ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque is moving to sell a dog park they say isn’t getting enough use because the money from the sale could be put to better use. City officials are looking to sell the Coronado Dog Park between Second and Third streets near I-40.
The Parks and Recreation Department is requesting that the Albuquerque City Council declare the park “not essential” for governmental purposes and therefore be sold. A February appraisal valued the 1.79-acre lot at just over a million dollars.
Dog owners who use the park say they are shocked by the news. “It’s nice, it’s clean. It’s not dirty, and you’d think there would be foil or needles or something for it where the homeless lived,” said Annamaria Zarquin….”In this area, it’s sidewalks. So this is where she gets her feet.” Come down, this is where his paw rests.”
If the City Council approves the sale, the city says it wants to use the money to build a new dog park in Wells Park, just a few blocks from Coronado Park. City officials say the new proposed dog park location is closer to home than the industrial part of town where the dog park is now located. They are hopeful the new dog park will be used more.
