APS and architects present Corrales K–8 campus plan amid traffic and neighbor concerns

Albuquerque Public Schools and Roma-based Roma Architecture on Tuesday laid out plans to convert Corrales Elementary into a K–8 campus, describing a phased demolition and rebuild that would add roughly 56,000 square feet to an existing site and result in about 100,000 square feet of facilities once fully built.

Dean Cry, a partner with Roma Architecture, and project manager Tanya Nades said the work would remove the original 1950s classroom block and a dilapidated “mini gym,” add a two‑story classroom wing, a new dining hall, and a gym pushed back from Corrales Road so the playfield can remain visible to the community. Cry said the design emphasizes local materials and traditions, including adobe accents, latilla fencing, and corrugated metal roofs, and ties an outdoor-learning “landscape sanctuary” to the site’s historic ditch system. “We wanted the design to reflect the values of that school community,” Cry said, adding that water-capture features will feed pollinator gardens and percolate back toward the aquifer.

APS capital planning representative Kazo Wen said current enrollment is about 378 students and the campus could be built for a capacity up to 525 if needed; APS expects typical enrollment after conversion to be closer to 420. Wen said the district plans to keep students in the community where possible instead of transferring them to other middle schools. On funding, Wen said the project is locally funded through a municipal levy and bond and not dependent on legislative capital appropriations; the APS board was expected to consider final approval in January and the district anticipates contractor mobilization in March, with a roughly 21–24 month construction timeline.

Councilors pressed architects and APS staff on several operational and neighborhood issues. Councilor Murray and others questioned whether the higher capacity would encourage transfers and additional vehicle traffic onto Corrales Road; Cry and Wen said the design includes a south‑side parent drop‑off loop and a separate bus entry on a private service road to limit queuing on public streets. “We brought the parent pickup drop‑off loop down to the south…we think’s really going to get people off of the public roads,” Cry said.

Members also asked about emergency egress, active‑shooter (‘ALICE’) protocols and construction safety. Architects said construction will be phased, with fenced zones and alternating site access so students remain separated from active work areas. They also described “roll‑curb” options and gates that would permit emergency egress; Wen said the district will coordinate egress and emergency plans with Corrales police, fire, APS police and the conservancy where off‑site access is necessary.

Neighbors raised visual‑impact and height concerns about the two‑story classroom wing and the gym. Councilor Burette pushed architects to lower heights where possible; the architects said mechanical equipment was placed in penthouses and rooftop enclosures to reduce apparent height and that facade modulation and landscaping were used to break up long stucco walls. "We did try to modulate it a lot," Cry said, noting trade‑offs between program needs and a constrained site.

The architects said sustainability features—stormwater harvesting from shed roofs, retention to feed landscape zones and reuse of some historic pavers—were integral to the design. No formal action was taken; councilors requested continued neighborhood outreach and more detailed emergency‑response and traffic plans once the contractor is under contract.

The district and architects expect to bring final approvals to relevant boards in January, with construction mobilization anticipated in March.