West Side retail project moves forward despite years of delays

Groundwork was underway near Paseo del Norte and Unser Boulevard for the Glyphs at Volcano Mesa, a West Side retail project that has been stalled for years by neighborhood opposition and legal fights. The restart puts a visible sign of progress in one of Albuquerque’s busiest growth corridors, but it still leaves open when tenants will move in and whether the project will deliver the neighborhood access residents have been waiting for.

Nearby neighborhood associations have challenged the project, and those disputes have already raised questions for possible tenants. KRQE said the proposed retail hub in Albuquerque’s West Mesa had faced setbacks from neighbor opposition and that the developer was restarting the project after years of delays. On the West Side, where housing growth has outpaced some basic retail and road access, that long timeline has become part of the story around the project itself.

The retail push is unfolding alongside a much larger transportation buildout. The City of Albuquerque broke ground on a $62 million Paseo-Unser expansion that city leaders said was meant to provide relief to thousands of drivers. Construction is set to widen Unser Boulevard from Paradise Boulevard to just beyond Paseo del Norte and widen Paseo del Norte from Calle de Nortena to just past Unser, with future phases extending farther west and south toward Rainbow.

That road work matters because traffic bottlenecks have shaped the daily experience of the corridor for years, especially around Paseo del Norte and Unser. KOB also reported that retail development along Unser has been booming, underscoring how much pressure the area faces as homes, stores and major road projects keep stacking up in the same part of Bernalillo County.

City planners also approved design plans in 2024 for a separate West Side development at Paseo del Norte and Kimmick Drive, though construction there initially stayed on hold because of concerns from nearby residents. Together, those projects show how closely the West Side’s next phase depends on roads, retail and neighborhood trust advancing at the same time. The Glyphs at Volcano Mesa may now be moving again, but the delays and disputes that slowed it down are still shaping what comes next.