Tucked into a half-billion-dollar budget proposal for the city of Albuquerque is $1.45 million to help design a Route 66 visitors center.
The Albuquerque Journal reported the Route 66 visitors center would be built on the city’s west side. No money was allocated for the actual construction of the site.
The visitors center wasn’t in the proposed fiscal-2017 budget by Mayor Richard Berry. This version of the budget deal largely was crafted by city councilor Isaac Benton, who is on the city’s budget committee.
There were no specifics on where such a visitors center would be built other than west of the Rio Grande. There’s little doubt that places such as the Western View Diner and Steakhouse on that side of town would benefit if such a visitors center becomes reality.
The Benton proposal is so new, it hadn’t been posted on the city’s website by Friday night.
Albuquerque has been talking about a Route 66 museum or visitors center for years, including a failed attempt in 2012 to secure an $800,000 capital-outlays grant from the state of New Mexico to build it.
(Image of the Western View Diner and Steakhouse in Albuquerque by sfgamchick via Flickr)