Thursday was a big day for neon signs along Route 66 in Albuquerque. One historic sign that was refurbished was reinstalled, and a reproduction of a badly damaged sign also was installed.
First is the refurbished De Anza Motor Lodge sign at the historic Route 66 motel that’s largely being redeveloped as part of a $9 million project.
The De Anza is being replaced by a new hotel and apartment complex, restaurants, retailers and office tenants. Historic elements that are being preserved include the neon sign and the Zuni murals.
Charles Wallace, a Zuni trader and Indian art collector, built De Anza Motor Lodge in 1939. The city bought the closed property in 2003, and it needed three tries before it could find a redeveloper with the proper financing to begin the project.
Also, a reproduction of the original Monterey Motel sign in Albuquerque was installed. A tall vehicle bashed and severely damaged one side of the sign during the last year.
Here’s what the sign looks like at night:
The same development group that revamped El Vado Motel in Albuquerque is restoring the nearby Monterey, once known as the Monterey Non-Smokers Motel.
According to “The Route 66 Encyclopedia,” the motel opened as the David Court in 1946. It was renamed Monterey Court by 1954.
Chad Rennaker of Palindrome Communities said bringing back the motel’s original flat roofs is among the priority items.
Norman Bugg owned and operated the Monterey Motel for about 25 years. Miroslaw and Boguslawa Elencwajg acquired it and renamed it Monterey Non-Smokers Motel. The couple kept up its high-quality standards.
In 2017, the motel was sold to Sundance Village Limited Partnership, the same group from Portland, Oregon, that owns El Vado Motel next door. The group reverted Monterey Non-Smokers Motel to its Monterey Motel name.
(Image of De Anza Motor Lodge sign reinstallation courtesy of Roland Penttila; images of the Monterey Motel sign by Amanda Brenner via Facebook)