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Taos MRA board hears courthouse and BRIC updates, flags role on below‑market rents
Summary
Taos County told the Taos MRA board the Historic County Courthouse is nearing phased completion this summer and that parts of the first and second floors may be offered at below‑market rents — an arrangement that will require MRA review because the property lies inside the MRA district. Taos Main Street updated the board on BRIC operations under an MOU.
Taos County economic development director Jessica Stern told the Taos MRA Board that work on the Historic County Courthouse is “within sight of completion,” with phased openings expected this summer and activation through the remainder of 2026. She said the county is considering offering below‑market rental spaces on portions of the first and second floors but that details and budget assumptions are still under negotiation with county leadership.
“Part of the historic courthouse that involves below market rental rates for various aspects of the 1st and the 2nd Floor,” Stern said, adding the county will bring specifics to the MRA board so the agency can determine compliance with the MRA plan and district rules.
Commissioners pressed for clarification about why the MRA would need to approve rental rates for a county‑owned building. Stern said that because the courthouse is inside the MRA district the MRA’s permission would be required to offer below‑market rents, and that the county and town still need to finalize how the arrangement would function.
Charles Whitson, director of Taos Main Street, briefed the board on the Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC). He said the town and county have adopted a memorandum of understanding with Taos Main Street to operate the BRIC, that Main Street has engaged a lease with the town, and that Main Street expects to sublease space to coworking tenants and act as the operating partner.
“Taos Main Street will act as the operating partner for the brick,” Whitson said, describing the MRA as an oversight partner that evaluates projects against a community benefit matrix to ensure public resources serve broad community goals.
Why it matters: the board will be asked to vet projects that use public resources through a community benefit matrix and may need to approve terms even when the underlying property is county‑owned. Commissioners instructed staff to bring more detailed budget and legal information for the April meeting so the board can weigh possible below‑market rental terms and any required town or county approvals.
The board did not take a formal vote on any project during the meeting; members assigned follow‑up items including a request that staff and consultants provide budget estimates and draft guidance for MRA review.
