The New Mexico Route 66 Association and Tucumcari MainStreet are joining forces to repair a dozen historic Route 66 neon signs in Tucumcari, New Mexico, that were damaged by a severe hailstorm in late May.
In a news release, the association stated its damage assessment identified more than 60 pieces of broken neon tubing among 12 classic neon signs in Tucumcari.
Johnnie Meier, preservation officer for the association and a neon expert, estimated about $7,500 is needed to repair or replace the broken tubing.
Meier stated he expects several transformers in the signs also will need replacement, possibly pushing the overall cost to as high as $10,000.
The association plans to remove broken tubing, make patterns that will be used by a neon contractor in Amarillo, negotiate prices, bring back the new tubing and install them.
“This plan establishes a single point-of-contact to represent all the neon sign owners in Tucumcari in transactions with neon vendors,” the association stated. “As is the case with federal grants the association has received in the past, the association will require up to a 50% cash or in-kind match from sign owners.
“The result we hope to achieve is that the sign owners would be able to have their signs restored with only the outlay of 50% of the cost of glass fabrication.
The association stated it estimates the initiative will require “several months” to complete.
Meier said Tucumcari business owners often face challenges in repairing their neon signs.
“Tucumcari is isolated with regard to commercial sign companies that are capable of neon sign servicing,” he said. “The closest companies that could service Tucumcari are in Amarillo, 115 miles away. For an Amarillo company to send a boom truck and a crew to Tucumcari is cost-prohibitive to the family-owned small businesses in Tucumcari.
“Given this circumstance, the association has committed our organization to assisting the small business owners to repair their signs with a cost-effective solution.”
Rob Federico, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel, and Gar Engman, owner of TeePee Curios, have volunteered to loan their bucket truck and labor for the project.
“I’ve worked with Rob and the bucket truck when we repaired the Odeon Theater sign,” Meier said of the historic theater in Tucumcari, “and his passion for doing whatever he can to promote Tucumcari is an inspiration to both myself and the association.”
The association also launched a GoFundMe online campaign to repair Tucumcari’s neon signs shortly after the May 25 storm. It raised more than $4,000.
“The association’s GoFundMe neon initiative has allowed us to begin the neon restoration project,” association President Melissa Lea Beasley-Lee stated. “The association is a nonprofit corporation, and we operate as volunteers; no one takes a salary, including our preservation team who will be doing most of the work.
“We would like to invite citizens to continue to donate to the GoFundMe neon campaign in order to allow us to repair as many signs as funding allows.”
Donations can be made online via the association’s web page at rt66nm.org.
Meier and Tucumcari MainStreet Executive Director Connie Loveland will meet with sign owners this week to work with them on the project.
“Tucumcari MainStreet recognizes that heritage tourism is vital to our local economy and that the classic neon signage is vital to maintaining our position as a top tourist destination on Route 66,” Loveland said.
Federico said restoring the neon is important to Tucumcari’s Route 66 heritage.
“I am afraid that if Tucumcari’s neon signs are not repaired, we will see a slow demise of
Route 66 tourism in Tucumcari,” he said. “A lot of businesses will suffer.”
(Image of broken neon tubing at the Americana Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, courtesy of the New Mexico Route 66 Association)
Good news! I hope the neon owners are able to raise the rest of what will be required. Seems like insurance would kick in on at least part of the damage?