Among the development proposals for the historic but long-closed De Anza Motel in Albuquerque are a quality boutique hotel and a motel/condominium hybrid, reported the Albuquerque Journal.
Five developers submitted proposals for the property, and the city hasn’t revealed them. But the newspaper obtained copies of two of the submissions.
TLC Plumbing founder Dale Armstrong and Bill Smith of Construct Southwest submitted the condo/motel plan. Here is how the Journal described the plan:
The De Anza version, proposed by Anthea@Nob Hill LLC, would have about 30 furnished apartments of various sizes that function like extended-stay motel rooms. The $8.2 million redevelopment project would involve tearing down and rebuilding the more dilapidated buildings at the north end of the site.
The buildings fronting on Central would be rehabbed or rebuilt to retain their original architectural facades. The onetime Turquoise Cafe would become a coffee shop or other specialty eatery, while the original lobby building would contain a diner. Five or six conventional motor lodge rooms would be housed in the original building at the corner of Central and Washington NE.
The second developer is an investment group, De Anza Co. LLC, led by former health insurance executive Jerry Landgraf. The renovated De Anza would be run by Panetière Hospitality.
Their proposal describes the hotel as “a hip, fun, sociable lodging option with a restaurant, rooftop bar, meeting and event facilities.” It would also have a 2,000-square-foot museum incorporating the Zuni murals, a Zuni/Route 66-themed gift shop and a swimming pool for guests.
Two alternative proposals are outlined. The “preferred” plan would attempt to renovate the existing property with 65 rooms — the original had 86 — and limited modifications. The wild card in the preferred plan is whether or not the entire property can be rehabbed to historic preservation standards using federal tax credits.
If preserving the entire property doesn’t work, the group would replace the buildings in the back, thus enlarging it to 95 units, and keep the property’s 1950s feel. Estimated cost, depending on which option is chosen, is between $13.8 million and $17.9 million.
According to a previous story, all the proposals should be revealed by mid-March.
Zuni trader and Indian art collector Charles G. Wallace built De Anza in 1939. The motel at 4301 Central NE is on the National Register of Historic Places.
(Image of De Anza’s sign by Thomas Hawk via Flickr)