County extends site plan for 535 Central mixed-use redevelopment project

Does the one-year extension keep a meaningful downtown mixed-use project alive, or does it simply buy more time for a high-profile Central Avenue parcel that has yet to break ground? Los Alamos County’s Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved the extra year at its April 8 meeting, keeping Columbus Capital’s 535 Central Avenue site plan active without forcing the developer to restart the entitlement process from scratch.

The underlying plan was first approved on April 26, 2023, and it remains one of the most ambitious downtown redevelopment proposals in Los Alamos. Columbus Capital’s project calls for 322 residential units and 22,000 square feet of commercial space on a 104,671-square-foot mixed-use development footprint in the Downtown Los Alamos zone district. The property sits in the middle of a broader downtown conversation that has centered on housing supply, walkability and whether Central Avenue can support more daily activity beyond office-hours traffic.

The extension matters because county planning materials have repeatedly pushed higher-density housing and mixed-use development in town centers, including Los Alamos and White Rock. County redevelopment documents for East Downtown Los Alamos describe an area shaped by underinvestment, a commuter-heavy labor market tied to Los Alamos National Laboratory, a housing shortage and long-running streetscape and infrastructure problems. A project of this size could add residents within walking distance of downtown businesses, but it would also affect parking demand, traffic flow, utilities and the pace of construction for adjacent property owners.

Columbus Capital has described the Mari-Mac site as an 8-acre downtown property that once held a 1970s shopping center. The company said Phase I had already received the necessary approvals and would include 233 apartments, 130 hotel rooms and suites, and 18,000 square feet of retail space. The broader project has evolved over time as the firm assembled property in downtown Los Alamos, completing its Mari-Mac purchase in May 2023 and later finalizing acquisition of the former Smith’s building and nearby parcels in October 2024.

The April 8 hearing was publicly noticed and open to the public, with both in-person and Zoom participation. That made the decision a standard land-use action, but one with real consequences for the next 12 months: if Columbus Capital moves forward, 535 Central could add housing and storefront activity to the core of town; if it does not, downtown will again be left waiting on one of its most closely watched redevelopment sites.