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The city says the company responsible for reconstructing the Big-I violated its air-quality permit for a plant near the interchange, and Mayor Martin Chavez says it's time for the plant to go.

Twin Mountain Construction could face fines or a revocation of its air permit, although it is too early to discuss specifics of the case, said city attorney Bob White.

"These permits are very strict, and compliance is insisted," he said. "It's a serious thing."

The city issued a notice of violations Tuesday, White said, but a copy of the notice was not available Thursday.

Gray Kite, vice president of Twin Mountain, said this morning that the company has not been issued any citations.

Kite said the city expressed concern about the plant's emissions at the end of December, and the company has agreed to meet with city officials about those concerns.

Chavez has tried to get money to buy the Twin Mountain land, 1250 Menaul Blvd. N.E., and turn it into a park. He said he will work toward that goal again this year.

He said that two years ago the city and Twin Mountain had agreed on a price of $6 million to $7 million to buy the land, but Chavez said he could not get the City Council to go along.

The land is home to a large pile of recycled asphalt and a batch plant that processes asphalt and gravel.

Chavez calls it an eyesore.

"It doesn't make any sense to have this, especially in the middle of a $10 million landscaping project," Chavez said. "It's unsightly for the eye and bad for the health."

Kite said the land is not for sale.

Albuquerque and the state are splitting the cost of landscaping for the gigantic interchange, which includes desert plants and steel sculptures.

White said he was not sure what the plant discharged into the air.

Twin Mountain received the land from the state as part of its contract to rebuild the Big-I, which was completed in 2002.

"I think that was just a horrible deal for New Mexicans," Chavez said. "We're the largest city in the state, and it looks terrible. That's not the Albuquerque I know."

Chavez said he would like to see an extreme sports park to replace the plant.

"It seems like the perfect location for that kind of thing, because there are no neighbors to be annoyed by it," he said. "But I'll consider anything that isn't the way it is now."