Santa Fe motel will be converted into low-income housing

The historic Stage Coach Motor Inn along Cerrillos Road (aka Route 66) in Santa Fe, N.M., soon will be converted into a lower-income housing complex, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The Housing Trust of Santa Fe will begin renovating the motel in January.

Plans call for revamping the inn’s three buildings into 15 studios apartments and constructing 44 new one-, two- and three-bedroom units. A small casita on the site will also be redone and available to rent.

Community gardens, walking paths, a play area and open space have been mapped out for the 4.5 acre site. The community space will offer computers, a kitchen and room for child care and after-school programs.

Eventually, the Housing Trust hopes to also build a separate day-care center on the property.

Eco-friendly features are designed to earn the project platinum LEED status. […]

Residents must earn no more than 60 percent of the area’s average median income, now about $52,000 in Santa Fe. Units will rent from between $300 to nearly $1,000 a month.

The trust is paying $1.5 million for the property. The market value is $2.25 million, but the motel’s owner is donating the difference. All told, the entire project will cost about $12 million, which will be paid with housing tax credits and funding from funding from Santa Fe’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Community Development Block Grant, New Mexico Housing Trust Fund, and New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority.

This is yet another example of a historic property being adapted to another use. If the market can no longer make a vintage motel viable, then it should be converted to some other business use instead of being torn down.

A photo of the Stage Coach can be seen here.

UPDATE 12/9/2011: The Albuquerque Journal posted a story about the groundbreaking for the project.

3 thoughts on “Santa Fe motel will be converted into low-income housing

  1. I’m torn over projects like this. I’m always glad to see historic structures saved, but I’ve seen an awful lot of projects like this that look nice when finished, and like awful (due to neglect) in just a few years.

    For 59 units (families), that’s $203,389 each ($12m / 59). If they each received that much in “cash”, they should be able to buy 59 very nice houses out of foreclosure, killing 2 birds with one stone, and creating permanent housing solutions for those families. Just another way of looking at it…

    1. Interesting idea. However, I just looked at online listings for foreclosed homes in Santa Fe. There are a few under $200K, but many more that are considerably above that. Santa Fe is not known for cheap real estate.

  2. I’m inneed for a low income apartments. if you could if you will bless me with a low income apartment. I would be very grateful. my income is only 850 dollars per month. you know I have beautiful kids. but unfortunately I’m not able to see them. because I don’t have a stable place. you see it would be a blessing if I had a place of my own. having a low income place. I’m able to save money. for me and my kids. so if you can help it would be very grateful to me and my kids. thank you and god bless

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