Historic Downtown, the HeART of Farmington is on a verge of a huge infrastructure and place making project that will begin construction in early 2020.
We will be replacing our aging infrastructure in the downtown area and recreating the look of the streetscape.
At the same time one of our largest employers, San Juan Generating Station, might be closing and 1600 people could lose their jobs. Needless to say, Farmington desperately needs a win. We have taken some hits nationally with undeserved bad press and we're fairly worried, but many of us have a vision for a better future. We are reinventing ourselves as an Outdoor Recreation Mecca with the tag line, "Natures Playground, Natures Proving Ground," and we have a tremendous river trail system.
Within an hour or less we have every outdoor recreation activity except saltwater sports. The Bisti Badlands, minutes from town, were named by National Geographic as one of the top 10 destinations to have on your bucket list.
Downtown Farmington is full of wonderful people and businesses of every type. We have galleries, artists, coffee shops, restaurants, a quilt store, a comic book store, antique stores, and much more. Our Main Street Project was recently designated a Start-Up Arts & Cultural District by the State. We have several possible projects, but the one we think would make the most powerful impact would be new artistic way finding signage that would direct visitors not only to amenities like free parking and civic buildings but to individual businesses and other locations within the downtown. This would include kiosks at public parking lots that include maps and other information about downtown as well as ways for the visitors to create art. Vote for Farmington, NM!