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The BLOCK soft opening brings hopeful vibes to RR
The Block Soft Opening was casual as people lounged around with their beverages listening to a live band.
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The BLOCK has been anticipated for months, and at long last it held a soft launch to invite-only event Sept. 12.
Believe it or not, the owner has been anticipating the opening for much longer.
"I'm so excited that we're finally here. It's been five years that I have been working on this project. I couldn't be more proud with the work that's gone into it," TDA Investments Inc Senior Vice President of Development Amy Goldfarb said.
She added that all staff, tenants and vendors put their all into making sure they were ready for the opening.
One such tenant, Tuxberry & Whit, was looking forward to showcasing their product at the soft opening but looked forward to the public opening as well.
"We design everything in here," owners Stephanie Domman and Katie Hudson said.
They are two out of three triplets and opened their business together with that in mind.
Soft opening attendees got the chance to visit them and other vendors. People could also explore the temporary art gallery, get a drink from one of the many options and a bite to eat.
Goldfarb says the point of all the food and drink options is for family members to get what they want without having to compromise to someone else's tastes.
Mayor Gregg Hull and City Councilor Bob Tyler made a stop at the opening before their regular city council meeting, and they were pleased with the turnout as well as the look of the place.
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"The BLOCK is another step in this total development that began really 10 years ago when we worked with the developer on this particular location to bring forward Plaza Enchanted Hills," Hull said.
He added that with a lot of hard work and assisting with development of the plaza, new things are coming to the northern parts of Rio Rancho.
He specifically attributed a lot of the investment to Nico Ortiz, owner of Turtle Mountain, saying the addition of Turtle Mountain North encouraged others to invest.
"Adding The BLOCK now, where you've got a true community space where people aren't just coming over to spend a few dollars at the grocery store or a few dollars at Famous Footwear. They're actually coming here to hang out," he said.
With The BLOCK's opening, several businesses are also making their debut in Rio Rancho, according to Hull.
"When investors are investing in our community like this, it really shows the truly stand-alone economy that Rio Rancho is truly developing, evolving to be," he said.
Tyler brought up that The BLOCK's opening means everything for northern Rio Rancho because it has been underserved for some time.
"This is a long-awaited piece of addition to northern Rio Rancho," he said.
He added that people in that part of Rio Rancho have needed a place to go eat, have a good time and actually be a part of the community.
"This is a great place. This was an awesome investment by the city, by all the local people who are involved by the developer, by all the businesses who came in and we really have just been shocked by the amount of support that we're getting," Tyler said.
Hull recalled when he first moved out to the Enchanted Hills area and the lot for the plaza was empty.
"This was just a huge vacant field and across the street was a dairy farm. Look at what we've evolved into," he said.
Goldfarb says the next steps for The BLOCK will be its public opening Sept. 13 and its ribbon cutting Sept. 15. They will have music, vendors, drinks and food ready for all who walk through it.
"Then it's off to the races," Goldfarb said excitedly.
For more information, visit theblocknm.com.
