Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is The Boyer Company?
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah The Boyer Company has been in business for over thirty years and has developed more square feet of mixed use centers than any other developer in the west. Boyer has successfully built centers that incorporate retail, office and residential into communities that provide spaces to live, work, shop and play.
- Will Taxpayer money be used to fund the project?
No Taxpayer money will be used to build The Trinity Place. The project will provide increased sales tax revenue as well as property tax revenue to the county. The goal of the re-development of Trinity is to make better use of school and county owned land, to provide new, safe and more efficient buildings and to increase revenues coming into the county and school district.
- Since Boyer submitted the first site plan, subsequent site plans have changed, some times drastically. Why?
When the initial site plan was created, it was Boyer’s intent to provide space for a retail anchor, and approximately 65,000 square feet of retail shop space as well as, office and loft space all with a minimum amount of surface parking. The plan required numerous underground parking spaces. Construction costs have seen staggering increases over the past 18 months and the cost to put the majority of parking underground was not feasible. Since then, Boyer has been working to create a site plan that would provide an adequate and feasible balance of surface and underground parking. While each draft of the site plan had advantages and disadvantages, we think the most recent plan achieves the requirements of the County, retailers and office/residential development.
- What stores will be included in The Trinity Place?
The Boyer Company has relationships with and has located hundreds of retail tenants into Boyer projects. The first priority will be to sign a reputable anchor tenant that will have the drawing power and carry the products that will help reduce trips off of the hill (thus increasing tax revenue to the county). While Target is a desired retail anchor both from a shopper and developer perspective, they require 100,000 people to live in the trade area. We will continue to work with them as well as Wal-Mart and Smith’s Market Place (120,000 to 140,000 square feet).
Many other stores have expressed interest and we will announce them as we execute letters of intent. The types of stores targeted include: Books, pharmacy, office supply, clothing, health food, shoes, sporting goods, music, electronics and home goods.
- Will the project include public transportation?
The Trinity Place will be planned to take advantage of public bus service by bringing the service into the project, down to the canyon and out on the east end. We will also work with other potential public transportation to help bring people to the project while using a minimum amount of parking.
- How will The Trinity Place affect the rest of down town Los Alamos?
Down town Los Alamos has suffered a continuing loss of retail space as new large stores have been constructed in Espanola, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. It has reached the point where basic needs and services cannot be met in Los Alamos. Tens of millions of local sales dollars leave the county each year to the detriment of Los Alamos and to the benefit of Rio Ariba and Santa Fe Counties. It is essential to the life blood of the county to reduce the sales that leave Los Alamos. The only way this will happen is if a retail anchor store that provides desired goods and services locates in Los Alamos. When this is achieved, shoppers will have the opportunity to shop on the hill thus increasing the ability of other retailers to locate in Los Alamos not only in The Trinity Place but in other down town buildings. The Trinity Place is the first step toward the revitalization of down town.
- Will the project be LEED certified?
It has always been a requirement of the county that the project be designed using a LEED certified architect.
- Can the public make comments on the proposed project?
The public is welcomed and encouraged to make comments by going to the web site www.thetrinityplace.com, or by calling 1-888-mytrinity (1-888-698-7464) and leaving your comment or question. You will receive a return call to answer your question
- How much parking will be included in the project?
The Trinity Place will have more than 850 parking stalls. Many of which will be located under ground. Parking is essential to any project that is not located in a densely populated urban area. The key to providing a good mixed-use project is to provide the necessary parking to enable the retail/office tenants to be successful but to locate the parking underground, behind buildings or in an area that is surrounded by buildings to help hide the parking.
- Will the project be “Pedestrian Friendly”?
The project is designed with pedestrian paths that run through the project from Trinity Drive, between the buildings and down to the Plaza Boardwalk and to the Canyon Trail. In addition, a walking path will be placed at the intersection of Knecht and Trinity that will run the length of the project along the canyon and up to DP road. Landscaping will be generously placed and interspersed with benches and public areas.
- Will there by any cultural or entertainment attractions built into The Trinity Place?
There will be an entertainment component to the project to help provide activities for the young and young at heart. The project is designed to provide space for live entertainment, Farmers Markets and other public and cultural gatherings.
- What type of residential units will be built in the project and will they be for lease or sale?
A mix of Rental, Condominiums, and Townhomes, will be built on the property known as A-8. 30% of the units will be affordable. These units will most likely be offered for sale but there may be some rental units. Condominium units will be built between the retail on the north and the canyon on the south. These units will look over the canyon and will be for sale.
- We have been talking about and planning for the redevelopment of the Trinity site for years. Is now the right time and is The Trinity Place the right project?
The Trinity site continues to deteriorate and become more of an eyesore every day. The buildings are becoming more costly to maintain and the down town does not have the right mix of tenants to keep shopping dollars on the hill. It is time to do something that will provide needed goods and services in Los Alamos as well as plan for the future of down town. The Trinity Place will help attract retail tenants to Los Alamos and be the first step in transforming the down town for the better. The Trinity Place provides the income necessary to relocate the existing County/School facilities, adds additional Gross Receipts Tax Revenue and Property Tax Revenue to county coffers and removes the blight of the existing buildings and replaces it with new modern mixed use buildings that will make the community proud.
- Why will people shop in Los Alamos at The Trinity Place if they don’t shop in Los Alamos now?
The key to getting people to shop in Los Alamos is in providing stores that carry the needed goods and services people want. It is essential to attract a retail anchor store such as Target, Smith’s Market Place or Wal-Mart. Once the retail anchor store is planned, other retail stores will follow creating a synergy that will help reduce shopping trips off the hill.
- Do we need more housing in Los Alamos?
There are many people who commute into Los Alamos to work each day. Many of these commuters would choose to live in Los Alamos if there were more housing choices. There are others who can’t afford to live in Los Alamos. Providing affordable housing will enable more people to live in Los Alamos thus providing a larger work force base and allowing some commuters the opportunity to live closer to work.