Albuquerque motel demolished

The Economy Inn in Albuquerque, formerly the Trade Winds Motel, was torn down Friday after becoming a chronic nuisance, reported KOB-TV.

The station reported that the old Route 66 motel was a “a haven for drug dealers, prostitutes and other shady people.”

Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz said Friday, ” In my 27 years in law enforcement, I’ve been on this property more times than I want to count— it goes back to when the old El Cid used to be next door— so this is a good thing for this area of the city.”

Here’s an old image of the Trade Winds Motel, from Joe Sonderman’s collection, before the name change.

It’s the seventh motel on Central Avenue, aka Route 66, the city has torn down in recent years. It’s tempting to get mad at the City of Albuquerque. However, the city for years has had an oversupply of motels, and the temptation for owners to look the other way when illicit activity occurs is probably immense.

And, to its credit, the city has saved historic motels such as El Vado and the De Anza.

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