LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Ground is broken for Las Cruces' Convention Center on the corner of University Avenue and Union Ave in Las Cruces, and could be ready for business in 18 months.

“The University's Master Plan called for the university and city turning and facing each other. We used to be kind of back-to-back but the whole idea now is to face one another,” said Michael Rickenbaker, University Architect at New Mexico State University.

Many hope this will bring economic development opportunities to Las Cruces, instead of losing it to surrounding cities.

“They go to Santa Fe. They go to Albuquerque. They even go to Hobbs in Lee County. They have a center that holds a lot of people,” said Jim Berry, President of the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.

University students might not see it now, but they could get state-of-the-art training on their own campus.

“I can't tell you how exciting it is for our school of Hotel and Restaurant Management. They are going to be greatly benefitted by this project,” Rickenbaker said.

Las Cruces has been named the best place to do business, the best place to live and best place to retire, and in just over a year, it could be the best place to hold meetings or luncheons.

“The Chamber's been growing. We can't even get half the number of our members into our annual banquet,” Berry said.

The center will be 55,000 square feet. Community leaders hope it will help outsiders discover what Las Cruces and New Mexico State University have to offer aside from business.