El Vado Motel restoration ‘a few weeks’ from completion

The long process of restoring the historic El Vado Motel in Albuquerque is just a few weeks from reaching the finish line, according to the president of the project’s developer.

Last year, officials hoped for a late summer opening. That date got pushed to December.

KOB-TV in Albuquerque found out why the project took longer than expected:

“We had a lot of surprises that had to do with underground utilities and the soil conditions here,” said Chad Rennaker, the president of Palindrome Communities. “We finally have buttoned all of that up and it’s kind of the finishing mode of the project.” […]

“All of the furniture has been custom made by a local woodworker, so we didn’t buy this out of a hotel catalog,” he said. “Everything is locally made and it’s all made to a midcentury style.”

Here’s the video report:

The boutique motel will contain 22 rooms for overnight travelers, plus food pods and retail stores listed below:

• The Arogya Center
• Metal the Brand
• Southwest Cactus
• South Valley Economic Community Development Corporation
• Ponderosa Brewing
• Zendo Coffee
• My Adventure in Catering
• Buen Provecho
• Happy Chickenzz
• Bosque Burger
• Sandia Crust Pizza
• El Vado Pretzel

El Vado is part of an $18 million redevelopment project, with $3 million from the city.

Irish immigrant Daniel Murphy opened El Vado Auto Court Motel on Route 66 in 1937. It’s cited as one of the best examples of pre-World War II motels in New Mexico. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

El Vado closed in 2005 after new owner Richard Gonzales said he wanted to bulldoze it for luxury townhouses. The city seized El Vado a few years later after a long fight to save the property.

UPDATE: In a follow-up story by the Albuquerque Journal, it reported El Vado would reopen in mid-April.

(Image of El Vado Motel sign via the city of Albuquerque)