Vacant Office Building Moves Toward Apartment Conversion
Perennial eyesore near Presbyterian, UNM to be redeveloped
by Damon Scott
The stretch of Central between I-25 and University has seen vibrant years and not so vibrant ones over time. But while vacant properties are still part of the landscape, one of the larger remaining ones—the 22,000-square-foot Sycamore Square office building—is moving toward new life as apartments.
Sycamore Square, at 1400 Central Ave. SE, is a three-story property just east of Presbyterian Hospital and west of the former Coaches Sports Bar & Grill. The building, built in 1985, has been home to various tenants over time— including ground-floor restaurants—but has sat vacant and dilapidated for many years.
Fritz Eberle and Avi Lahiani of F&A Development LLC acquired the property in 2024 for an undisclosed amount. The pair had the intention of converting its top two floors into 20 market-rate apartments, while leaving the ground floor open for commercial use. However, amended plans that were recently approved by the Albuquerque Development Commission will add eight more apartments to the ground level, and leave no spaces dedicated to commercial uses, for a total of 28 apartments in all.