The New Mexico Route 66 Association announced this week it would give its annual Heritage Award to the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce.
The honor is in recognition of the updated beautification of the chamber building by its executive director, Scott Crotzer, while keeping its original mid-century architecture charm from its groundbreaking in 1966.
The award presentation was scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at the chamber building, located at 404 W. Route 66 Blvd.
Association President Melissa Lea Beasley-Lee and other members of the New Mexico Route 66 Association’s board of directors will preside.
According to newspaper archives, the chamber opened bids on constructing its building in July 1966. The chamber displays a golden-colored shovel from Tucumcari Lumber Co. used during the groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 22, 1966.
According to a story last fall in the Quay County Sun about an open house at the chamber building after its renovations:
The building now comes in brighter colors, a polished concrete floor that features a Route 66 shield, lots of tourism rack cards and plenty of souvenirs and apparel that Crotzer wants to develop into a significant revenue stream.
During the renovations, the chamber also added ADA-compliant bathrooms, free Wi-Fi and an eye-catching Tucumcari Visitors Center sign that aims to draw tourists, especially those who exit Interstate 40 from the city’s west side.
Just a few days before, the chamber had a new heat pump installed to replace an aging and failed one. In all, it spent more than $40,000 in lodgers tax funds for the face-lift.
Crotzer is a fan of 1960s architecture and began renovations on the building in earnest shortly after being hired in mid-2021. The building had been closed for about a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Image of the Tucumcari/Quay Chamber Chamber of Commerce building)