Fire damages planned dispensary

A fire early Thursday morning severely damaged what would have become Tucumcari's first medical-marijuana dispensary and forced the one-day closure of a nearby restaurant on Route 66.

The blaze at 713 E. Route 66 Blvd., also known as Tucumcari Boulevard, initially was reported about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Fire departments from all over Quay County were called in to bring the fire under control.

A news release Monday afternoon from Tucumcari Fire Chief Doug Hogan stated the blaze "is considered suspicious in nature" and that residents should call (575) 461-4400 if they have more information about it. He stated it took about 2 1/2 hours to bring the fire under control.

Hours after the fire, the smell of smoke could be easily be detected amid snow flurries that swirled around the gutted structure. The building's roof had collapsed.

The building once housed Jerry's Package Liquor and Outlaw Tattoo. Spartan Ventures of Albuquerque, which owns the building, leased it to Albuquerque-based PurLife that has opened medical-marijuana dispensaries in several cities in New Mexico.

Darren White of Albuquerque, who was leasing the building with Ryan Gomez for PurLife, said by phone Thursday afternoon he was "saddened and disappointed" about the fire. He said he liked the building's location and its Route 66 history.

White said they had been renovating the structure over the last few months and had planned to open the dispensary by February or March 2020.

If the structure cannot be rebuilt, White said PurLife would look for another location in Tucumcari.

"We really would like to be there," he said. "We felt the property was a really good fit."

White said PurLife has opened medical-cannabis dispensaries in what it deemed as "underserved" areas of New Mexico, including Farmington, Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. He said the company was looking at opening sites in Alamogordo, Clovis and Portales.

Medical marijuana has been legal in New Mexico since 2007.

Trevor Reed, one of the principals of Spartan Ventures along with Mark Thompson, said by phone Thursday he wasn't sure what he would do with the damaged building until after he met with insurance adjusters.

They had purchased the property in late 2017, he said, and estimated PurLife had leased the building for about 18 months.

The fire forced the temporary closing Thursday of the neighboring Cornerstone First Edition. The restaurant's owner, Todd Duplantis, said damage from the fire was "not too bad," and it reopened Friday.

"Smoke got into the restaurant, but early this morning, we got our exhaust fans going as well as some industrial fans, and it helped a lot," he stated in a text Thursday afternoon.

Duplantis, also a city commissioner and mayor pro tem, during the commission's regular meeting Thursday thanked the efforts of first responders to save his restaurant and an outpouring of concern and support from residents.

"It's a humbling experience," he said.