FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GALLUP, NM (April 4, 2023) – Coal Avenue Commons is officially complete and City of Gallup officials are inviting the public to celebrate the project alongside the first night of Arts Crawl.
A ribbon cutting with project partners will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Second Street and Coal Avenue. The event will celebrate the successful completion of the multi-phase design and construction project and will coincide with the first night of the popular Arts Crawl series, held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every second Saturday until December.
The project began in July 2020 to transform two blocks of Coal Avenue between First and Third streets. Work included improvements to intersections, drainage, walkways, lighting and crosswalks – including the state’s first “scramble” style crossing where traffic is stopped from all sides and pedestrians can move diagonally across the intersection.
“Coal Avenue Commons is a wonderful addition to downtown Gallup and would not have been possible without strong support from our project partners,” Maryann Ustick, city manager, said. “This team consistently stepped up with the vision, funding and creative solutions to help the project succeed.”
The total project cost, through the design and two construction phases, was approximately $8.3 million and was funded using a variety of sources. Thanks to the community’s state legislators, the project received a large boost of nearly $680,000. The bulk of project funds, amounting to over $4 million, came from the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
Other funding sources included matches by the city and McKinley County and support from the Business Improvement District, New Mexico Mainstreet and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and McCune Foundation. The Northwestern New Mexico Council of Governments, Gallup Mainstreet and gallupARTS also served in critical roles to secure funding and support the project.
City officials welcome the public to enjoy the beautiful Coal Avenue Commons and support the small businesses that help sustain downtown and the community. The city also reminds the community to do their part in keeping the area beautiful by utilizing the trash receptacles throughout the downtown area. For more information about the project, contact the city at 505-863-1227.
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