Warehouse 508 has ridden the ups and downs of the funding seesaw. The budding Downtown teen center saw its operating budget slashed by $50K and its Icehouse-rehab budget increased by $300,000 in a late-May meeting. On Monday, June 15, the Council quickly approved a one-year $150,000 contract with the New Mexico Xtreme Sports Association to run the center, which will open in a few months at 508 First Street NW.About 70 young 508 supporters organized a pre-meeting barbecue, walked over to City Hall and stayed late at the meeting. They put together a short video to show the Council what is going on at the Warehouse and what they envision.Councilors seemed to enjoy the video and encouraged the teens to make the old strip club vibrant. The contract was approved in an 8-1 vote with little discussion but accolades for the youth and mentors involved. As expected, Councilor Michael Cadigan voted against the contract. He has been a persistent critic of Warehouse 508 but says he is somewhat supportive of the idea of a teen center located somewhere else.Councilors nitpicked their way through parts of their agenda then deferred a large chunk of the items until a special meeting or until August. The Council does not meet in July. The special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 22, for councilors to deal with some important items: the transportation tax, a noise ordinance for vehicle engines, future budget procedures and changes to the city charter that will be on October’s ballot.
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