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The Nob Hill men’s designer clothing store Izzy Martin is marking its third year in business this month. And in the world of Albuquerque boutique retail, it’s a marker worth contemplating, as many such businesses come and go in the shadow of Internet sales and big box retailers.

We asked owner Rufus Cohen three questions about being in the brick-and-mortar business. He has an online presence, too. Izzy Martin is located at 3019 Central Ave. NE.

Construction to begin for ‘big three’ at Rio Rancho shopping center

Rio Rancho’s Plaza @ Enchanted Hills shopping center will soon see almost $5.6 million in construction to prepare for three big retail tenants.

Anthony Johnson, the founder and president of Albuquerque’s Pegasus Retail, said the construction plans will go to bid for a general contractor soon for a Bed, Bath and Beyond, T.J.Maxx and Michaels. Plaza @ Enchanted Hills is located on the northwest corner of Enchanted Hills Road and Highway 528 in the north Rio Rancho submarket. The biggest of the “big three” will be the Bed, Bath and Beyond (24,500-square-feet); followed by T.J.Maxx (23,647-square-feet); and Michaels (17,370-square-feet).

“What’s unique is that other than strip centers, this is the first power center to be built in New Mexico in almost 10 years,” Johnson said. “It’s pretty significant.” He said recent examples include Ventura Place Shopping Center in the Paseo del Norte corridor built in 2006 and Cottonwood Crossing near Cottonwood Mall built in 2007.

Pegasus Retail is the firm working on Winrock Town Center with developer Gary Goodman. They have other projects throughout the Albuquerque area and in Santa Fe.

Rio Rancho stakeholders to meet next week

Albuquerque’s neighbor to the northwest has been quietly moving forward on new initiatives and residential and commercial projects this year.

North of Northern Boulevard, dirt has started to move for new residential communities that have been in the pipeline. And along the Unser corridor in particular there has been a lot of commercial activity — restaurants, retail and health care-related work.

Keeping up with all the projects and with future development is the subject of a NAIOP New Mexico event later this month.Some Rio Rancho heavy-hitters will be on hand, including new Mayor Gregg Hull; Jami Grindatto, the interim CEO of Sandoval Economic Alliance [SEA]; and Matt Geisel, the city’s business relations manager.

Along with projects in the pipeline, the three will discuss the city’s new metro-wide alliance for economic development — the SEA — and opportunities for new development as well as new infrastructure plans. Hull is also scheduled to give a preview of his forthcoming “State of the City” address.

The breakfast event, which is open to NAIOP members and the public, takes place September 25 at the Albuquerque Marriott located at 2101 Louisiana Blvd. NE from 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m.