Nov. 15 -- The owner of the popular Sawmill Market in Albuquerque has revealed ambitious plans to open a bustling, modern food hall with more than a dozen vendors on the first floor of a downtown Santa Fe building.
Albuquerque real estate giant Jim Long, the CEO of Heritage Real Estate Co., said the 18,500-square-foot interior of the planned food hall would offer a "stimulating" atmosphere, a diverse range of food options and a cocktail bar in a historic bank vault. Early renderings showcase Northern New Mexico design flourishes planned for 150 Washington Ave., where the food hall would be located.
"This will be the first of its kind in Santa Fe, and it will be an important and large attraction for Santa Fe, particularly amongst the younger generations," said Long. "And I think Santa Fe does need these kind of venues to attract a younger visitor."
Long hopes to open the food hall in February of 2026. It would have approximately 18 vendors representing varied styles of cuisine, from burgers, pizza and pasta to international food. With significant outdoor patio seating space, a bakery and tap room are also planned to be in the mix.
If you're unfamiliar, a food hall, or food market, can be characterized as a cafeteria-style area that features local vendors with shared spaces for patrons. Prominent examples that draw big waves of tourists each year are Pike Place Market in Seattle and Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace. There is currently one in Santa Fe -- CHOMP, on Cerrillos Road, which features six food vendors, a bar and an event space known as The Loft.
The urban market model appears to be one that Long favors: Sawmill Market has become a trendy hub in Albuquerque, transforming a former lumber warehouse into modern space that houses roughly 30 vendors. His company has another food hall opening in Albuquerque's Park Square area in February, so the Santa Fe hall would be its third in New Mexico.
"They are very fun. Food halls, besides having great food and great drinks, are also a great place to socialize, to meet people. There's an entertainment component, whether it's actual entertainment or just being in an environment where you are kind of seeing and being seen," said Long.
Native artists and 'Santa Fe-style' design
Heritage Real Estate's profile in Albuquerque includes the WaFd Bank Building, the two 10-story Park Square office towers and the Sawmill Market, Hotel Chaco, Hotel Albuquerque and The Clyde Hotel, formerly Hyatt Regency Albuquerque.
The food hall would be situated in a downtown Santa Fe office building that Heritage owns. The space features a brick courtyard out back in the area where the Bull Ring restaurant, a tenant of Heritage, has outdoor seating. The building is also where The New Mexican newspaper offices are located.
If brought to fruition, the plans would reshape the corner where East Marcy Street and Washington Avenue intersect, an area already home to a slate of restaurants near the Plaza. Renderings Long shared with The New Mexican depict upscale and modern design standards for the food hall, with vault entry into the bar area along with uplighting on wall paneling behind booths and dark-stained Douglas fir-painted walls.
Showcased in the patio renderings are decorative screens, terracotta planters, teak lounge chairs and tiled, built-in seating.
"Every piece of furniture and finish offers an opportunity to engage Native American artisans, showcasing the land's beauty in a contemporary context," a description for the renderings states. "The back of the banquette features stitched together handwoven textiles, a bar die mosaic could be crafted from upcycled rocks and gems found in the terrain, and centrally located light fixtures can be made of handwoven yarn from the local tribe's collection, celebrating the stories of the past."
Long said Heritage Real Estate does not yet have pricing from contractors, so he does know how much of an investment this will be at this time. The company is also early in the process of weighing vendors.
"The designs are really of the place, so they are really of the Santa Fe style, of that community's unique design elements, and we are predominantly going to be selecting vendors from the Santa Fe market," said Long. "That's our first priority -- to select all the vendors from the Santa Fe market. These are companies that already have a business in Santa Fe."
Established restaurants and startups welcome
Long completed the purchase of a pair of downtown Santa Fe office buildings around a shared courtyard at 150 Washington and 125 Lincoln avenues at an undisclosed price earlier this year. The four-story complex is home to The Bull Ring, La Boca, Toyopolis, Ojo Optique, Chevron and Regus. Counted among the tenants are also some galleries and attorneys' offices.
The food hall would be housed on the first floor of the 150 Washington Ave. building. The space has had two tenants recently, InterFusion Art -- an art and jewelry gallery that is relocating to Canyon Road -- and Bon Marché, a furniture store, which will be in the space until the end of the year, said Jackie Apodaca, vice president of Heritage Real Estate Company.
Long plans to call the food hall The Santa Fe Market. He said preliminary work on the space is expected to begin in January, though some of the necessary permits for the project still need to be secured from the city.
Along with the indoor space, plans call for a 10,000-square-foot exterior plaza, an area with a current courtyard that will be redesigned. The architect of Sawmill Market, Eric Haskins, has been brought on board as the project architect for Santa Fe.
"This is a great way for both very successful and established restaurants as well a brand-new startup enterprise to get involved in this type of food experience," Long said. "Everyone has their own space and they create their own style of cuisine."