Can an MRA save downtown Los Alamos?

Our first in a series of Boomsplainers*

*Boomsplainer is short for “Boomtown Explainer,” articles that are intended to simplify timely and critical issues the community is facing. We’ll write more on the MRA as it proceeds, assuming Council keeps nudging it along. What are your questions about it? What other explainers would you like us to tackle? Write us: editors@boomtownlosalamos.org

Story by Stephanie Nakhleh

Photographs and illustrations by Minesh Bacrania

The Mari-Mac shopping center in downtown Los Alamos has been empty for many years.

Downtown Los Alamos has been stuck in a rut for over a decade, with one revitalization effort after another falling flat. But some county officials think they've finally found the secret sauce: establishing a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, or MRA.

Here's the deal: by designating a section of downtown as an MRA (see more here), the county can unlock a whole new set of tools that private property owners can use to spruce up the place. Picture renovated buildings, more housing options, and a…