A vibrant entertainment and night life was one of the key economic development strategies of the Lovington Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan (MRA). The MRA process engaged community members in prioritizing increased business opportunities in the Lovington MainStreet District. A local entrepreneur hearing of this public/private sector commitment by the city and the Lovington MainStreet board asked for assistance. New Mexico MainStreet Revitalization Specialists engaged the city which had vacant property it owned and wished developed. NMMS developed a conceptual site plan, a project implementation plan, and business plan with the entrepreneurs to build a pizzeria and brewpub. Additional development planning was also provided through funding from the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance.
The city wanted to build off of major public infrastructure improvements in the district that utilizing MainStreet Capital Outlay and their recent investment in the acquisition and rehabilitation of the historic Lea Theater that also received State LEDA funds to install digital projection and sound equipment. The City contributed $200,000 of its own LEDA funding to develop a public/private partnership with the entrepreneurs for property development. The state brought $100,000 in LEDA funding for manufacturing equipment through EDD which helped the business men attract additional financing from private sources and making possible a soft opening in July 2017. Total project construction costs exceed $950,000. Lovington MainStreet has capitalized on the new property and business by acquiring another grant of $20,000 for local entrepreneur development and façade restorations and improvements.
