Albuquerque, New Mexico, Federal Land Conveyance Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues from Indiana and Pennsylvania very much for their support on this bill.

I rise today, of course, in support of my bill, H.R. 3998, which would direct, as you have heard, the General Services Administration to sell, for fair market value, the historic post office building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy Biehl High School Foundation.

As you have also heard, the charter school is named after a young Fulbright Scholar from Santa Fe who was, in fact, tragically killed in South Africa in 1993 while working to end apartheid.

The high school is located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. It is a few blocks away from a public library, a historical city theater, and a robust transportation center.

Fifty-five percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch, 64 percent of the students will be the first generation to attend college, and 70 percent of the students represent minority families in New Mexico. In fact, this school primarily serves at-risk youth.

The school's central location ensures that all of the students have access to transportation and allows the school to partner with nearby businesses and nonprofits to collaborate on community projects.

The Amy Biehl High School holds an impressive track record, with 99 percent of its graduates enrolling directly into college, and has been a recipient of several awards.

In 2000, the school was designated as one of 20 Mentor Schools in the Nation by the Coalition of Essential Schools. In 2006, the high school also won the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award.

The school has leased the old post office at the corner of Fourth and Gold in downtown and has held the lease from GSA since 2006. Currently, this lease is for a term of 60 years. The building was built in 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties.

The Amy Biehl High School moved into the old post office, which sat unoccupied for 6 years, and they were able to raise and invest more than $3 million in Federal, State, and private funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school.

Selling the building to the high school provides the school with greater autonomy. It opens the door to capital campaigns and creates a permanent home for the school and the students.

The Amy Biehl High School Foundation and the GSA have determined that transferring ownership of the building is, in fact, in the best interest of both entities, the Federal Government and the school.

I would like to thank Senator Tom Udall for working with me on this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation that will help the Amy Biehl High School continue to provide Albuquerque students with a first-rate education, while also preserving a historic piece of downtown Albuquerque.

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