I was watching the video online of the Albuquerque City Council’s meeting of Jan. 18, searching for any mentions of the introduction of the Landmarks Commission’s recommendation to designate El Vado Motel a city landmark.
Since it was just an introduction, councilors didn’t discuss it and won’t until at least their Feb. 6 meeting. But I found one thing interesting — the council condemned the American Inn Motel on 4501 Central Ave. NE, which is on Route 66.
This should not be confused with the Best Western American Motor Inn at 12999 Central Ave. NE, which is still operating and appears prosperous.
According to testimony during the council meeting, the American Motor Inn was built in the 1950s, but it had become a haven for drug-dealing and prostitution. The building had structurally deteriorated, and the neighborhood residents said it had been a problem for years.
I knew the building was doomed when one councilor said he had driven by the motel for 15 years and hadn’t seen one improvement made. Also, an attorney for the corporation that owned the motel had the misfortune of describing the group that owned it as being “like Enron.”
Since I can’t find any images of the motel on eBay or other postcard sources, I’ll assume the American Inn Motel was a minor footnote in the history of Route 66. It’s unfortunate the condemnation occurred, but it’s understandable. It’s not just short-sighted developers who are the enemy of Route 66 preservation — it’s indifferent or negligent property owners, too.
I live a few blocks behind American Inn Motel. I don’t think it will be missed. The whole area around it, could use some revitalizing.
FWIW: they’re in the process of demolishing it this week. You’re correct in thinking it was a minor footnote at best — it’s a cookie-cutter big-block multistory with no character to speak of. The real historic motel on that site was the Ambassador Lodge, which was torn down and replaced by a Ramada Inn in the late 1950s.