City Council Funds Plans for the Ken Sanchez Westside Indoor Sports Complex and Completion of the Albuquerque Rail Trail
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Two projects in Albuquerque, the construction of the Ken Sanchez Westside Indoor Sports Complex and the Albuquerque Rail Trail projects are now funded, thanks to combined efforts of City Administration and the City Council.
The Ken Sanchez Westside Indoor Sports Complex was first envisioned and presented by the late Ken Sanchez, City Councilor for District 1. Current District 1 City Councilor Louie Sanchez continued with his support for the project and the City Council approved the project last year (2024). The Albuquerque Rail Trail project was unveiled in the summer of 2023 and is a multi-phased project with a minimum cost of $90 million and expected to take years to complete. While both projects were approved by City Council, officials needed to locate additional funding to complete both projects.
Councilor Louie Sanchez scoured the funding available for projects citywide to help fund both projects important to their constituents. As a result, the plan to build the Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex is now funded with the money approved and allocated through the CIP clean-up. This means that the construction of the sports complex can start immediately. Thanks to this effort, $1 million remains allocated towards the completion of the Albuquerque Rail Trail.
"I want to thank my fellow City Councilors and Council Services staff who worked with me to identify funding to complete these projects," said Councilor Louie Sanchez. "Our constituents have supported these projects from the start. This is the type of cooperation and communication necessary to advance the will of the people who live, work, and play in our respective Council Districts. I know that the late Councilor Ken Sanchez would be proud."
The indoor sports complex will be a first for Albuquerque’s Westside. The site plan includes basketball courts, volleyball courts and will host a variety of events, including wrestling, cheer, dance, and indoor soccer. Local youth organizations and families will have both a practice facility and competition venue, with the ability to host local and regional tournaments and special events. The site for the Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex is located between Coors Blvd and Atrisco NW, south of St. Josephs NW and features easy access to I-40 and access from all directions of the city.