Route 66er meets with El Vado Motel owner

This was posted this morning on the Route 66 e-group. Emily Priddy is the eastern vice president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and a charter member of the Friends of the Mother Road preservation group. She meet on Thursday with Richard Gonzales, the new owner of El Vado, after Albuquerque’s Planning Commission deferred the zoning request for 60 days.

… Jerry (Euckert) and I had the opportunity yesterday to meet with Mr. Gonzales and talk to him about the future of his property.

I found him to be very reasonable and pleasant, with some admirable goals and a genuine concern for his city’s future — not at all the sort of person I’d imagined when I read articles online that quoted him as saying he couldn’t wait to get rid of the motel because it was an eyesore.

He is not a roadie, and it would be unreasonable to expect him to become a roadie overnight (although you know that certainly won’t stop me trying!) but he is a decent guy who makes some valid points.

He knew the property was historic, but he said that while he has been in contact with city officials about his ideas for some time, no one emphasized to him how important the property was until very recently (about the time we all started rattling the city’s cage about it — so, again, good work in raising awareness of the issue!) I got the impression that several people had dropped the ball by failing to get back to him on things in a timely fashion. Based on that, he surmised that the property wasn’t that significant to the city, and he said he had been in contact with surrounding property owners who indicated they were not happy with the way the motel was being maintained or used and would like to see it torn down.

Incidentally, Sam and his wife both indicated that they were disappointed no one from either the city or the Route 66 community had come forward to purchase the motel during the two or three years that it was on the market. They said they received a flurry of visits and calls when they put it on the market, but there was no follow-up after that … so maybe we need to look at whether we dropped the ball a little bit and, if so, how we should handle things next time.

Mr. Gonzales’ perception is that much of the motel’s historic character has been compromised, at least inside the rooms — while Jerry and I noticed many details that appeared original, Mr. Gonzales pointed out many larger, more obvious features that have no apparent historical value. He indicated that he planned to remove some of those items and throw them out. I explained that anything inside El Vado’s walls is part of the ongoing history of Route 66 and suggested that he donate any unwanted items to museums or sell them to raise money for the preservation of the remaining units. He was incredulous when Jerry told him that people will actually pay money for pieces of asphalt from Route 66.

His frame of reference does not include a great deal of information about Route 66; he was not familiar with Michael (Wallis)’s book or with many of the people whose names we mentioned during our meeting. But he has in recent days gained at least some understanding of what he owns and why it is important, and while he is not willing to forsake his dream of putting luxury condos on the property, he is willing to listen to our ideas and consider ways to preserve at least part of the motel.

He indicated that he is willing to save the office, sign, and a few units (probably three) if we can find an entity — perhaps the city or a nonprofit organization — to be responsible for running them.

Our discussion centered on the possibility of preserving the office and three units on the triangle of land closest to Central Avenue and converting them to a B&B-type establishment.

While it’s not the complete rescue we all want, this plan seems fair to everyone involved. Mr. Gonzales benefits by being able to use the back part of the property for the townhouses, as he’d originally planned; the remaining structures at the front of the lot serve as a sort of buffer between the peace and quiet of an upscale residential subdivision and the bustling activity of Central Avenue; and the motel he once saw as an eyesore becomes part of a unique and attractive entrance to his subdivision.

Meanwhile, although we lose part of the building, we retain the iconic sign, the beautiful office, and a sampling of units sufficient to give visitors a sense of what once was there. Additionally, by finding new life as a B&B, El Vado retains its intended usage as lodging; travelers who really want to sleep at El Vado still have that option; and the higher price tag and slightly more upscale B&B vibe make the property much less likely to become overrun with the sort of ne’er-do-wells who have taken up residence at some ABQ motels.

Even the wall around the townhouse complex — which I had imagined as a forbidding, unfriendly sort of structure — might be incorporated into this plan: We discussed the prospect of painting a trompe l’oeil mural on the wall behind the remnants of the motel, depicting the rear units in their prime, to give visitors a better understanding of what was there. We would need some talented artists to volunteer to create the mural. Without putting anyone on the spot, I will point out that we have no shortage of talent on this road, so I am sure we can find somebody willing to help with such a project.

I like this solution, as it saves part of the motel on-site, allows it to remain functional rather than becoming a museum piece, and dovetails nicely with Mr. Gonzales’ personal goal of improving the safety and appearance of that end of town, which has suffered from crime and neglect in recent years.

I don’t think we should give up on saving El Vado outright — the city is sympathetic, and there may be approaches we haven’t thought of yet — but I do think Mr. Gonzales’ willingness to compromise is a huge step in the right direction.