Image from project presentation packet for the proposed Guest House at 400 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos.
Image from project presentation packet for the proposed Guest House at 400 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos.
Image from project presentation packet for the proposed Guest House at 400 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos.
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
The Los Alamos County Council agenda for its regular session Tuesday, July 28, includes the introduction and discussion on the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) Participation Agreement and Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Development Agreement High Level Terms for the Guest House Project to be located at 400 Drive in Los Alamos on the former Hilltop House site.
According to the agenda packet, Tucker Sharp, from Grand Mesa Partners 400 Trinity Drive Hilltop Owners LLC (“GMP400”) will attend to give a project overview and answer questions.
In 2024, Sharp and John Rizzo of New Mexico Innovative Triangle announced in the Los Alamos Reporter that they would be developing the site as Grand Mesa Partners after they paid off the $1.3 million lien placed on the property by Los Alamos County following the demolition of the Hilltop House. See https://losalamosreporter.com/2024/05/01/new-partnership-to-move-forward-with-development-of-former-hilltop-house-property/ Sharp expected at that time expected to complete development of the property with 36 months.
The agenda packet notes that Community Development Department Director Elias Isaacson and County Manager Anne Laurent will be the presenters on the agenda item. The agenda packet says an initial LEDA/MRA application was submitted by GMP400 on April 12, and that staff is currently working collaboratively with the developer team to clarify the project scope and public financial request, in order to finalize a LEDA and MRA agreement.
The project as proposed involves a 40,000 sf, 60-kay extended-stay hotel that would target “seasonal interns, post-docs, visiting researchers, and other professionals” presumably from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“Rooms will also serve business and leisure tourists when available. The estimated project construction cost is more than $11 million,” the agenda packet states.
“The requested County fiscal participation from the Economic Development fund is a total of $3,875,000. The breakout is as follows: $1 million is in the form of a loan; $2 million is in the form of a grant and $875,000 is in the form of an MRA grant
“The loan is a 10-year, zero interest loan to be paid back starting in Year 3 through Year 10 of the participation agreement. The economic benefit of the redevelopment project is estimated to exceed $360,000 of gross receipts tax on construction, with additional revenue generated by food and beverage sales, and lodgers tax over the 10 years of the participation and redevelopment agreement terms. Additionally, the project is anticipating generating three (3) new full-time equivalent jobs,” the agenda packet states.
It is not known how long the project discussions have been underway, but the anticipated introduction of the ordinance looks like it will be Aug. 7 or Aug. 11, with the public hearing for the ordinance on Aug. 25, or Sept. 8, respectively.
To view the 20-page project presentation, go to:
https://losalamos.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15713828&GUID=98A2233E-EB1E-431E-A5DB-A114DCEB49AC