The Albuquerque City Council on Monday approved a redevelopment plan centered around the long-closed El Vado Motel and Casa Grande restaurant, reported Albuquerque Business First. The move called for the area of Central Avenue (aka Route 66) west of downtown to the Rio Grande declared as "blighted." However, that isn't necessarily a bad thing for what … Continue reading Albuquerque OKs redevelopment plan centered around El Vado Motel
Category: Preservation
Senator wants to abolish Route 66 Corridor Program
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) is pushing for the dismantling of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in a publication about alleged government waste in the National Park System, "Parked! How Congress' Misplaced Priorities are Trashing Our National Treasures" (PDF file). In a section titled "Get Your Pork Fix on Route 66," the report says: The National … Continue reading Senator wants to abolish Route 66 Corridor Program
Frontier Motel in Truxton soon will have a new owner
The historic Frontier Motel in Truxton, Ariz., with its adjoining cafe and nearby bar and gas station, are under contract to soon be owned by a tour operator from New Zealand. Sam Murray, owner of Gilligan's Wild West Tours, said during a telephone interview the transfer of licenses through Mohave County is the only holdup … Continue reading Frontier Motel in Truxton soon will have a new owner
Gillioz Theatre has a new owner
The historic Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield, Mo., has a new owner, and it's not the local community college, as expected. According to the Springfield News-Leader, Springfield resident Robert Low, owner of the Prime Inc. trucking company, purchased the theater that sits on an old alignment of Route 66. Low also signed a lease agreement … Continue reading Gillioz Theatre has a new owner
Gillioz Theatre auction postponed; agreement reached
An auction planned Friday for the financially troubled Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield, Mo., was postponed at least a week amid a pending agreement. According to the Springfield News-Leader reported Friday: “The Board of the Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust has reached a significant milestone today,” board president Philip Rothschild said in an emailed statement. “As a … Continue reading Gillioz Theatre auction postponed; agreement reached
Gillioz Theatre likely will be auctioned Friday
The historic Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield, Mo., is scheduled to go on the auction block on Friday, and a local college may be interested in buying it, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozark Technical Community College, told the newspaper the college would buy the theater if "the price is right" … Continue reading Gillioz Theatre likely will be auctioned Friday
Preservation of historic Los Angeles bridge hits a wall
Proponents of an effort to keep a historic bridge in Los Angeles and make it a pedestrian span has hit a wall. Instead, the bridge likely will be demolished, according to a report in The Architect's Newspaper. The old Dayton Avenue Bridge (aka the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge), built in 1927 and improved in 1939, once carried Route … Continue reading Preservation of historic Los Angeles bridge hits a wall
Work day set for Nov. 16 at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch
Volunteers have scheduled a short work day on Nov. 16, to spruce up the area around the Stanley Cour-Tel signs at Henry's Rabbit Ranch on old Route 66 in Staunton, Ill. The Stanley Cour-Tel neon signs were salvaged from a Route 66 motel in west St. Louis. The signs were moved before the motel was razed … Continue reading Work day set for Nov. 16 at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch
Work day set for Saturday at Sprague service station
John Weiss, a longtime preservationist with the Illinois Route 66 Association, has scheduled a work day at the historic Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Ill., starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. The Sprague station was built in 1931 on Route 66 by William Sprague. It was a unique in that it appears to … Continue reading Work day set for Saturday at Sprague service station
Vic Suhling / Gas For Less sign glows again after 40-plus years
The restoration of the historic Vic Suhling / Gas For Less neon sign was unveiled Saturday evening next to the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center in Litchfield, Ill. According to a news release, up to 200 people attended the event, including two of Suhling's daughters Bonnie and Bernice, one who traveled from Portland, … Continue reading Vic Suhling / Gas For Less sign glows again after 40-plus years