Albuquerque's mayor announced Monday the troubled Albuquerque Rapid Transit project will receive $14 million from a Federal Transit Administration grant, but the fate of a long-anticipated $75 million grant from the agency remains unclear. The Albuquerque Journal reported: Mayor Tim Keller in a Monday news conference at the Uptown Transit Center said the federal government … Continue reading ART gets $14M grant; rest of $75M grant remains unclear
Category: Businesses
Scenes from the Texas Route 66 Festival
Hundreds of Route 66 enthusiasts from all over America and several foreign countries descended on Shamrock, Texas, over the weekend for the Texas Welcomes the World Route 66 Festival. One longtime roadie said authors and artists stationed in the Shamrock Community Center were pleased with attendance, with several reporting strong sales. A focal point at … Continue reading Scenes from the Texas Route 66 Festival
UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it
The fate of an original section of Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, remains up in the air after the Kum & Go convenience-store chain recently bought the property on which it sits. The Springfield News-Leader reports the piece of road on 2.9 acres on the southeast corner of Glenstone Avenue and Kearney Street (map here) … Continue reading UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it
Couple buys historic Gillett Mansion in Elkhart
A couple from Springfield, Illinois, purchased the historic Gillett Mansion that sits atop of prominent hill just east of the Route 66 town of Elkhart, Illinois. The couple plans to keep the mansion open to the public, including for events. According to a report several days ago in the Springfield State Journal-Register: Court and Karen … Continue reading Couple buys historic Gillett Mansion in Elkhart
El Vado Motel in Albuquerque to begin taking overnight guests Monday
After almost a 13-year hiatus, the historic and redeveloped El Vado Motel in Albuquerque will begin accepting overnight guests Monday. KOB-TV reported the latest development with the Route 66 landmark. For now, prospective overnight guests can use this link at Booking.com get a room. A perusal of the site shows El Vado has rooms priced … Continue reading El Vado Motel in Albuquerque to begin taking overnight guests Monday
Lebanon considers community improvement district for Route 66
The city administrator of Lebanon, Missouri, suggested to the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society it form a community improvement district to collect taxes for promotion and preservation of Route 66. The city also is gathering pricing proposals for signs to name Lebanon's Elm Street as "Historic Route 66." City administrator Mike Schumacher made several suggestions about funding … Continue reading Lebanon considers community improvement district for Route 66
Should Airbnb sites on Route 66 undergo more regulation?
While Airbnb has been controversial in larger cities for years, the use of people's homes for overnight lodging is being cussed and discussed in smaller cities -- including those on Route 66. WGLT, a public radio station at Illinois State University, recently dived into the issue and the case of Kevin Lewis' 103-year-old house in … Continue reading Should Airbnb sites on Route 66 undergo more regulation?
Kearney Street project in Springfield being watched closely
A plan to declare the Kearney Street corridor in Springfield, Missouri, as a blighted area and redevelop it using tax breaks and low-interest loans is attracting a lot of attention from retailers, bankers and bankers. Kearney Street remains a prominent Route 66 alignment once known as a car-cruising Mecca during the 1970s and ’80s -- … Continue reading Kearney Street project in Springfield being watched closely
Artists soon will paint Route 66 mural for Mother Road Market
Two local artists last week were chosen to create a Route 66-themed mural for the soon-to-open Mother Road Market food hall in Tulsa. Yatika Starr Fields and Janet Fadler Davie, both of Tulsa, were chosen from more than 20 applicants who sought to paint the mural on the building at 1124 S. Lewis Ave., a stone's … Continue reading Artists soon will paint Route 66 mural for Mother Road Market
A Route 66 tale of two cities
A story in The Conversation website, titled "Could New Legislation Lead to a Route 66 Economic Revival?" by Arizona State University historian and grad student Daniel Milowksi has attracted a lot of attention, especially since it was picked up by the Associated Press. In it, Milowski examines the history of Route 66 and how a … Continue reading A Route 66 tale of two cities