Rio Rancho outlines facilities master plan including Fire Station 8, training center and multi‑gen campus

Rio Rancho city staff gave an update at a work session on a multi‑year facilities master plan that identifies five major projects and sequencing tied to debt retirement and potential repurposing of a gross‑receipts‑tax (GRT) increment.

"The purpose of the facility's master plan is to identify and plan for the needs based on growth and the strategic plan," Ryan Chavez said as he opened the presentation and summarized the outreach and inventory work that informed the plan.

The presentation front‑loaded Fire Station 8 and a separate training facility. Deputy Chief James Williams said Station 8 will sit near the intersection of Veranda and Capizone Boulevard on about 1.35 acres and include roughly 15,000 square feet of building envelope. "We're sitting at roughly about 12 to $14,000,000," Williams said on the station budget; he added the city has received a $5 million state appropriation and would cover the remaining $7 million to $10 million from a GRT bond. Williams said the station design includes four apparatus bays, space for 12 bunk rooms for future growth and initial staffing of five personnel. He said 60% drawings are under review, with bidding and a likely ground‑breaking in 2026 if the design and procurement schedule hold.

Williams described a co‑located training facility adjacent to Station 5 with a burn prop and tower intended to reduce reliance on off‑site training. He estimated the training facility at roughly 14,000 square feet and said funding sources for construction will be identified later.

City staff also presented a planned operational annex and consolidated streets and right‑of‑way facility on 22 acres the city already owns at Kim and Idelia; staff said they plan to purchase an additional five acres to bring the total to about 27. The presentation noted the current streets and right‑of‑way and fleet facilities are leased — for example, the county recently offered only a five‑year extension on a previous 25‑year arrangement — which prompted the push to a city‑owned campus. Project components described include a heavy‑equipment fleet shop, a fueling station, materials storage, offices and warehousing. Staff expect a 30% design submittal soon and a design completion target in early 2026 so phased construction could begin in a future budget cycle.

Director Peterson presented a conceptual plan for a multi‑generational recreation facility on the Shining Star preschool site. The concept includes multipurpose courts for basketball, volleyball and pickleball; a stage/performance space with adjacent storage; locker rooms; a fitness center with rooftop views; an indoor running track; and outdoor amenity areas. "This is our project estimate. It came in at $104,000,000 for this facility," Peterson said, and staff said they plan phased delivery with roughly $25 million chunks beginning with the core building and some parking.

Deputy Chief Romero briefed the governing body on a police headquarters feasibility and site‑selection study. Romero said the department is operating from a retrofitted manufacturing building that is no longer adequate for growing dispatch, records, court and evidence functions. Consultants are studying the existing Quantum Avenue site and two Unser corridor sites, and one option would be to relocate municipal court into a standalone building at an older office property if feasible. Romero said the study is about a quarter complete, with design anticipated in fiscal 2027 if a path forward is chosen.

City staff emphasized sequencing tied to debt retirement and the possibility of repurposing a higher‑education GRT earmark when it sunsets in FY 2028; Chavez said an estimated five‑year forecast shows the increment could be nearly $6,000,000 per year when reauthorized and repurposed for facilities and staffing needs. Staff also described additional needs beyond the five major projects, including a potential city hall annex, a northern outdoor pool, dog park and wastewater contractor facilities.

No formal decisions or votes were taken at the work session; staff presented timelines, cost estimates and next steps and answered council questions about site layouts, skate park relocation, interim staffing and opportunities to repurpose retiring debt.

The presentation concluded with staff offering to return with further details on funding options and phasing for council consideration in upcoming budget and planning cycles.