The Braceros Downtown restaurant in Amarillo recently received a $20,000 grant from Center City of Amarillo to help restore its big neon sign.
The Amarillo Globe-News reported last week the nonprofit organization presented Jaime Santillá, owner of the restaurant, with the grant after he completed extensive interior and exterior work on the 1927 structure at 727 S. Polk St., formerly known as the Acapulco Building.
Santillá opened his second location downtown in July; his other location on Sixth Street has been a staple for Mexican food in Amarillo for the past 15 years. The extensive renovation of the Acapulco building included restoring its original hardwood floors that had previously been covered with tile and exposed brick walls.
Façade grants are matching grants to business owners, which assist in recovering some of the costs associated with any work done to the outside to increase the curb appeal and appearance of downtown businesses. The Center City of Amarillo can award up to $20,000 in matching funds for any exterior improvements to downtown buildings, including signage, windows, streetscapes, or external design elements.
Last week, Center City’s President Ed Gowdy and Executive Director Beth Duke met with Santillá to present his establishment with the matching funds for the work done to restore an iconic neon sign to his Polk Street location. The vintage sign is designed to look as close to the original previously on display at the site while a jewelry store, all the way back to the 1980s.
Center City posted on Facebook the presentation of the check:
Santillá said that he spent about $500,000 overall to renovate the location and has imported Mexican furniture to add to the atmosphere.
Braceros Downtown sits about two blocks south of where Route 66 turns west onto Sixth Street. It’s part of the ongoing revitalization of downtown Amarillo, including the reopening of The Barfield hotel.
And, as previously noted in the story, Santillá has another location further west on Sixth Street (aka Route 66) that he’s operated for years.
Center City has awarded facade grants for about 25 years.
(Image of the Braceros Downtown neon sign by Center City of Amarillo via Facebook)
Interesting name for a place to eat. I remember the Bracero program back in the 50’s and 60’s. A two-nation agreement to allow Mexican natl’s to work in US. It got so out of hand Eisenhower had to initiate project Wet Back to get the numbers reduced. Cesar Chavez, of the Farm Workers Union, opposed the Braceros to the point of physical conflict to protect wages for the jobs of poor American citizens of Mexican decent.