City Negotiates Agreement to Address Nuisance 7-Eleven Properties

January 27, 2020

Today, Mayor Tim Keller, City Councilor Pat Davis, and community leaders announced that after months of negotiation, the administration and the owners of two 7-Elevens, which had been declared nuisances by the City Council, have agreed to unprecedented changes to make the neighborhoods surrounding these two properties safer.

Among other things, the agreement ends the sale of alcohol minis and pints. This is a first for these two sites and for the City that will immediately alleviate an issue neighbors have highlighted as a driving factor of the nuisance declaration. 

“Nuisance properties make neighborhoods less safe. This agreement shows what can happen when the City commits to accountability. In this case, the owners were open to a partnership and we were able to work together on unprecedented steps forward—including ending sales of minis and pints.” said Mayor Keller. “Owners of other trouble spots should take note and work with us to improve safety.”

The two 7-Eleven locations, at 3801 Central Avenue NE and 5401 Kathryn Avenue SE, had been at the center of a huge number of calls for service. Between January 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019:

• APD responded to the properties a combined 733 times;
• AFR responded to the properties a combined 189 times; and
• 3-1-1 received 1,127 complaints on these two properties.

In November, the Albuquerque City Council passed a resolution, sponsored by Councilor Davis, that declared the properties to be public nuisances.

“When we see a much higher number of incidents at a location than at their neighbors or another location in the city, we know there’s a problem. Declaring a property a public nuisance is a rare and extreme step, but one I felt was necessary after hearing from affected neighborhoods and digging into the data,” said City Councilor Pat Davis. “I’m glad to see that 7-Eleven has finally agreed to be a good neighbor and work with the City to address the issues at these two properties.”

Mark Rhodes, representing the property owners, said, “Southwest Convenience Stores, LLC cares about the communities in which we operate. We look forward to working closely with the City of Albuquerque and to the many planned improvements at our two stores located at 3801 Central Avenue NE and 5401 Kathryn Avenue SE. Together we will improve the experience for our customers, employees and neighbors.”

Following the nuisance property designation, the City reached an agreement with the owner of the 7-Eleven locations. The agreement calls for the owners to:

• End sales of minis and pints;
• Clear 90% of each window of posters, decals, and other items;
• Install cameras at key locations;
• Install signs indicating video surveillance;
• Install No Trespassing signs that cite City Ordinance;
• Provide third-party training for employees on responsible alcohol service;
• Refuse sales of alcohol to already intoxicated individuals; and
• Daily pickup of needles and bottles.