Oscar-winning movie director Quentin Tarantino recently withdrew an offer to buy the closed Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, California, reported the South Pasadena Review. According to South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce President Scott Feldmann, Tarantino agreed to a contract for a short period of time, before pulling back on his offer prior to closing the … Continue reading Quentin Tarantino backs out of Rialto deal
Category: Preservation
Anthony Quinn mural in downtown L.A. to be restored
The nearly 30-year-old mural of actor Anthony Quinn on the side of the Victor Clothing Co. building in downtown Los Angeles will be restored, according to several media outlets. Titled "The Pope of Broadway," the 70-foot-tall mural at 242 S. Broadway shows Quinn with his arms outstretched, a la a scene from the 1964 film … Continue reading Anthony Quinn mural in downtown L.A. to be restored
Group seeks to restore old schoolhouse in Phelps
A nonprofit group is raising money to shore up and restore a long-abandoned, century-old Phelps School in the tiny Route 66 hamlet of Phelps, Missouri, reported the Joplin Globe. According to the article, Phelps School was finished in 1889 until it and other one-room schools in the region were consolidated into the Miller School District … Continue reading Group seeks to restore old schoolhouse in Phelps
Nonprofit challenges El Vado redevelopment plan
A nonprofit group that has experienced success in rehabbing vintage Route 66 motels in Albuquerque is appealing the city's selection of another group that wants to redevelop the historic El Vado Motel, reported the Albuquerque Journal. According to the newspaper: Albuquerque-based nonprofit NewLife Homes, which finished second in the selection process to eventual winner Palindrome … Continue reading Nonprofit challenges El Vado redevelopment plan
Future of Shea’s Route 66 Museum likely won’t be known until next year
What's in store for the closed Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, likely won't be known until sometime early next year, reported the State Journal-Register newspaper. The museum, long operated by former gas-station operator and gas memorabilia collector Bill Shea, closed except for appointments in late 2012 after Shea became too frail and was … Continue reading Future of Shea’s Route 66 Museum likely won’t be known until next year
Route 66 in Mojave may reopen by late November
Long sections of historic Route 66 that were closed in mid-September because of extensive flood damage may reopen by late November, reported The Press-Enterprise. The newspaper had more details about the damage: In some spots there are holes large enough to swallow one of the motorcycles belonging to tourist groups that regularly retrace the Western … Continue reading Route 66 in Mojave may reopen by late November
Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
The Aztec Hotel on old Route 66 in Monrovia, California, may reopen sometime in 2015, reported the Pasadena Star-News. However, with the report about the historic building containing caveats -- plus the owner's problems in managing the property -- one has to wonder whether the hotel will reopen at all next year. Excerpts from the … Continue reading Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
Santo Domingo Trading Post wins a large grant
The historic Santo Domingo Trading Post along old Route 66 in Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico, earned a half-million-dollar federal grant for its renovations, according to a news release from U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. The $511,118 comes from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The project revives an historic Native … Continue reading Santo Domingo Trading Post wins a large grant
A tour of the Tower Theatre
A few days ago, The Oklahoman newspaper provided a tour for 30 subscribers to the historic but long-closed Tower Theatre along Route 66's Northwest 23rd Street alignment in Oklahoma City. As you will see, the tour contained a few former employees or patrons of the Tower. The tour also included a Q&A with the developers … Continue reading A tour of the Tower Theatre
Developer chosen for El Vado Motel
A developer has been picked by the city of Albuquerque to redevelop the historic El Vado Motel -- including it being partly revived as a boutique motel, according to Albuquerque Business First. Palindrome Communities is the developer, which is a partnership between PacifiCap and the Sawmill Community Land Trust. Its proposal calls for creating a … Continue reading Developer chosen for El Vado Motel