A buyer walking Don Gaspar Avenue this fall will pass the place where four casitas stood across from the Roundhouse. They will probably want to know how soon something gets built there.
The most widely reported answer is already out of date. In April 2026, the General Services Department told the Santa Fe Reporter that design would be finished by October and that the state would "begin asking for bids for construction at the end of 2026." The state's August 2026 report to legislators says something else. As of June 2026, the Executive Office Building "is currently in schematic design and the construction will be put out to bid in early 2027."
So the lot is clear and the building is still a drawing. For anyone considering a home on the north edge of South Capitol, the construction period that will shape these blocks hasn't started, and no one has published a start date.
The Schedule Moved After the Bulldozers Did
Work on the casitas began on a Wednesday in April, and by Friday most of them were rubble. The paperwork for the building itself has slipped.
| When | Source | What it said about timing |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | General Services Department, quoted in the Santa Fe Reporter | Design complete by October; construction bids sought at the end of 2026 |
| August 2026 report, status as of June 2026 | Legislative Finance Committee capital outlay quarterly report | Still in schematic design; construction to be bid in early 2027 |
As of today, we haven't found any published record that design is finished, that a bid has gone out, or that anyone has set a construction start or opening date. A bid in early 2027 is the earliest point at which a contractor and a construction calendar could exist. The months after that, with excavation, three underground parking levels, and three floors above ground, are still ahead of the neighborhood.
The money behind the project leaves room for further changes. Coverage of the project cites $95 million approved by state lawmakers. The legislative report breaks out appropriations of $15 million and $70 million against the project. Those figures are appropriations, not a final construction cost. In December 2025, the Santa Fe Reporter reported earlier estimates of $184 million to $200 million. Until bids come in, nobody can say what the project costs.
What the Drawings Already Commit To
The schedule is open, but the shape of the building is fairly well defined. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the site runs between South Capitol Street and Don Gaspar Avenue. The design shown publicly in December 2025 calls for:
- 163,000 square feet, down from an earlier 200,000
- Three floors above ground and three levels of underground parking
- A 545-space garage
- Room for 531 occupants
- A public plaza on the north side and a courtyard for building tenants on the south side
- Territorial Revival styling meant to resemble the Bataan Memorial Building and the Roundhouse
- A height slightly lower than the surrounding buildings
Ted Grumblatt of FBT Architects, who is working with the state on the design, described the goal: "Our goal is to achieve harmony with the other buildings in the same area."
The garage explains why the casitas came down. The New Mexican reported that the 545-space underground garage was contingent on demolishing the casitas on Don Gaspar. Jennifer Jenkins of JenkinsGavin, the local firm representing the General Services Department, explained why the state brought a full design to the board instead of another concept:
"We heard from city staff, as well as from the board … that there was a preference for considering demolition in the context of a final design, not in the context of a concept."
The garage size got pushback. At the December meeting, a local architect suggested cutting the parking in half and relying on carpooling and other alternatives. The city was moving in a similar direction at the time. On November 19, 2025, the City Council unanimously adopted the first phase of its land use code update, which removed minimum parking requirements in the Business Capital District. Accessible parking is still required there, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. The state's design still plans nearly one garage space per occupant.
The Tenant List Has Kept Changing
The building is easier to picture once you know who will work there. Reports have given different answers on that.
- April 2026, Santa Fe Reporter: Secretary of State, State Engineer, State Auditor, and General Services Department
- December 2025 design presentation, Santa Fe New Mexican: Department of Finance and Administration, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, and Higher Education Department
- April 2026, Albuquerque Journal: the same five agencies, plus the Lieutenant Governor
The more recent design-stage lists don't include the State Engineer or General Services. One reason given for the project has stayed the same. Jenkins said it would relieve overcrowding in current state buildings and move elected officials whose agencies now work out of leased space. At a December hearing, Deputy Secretary of State Sharon Pino said her office in the North Capitol building had run out of room, and that "there is absolutely no other space downtown that will accommodate our office at this time."
That pressure helps explain how the project moved forward after years of delay. It doesn't settle which offices will occupy the building or how many people will arrive each weekday.
How the Casitas Went From Protected to Approved
The state's stated need for space never changed, but the casitas' protection did. According to the Santa Fe Reporter, the state first proposed a $22 million building near the Capitol nearly 20 years ago. When it announced plans in 2012, a ruling from the state's Historic District Board protected three of the houses and a garage. The proposal then sat for seven years and came back in the state's 2021 master plan.
The process that followed shows how city review and state projects interact:
- The board approved demolishing the Concha Ortiz y Pino building, a motor pool, and a garage, but not the four casitas.
- In June 2024, a joint State-Local Government Historic Review Board was convened to decide the casitas' fate. The state withdrew at the last minute and took the proposal back to design.
- The New Mexican reported that if the city board denied demolition again, a State-Local Government Review Board could be convened again.
- On December 9, 2025, with the full design in hand, the city board voted 3-2 to approve demolishing the casitas, reversing its earlier position.
The casitas were built around 1930 as part of the Barrio de Analco neighborhood. Edward Archuleta, chairman of the Old Santa Fe Association, said the group was "very disappointed to lose another part of our town's history." He also acknowledged that the houses were not historically or architecturally significant, and described them as "excellent examples of Pueblo-Spanish revival design." In the Albuquerque Journal's account, he also raised concerns about parking and congestion around the Roundhouse.
The state's plans also include a lobby exhibit about the razed buildings. A General Services Department architect said it could focus on the history or development of the South Capitol neighborhood and would be developed through a public process with an exhibit design committee.
The Parking Rules Already on These Streets
The new garage is planned. The city's parking rules on nearby streets are already in effect. Under the City of Santa Fe's residential parking permit program, District 7 covers Don Gaspar Avenue, East and West Santa Fe Avenues, Galisteo, Webber Street, and Winische Way. District 7 permits renew in March for April.
Residents on these streets who park on the street need an annual permit. Permits are free with an application, proof of residency such as a lease or utility bill, and current vehicle registration. The city won't issue one to a vehicle with outstanding citations, and it offers an online tool to check whether an address qualifies. For a buyer, that address check is a small task worth doing before closing. It takes a few minutes and tells you whether the house is on a permit street.
The Legislature's visitor page lists free weekday parking at 420 Galisteo Street. We haven't found current reporting that measures how the legislative session affects South Capitol's residential streets. We also don't know what the new garage will do to weekday parking until the building has tenants.
For buyers comparing this neighborhood with others, our earlier piece on the density bonus behind the Axton Apartments on Camino de los Marquez looks at a different South Capitol project where the city's process explained more than the headlines did.
A Few Questions Buyers Ask
Has construction started on the Don Gaspar site? Demolition of the casitas happened in April 2026. As of the state's August 2026 report, the building was in schematic design, with construction bids planned for early 2027.
How tall will the building be? The December 2025 design showed three floors above ground, slightly lower than surrounding buildings, with three levels of parking below.
Where can I follow the project? The Legislative Finance Committee publishes capital outlay quarterly reports that track the Executive Office Building's phase and status. Local coverage in the Santa Fe Reporter and Santa Fe New Mexican has followed each review hearing.
If you're considering a home near the Roundhouse and want to know where the Don Gaspar project stands on a particular block, Reagan Nickelson & Mary Guzman can walk the street with you and share what we've learned from following it. You can also start with our buyer's guide, and contact us when you're ready to talk about a specific address.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
