West Mesa retail hub restarts after years of neighborhood opposition

Crews have started removing volcanic rock and laying groundwork for underground utilities at The Glyphs at Volcano Mesa, the long-delayed retail hub planned near Paseo and Kimmick between Unser Boulevard and Golf Course Boulevard. The work marks the first visible construction on a project planned as a 65,000-square-foot mixed-use center with shopping, services and neighborhood uses for West Mesa residents.

The original concept, unveiled in April 2024, called for medical offices, a small grocer, retail, small local commercial space and an early childhood learning center. Modulus Architects and Land Use Planning wanted to keep the project low-profile, preserve views and limit every building to one story. Angela Piarowski, the company’s chief executive, pointed to persistent resistance from the Westside Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, which has appealed nearly every application tied to the project.

That fight slowed the development long enough for the original anchor boutique grocery tenant to back out, leaving the developers still looking for a replacement. By June 17, the project was already about two years behind schedule, and national brands were beginning to show interest in the site. Even with that renewed attention, no completion date has been set, and the tenant mix that will replace the grocery store remains unsettled.

The project cleared a hurdle in April 2025, when Albuquerque City Council voted 8-1 to let it proceed after the city’s Land Use Hearing Officer found the coalition’s appeal was filed too late.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Walt Benson backed $2.8 million in capital outlay funding on March 6, 2024, for Paseo del Norte and Unser road improvements, and the City of Albuquerque has outlined wider infrastructure work in the area, including lane expansions, drainage and pedestrian and bike trail upgrades. The larger Paseo/Unser land assembly could take several years and might require eminent domain.