Nearly two years ago, it was announced that the old Village Motel at 2624 Santa Monica Blvd., aka Route 66, in Santa Monica, Calif., would be bought and converted into housing for youths with mental illness.
Now, the Los Angeles Times reports, the motel will hold its grand opening Sept. 11 and be christened Daniel’s Village. The motel will be part of Step Up on Second, a recovery center for those who suffer from chronic mental illness. The program is designed to ease the transition of tenants into more traditional housing.
The article has the origins behind the motel’s new name:
The facility is named for Daniel Greenberg — son of Arthur Greenberg, a founding partner of the Los Angeles law firm Greenberg Glusker, and his wife, Audrey. Daniel attended what was then Harvard School for Boys, acted, played football and graduated from Princeton. He had his first psychotic break in college, but with treatment and medication was able to finish school. He then spent several years at Step Up on Second, first as a client and later as a caseworker and outreach worker.
But Daniel continued to struggle with his illness, and it ultimately led to his suicide in 1997.
You can see a photo of Daniel’s Village in this newsletter. This is a worthy conversion of an old Route 66 motel into something that benefits society at large.