Create a neighborhood destination at the gateway to the Triviz Trail and a future public park.
The City of Las Cruces is seeking a development or operating partner for Villa Mora Plaza, a focused development opportunity near East Madrid Avenue and North Triviz Drive. The City-owned site is immediately west of Interstate 25, adjacent to the Triviz Trail, and positioned to complement future public investment in the surrounding Restoration Park area.
City-owned development site | Triviz Trail gateway | MRA location | Flexible development concept
A Focused Development Opportunity
Villa Mora Plaza is the private development component of the larger Villa Mora property identified in the adopted Apodaca Blueprint.
The opportunity is intentionally focused on the plaza and its immediate connections to Madrid Avenue, Triviz Drive, the trail, and the future park. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is expected to lead a separate planning and implementation process for the surrounding Restoration Park area.
Private development can bring daily activity, services, dining, gathering places, and recreational amenities to the site while complementing future public park and trail investments.
Why Villa Mora Plaza?
Key location advantages include:
- A visible location at East Madrid Avenue and North Triviz Drive
- Direct connections to the Triviz Trail
- Proximity to established residential neighborhoods
- Visibility near Interstate 25
- An opportunity to function as an enhanced trailhead
- A direct relationship with the future Restoration Park
- City ownership that allows consideration of flexible transaction structures
- Location within the Apodaca & Lift Up Metropolitan Redevelopment Area
The site is well positioned for an operator-led destination that serves nearby residents, trail users, park visitors, and the broader community.
A Strong Surrounding Market
The three-mile Villa Mora Plaza market includes:
- 62,672 residents
- 27,069 households
- $58,667 median household income
- 63.3% white-collar employment
The surrounding area includes a broad mix of households, workers, and housing types. Approximately 36.8% of adults hold a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree, while another 26.2% have completed some college or an associate degree.
This market profile supports food and beverage, neighborhood services, wellness, recreation, professional services, and other uses that can benefit from repeated local visitation.
Figures are 2026 three-mile market estimates.
A Neighborhood-Scale Vision
The Apodaca Blueprint describes Villa Mora Plaza as a neighborhood commercial center and western gateway to the Triviz Trail.
The adopted concept generally anticipates approximately 25,000 to 30,000 gross square feet of enclosed space, with individual commercial building footprints generally not exceeding 15,000 square feet. The Blueprint illustrates one-story, neighborhood-scale development supported by plazas, patios, greens, promenades, and other visible gathering spaces.
These concepts provide direction but do not represent a fixed development plan. The City is open to a modified program that preserves the intended neighborhood scale, public-realm quality, trail connection, and compatibility with the future park.
Potential uses may include:
- Restaurants, cafes, specialty food, and outdoor dining
- Small-format retail and neighborhood services
- Professional offices and coworking space
- Fitness, physical therapy, wellness, and recreation-supporting businesses
- Small medical and personal-service uses
- Compatible commercial, flex, or mixed-use space
- Small lodging, gathering, event, or visitor-oriented uses
- Educational, cultural, nonprofit, youth, senior, or institutional uses
The strongest concept will combine a feasible private use with a public-facing place that feels connected to the trail and park.
Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Advantage
Villa Mora Plaza is located within the City-designated Apodaca & Lift Up Metropolitan Redevelopment Area.
The MRA provides a framework for coordinating public and private investment and evaluating tools that may help address infrastructure, access, public-realm, and project-feasibility needs.
Depending on the project and required approvals, potential approaches may include:
- Coordinated public infrastructure or streetscape improvements
- Alignment of private development with park, trail, drainage, access, and utility investments
- A tailored sale, lease, disposition, or development agreement
- Project-specific assistance tied to demonstrated redevelopment need and public benefit
- Evaluation of eligible redevelopment financing tools
MRA designation does not guarantee a specific incentive, funding source, or City contribution. Any assistance would depend on applicable redevelopment plans, project eligibility, financial analysis, negotiation, demonstrated public benefit, and required governmental approvals.
Multiple Ways to Participate
The City welcomes interest from:
- Neighborhood commercial and mixed-use developers
- Restaurant, cafe, and specialty retail operators
- Wellness, recreation, and professional-service providers
- Hospitality and event operators
- Community-serving institutions and nonprofits
- Investors and joint-development partners
Potential transaction structures may include fee-simple sale with development obligations, a long-term ground lease, an option or exclusive negotiating agreement, phased acquisition, joint development, land contribution, or a development agreement coordinating private work with public park and trail improvements.
Site Status and Coordination
The Villa Mora property is City-owned and currently undeveloped. The exact plaza boundary, building arrangement, access, parking, and development program will be refined through developer due diligence and coordination with the City.
Development planning will also need to address:
- Coordination with the future Restoration Park
- Vehicular access and internal circulation
- Pedestrian and bicycle connections
- Potential Madrid-Triviz intersection improvements
- Drainage, grading, and developable limits
- Utility availability and capacity
- Applicable zoning, subdivision, site-plan, and building approvals
Start the Conversation
Developers, operators, investors, institutions, and potential end users are invited to discuss the opportunity directly with the City.
An initial conversation is not a request for a formal proposal. It is an opportunity to determine where private-sector interest exists, what information is needed, and what development or partnership structure may be feasible.
