A rival developer’s appeal of the city of Albuquerque’s decision to award a redevelopment contract for the historic De Anza Motor Lodge was rejected Monday night during the regular council meeting, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
The winning contractor, Anthea, will spend a projected $8.2 million to renovate the Route 66 motel into extended-stay lodging, a restaurant and retail. The developers must keep most of the historic motel’s original elements, including the sign and Zuni murals in the lobby.
The Anthea proposal uses entirely private financing, which is why it anticipates finishing the project relatively quickly.
With a bit of luck, Route 66 aficionados will be able to visit the renovated De Anza Motor Lodge before New Year’s Day 2017.
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. The site was used in at least one scene in the television drama “Breaking Bad” and recently used as a shooting locale for a Tina Fey movie, “Fun House,” that will be released in 2016.
(Image of De Anza Motor Lodge by Paul Narvaez via Flickr)
This is seriously good news; once these places are gone….they’re gone. It’s a sad state these days that everything is built for profit not for people.