City hires director for midtown campus redevelopment

Nov. 2—The city of Santa Fe has hired a professional planner to serve as a director of the midtown campus redevelopment project.

Karen Iverson, who is certified with the American Institute of Certified Planners, will work in the community development department as the Midtown Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency director, the city said in a news release issued Thursday.

"Karen brings a wealth of experience in the creation and management of regional metropolitan development areas that will set us up for success as we shape our parcel for the future in the center of the city," Community Development Director Rich Brown said in a statement. "I'm excited to work with her."

Iverson will be responsible for overseeing the city's goals for the campus, which include the development of a visual arts center, a film studio and a performing arts center. The hub is also expected to include more than 1,000 residential units and other amenities.

The news release said Iverson's work will include "an emphasis throughout the process on public engagement."

Iverson said in a statement she is "honored to be a part of the Midtown team."

A graduate of the University of New Mexico and Portland State University with more than 20 years of experience in real estate development and planning, Iverson previously launched the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency in her hometown of Albuquerque.

She also was executive director of the Regional Housing Alliance in Durango, Colo., for four years, when the organization created a "200-unit affordable housing pipeline and moved more than 275 families into homeownership," the news release states.

The visual arts center at the midtown campus will be managed by the Midtown Arts and Design Alliance, which includes the Santa Fe Art Institute and a coalition of other partners.

The studio, which has been dubbed Aspect Studios, is a merger of Garson Studios and the Midtown Santa Fe Production Studio. A developer for the performing arts center has yet to be named by the city.