Artesia Mainstreet

First Street Greenway-Construction & Maintenance: Eleven acres of land has been improved with approximately 500 trees and ornamental bushes and grass along north Highway 285. This main entry into Artesia, NM is paralleled by a railway line, a large industrial complex, a metal scrap yard and a housing development. In order to present a more positive first impression for visitors, Artesia MainStreet, Inc. has created a beautiful screen along this main thoroughfare to greet visitors and invite them into our town. Artesia MainStreet is responsible for maintenance of the grounds including the sprinkler system and replacement of landscape. Maintenance and repairs make up these expenses.

Downtown Maintenance: Artesia, NM area has a population of approximately 15,000 citizens. The downtown area encompasses 40 city blocks and includes the Derrick Floor oilfield monument and the Oilpatch Plaza with its grounds and fountain. There are 4 additional bronze monuments in the downtown area that are part of the History in Bronze series: Sallie Chisum, known as the First Lady of Artesia, Trail Boss and the Vaquero, bringing to life the turn of the century cowboys of the Southwest and the Cattle Rustler, who may have been a contemporary of the famed Billy the Kid. All of the bronzes require periodic waxing and patina touch-ups and the brickwork and landscaping require upkeep. Artesia's Heritage Plaza and Walkway is a beautiful centerpiece in the Downtown District containing a 7-fountain river depicting the culture of our area, represented in handmade ceramic tiles. The walls of the Walkway holds a renovated historic mural depicting our history, the textured floor is an original mural and the entire area is shaded with decorative trees and provides seating areas to encourage visitors to stay and enjoy. Artesia MainStreet is also responsible for maintenance of the grounds surrounding the Artesia Public Library located in the Downtown District as well as the bronze sculpture located in the roundabout at its corner. AMS takes applications for inclusion on the Baish Veterans' Park Wall of Honor. An engraving fee is collected from each applicant. Once the application period is closed, the panel is removed and transported to have the new veterans' names and service information professionally engraved onto the panel. The panel is then transported back and re-installed. Maintenance, repairs, utilities and insurance make up these expenses.

Downtown Events: Artesia MainStreet holds various events in the downtown area to draw the community into the area to explore, shop and socialize. The 2023 events included the downtown Christmas and Halloween festivities, Red Dirt Black Gold concert, and a Car Show. The Red Dirt Black Gold event was an all day long celebration including food, clubs, and musical entertainment. For Halloween, during Trick or Treat MainStreet, the Main Street road is closed so that downtown businesses can hand out Halloween candy to hundreds of local children. There is a DJ and a "4th Street Party", a costume contest co-sponsored by the Club Scouts. During the Christmas season, Light Up Artesia is an electric light parade and downtown shopping event created to foster community and support economic development.

Facade Improvement: work done on a building on Main Street to improve the appearance and condition of the building.