Project Planning
- Preconstruction budget and schedule review
- Permitting, inspections and owner reviews tracked to closeout
- Specialty trade partners scheduled, coordinated and supervised by our superintendent
- Closeout records, warranties and as-built drawings delivered with the building
Anyone moving goods along I-10 at the state line eventually looks at Anthony, because the interstate here is a working freight route and land is available for the buildings that serve it. We build warehouses, cross-dock facilities, flex space and contractor yards in this corridor, with the truck courts and slabs that distribution users depend on. Our approach is practical: get the access right, get the floor right and get the owner into the building on the agreed date.
Anthony sits in the Upper Mesilla Valley, 24 miles south of Las Cruces and 18 miles from the large metro area to the south across the state line, and its 2020 census population was 8,693. Exit 162 on I-10 is NM 404, serving Anthony and Chaparral. That exit is the door to the city for every truck and customer, so a site's relationship to it often decides the success of a business.
The valley around the city is also farmland, served by a state road that follows the Rio Grande, and the community is part of a school district that needs buildings of its own. We keep both worlds in mind: the freight side and the neighborhood side. A warehouse owner and a school board want very different things from a contractor, and we try to give each of them a clear view of schedule, cost and risk before work begins.
A border corridor with farmland on its flank
I-10 crosses the state line right at Anthony, and that gives the city a particular character. Freight forwarders, consolidators and local carriers look for buildings near the border because time spent in transit between a warehouse and the crossing costs money. We build the structures that support those operations, including truck terminals and cross-docks and flex light industrial buildings.
New Mexico State Road 28 runs south to north roughly parallel to the Rio Grande and passes through the agricultural communities of La Union, Anthony and Vado. Growers and packers along that road use sheds, cold rooms and storage buildings, and we build those as well. A site on NM 28 serves a different customer from one off the interstate, and we help owners decide which fits.
From caliche to curtain wall
The valley floor is flat and appears simple, but soils vary, groundwater can be shallow near the river, and an arroyo-fed site may need drainage that is not obvious on the plat. We begin with a geotechnical report, set the pad elevation and design the drainage so that monsoon runoff leaves the site and does not come in the door. Caliche layers near the surface can slow excavation and affect footings, so we find them with test pits first and price the work accordingly.
After grading comes the building. For distribution users we often propose tilt-wall construction or a steel frame with insulated metal panels, with a thick, flat slab and a dock configuration set by the tenant's trucks. For smaller owners we offer simple clear-span buildings with a few overhead doors. All are finished with the paving, fencing and lighting that a yard requires. If you are weighing a bigger site farther west along the border, our work in Santa Teresa may offer a useful comparison.
Planning around freight and the calendar
Distribution users usually need a building by a fixed date, and a delay costs them rent on two buildings. We schedule backward from that date, name the critical path and tell the owner which materials need to be ordered first. Steel, dock equipment and electrical gear usually set the pace, so we place orders as soon as the design allows.
Weather matters less in the desert than in other parts of the country, but monsoon season can interrupt grading and concrete. We plan earthwork early in the year when we can, protect open excavations and keep a pump on site. A drainage plan should be working before the storms arrive.
Logistics, agriculture and public owners
The city's clients fall into three groups. Logistics and distribution companies need space and dock access. Agricultural operators want sheds, storage and processing. The school district and local government need buildings that last. The city lies within the Gadsden Independent School District, and we are comfortable with the procurement, design review and closeout that public education work requires.
Our experience building schools includes renovations of occupied classrooms, additions and new support buildings. Summers are the best window for disruptive work, and we plan summer schedules with the district's facilities staff months ahead so the building opens on the first day of school.
Permits and approvals near the state line
Commercial projects are reviewed under the New Mexico Commercial Building Code, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended and took effect July 14, 2023. Energy, electrical and, from August 1, 2026, plumbing and mechanical editions also apply, and a project can be permitted under more than one edition during certain transition periods. We confirm which edition governs your permit date.
A site on NM 404 or a state road requires driveway approval from the state, and utility service may involve more than one provider. We start those requests early and manage them as part of the schedule. For owners comparing Anthony with a similar site in Sunland Park, we can provide the permitting differences so the choice is informed.
Start your Anthony project with a site visit
Bring us the parcel and the use you have in mind. We will check access, drainage and utilities and tell you what a realistic building and schedule look like. Reach us through the contact form and we will set a time.
Questions Owners Ask
Why build near the state line instead of farther north?
Time and handling cost. A warehouse close to the crossing shortens trips and reduces dwell time. Land and labor can also be available at reasonable prices. We help owners compare sites on truck access, utilities and drainage, not just on distance.
What slab do you recommend for a distribution warehouse?
It depends on racking, forklifts and loads. Typically a flat, well-jointed slab on a compacted base, with enough thickness and reinforcement for the loads and floor flatness suited to the equipment. We design it with the tenant's racking plan in hand.
How do monsoon storms affect a valley site?
Heavy rain runs off hard ground quickly and collects in low spots. We grade to move water away from buildings, size culverts and swales for the expected flow and protect exposed soil during construction. A drainage plan reviewed by an engineer is the most important single document on a flat site.
Can you build for a school district during summer?
Yes. Summer is the usual window for large disruptive work, so we schedule procurement in the spring and have materials ready. We coordinate closely with the district's facilities team and plan for turnover before classes return.
Which exit and road should my entrance use?
That depends on traffic, turning and the highway agency's approvals. Exit 162 serves the city through NM 404, and local roads feed from there. We study truck routes and sight lines early and propose entrances that satisfy the permitting authority.