by Svetlana Ozden
news@dailylobo.com
Pending the approval of the full Board of Regents, the University will spend about $3.1 million on the purchase of three new properties.
At a Thursday Regents Finance and Facilities Committee meeting, committee members unanimously approved the purchase of about 4.3 acres of property.
5400 Central Ave. S.E.
At the meeting, the committee unanimously approved the purchase of the 1.6 acre vacant commercial site for $1.12 million. If purchased, the property will be used as a clinic site for the UNMH Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program, which provides substance abuse and mental health assessment and treatment.
CEO of the Health Sciences System Steve McKernan said the program is currently located in an old warehouse by the Albuquerque International Sunport, but that the area is inaccessible to many patients. He said accessibility is important because most patients in the program need treatment daily in order to maintain a productive life.
“If someone is opiate addicted and on methadone, they need a daily dosage of the methadone,” he said. “Many of our patients who have addiction conditions need physical assessment and treatment but cannot get to our facilities.”
McKernan said the new location would be more accessible to patients because a ABQ RIDE Red Line bus stop is located near the site. He said although the new property will cause the University to lose money, the program provides treatment for more than 400 patients who are part of the community.
“From a mission perspective, we cannot envision the UNM Health System being without a substantial substance-abuse program,” he said. “If you don’t treat these patients up front, they’ll end up as patients in our emergency room and cause all kinds of problems. We provide treatment service to them so they come and get their medication and go off to work every day.”
Regent Don Chalmers said the University should be commended for investing in the program.
“The University has a mission of community service and, as we build, the University needs to be given credit for investing significant dollars in this program for community service,” he said. “That’s exactly what this is.”
The Health Sciences Center UNMH Capital Initiative Fund will pay for the purchase of this property.
2130 Eubank Blvd. N.E.
The committee unanimously approved the purchase of a 2.5 acre property on Eubank Boulevard for a little less than $1.7 million. The property, a former administrative building and branch for Charter Bank, will be converted into a community-based health care clinic.
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Associate Director of Real Estate Thomas Neale said the property was listed at $3.1 million, reduced to $2.5 million, and then the Real Estate Department negotiated the contract price at $1.653 million.
Chalmers said the University should work to replace the money used for the purchase in order to ensure that funds are available for future hospitals and building additions.
The Health Sciences Center UNMH Capital Initiative Fund will pay for the purchase of this property.
923 Vassar Dr. N.E.
The committee unanimously approved the purchase of a single-family residence located on the west side of Vassar Drive, north of Lomas Boulevard and south of Marble Avenue. The residence is about 2,200 sq. ft., but the entire area is about 7,000 sq. ft and is under contract at $320,000.
Neale said the property is the only location that the University doesn’t own on the west side of Vassar Drive in the area. He said the University owns all the lots north of the Indian Health Center until Marble Avenue, and that purchasing the residence would allow the University to own the entire area, which could be used for different buildings in the future.
“From a strategic standpoint, it’s a great location,” he said. “It solves the doughnut-hole issue in this area.”
Neale said the residence was recently renovated and in “above-average” condition and will be used to relocate the School of Medicine Development Office.
The Health Sciences Center Chancellor’s Capital Initiative Fund will pay for the purchase of this property.
