The owner of the Roadrunner Lodger Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, this week began a project he’s been wanting to do for seven years — restore the neighboring and long-closed La Plaza Court.
According to a story I wrote for the Quay County Sun, David Brenner and his now-former wife brought the Route 66 property that contained the Leatherwood Manor motel and adjoining La Plaza Court. The Leatherwood, built in 1964, was restored and rechristened the Roadrunner.
Brenner this week began the process of restoring La Plaza, built in 1947, to its late 1940s to early 1950s glory by replacing the roof.
Brenner said he would bring back La Plaza’s original garages, door awnings, neon-light swirls and perhaps a “La Plaza” neon sign on the west side. He estimated the work would take a year, at least.
Whether La Plaza would reopen as a motel remains uncertain. Brenner says he considering other uses for the property, as well, including student housing, small-office businesses or artist-in-residence housing.
La Plaza hasn’t operated as a motel in at least 12 years.
On a related note, the Roadrunner Lodge finished No. 1 in the roadside motel category in the U.S. in USA Today’s annual 10Best Readers’ Choice contest in a vote conducted online.
The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari finished seventh.
(Vintage postcard image of La Plaza Court in Tucumcari, New Mexico, courtesy of 66Postcards.com)