Mesa del Sol

What Mesa del Sol does

Mesa del Sol is a 12,900-acre master-planned community in the southeast quadrant of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that develops and leases mixed-use real estate across residential, commercial, industrial, and educational segments. The community was originally scoped in 2002 by Forest City Enterprises to accommodate up to 37,000 houses and 100,000 residents; beginning in 2016, a local investment group led by Managing Partner Steven B. Chavez acquired key assets including the 80,000-square-foot Aperture Center (February 2016), the Schott Solar complex with 193,000 square feet of buildings plus 80 acres of commercially-zoned land (June 2016), and the remaining master-planned acreage (May 2018). David S. Campbell was appointed CEO in December 2020 to professionalize development execution.

The community is built around a "Safe, Smart, Sustainable" framework that combines microgrid technology, smart irrigation and water/waste management, geodesign-based planning, solar and wind generation, walk/bike trail networks, and a smart neighborhood safety platform integrating environmental lighting, video surveillance, asset tracking, and citizen reporting. The technology stack is described at the infrastructure level rather than at the AI/ML layer, and there is no disclosed evidence of proprietary AI models, patents, or research output.

Mesa del Sol generates revenue through three primary streams: finished residential lot sales to a network of builder partners (D.R. Horton, Twilight Homes, Abrazo Homes, Westway, Titan Development); direct purchase-or-lease of commercial and industrial space (anchored by the Aperture Center, Schott Solar complex, and ongoing industrial development); and event/amenity revenue from the Aperture Center venue. Distribution is executed via the developer's website, the home builder channel, and direct enterprise sales to commercial and industrial tenants. Anchor commercial/industrial tenants include Netflix (ABQ Studios, $1 billion production commitment announced 2018), Maxeon Solar Technologies ($1 billion, 3-gigawatt solar manufacturing facility announced August 2023, ~1,800 planned jobs), Star Scientific (hydrogen, October 2023), and Ebon Solar (August 2024); major public-sector co-investment has supported interchange and gateway infrastructure.

Name

Mesa del Sol

Legal name

Mesa del Sol

Website

https://mesadelsolnm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mesa del Sol is a 12,900-acre master-planned community in Albuquerque, NM that develops and leases residential, commercial, industrial, and educational real estate anchored by tenants Netflix Studios, Maxeon Solar, and a network of home builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Development

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

Keywords

• Master-planned community
• Real estate development
• Residential lot sales
• Commercial leasing
• Smart city infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Residential Land Development & Lot Sales: Mesa del Sol develops and sells finished residential lots to home builder partners (such as D.R. Horton, Twilight Homes, Abrazo Homes) who then construct and sell homes to end buyers. The community was originally planned to include 37,000 houses.
2. Commercial & Industrial Space Sales and Leasing: Commercial and industrial space is available to purchase or lease within the master-planned community. The Schott Solar complex (133,000 sq ft building + 60,000 sq ft building + 80 acres of commercially-zoned land) and the Aperture Center (80,000 sq ft) serve as leasable income-generating properties.
3. Community Amenity & Event Revenue: The Aperture Center hosts city-wide events (Diner en Blanc with 2,000+ guests, UNM Cinematic Arts Showcase, Girls on the Run 5K) that generate rental income and community engagement. Additional amenities include sports complexes and shared community spaces.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mesa del Sol is a master-planned community developer that develops and sells finished residential lots to home builder partners (D.R. Horton, Twilight Homes, Abrazo Homes, Westway, Titan Development) and offers commercial and industrial space for purchase or lease. Its portfolio spans 12,900 acres in southeast Albuquerque and includes community facilities such as the Aperture Center event venue (80,000 sq ft), the Schott Solar complex (193,000 sq ft plus 80 acres), the United Stadium, and the Mesa del Sol Sports Complex, alongside a neighborhood market (My Market) and charter school facilities.

