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Don't let ABQ lose this

On Jan. 7, the Albuquerque City Council will decide whether to preserve a nearly 70-year-old part of its Route 66 heritage, or let a local developer tear it down to make way for luxury townhouses.

I'm talking about El Vado Motel, on Central Avenue near the Rio Grande. It boasts unique Southwestern architecture, carports to park your ride, and a way-cool neon sign. It's one of the most recognized landmarks of old Route 66, and of Albuquerque.

Trouble is, you can't check into El Vado. Shortly after purchasing it, Richard L. Gonzales stated he wanted to tear down the motel. The city stepped in and said "not so fast." But in the meantime, the motel has been shuttered for more than two years and surrounded by a chain-link fence.

If you want to preserve El Vado, you can go to the city council meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 7 and urge the councilors to designate the motel as a city landmark, thus protecting it from the bulldozers. Or you can e-mail the councilors here.

There's been talk of a buyout, which will be even more likely if the city council gives El Vado the protection of a city landmark designation. And at least one individual at a recent Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission meeting expressed interest in buying it and reopening it as a motel.

However, I'm willing to concede El Vado may not reopen as a Route 66 lodging establishment. To that end, I'm not against adaptive reuse as long as its historical character is maintained. Mayor Marty Chavez has suggested a neon museum. I've heard a few people recommend a Route 66 museum. And I'm aware of at least one Route 66 motel, Cactus Court in Santa Fe, that was converted into a retail complex.

Any other ideas? The more options the property has, the better its chances that it can be preserved.

(Photo courtesy of The Lope.)

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Comment by SoyJames on December 20, 2007 at 9:12am: Dibs on the sign.

Comment by Paula Manning-Lewis on December 20, 2007 at 10:10am: I have dreams of seeing it turned into an artist studio complex with gallery/performance space. Only wish I had the $2.25 million they are asking for it!

Comment by Dr Dan on December 20, 2007 at 10:17am: While I would like to see the motel kept intact, I don't see the conversion to retail space without a huge investment. I doubt the costs can be recovered and the city doesn't need another investment that will be a yearly loser. The sign should be kept and maintained. I don't like the concept of unafforable condos, but it is his land, I only notice the sign.

Comment by Chris on December 20, 2007 at 10:30am: If the city wants control over the land they should buy it.
It bothers me that the city wants control over someone elses private property.

Comment by PABLODIABLO on December 20, 2007 at 10:38am: The sign should definitely be left alone!

As far as being a useful motel again, it seems like that era has passed. Housing doesn't seem like a bad idea; couldn't the motel just be renovated as it is and converted into housing? I suppose the owner wants to build many more unit$ though.

Comment by akoolstik on December 20, 2007 at 10:40am: great sign. not too many shops anymore that build those .

Comment by Izquierdo on December 20, 2007 at 10:52am: It has often been shown that when putting together a tourist attraction, the two most important words are "critical mass." Such is the situation in the neighborhood where El Vado Motel is a core property. Each piece of such a historic and recreational area adds delight,interest and contributes to longer visits, more interaction between families, etc. El Vado Motel is a historic treasure that adds hugely to the ambiance of the enticements already present -- museums, Old Town, miniature trains, a huge biological park including a zoo, bicycle paths, fishing, hiking trails into the Rio riverbed, and western history. Did not the Navajo People, returning to their homeland after the infamous Long Walk, cross the Rio Grande virtually en masse not too far downstream? If I'm not mistaken, El Vado is Spanish for "The Ford," as in river crossing. The history is rich -- an epic east-west passageway beyond the wondermint of Route 66.
The property is too valuable as not only a historic treasure, but as an economic resource, to be pulled out of service as an attraction. Further, it should remain a motel, a place for families to jump start their day by unloading their fishing gear, dirt bikes, and binoculars on site, ready to stay a day or two longer than originally anticipated -- just for the fun of it -- maybe even to explore further along the Rail Runner route.
This would be the argument I would advance in confronting the City Council. I hope the Route 66 association, the National Park Service, and others will be on hand to help nail down the historical value, and close the deal that will make Albuquerque stronger. An after Christmas local media blitz would also be helpful. Speaking of media, it could also be pointed out that this additional piece of "critical mass" will add to the ease of publicizing the area beyond Albuquerque's and New Mexico's borders. A townhouse will never make the New York Times' travel page, Sunset Magazine, or the Clovis News-Journal.

