Rental housing and neighborhood services would anchor a proposed development around a new train station near the intersection of Zia Road and St. Francis Drive.

Developers with SFBrown plan to unveil broad proposals for multistory buildings, housing units and a depot on the 20 acres it owns on Santa Fe's south side. The firm is inviting neighbors to a meeting next week to learn details.

While the state's plans to extend Rail Runner Express commuter trains from metropolitan Albuquerque have been in the news for years, development firm partner Merritt Brown said Wednesday that some area residents might be just now tuning in to the major changes that could occur.

After an estimated 10-year build-out, redevelopment projects on both sides of Zia west of St. Francis and a few acres west of Galisteo Street would have 590,000 square feet of commercial space, up to 200 condo-style homes and 1,600 parking spaces — including some underground — as well as a train depot, city bus stop, and access to a pedestrian and bicycle trail.

After long debate, state and local officials agreed to authorize a train station at the site as one of four in the Santa Fe area. However, the state won't stop trains at Zia until the developer has infrastructure in place and secures the necessary permits. Brown said he does not expect to get city approvals until next summer or fall.

The firm in recent years has developed about 200,000 square feet of office parks in the city, including on Pacheco Street, Siler Road and Rodeo Park East, where its offices are located.

What started as an option to develop land around a pumice-processing plant led to acquisition of four parcels of land and a partnership to provide access to the state's train platform and to build a unique project.

"From what we know and what we have learned over the last couple of years, transit-oriented development is a benefit to the community and to neighborhoods," Brown said Wednesday, "and this is ideally situated."

The pumice plant, which had stood more than 60 feet tall and belched clouds of pulverized rock, was demolished last year. Much of the other land in the proposed development area faces St. Francis and has remained vacant, bordered by single-family homes.

Land-use rules call for the development to devote between 20 percent and 50 percent of space for residential use, and Brown's proposal is about 35 percent residential, or about 12 units per acre, he said.

The units will be rentals managed by SFBrown and wouldn't be for sale, at least initially. Half the housing would be located in the northern end of the development, with other housing included along with office space on the second and third stories of mixed-use buildings.

"We want this to be activated. We want this to be vibrant. And we want this to be alive," said Marc Bertram, another partner. "That is one of the things we have noticed with these office complexes is that they are great during the day, but if you come over here at 5:05 at night, they are pretty much dead."

The firm is compiling a list of businesses that neighbors would want, including healthy eateries, a hair salon, laundry, coffee shop and bicycle repair shop.

Kay Homan, who lives off Galisteo, said she likes the idea of a book store or sandwich shop there.

Homan has already been to a series of meetings about the train project and the development. She said Brown has been "first rate" in listening to and considering neighborhood desires. "He cares about the neighborhood, and he cares about the city," she said. "I think this development is going to increase our property values, and it's going to alleviate the problem of homeless people wandering around there on the trails and out in the fields, and that is going to help out a lot. I just think it's going to improve our neighborhood."

The developer is still litigating with the Department of Transportation over swapping land to realign the train tracks and leave the most room on the site.

"It's complicated, but it's an understanding that we are just kind of working through this with them," Brown said. "They have a lot of i's to dot and t's to cross, but we are all on the same page."

The site would have access off Zia and Galisteo but not St. Francis, which is an access-controlled highway corridor. Traffic concerns are among the chief issues to be ironed out, and Brown said a new traffic study will be presented at the neighborhood meeting. The developer hopes a new light at Galisteo and Zia also will benefit the area.

Meanwhile, the state Transportation Department says it's still on pace to finish construction of train tracks and to begin delivering passengers to and from downtown Santa Fe by the end of the year. State officials have planned a public meeting for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.

IF YOU GO

What: Early Neighborhood Notification meeting on transit-oriented development at St. Francis Drive and Zia Road

When: 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13

Where: Capshaw Middle School, 351 Zia Road