Park Plaza Condominiums, Residential high-rise in Albuquerque, United States.
Park Plaza Condominiums is a 14-story steel-frame tower at 1331 Park Avenue SW, one block south of Central Avenue west of Downtown Albuquerque. William Burk, Jr. designed the modernist building, which opened in 1964 with 144 one- and two-bedroom apartments in seven floor plans, each with a balcony or lanai. Many units have since been combined or renovated, leaving about 130 condominiums.
Ground was broken on May 14, 1963, by a partnership of M.M. Hardin of Albuquerque and Dan R. Ponder and C.H. Leavell of El Paso. Construction began with two 165-foot elevators before the steel frame was assembled floor by floor, and the building opened in June 1964. Slow initial leasing and Ponder's death in 1965 left the venture with losses over $500,000; the El Paso partners sold out to Hardin in 1966, and he sold the building to its homeowners association in 1979, when it became condominiums.
The address, 1331 Park Avenue SW, does not match the building's actual location on 14th Street. The developer owned vacant land extending to Park Avenue and was assigned the address based on a proposed development that was never built there. A 1981 letter from the mayor's assistant explains that changing it would inconvenience residents.
The building sits one block south of Central Avenue near Downtown Albuquerque and is easily accessible on foot. Its location provides convenient access to nearby shops and services in the surrounding area.
The tower was originally built as rental apartments but was converted to condominiums in 1979. At approximately 50 meters (160 feet) tall, it was the tallest residential structure in the state for several years.
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