The City of Albuquerque this week announced it is providing a total of $432,000 in grants to restore or renovate historic signs along its Central Avenue (aka Route 66).
The city’s Department of Arts and Culture and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency have developed a Sign Improvement Program for owners of historic signs who can restore them by the fall of 2025.
The city wants to improve its stretch of Route 66 before the highway’s centennial in 2026.
According to a report by KRQE-TV in Albuquerque:
“It’s the longest stretch of the mother road in any city in America that’s still intact. And so We also believe this is about something bigger. This is about tourism, it’s about pride in our city, and it’s about understanding we actually offer something that no other city in America can,” said City of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.
The Sign Improvement Program will take applications submitted by property owners between now and Oct. 15.
Funding is awarded on a competitive basis, with an emphasis on projects that can be completed within the next two years.
More about the program can be found here.
The City of Tulsa has a current Route 66 neon sign grant program that has created or restored more than 50 signs in just the past few years.
(Image of the El Don Motel neon sign in Albuquerque by Tadson Bussey via Flickr)