Representatives from CNM, the City of Albuquerque, and the State of New Mexico cut the ribbon to the Film & Digital Media Center at the Rail Yards

Historic Albuquerque Rail Yards Boiler Shop Recast as Premier Film and Digital Media Training Center

Central New Mexico Community College, the City of Albuquerque, and the New Mexico Economic Development Department unveil a state-of-the-art facility for careers in the creative industries.

September 01, 2026

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — The historic boiler shop at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards has been revamped as a world-class film and digital media training center, transforming a landmark of the city’s industrial past into a catalyst for creative careers and economic growth.

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), the City of Albuquerque, and the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDNM) celebrated the center’s grand opening Tuesday at the Rail Yards.

Hundreds of community members and project partners attended the unveiling of the long-anticipated facility, which will provide advanced, industry-aligned education and workforce training for people pursuing careers in film production, digital media, and emerging creative fields. The center is designed to strengthen the state’s talent pipeline, support continued growth in the creative economy, and help New Mexico remain a leading destination for film and television production.

“We’re proud to celebrate the opening of this outstanding facility, made possible through our strong partnerships with the city and state,” said CNM President Tracy Hartzler. “By transforming the iconic boiler shop, we’ve created a dynamic institution where students, aspiring filmmakers, and community members can gain crucial skills and prepare for exciting careers in creative fields. This facility honors history while investing in our future — expanding opportunity, bolstering New Mexico’s film and digital media workforce, and adding new energy to downtown Albuquerque.”

CNM’s highly regarded film and digital media programs will operate alongside the New Mexico Media Arts Collective, a statewide initiative of EDNM. By sharing the facility, the two organizations will create a collaborative training environment responsive to the evolving needs of New Mexico’s film, digital media, and creative industries.

“Eight years ago we decided to take the Rail Yards back and chart a path forward that would truly lift up downtown and our whole city. Today we drive that spike home with the opening of the first tenant at this historic site in 70 years,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “We cannot overstate how transformational this will be, bringing hundreds of students to this area and providing a bridge for our kids to access our incredible film industry. Thankfully CNM and the state shared this vision and stepped up to really make it happen.”

Industry leaders including Netflix, NBCUniversal, Cinelease, and the Film and Television Technicians of New Mexico Local 480 union have supported the effort and informed programming at the center.

“New Mexico has always been home to innovators and creatives, and this center gives them the tools and training to turn their ideas into careers,” said EDNM Secretary Rob Black. “By investing in homegrown talent alongside the most advanced technology, we’re building a workforce that will lead the next generation of production right here in New Mexico.”

CNM classes at the Rail Yards will begin September 21. Initial offerings will include associate degree programs in film production, digital media and film along with certificate programs for postproduction and film crew technician. CNM’s film crew technician program has supported the workforce needs of New Mexico’s film industry for 25 years. In fall 2027, CNM will add a creative technology and emerging media certificate, an audio production certificate, and a TV and digital video production certificate.

“I know firsthand the transformative power of education in general and CNM specifically,” said City of Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel, previously a CNM executive for over two decades. “And this project is really a full-circle moment for the Rail Yards, built for what was the height of innovation at the time and rebooted now as a leading-edge place of learning for one of New Mexico’s most important industries. It’s a great example of what the city, state and CNM can accomplish when we think big together.”

The New Mexico Media Arts Collective (MAC) will phase in its programming at the Rail Yards over the facility’s first year, complementing CNM’s degree and certificate offerings with short-form workshops and hands-on training built to the industry’s immediate needs. Initial programs will focus on set-ready crew training, postproduction and digital media skills, and reskilling for the emerging technologies reshaping the creative industries. The MAC will serve learners from throughout the state including students from Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico College, Doña Ana Community College, Luna Community College, San Juan College, New Mexico State University, the Institute of American Indian Arts, Eastern New Mexico University and Highlands University.

Within the facility’s first year, CNM Ingenuity also plans to offer its 12-week Digital Media Bootcamp, providing quick access to careers. The college is exploring additional training in live television production, live television audio production, advanced postproduction, audio engineering, color editing, and film fabrication and design.

In subsequent years potential offerings could expand to multimedia and emerging technologies, music recording, live music engineering, performance-based sound effects, video game design, and costume design.

The facility includes industry-standard soundstages, postproduction suites, flexible production spaces, classrooms, and advanced equipment and technology. Among its most distinctive features is a Dolby-certified 22.7.12 speaker system, technology rarely found in an educational audio-engineering environment outside Los Angeles.

“This new facility gives New Mexico something it has never had: a place to train our own people for the full range of careers the creative economy now demands, from set-ready crew to postproduction to the emerging technologies reshaping the field,” said Mateo Frazier, MAC executive director. “We are building a workforce that stays here, works here, and owns a piece of what New Mexico creates.”

The renovation also preserves the unique character and scale of the boiler shop, which was originally constructed in the late 1800s and played a pivotal role in Albuquerque’s early economic and population growth. In 1919 the Rail Yards employed a quarter of the city’s workforce. Two of the original cranes once used to lift and move locomotives around the facility remain prominent features of the building, creating a striking connection between the site’s industrial heritage and its imaginative future.

The project received a Heritage Preservation Award earlier this year from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, recognizing the care taken to save the structure’s defining architectural elements. Once a center for building and repairing the locomotives that connected Albuquerque to new opportunities, the boiler shop will now help students build the skills, careers, and creative industries that will keep moving New Mexico forward.

A revolutionary undertaking for Albuquerque, CNM and the Rail Yards, it represents a massive investment in the long-term preservation of this iconic site and in creating new academic and career opportunities for people. The project is also an important part of broader goals to set up the Rail Yards as a landmark that bustles with imagination, innovation, commerce and community seven days a week.

Funding was made possible through voter-approved bonds for CNM and additional allocations from the state of New Mexico, the New Mexico Legislature, and the city of Albuquerque.

Crowd of people walking in large entryway