Former bank to be converted into apartments

Nov. 23—The former First National 1870 bank back office building at 2020 Rosina St. is a solid concrete structure, much more wall than window.

Perfect for conversion into apartments.

So is the thinking of the developers and project architect Architectural Alliance.

They plan to add brick siding, more windows, decks and portals to turn an anonymous office building into a living environment. And the plan is to put a hole through the roof to create a courtyard.

"We're going to add two stories on top of the existing building and put in a roof deck," Architectural Alliance owner Eric Enfield said. "The central courtyard will be open to all three stories."

The plan is to have 3,000 square feet of solar panels with panels on each of the portal roofs.

The developer is Clueless on Rosina LLC, which includes Andy Duettra and Marc Bertram, the partners proposing to build the Washington Inn behind Santacafé, between Washington and Otero streets. Duettra also owns the short-term rental company AdobeStar Properties and other short-term rental entities. Bertram is a partner in the Zia Station development.

The 32-unit apartment project starts with the 15,400-square-foot First National 1870 bank building. The bank had human resources, a mortgage loan center, a call center, accounting, financing and information systems in the building behind its branch at Cerrillos Road and Osage Avenue.

Enfield said a 14,000-square-foot second level and 13,000-square-foot third level will be added on top of the building. The roof will have a deck with raised planters, a dog walk and shade structures.

Clueless on Rosina did not have a plan for the building when it approached Architectural Alliance. The ambition was to reuse the building.

"It would cost too much to demolish it," Enfield said. "We went from two other scenarios: commercial in the existing space and storage," and then apartments emerged. "We felt the structure could hold two more stories. They said: 'You know, let's go with it.' "

Enfield said the units will be mostly one and two bedrooms with some three bedrooms. Rental prices have not been worked out.

"They are mid-range units, not luxury units," Enfield said. "The majority are 800 to 1,200 square feet with a few under 800 and a few over 1,200. The units down below will have pretty high ceilings, probably about 12 feet."

Hunter Redman at Architectural Alliance is the lead architect.

The project is in the permitting process, with Enfield hoping for a mid-2022 construction start.