Route 66 News in ABQ

Looks like a judge has granted the city access to El Vado Motel to keep it from deteriorating further.

KOB-TV reported:

"Wednesday’s court ruling means that city crews can enter the property and begin securing it to prevent any further weather damage.

"'For anybody that understands the history of Route 66, this is one of the great facilities, great structures architecturally in the history of Route 66,' said Albuquerque Mayor… Continue

The City of Albuquerque is offering $680,000 to buy El Vado Motel from owner Richard L. Gonzales, who wants to raze it and put up luxury townhouses. If the offer is rejected, the city intends to condemn the historic Route 66 property and seize it from Gonzales to save it from demolition, reports the Albuquerque Journal.

Gonzales has advertised the property for $2 million to $3 million. He bought it for $675,000 in late 2… Continue

It looks like El Vado Motel owner Richard L. Gonzales is up to his shenanigans again. There's a new demolition application of the historic Route 66 motel before the Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission meeting on Wednesday.

I would explain further, but city planner Ed Boles, in an e-mail sent Friday evening, explains what needs to be done as well as anything:

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The Albuquerque City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to award city landmark status to El Vado Motel, giving it some protection against being torn down to make way for
luxury townhouses. The vote followed more than two hours of
sometimes-disjointed discussions that Councilor Don Harris labeled “a
train wreck.”

The city land

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Monday is the day that the Albuquerque City Council will determine whether to designate El Vado Motel as a City Landmark and prevent it from being destroyed to make way for luxury townhouses.

Ordinarily, I'd give a pep talk and encourage residents to attend the council meeting. But the city's historic preservation

… Continue