessibility) and a facilities‑master plan that inventories town buildings and helps prioritize uses and capital needs.
