Moya: Senator wants more funds for Princess Theatre

Now that Tucumcari's long-closed Princess Theatre will receive $250,000 in state capital outlay funds, Mayor Ralph Moya said during a meeting Thursday of the theater's board that a state senator indicated he could land $500,000 or more in additional funds next year.

Moya said state Sen. Pete Campos (D-Las Vegas) was "instrumental" in getting this year's capital outlay money from the New Mexico Legislature to the theater and indicated he could bring in "$500,000 or more" during the 2024 session.

"He thinks the theatre would bring a lot to downtown," Moya said, noting Campos played a role in helping revive historic theaters in Santa Rosa, Raton and Clayton.

Save for a couple of roof replacements, Moya said this is the first time since the 1980s the Princess Theatre has seen significant movement for its possible restoration.

A structural assessment of the theater by an engineer likely will use up all the $250,000 in capital outlay money. Bids for the assessment likely will be requested after the city, which owns the Princess, receives the state funds after the current fiscal year ends in June.

After the assessment, Moya said the board and city will have a better sense of the next steps needed to make repairs.

Moya said city manager Paula Chacon had received assurances that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would not veto any City of Tucumcari projects in the capital outlay bill.

On Friday, the governor signed the bill and left local projects alone. It contains about $1.84 million in projects for varying projects in Quay County. That includes $350,000 for the city to buy a sanitation truck, $319,000 for street improvements and $300,000 to buy and equip city police vehicles.

Other area projects include improvements to the San Jon Community Center, renovating a concession stand at the Quay County Fairgrounds, upgrades to the Logan Civic Center and new radio and computer equipment for the dispatch center.

The Princess originally was built by Arch Hurley and partner Gene Hawkins as the H-H Theatre in 1917, and it was renamed the Princess Theatre a few years later.

The theater closed in 1962 after a fire and never reopened.

The board's next meeting will be 1 p.m. May 4 at city hall.

Other Princess Theatre items discussed during the meeting:

- Annie McCauley urged compiling a list of frequently asked questions and answers so residents have a better understanding on how the project is funded. Those FAQs then would be posted on social media or a Princess Theatre website.

Some residents want funds to be used for pothole repairs or new fire hydrants. Capital outlay monies, however, are earmarked to a specific project and cannot be reallocated to a different fund or purpose.

"When it comes to the Princess Theatre, it's different funding," Moya summarized.

- Scott Crotzer, director of the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, said a previous attempt to have the Princess Theatre listed on the National Register of Historical Places was rejected .

Crotzer, however, said the theater's association with Arch Hurley probably would be a better approach for the designation.

"I think Arch Hurley is the key point of (historical) significance," he said.

In addition to building the Princess Theatre, Hurley built the still-operating Odeon Theatre and was instrumental in the creation of Conchas Dam northeast of town. The region's irrigation system is named after him.

- Moya said he may have found a source for replacing missing black tile from the theater's exterior. He said a volunteer has offered to affix the tile if the city can cover the cost of materials.

- Tucumcari MainStreet director Connie Loveland said she acquired a mannequin from the Tucumcari Historical Museum. That and other memorabilia would be placed in the Princess Theatre's ticket booth.