Product overview

Mesa del Sol is a master-planned community development in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spanning 12,900 acres. The portfolio includes residential communities, commercial spaces, industrial facilities, and education facilities. Key properties include the Aperture Center (event venue), My Market (neighborhood grocery), Sports Complex, Netflix Studios expansion, and United Stadium. The community emphasizes smart, sustainable, and safe living with initiatives including microgrid technology, solar/wind energy generation, and smart infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Lot Development & Sales Development of finished residential lots within a 12,900-acre master-planned community, sold to home builder partners such as D.R. Horton, Twilight Homes, Abrazo Homes, Westway, and Titan Development for single-family, multi-unit, corporate housing, and low-income housing construction.
• Commercial Space Sales and Leasing Commercial real estate available for purchase or lease within the Mesa del Sol community, accommodating new and existing businesses in the epicenter of the development.
• Industrial Facilities and Land Industrial space and commercially zoned land including the Schott Solar complex (133,000 sq ft + 60,000 sq ft + 80 acres) available for design, manufacturing, and production companies expanding operations.
• Aperture Center A nearly 80,000-square-foot facility acquired in February 2016, used as a headquarters for the high-tech community vision and as an event venue hosting city-wide events such as Diner en Blanc and the Parade of Homes post-tour experience. Leasable to businesses and event organizers.
• Mesa del Sol Sports Complex Championship grass field and sports complex featuring artificial turf, used for soccer events (New Mexico United) and community activities, with City of Albuquerque funding approved for field installation.
• My Market (Mesa del Sol Neighborhood Market) Premier neighborhood market and grocery store at Mesa del Sol offering gourmet dining and elevated refreshments; serves as a local amenity for residents and hosts Parade of Homes post-tour events.
• Education Facilities (International School at Mesa del Sol) Charter school facilities serving students from kindergarten through college, built with new facilities and a strong curriculum; education is positioned as integral to the sustainability initiative of the community.
• United Stadium Stadium building at Mesa del Sol serving as the home of the New Mexico United soccer team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Netflix committed $1 billion in New Mexico production funding, spent over $150 million in New Mexico in 2019, and its ABQ Studios expansion at Mesa del Sol was expected to be ready by 2024.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship, core and minor.

