SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations listed below are a general summary of the highlights of the report. a more detailed understanding of this summary can be gained from review of the entire document, which supports and details the following recommendations.

• Memorialize the unfortunate destruction of St. Genevieve's Church through a community sponsored event. This participation will assist the community to grieve the loss of its spiritually and emotionally significant landmark and to bring it together to commit to a new beginning.
• The downtown Plaza area should be envisioned as the focal point, or "heart" of the community. The Plaza is a place for the community and its many cultures to come together at Plaza "Las Culturas".
• Government facilities must be encouraged to remain and future facilities should be located in the downtown area to gain, centralize the community focus.
• The downtown Plaza area must be visually enhanced based on the City's own landscaping ordinance standards. Planting of the streetscape, public right of way and medians is encouraged.
• The views from the Plaza to the Organ Mountains should be emphasized in the Plaza design and orientation.
• The essential element of the downtown design is the creation of an attractive, safe community-oriented and pedestrian scale environment.
• The existing canopy of the present downtown mall should be removed and replaced with shade devices more appropriate to a vital, outdoor environment. The structural elements of the canopy can be modified and reused if the Depot is converted into a transportation museum.
• Traffic in the downtown area should be "calmed" to permit a pedestrian-friendly environment for foot travel to and around the Plaza. The opportunity for increased use of the area is key to its enhancement.
• Both Chambers of Commerce should relocate to the Plaza area as a commitment to the new beginning for the area.
• The transfer center for the Roadrunner Transit System should be relocated to the downtown to give the community another option for access to the area.
• The Farmer's Market should continue on the Plaza. It is a community landmark that is part of the life of the Plaza.
• A community-based planning process for the Mesquite and Alameda neighborhood areas should be established. Gathering input from all affected groups in developing a plan serves to build consensus and a mandate for implementation.
• Provide connections between the Mesquite Area and Alameda Depot Area neighborhoods through the downtown area and encourage pedestrian movements in making these connections.



• The Depot Building should be utilized as a location for cultural facilities and perhaps as a transportation museum, with both static and active displays.
• The historic character of the community should continue to be a focus. Opportunities for the enhancement of historic structures and districts should be targeted, as well as efforts to identify eligible historic resources not now on the State or National Registers. The continued focus on the historic character of the community could also include an expansion of the museum complex and museum displays.
• The image of Las Cruces should be communicated through a formal marketing strategy to include an identifying logo. The multi-cultural character of the community would be a key element of the message.
• Affordable rental and owner-occupied housing is important to community stability and productivity. The possibility of housing on the plaza is a long-term planning consideration.
• Issues of homelessness must be addressed by the community.
• Opportunities for economic growth in the R/UDAT area include:

The size of spaces for office and retail use on the Plaza are consistent with past and current market patterns of small scale office and retail development served by automobiles. As a result, the plaza space is marketable.

Emphasis on residential uses on the plaza, tourism and convention business should be reserved for the mid to long term, current trends do not indicate strong support at this time.

The Mesquite Historic district should move to realize its residential and commercial potential within the existing land use patterns. The City should consider regulatory and infrastructure support based on a community planning consensus.

The Alameda Depot Historic district should decide the extent to which it wants to encourage or discourage the trend of non-residential uses expanding into converted residences.

• Challenges for the Las Cruces community and its city government are to plan and implement a development strategy that identifies what public and private actions are necessary and who will lead a long-term public-private implementation strategy to enhance the economy of the R/UDAT study area by mobilizing local and state resources to achieve community based goals for the Plaza, Mesquite and Alameda Depot Historic Districts.

The R/UDAT team recommends that the City government of Las Cruces be the primary implementor of these recommendations and proposed projects with the full participation of all segments of the community. With this concentrated effort, Las Cruces can move toward a new beginning.