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Penasco group seeks county support for historic high‑school rehabilitation and grant application
Summary
Jose Lopez of the Penasco Valley Historical Preservation Society briefed commissioners on plans to rehabilitate the old Penasco High School into a community museum and multipurpose facility, reported roughly $890,000 raised to date and an estimated $1.5 million rehabilitation cost, and asked for Taos County’s support as fiscal agent for a Destination Forward grant that could add $500,000 toward construction.
Jose Lopez, identifying himself as executive director of the Penasco Valley Historical Preservation Society (PVHPS), described the group's rehabilitation plan for the old Penasco High School and requested county support for upcoming grant opportunities. "My name is Jose Lopez. I'm the executive director for the Penasco Valley Historical Preservation Society," he said, outlining PVHPS programming, a digital archive and community-use objectives.
Lopez said PVHPS has completed early architectural phases and an assessment report and estimates about $1,500,000 will be needed to fully rehabilitate the building. He told commissioners the organization has raised about $890,000 since forming in 2021. Lopez asked the county to act as fiscal agent for a follow-up round of the Destination Forward grant: after an initial $100,000 phase the project could be eligible for $500,000 toward construction. He noted PVHPS already has accounting capacity and a contracted CPA and said the group would work to minimize fiscal burden on the county if it served as fiscal agent.
Commissioners asked clarification questions about timing and grant administration; Lopez said, if all phases and funding align, construction could start in fall 2025. He also mentioned PVHPS fundraising events, including a gala planned for April 26, 2025. The presentation closed with nods of encouragement from commissioners who said they would continue the conversation about county support.
