Officials broke ground Thursday on the redevelopment of the Sundowner Motel in Albuquerque. The motel will be adapted into apartments for veterans, the homeless, mixed-income residents, and people with special needs.
According to Albuquerque Business First, renovating the Sundowner is a $9.2 million project.
Final plans include 71 apartments, commercial space for small business incubators, a café and a computer training center. NewLife Executive Director John Bloomfield said the residential units will be made available for mixed-income residents. […]
“The former Route 66 corridor has upwards of 50 derelict motels in need of renovation,” said Bloomfield, the project developer. “We believe that the redevelopment of the Sundowner will demonstrate what can be done in the current economic climate with a public/private partnership and will be a catalyst for redeveloping the area.”
An Associated Press report said the Sundowner was where Bill Gates and Paul Allen resided while launching Microsoft Corp. So the motel boasts historical significance as well.
Depending on what source you believe, the Sundowner was built in 1949 or 1960. A vintage postcard of the Sundowner can be seen here.