Rio Vista campus rehabilitation planned with grant partners; opening phases 2027–2030

Socorro City officials outlined a phased rehabilitation of the Rio Vista historic campus that will add cultural, workforce and community amenities if the city secures planned grant funding.

City development director Alejandra Valadees described Building 17 as the future Brasto Museum, fully grant-funded through a partnership with a nonprofit identified as CSCI and an Andrew Mellon Foundation grant; she gave a target public opening of 2027. Building 18, a Quonset‑hut component of the museum, also listed 2027 as an estimated opening and was described as grant-funded. Valadees said a National Park Service grant of about $750,000 supports work on another campus structure with an estimated public opening in 2028.

Valadees said Building 13 will be repurposed as a business incubator providing technical assistance and workforce supports in partnership with federal and workforce-development programs; that building was described as 100% grant-funded with a projected opening in 2029. Buildings 15 and 16 are planned as workforce classrooms in partnership with Workforce Solutions Borderlex and are in the federal-appropriations application phase; the project cost for those buildings was cited at approximately $3.7 million with an estimated open-to-public date in 2030 if funding is awarded.

Valadees also said the city received $2 million in state appropriations from the 89th legislature for Rio Vista rehabilitation; she characterized the state funds as dedicated to rehabilitating portions of the campus but said a detailed scope of work was still being negotiated.

City staff said the Rio Vista program is staged so individual buildings advance as discrete grants and partnerships are secured. No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the meeting; staff asked for public input and said they will continue pursuing grant agreements and state contracting steps before construction.