• Ebon SolarmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2024Ebon Solar selected Mesa del Sol for a major solar factory, announced August 2024, further establishing the community as a renewable energy and manufacturing hub in New Mexico.
• Star ScientificmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2023Australia-based Star Scientific, a hydrogen company, selected Albuquerque for its first U.S. campus at Mesa del Sol, announced October 2023. The partnership brings clean energy R&D and manufacturing to the community.
• Maxeon Solar TechnologiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023Maxeon Solar Technologies selected Mesa del Sol for a new 3-gigawatt solar cell and panel manufacturing facility with a $1 billion investment. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the project in August 2023. Maxeon requested $20 million in LEDA funds and plans to fill 1,800 job vacancies. The deal received top honors from Site Selection Magazine.
• D.R. HortoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorD.R. Horton (New Mexico, Albuquerque division) is a featured builder partner constructing homes within the Mesa del Sol master-planned community, offering new single-family homes to prospective residents. D.R. Horton is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States.
• Twilight Homes NMcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTwilight Homes NM is featured as a builder partner building homes in the Mesa del Sol community, contributing to the residential diversity of the master-planned development.
• Abrazo HomescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAbrazo Homes is a featured builder partner constructing homes in the Mesa del Sol community, promoting the community to prospective home buyers through their sales channels.
• Westway DevelopmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestway Development broke ground on a Mesa del Sol project in March 2019 and partnered with MDS Funding to develop residential lots. Westway is promoted as a featured partner in the community's builder network.
• Titan DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitan Development is creating thousands of ready-to-build residential lots at Mesa del Sol as of late 2023, representing a major development partnership for expanding housing capacity in the community.
• My MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMy Market is Mesa del Sol's premier neighborhood market, hosting the exclusive post-tour gathering during the 2026 Albuquerque Parade of Homes at the Aperture Center. It serves as a local amenity for residents and a Parade of Homes event partner.
• Faith Moving CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith Moving Company is a Parade of Homes partner offering exclusive moving specials to tour guests, providing a convenience service for new residents relocating to Mesa del Sol.
• Mesa del Sol Self StorageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMesa del Sol Self Storage is a Parade of Homes partner offering exclusive specials designed to make residents' next move effortless, supporting the residential community ecosystem.
• Netflix Studios (ABQ Studios)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetflix committed $1 billion to expand ABQ Studios at Mesa del Sol, making Albuquerque its U.S. production hub. Netflix spent over $150 million in New Mexico in 2019 and expects the expansion to be ready by 2024. Netflix's presence anchors the entertainment and employment base of Mesa del Sol.
• Guzman CSminorOthersGuzman CS is listed in the Featured Partners section of the Mesa del Sol website alongside other partner logos. Details of the partnership arrangement are not specified.
• SC3 InternationalminorOthersSC3 International is listed in the Featured Partners section of the Mesa del Sol website. No specific details on the nature of the partnership are available.
• City of Albuquerque / Mayor Tim Keller's TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMesa del Sol works closely with Mayor Tim Keller's team, Albuquerque City Council, and BernCo (Bernalillo County) for public-private partnership development, including infrastructure improvements (gateway access, Mesa del Sol Blvd. interchange, millions in city investment) and the championship soccer field project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Walton International: Global land-investment and master-planned community developer focused on raw-land acquisition, entitlement, and disposition to builders. Comparable in land-banking model and long-duration value capture, though Walton's geographic footprint (Canada, U.S., Australia) is broader and earlier-stage than Mesa del Sol's.
• Forest City Realty Trust (now Brookfield Properties): The original developer of Mesa del Sol (entered Albuquerque in 2002 as Forest City Enterprises). Sold/transitioned the project to local investors in 2016–2018; now part of Brookfield. Historically direct peer and still relevant for its playbook of large, mixed-use master-planned communities.
• Catellus Development (now part of Prologis): Historic master-planned developer (Mission Bay San Francisco, Alameda Point, Mueller Austin redevelopment). Broader infrastructure now sits within Prologis's logistics-real-estate platform but the original developer playbook closely matches Mesa del Sol's mixed-use entitlement and phased build-out approach.

Direct peers

• Kitson & Partners: Private developer of Babcock Ranch, a sustainability-focused master-planned community in southwest Florida with integrated solar generation and smart-city infrastructure. Direct analog to Mesa del Sol's 'Safe, Smart, Sustainable' positioning and clean-energy tenant thesis.
• Howard Hughes Holdings: Public master-planned community developer operating Summerlin (Las Vegas), Bridgeland (Houston), The Woodlands (Texas), and Downtown Columbia. Operates at a similar scale and lifecycle stage to Mesa del Sol, with owned commercial real estate, residential lot sales to builder partners, and long-duration land-bank appreciation.
• FivePoint Holdings: Developer of the Great Park Neighborhoods in Irvine, California and the former Valencia/Newhall Ranch. Closely comparable operating model — large master-planned community with mixed residential, commercial, and civic uses developed in partnership with homebuilders over multi-decade horizons.
• Sterling Ranch: A sustainability-focused master-planned community in Douglas County, Colorado with water-wise design and smart-home technology. Comparable in size (~12,000 acres is the planning area) and 'smart, sustainable community' positioning, though in a faster-growing front-range market.
• The Villages: The largest master-planned community in the United States, located in central Florida. Comparable in scale ambition and mixed-use, amenity-rich design, though anchored by retirement/resort demand rather than industrial tenant demand.

Emerging players

• Landsea Homes: Public homebuilder with a meaningful share of business in master-planned communities in Arizona, Texas, and California. Adjacent peer — operates as a builder-partner within communities similar to Mesa del Sol, supplying both entry-level and move-up product.
• Shea Homes: Large private U.S. homebuilder that operates in master-planned communities and has its own community-development arm (Shea Properties). Adjacent peer — a builder partner inside communities like Mesa del Sol, but also develops master-planned product of its own.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mesadelsolnm
• Facebookfacebook.com/MesadelSolNM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mesadelsol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mesa del Sol