The City of Belen recognizes downtown and its Main Street district as the “Heart of Belen.” In its Comprehensive Plan and a number of special studies, the city acknowledges the importance of creating and sustaining a healthy mix of downtown commercial, cultural and government activity as essential to its overall economic well-being.

As a result, city leaders have invested in downtown capital improvements and adopted special zoning tailored to downtown needs. Even so, a large number of vacant and underutilized properties still exist. New business formation has also lagged in recent years.

Sites Southwest’s Downtown Master Plan/MRA Plan seeks to address these ongoing challenges by helping define the community’s vision for the city’s downtown core. The plan identifies priority strategies and catalyst projects that can spearhead downtown revitalization to achieve the community’s vision.