By Lisa Jimenez
Silver City -- A community gem is being revealed little by little at the historic Waterworks Building on Little Walnut Road, just south of Jose Barrios Elementary. The communal kitchen is now finished, thanks to the help of an AmeriCorps crew, new landscaping continues in cooperation with the Gila Native Plant Society and others, and the design process is nearly complete for a large outdoor pavilion - the next major phase of this homegrown, multi-year economic development effort.
"For the community and by the community," is Lee Gruber's mantra. Gruber, entrepreneur and founder/executive director of Southwest New Mexico ACT (swnmACT), is head of this Waterworks project, which is one of five historic buildings in the organization's Five Points Initiative, created to support countywide economic development through outdoor recreation.
Gruber and Bridgette Johns, swnmACT project coordinator, recently discussed the latest developments at the site, home of Silver City's first municipal water supply. Substantial landscaping has already been completed, thanks to nearly $20,000 in New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant funding, and the help of local Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) students and AmeriCorps volunteers, who've come from all over the country to gain work experience.
Invasive elms were removed to make room for native, drought-tolerant trees and plants, and rainwater harvesting ground features were developed throughout the property. Harsh metal is disappearing as native hops are planted to create living fences. Gila Native Plant Society volunteers, who develop and maintain the Silva Creek Botanical Gardens on the opposite side of the creek from the Waterworks, are assisting with the cleanup and "rewilding" of Silva Creek.
"The landscaping effort alone is enormous and is creating a diverse opportunity for people to learn about native pollinators, medicinal plants and other native species," Johns said. "We're so grateful to the Gila Native Plant Society volunteers, YCC students and AmeriCorps participants for their hard work and inspiration."
The next major development will be the construction of the 25-foot by 35-foot education pavilion, thanks in part to funding awarded by the New Mexico Economic Development Department's Outdoor Recreation Division, which will also support the creation of a walking and biking trail, linking the site to Penny Park. The pavilion will be available to local school children and community groups for use as an outdoor classroom.
Other plans call for construction of campsites on the south side of the property, which will be tucked in against native landscaping and the "wave wall," an 80-foot, cob-construction wall which pays homage to the site's original purpose. A composting toilet and shower structure will also be built using natural building techniques, and the Waterworks building itself is being repurposed as a museum with potential for local retail business, geared toward outdoor recreation and servicing hikers and bikers along the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), which meets Little Walnut Road to the north.
The largest building to the west has been completely cleaned up, freshly painted and sits in waiting for the vision to further unfold. Ideas being bandied about for this space include workshop space and/or dormitory-style lodging for CDT trail users, as well as local youth groups and community organizations.
"By the community, for the community" is reflected in every design process and project as it unfolds, step-by-step. For example, the pavilion project was redesigned to feature locally harvested wooden beams instead of steel. So far, some 15 local businesses have been contracted for some portion of the project, including Lone Mountain Natives, Country Girl Nursery, Ace Hardware and others.
"We are creating a community resource that is being developed by and for the community," said Gruber. "The Waterworks project and the other four locations in the Five Points Initiative all are designed to connect people to local culture and history, honoring the importance of place. And with the involvement of local community groups, youth programs, local businesses and volunteers, we are also fostering a sense of community and personal pride. It's all about connection."
This grand vision of developing the Waterworks facility as well as the other four, historically and culturally significant locations, requires money and a lot of it. Fortunately, swnmACT is building a solid financial foundation, in collaboration with the Town of Silver City, which Gruber and Johns characterize as a "dream partnership."
In addition to state economic development dollars, New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant funding, support from Freeport McMoRan Inc., a Kickstarter campaign and other sources, the American Institute of Architects provided in-kind services, valued at more than $15K. A team of volunteer architects and planners is providing technical design and planning for the entire Five Points Initiative. The team visited each of the five locations, met with local community members and will soon release a report of their findings and recommendations.
"It's so very exciting," added Gruber, eyes revealing child-like wonder. "We're doing this as a community, addressing our own local needs and creating this by ourselves instead of sitting back and waiting for outside investment. I believe our needs are best addressed by local people coming together to envision, develop and build our own, locally grown and sustainable economic development. Outdoor recreation and connection to place, culture and history is the heart of what this is all about."
A 2019 study found that outdoor recreation contributes $2.4 billion annually to the state's economy and some 35,000 jobs, while another report found that water-based recreation along the Gila and San Francisco rivers supports roughly 5,000 jobs worth more than $92 million in income, and draws visitors to southwestern New Mexico who spend around $427 million each year. The reintroduction of legislation by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan designating the Gila River as a national Wild and Scenic River would further support the local economy, should the legislation finally be approved by Congress.
For more information about the Waterworks project or swnmACT or to volunteer, please contact Bridgette Johns, project coordinator, at (575) 654-3969, or Lee Gruber, swnmACT director, at (575) 590-0314. Email: info@swnmact.org. Website: www.swnmACT.org