Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation (LACDC) announced Wednesday that it is relocating the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, MainStreet and Creative District offices effective Jan. 1, 2019. The new office suite that will house all programs will be located in the Small Business Center at 190 Central Park Square, adjacent to offices occupied by Navarro Research and Engineering Inc.
The move will allow for the consolidation of most LACDC entities into a single building and will promote further collaboration between the many economic development programs LACDC runs.
Additionally, the Los Alamos Visitor Center (LAVC) will be relocated to the current NMSU Cooperative Extension office in the Community Building located at 475 20th Street, Suite A, adjacent to the Los Alamos Teen Center. The Los Alamos County Tourism Strategic Plan, accepted by County Council in February 2018, recommended that the Los Alamos Visitor Center be relocated.
The Council-appointed Tourism Implementation Task Force performed a trade-off analysis in order to provide Council with a recommendation for an alternate location for the Los Alamos Visitor Center. County staff reviewed all five final locations recommended by the Task Force for on-going costs (lease and operational) and one-time costs (relocation, build-outs, etc.). It was determined that by moving the LAVC to a County-owned facility, costs would be decreased by eliminating the leasing cost.
Due to several other County service providers being moved to accommodate this relocation, it is anticipated that there will be a short lapse in operation of the LAVC that will not extend beyond March 1, 2019. The White Rock Visitor Center will continue to operate during this time.
The new LACDC space will feature a large common area with room for small meetings as well as private offices. Businesses and organizations seeking use of a conference room through the Chamber of Commerce will still have access to a space within the Small Business Center. The phone numbers for the respective program contacts will remain the same.
The Los Alamos and White Rock business community is invited to attend an open house and ribbon cutting of the new space on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 4-7 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided by Pajarito Brewpub and Grill.