Bernalillo County recently chose a manager to run its eventual $5.5 million Route 66 Visitors Center on Albuquerque’s west side.
According to an article by the Associated Press, the county chose West Central Community Development Group to operate and manage the center on Nine Mile Hill.
A perusal of the county’s agenda packet reveals these details about the visitors center:
The proposed West Central Route 66 Visitor Center 10 acre site is strategically located near Interstate 40 and Atrisco Vista interchange, which is resplendent with dynamite views of Albuquerque and Sandia Mountains, together with its prominent position along the Mother Road, shall be a destination for tourists; a gathering place for the local Southwest Mesa community; and an attraction to the residents at large throughout the County, the City of Albuquerque and beyond. It is anticipated that the facility will provide for office, community meeting and exhibit
space, including multimedia space, and potential restaurant and taproom space. The facility will also provide outdoor space for exhibits, meeting and gathering spaces. […]During the design and construction phases of the property, West Central Community Development Group will work with the County on the Exhibit master plan, including interior museum-quality exhibits that will support the mission of education and outreach and implementing the overall master plan. They will also work on the long-term plan which will include identifying additional capital improvements, fundraising, and programming for youth, developing community partnerships, and designing a sustainable framework for managing the property.
A so-called “neon graveyard” for orphaned Route 66 signs also is planned.
West Central will run the approximately 10,000-square-foot facility for four to eight years. Mullen Heller Architecture will design the center, with a final planned mockup by the end of this year. Construction will occur in phases, but no completion date was listed, although earlier reports stated 2020.
The city of Albuquerque purchased the land in December 2016, with an original estimated construction cost of $3.4 million. The cost rose as planners became more ambitious with the project, wanting it to be a “destination” site.
(Artist’s rendering of the proposed Route 66 visitors center in Albuquerque via Bernalillo County)
That artist’s conception is certainly intriguing. I look forward to seeing/hearing more about it.