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I read an abbreviated history of Rio Rancho, currently the fastest growing city in New Mexico. it stated that the city was started by a group of con artists who sold parcels of vacant, undeveloped land to unsuspecting people in far away cities (mainly New York) who had no idea they were buying real estate in the City of Vision.
After the sale of those parcels and the construction of the first homes in 1962, building began in earnest in the seventies and has never stopped. From a city of about 100 in the 60’s Rio Rancho has grown to be a city of some 70,000 to 80,000 people and is expected to compete in size with Albuquerque in the near future if growth continues at the same pace. From vast, undeveloped spaces Rio Rancho is being rapidly transformed into a vibrant city of thousands, City of Rio Rancho - Official Site.
One consequence of growth is the relocation of the city center several miles north of its former site. A bright new City Hall, the anchor of a proposed vibrant, modern city center, for several months, had as its only neighbor, the Santa Ana Star Center. That has changed with the construction of the Hewlett Packard Customer Center and the CNM building, just two of the many that are a part of the vision of the city center.
Every quadrant of the city, except perhaps the far southwest has communities of homes already built or being built. Southeast Rio Rancho, where some of the first homes were built some 30 to 35 years ago includes Rolling Hills, and Country Club with detached homes, condos, apartments, and a still functioning golf course and club house. These older communities in splendid isolation for many years, are now losing that isolation as new developments like Cabezon (far south), Mariposa (far northwest) and others in between fill out the wide open spaces that created the isolation. The borders between Albuquerque and Rio Rio Rancho are becoming blurred as housing developments merge on the edges of both cities. In the north,construction in Enchanted Hills and Bernalillo adjacent areas with easy access to I-25 is creating bedroom communities for Santa Fe and Albuquerque as well as planned adult communities that attract retirees attracted by the beauty of our landscape and favorable climate.
The entire landscape of Rio Rancho is changing as clusters of houses spring up across the wide open spaces. North Hills, High Resort. and Loma Colorado (a Pulte project complementary to Mariposa planned community) have slowed, but are still underway in the mid-north. And construction, as we pointed out earlier, is not limited to housing as seen in the addition of buildings in the new city center. Further south, the Presbyterian hospital is taking shape near Cabezon. Not to be forgotten are the schools that have been built to meet the growing student population, the churches, and the shopping center, new construction that keep changing the city skyline and filling out the vision.
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| Presbyterian Hospital Under Construction |
One consequence of growth is the relocation of the city center several miles north of its former site. A bright new City Hall, the anchor of a proposed vibrant, modern city center, for several months, had as its only neighbor, the Santa Ana Star Center. That has changed with the construction of the Hewlett Packard Customer Center and the CNM building, just two of the many that are a part of the vision of the city center.
Every quadrant of the city, except perhaps the far southwest has communities of homes already built or being built. Southeast Rio Rancho, where some of the first homes were built some 30 to 35 years ago includes Rolling Hills, and Country Club with detached homes, condos, apartments, and a still functioning golf course and club house. These older communities in splendid isolation for many years, are now losing that isolation as new developments like Cabezon (far south), Mariposa (far northwest) and others in between fill out the wide open spaces that created the isolation. The borders between Albuquerque and Rio Rio Rancho are becoming blurred as housing developments merge on the edges of both cities. In the north,construction in Enchanted Hills and Bernalillo adjacent areas with easy access to I-25 is creating bedroom communities for Santa Fe and Albuquerque as well as planned adult communities that attract retirees attracted by the beauty of our landscape and favorable climate.
The entire landscape of Rio Rancho is changing as clusters of houses spring up across the wide open spaces. North Hills, High Resort. and Loma Colorado (a Pulte project complementary to Mariposa planned community) have slowed, but are still underway in the mid-north. And construction, as we pointed out earlier, is not limited to housing as seen in the addition of buildings in the new city center. Further south, the Presbyterian hospital is taking shape near Cabezon. Not to be forgotten are the schools that have been built to meet the growing student population, the churches, and the shopping center, new construction that keep changing the city skyline and filling out the vision.
People relocating to the City of Vision in New Mexico have many choices in buying a home. They may choose new or resale, (none older then 35-40 years) custom or production built, and in a variety of neighborhoods. Choices are increasing in Rio Rancho, not only in residence but with the addition of commercial spaces, also in jobs and services as the city continues to fill out its vision.
(This post was first written in 2008 and revised October 18, 2010. So much has changed in two short years!)
(This post was first written in 2008 and revised October 18, 2010. So much has changed in two short years!)
Eloise Gift
Gift Realty NM
Gift Realty NM
1 comment:
I lived in Rio Rancho, NM for about 16 years, and let me tell you, there is no other place like it. Even though I currently live in Kentucky at the moment and have been for the past 5 years, theres not a day that goes by that I don't miss Rio Rancho. It is truly a "city of vision" as well as a "land of enchantment" all its own. It offers so much and continues to offer even more the more it grows. Although its growing to become a bigger city than it was when I first moved there back in 1986, it still gives you that small town feeling. You have everything you need out there. Restaurants, motels, department stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, goodwill industries, a library, an aqautic center, high school, middle school, elementary school, auto part stores, pet shops, motor vehicle division, and plenty of jobs to find work at. I miss Rio Rancho so much and hopefully one day I will be moving back there again. I know it's the desert out there, and rain doesn't fall as often as I'd like, but when it does......MAN!! It brings with it not only the aroma of the rain itself, but also the smell of the sage that grows so abundantly in the desert. I love the monsoon season during the summer. I miss the "new mexican food" not just mexican food cause you can get mexican food in all 49 states, but New Mexican food can only be in New Mexico. Red and green chile every season WOW! I know I rambled alot here but I do miss Rio Rancho, NM and its a place that I will forever hold in my heart. In fact my truck has a license plate that says RIO RANCHO, NM CITY OF VISION on it and I will never part with that license plate. RIO RANCHO!!! KEEP THE MAGIC AND YOUR SPELLS FLOWING CAUSE THEY SURE GOT ME UNDER YOUR INFLUENCE!
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