Comment by John on December 20, 2007 at 11:57am: I don't know if I could see El Vado becoming a motel again. I agree with Pablodiablo, it seems that era has passed.

I think a mix of uses would be best. A Route 66 Museum sounds very appropriate, with this motel being the focus of attention of Route 66 preservationists in Albuquerque and 66 being such a big part of ABQ's history. You could use the main office and a few of the old rooms for exhibit space, and then put a few classic cars in the parking lot. Then use the other rooms for small retail/studio spaces, with the museum as the anchor.

It's a prime location for tourist services, being just across the street from the BioPark and only a few minutes walk from Old Town.

The only thing about a museum at this time is that the city doesn't seem too keen on the idea of another new museum, with the Balloon Museum not doing too well. We might be able to get the city to invest some money to start out with, but private ownership of a museum would be nice.

Comment by Eckleburg and Grumblecake on December 20, 2007 at 12:00pm: We drive past the El Vado every day as we go to work and would be devastated if it was turned into "luxury" townhomes. It just isn't the right use for that space, and the city could really do something great with a location essential right across from the Biopark and at a rapid ride stop. So what could it be? Here is what I have been thinking:

1. I think there is enough of a market for Rt.66 aficionados for it to be a high-end boutique hotel. I think a lot of Rt. travelors would like an "authentic" motor hotel, but almost all of the remaining operational ones are so sketchy that people don't feel comfortable. A marketing campaign that said something like "Make a stop at the El Vado the highlight of your pilgrimage down authentic Rt. 66" would be quite effective, especially if you had a good brochure that demonstrated it was safe and upscale but still very authentic.

2. Think about a neon museum from the reverse perspective: If we wanted one, where should it go? The risk with a neon sign museum is that it would be too small to be a big draw on its own. But if you put it in the El Vado next to the biopark, people could stop by before/after bioparking and it would work. If there was ever a good location for a neon museum, El Vado is it.

3. I keep having this pipe dream that you could install a cool glass ceiling over the whole thing to enclose it, and then have each room be a super awesome studio space with the courtyard being a gallery. Or put a whole bunch of government service kiosks in there so the public could do their business somewhere cool -- perhaps a couple rooms could be a DMV outlet, a few rooms could be a post office outlet, a few rooms could be a Small business liscense/NM Taxation office.

4. If you could enclose it, it could also become the premier restaraunt -- put general seating in the courtyard, and then have speical private dining/meeting rooms in each of the hotel suites.

5. There are so many small groups and non-profits that need a meeting space occasionally that have nowhere to go. Perhaps the city could set it up so that groups could reserve rooms as meeting rooms for monthly/sporadic meetings for clubs, non-profits, and small businesses. It would be a great public service to provide such spaces.

6. More pipe-dream brainstorming: since each room is a bit small and has a private bathroom, could it be turned into a doctor's office or two, with each room being an exam room?

Whatever happens, it is definitely one of the few buildings on central between downtown and Coors that is worth saving it. If we lose it, we effectively shorten our stretch of authentic Rt. 66 to downtown and East.

Comment by once banned twice shy on December 20, 2007 at 12:08pm: I should think it could be operated as a boutique motel, however it probably would require too much money to rehab it as such and therefore is less attractive to an investor/developer. Drexler has a good point. The city got all lathered up about protecting the De Anza and it is now a giant blight on Washington and Central. Which is ironic, considering the campaign the city now has against nuisance properties.