ABQ Times

The City, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, the Navy League New Mexico Council, and other partners, has unveiled a draft concept plan for a USS Albuquerque memorial to mark the beginning of Navy Week in Albuquerque. Named after the city, the USS Albuquerque is a nuclear submarine decommissioned in 2017. The sail from the vessel, currently divided into three pieces, was recently moved from storage at Kirtland Air Force Base to Pascetti Steel for restoration and reassembly. The City plans to build the memorial at Tingley Beach.

“My piece of this was commanding Albuquerque from 2002 to 2005,” said Admiral Stuart Munsch. “We were known back then for our competency, innovation, and our toughness and I’d like to think that we took that from the character of the City, here in Albuquerque.”

The draft concept plan for the memorial, prepared by PLAND Collaborative, proposes installing the sail in the western-most pond at Tingley Beach. The sail will be framed with bow and stern indicators to depict the full length of the submarine, with a simulated bow wave to create movement. The site plan includes plazas depicting the submarine’s service in five oceans, educational exhibits, parking lot improvements, and a restroom. The estimated cost of the project is $5.4 million.

“It’s fitting that Albuquerque will be the final harbor for this historic sub, with a memorial honoring this vessel and the crews who sailed in its 34 years of service,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This project has been years in the making and is a testament to this city’s commitment to honoring our veterans and preserving our history for future generations.”

“As the 47th state, landlocked with no navigable water path to the ocean, it is pretty cool that New Mexico has such a robust representation with US Naval history; almost thirty naval ships, boats, and tugs have linkage to our state,” said Historian and Navy League of the US New Mexico Council member Greg Trapp. “It is appropriate for the City of Albuquerque to showcase New Mexico's continued devotion to the US Navy by creating the USS Albuquerque Memorial, with the USS Albuquerque sail as its centerpiece.”

The Navy League New Mexico Council will display their scale model of the USS Albuquerque and exhibit the draft site concept plan at this week’s New Mexico State Fair.

Restoration work on the sail by Pascetti Steel will take several months. Over the next few weeks, public input on the draft concept plan will be solicited through meetings with nearby neighborhoods and other stakeholders.

Donations for supporting the USS Albuquerque memorial project can be made at: onealbuquerquefund.org.

For more information or feedback on this project: ussalbuquerque.org