Las Cruces Downtown Master Plan

The City of Las Cruces hired SITES to develop a vision and planning strategy for revitalizing its downtown. A central focus of this effort was the reopening of Main Street to restore it as a major north–south arterial that would bring energy, activity, and thousands of daily travelers back into the heart of the city. The broader redevelopment strategy called for a new civic plaza and government buildings, stronger support for specialty retail and service providers, and a renewed emphasis on downtown as a center for arts and culture.

SITES served as the lead consultant for the plan’s catalyst project, the Main Street Plaza. The plaza is designed as a flexible, curbless street with shade structures, lit bollards, and special paving. It can be closed to vehicles for festivals, performances, markets, and other community events. During the design process, computer generated visual simulations helped residents and decision makers picture how a more active and welcoming downtown could look and feel.

SITES also designed distinctive landscape improvements for two key civic buildings in the district: Las Cruces City Hall and the Las Cruces Federal Courthouse. Together, these projects support a long-term vision for a lively, connected, and people-focused downtown.