Santa Fe board approves demolition of four Don Gaspar 'casitas' to clear way for State Executive Office Building, with design conditions
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Summary
After a multi-hour state presentation and nearly four hours of public testimony, the Historic Districts Review Board voted to approve demolition of four historic houses on Don Gaspar Avenue as part of the proposed State Executive Office Building project, subject to final design review and written recommendations from a board subcommittee.
The Santa Fe Historic Districts Review Board on Dec. 9 approved demolition requests for four small houses (commonly called casitas) on Don Gaspar Avenue to make room for a proposed State Executive Office Building (EOB), voting that the state’s final design and additional public engagement constituted changed circumstances since an earlier denial.
State representatives, led by Jennifer Jenkins of Jenkins Gavin and a team of architects from FBT Architects, presented a final design and a programming study that planners said would house about 531 employees and require roughly 163,000 square feet and three below-grade parking levels. Anna Silva of the state’s General Services Department explained the project must balance “reasonable costs and preserving essential functionality,” citing statute NMSA 3-22-6 and city ordinance 14-5.2(m). State Auditor Joseph Maestas, who said his office currently occupies leased space remote from the Capitol, said the building would improve the state’s ability to perform “confidential” audit work near the Capitol and relieve overcrowding.
Opponents — including local preservation groups, the Old Santa Fe Association and numerous neighborhood residents — urged the board to uphold an earlier decision refusing demolition. Speakers called the casitas important remnants of a neighborhood streetscape, warned the project was out of scale and raised concerns about burial sites near the campus. Supporters including several state agency representatives and some neighborhood residents argued the casitas are structurally compromised, that the state reduced the building’s size substantially in design iterations and that the new building would bring employees and economic activity to downtown.
After legal advice from city counsel on whether the board could revisit its March 2024 demolition denial, the board concluded the appearance of a final design and further community outreach were material changes. The board approved separate motions to allow demolition at 402, 406, 410 and 414 Don Gaspar Avenue; each motion included the same condition: demolition is permitted but final EOB design must return to the board (or the joint city–state review committee if the board’s written recommendations cannot be reconciled) and the state must receive and respond to written recommendations produced during the 60-day review period. The board also directed a standing subcommittee to draft those written recommendations for presentation at the board’s next scheduled meeting.
What it means next: The approvals begin a 60-day review period under section 14-5.2(m) of city code. The state will consider written recommendations from the board and the public; if disagreements remain the city and state will convene a joint review committee as spelled out in the ordinance.
Board reaction and split vote: Votes were not unanimous; several members cited the unique statutory standard for state capital outlay projects (which requires balancing design standards with essential functionality and reasonable costs) in support of approval. Others said the final design had not sufficiently demonstrated that the casitas could not be retained or adaptively reused.
Authorities and next steps: The board’s action triggers formal written recommendations under city ordinance 14-5.2(m) and the state statute (NMSA 3-22-6). The subcommittee will prepare draft recommendations and the board will vote on a final set at its Jan. 13 meeting; the state will then respond in writing as required by the joint review process.
