Historians believe the word Tucumcari is derived from the Comanche word "tukanukaru," which means to lie in wait for something. Students from the School of Architecture and Planning's graduate community outreach studio spent the semester developing ideas for ways to improve the liveability and economic viability of the town. They presented their plans to the community in a third and final session recently.
With a pending $70,000 planning grant from the state, Tucumcari won’t have to wait much longer to realize needed change.
The students looked at the historic Main Street area to increase the vitality as well as to establish connections within the area and to the rest of the city. “We looked at ways to renew and strengthen Tucumcari’s special plDavid Brookshire, such as the Sands Dorsey Building and the Depot,” said Michael Furze, graduate student in community and regional planning.
In looking at the old train depot site, an architecture and landscape architecture student team suggested the possibility of a bandstand, amphitheater and skatepark. A suggestion for the Sands Dorsey Building included a sculpture garden to capture and capitalize on the growing arts community in the town.
Downtown revitalization ideas, such as those proposed by architecture student Michael Lee, focused on developing street facades to feature a “street wall” that creates a sight and unity along the road. The students saw a need to realign streets, widen sidewalks and establish parallel parking to handle vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The courthouse received a critical look, in response to requests from civic leaders. Designs included adding administrative space, landscaping and developing a city/county building and courthouse district.
Critical to bringing revenue into the town is to draw traffic from I-40. Landscape architecture student Edwar Calderón said, “Tucumcari doesn’t have an identity to people traveling the interstate. One idea is to create an urban gallery. Take the dinosaur sculptures to the street to complement the museum. Expand upon that to showcase other work from the broader arts community.”
Anderson School of Management student Briar Sangiuliano, a collaborator on the project, suggested that Tucumcari promote green strategies. “The use of green logos to celebrate festivals and other events is a way to expand the notion of ‘Tucumcari Tonite’ into ‘Tucumcari Tonite…and Tomorrow.’”
Community members were disappointed that attendance at the session wasn’t higher, but they aren’t discouraged. Resident Connie Falls said, “We love this town and want it to come back to life. It’s been on life support too long.”
Charlie Deans, New Mexico MainStreet coordinator with the School of
Architecture and Planning’s Design Planning Assistance Center, said, “This lays the foundation to develop a request for proposals and then move forward to request capital outlay funding to make some of these suggestions a reality.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; email: cgonzal@unm.edu