"Rio Rancho has been experiencing tremendous population growth, but there's a lack of retail shopping alternatives. Everyone has to drive the 15 minutes to Albuquerque," says Joshua Pristaw, managing director with GoldenTree InSite Partners of New York City, which is the equity partner for Midland Development Group of Jacksonville for the project. He says that a ground-breaking date on the still-unnamed center at Northern Boulevard and 40th Street has not yet been determined.

Pristaw tells GlobeSt.com that a specific tenant mix hasn't been determined for the center, but the developers are receiving inquiries from big-box retailers as well as smaller boutique shops and restaurants. He expects construction and stabilization to take about 18 months. "We're optimistic there will be sufficient tenant demand to build the whole project at once rather than in phases," he adds. "We like the demographic profile of Albuquerque and would be interested in investing more capital there."

The master-planned Loma Colorado, just north of Albuquerque, is being developed by Pulte Homes of New Mexico. The developer has 33 additional acres earmarked for non-residential projects in the 443-acre development.