The plan for a long-closed church in downtown Joliet, Ill., includes converting it into senior-citizen housing and creating a visitors center for Route 66 travelers, according to the Chicago Tribune and the Joliet Herald-News. Developer Scott Henry on Wednesday laid out a $20 million plan for the St. Mary Carmelite Church. It will be renamed The Limestone … Continue reading Plan for closed Joliet church includes a Route 66 visitors center
Category: Preservation
A tour of the Wigwam Motel
A program titled "Inland Empire Explorer" gets a walk-through of the historic Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Rialto, Calif. It's a good video: https://youtu.be/hgCHrrXUPTo "Inland Empire Explorer" airs on a PBS affiliate, KVCR, and on several cable-access stations in the Los Angeles area.
Nighttime at the Donut Drive-In
San Jose State professor and long-avowed roadie Andrew Wood recently completed a Route 66 trip, and posted this video of the neon sign at night at the Donut Drive-In in St. Louis. https://youtu.be/n8EXC89BIzA The Donut Drive-In's sign was restored in 2008 with the help of a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. And … Continue reading Nighttime at the Donut Drive-In
Kickstarter campaign launched for “The Motels of Route 66” film
Simon Cantlon, who we previously reported was creating a documentary film and book called "The Motels of Route 66," has just launched a fundraiser on Kickstarter to cover the some of the expenses of the project. The money raised will cover a month-long journey down Route 66 with a full four-man film crew (director, cameraman, … Continue reading Kickstarter campaign launched for “The Motels of Route 66” film
Advocates make effort to restore, reopen South Pasadena theater
Ever since officials a few weeks ago feared the large neon sign on the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, Calif., might be a safety hazard, local preservationists have moved quickly to see whether the historic building could be restored and reopened. According to a weekend story in the Pasadena Star-News: --- Landmark Theaters, which leases … Continue reading Advocates make effort to restore, reopen South Pasadena theater
More about the 66 Motel sign project
About 10 days ago, Ed Klein at Route 66 World announced a fundraiser to help restore the historic neon sign at the 66 Motel in Needles, Calif. Here'a a video he posted today that explains more about the project: https://youtu.be/VWqexoBsgOI Klein has raised $1,120 as of Monday evening, but he's less than a third of … Continue reading More about the 66 Motel sign project
Blue Whale gets security cameras
The bad news is someone recently broke open the donations box at the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Okla., and took about $15. The good news is an anonymous benefactor has donated camera equipment so the Route 66 landmark can be monitored against vandals and thieves. Also, a local wrecker service repaired and bolstered the donations … Continue reading Blue Whale gets security cameras
Protests greet possible destruction of West Hollywood film studios
The recent news that a developer may raze several historic movie studio buildings on Santa Monica Boulevard (aka Route 66) in West Hollywood, Calif., sparked protests Sunday, reported the Los Angeles Times. About 50 protesters were at the site, said the newspaper. The Lot studio, built in the 1920s and '30s, includes Mary Pickford, Charlie … Continue reading Protests greet possible destruction of West Hollywood film studios
El Trovatore sign tower glows again
The neon letters of the sign tower at the historic El Trovatore Motel along Route 66 in Kingman, Ariz., are glowing again for the first time in decades. Here are a few photos emailed by Kingman resident and Route 66 enthusiast Jim Hinckey: And here's an image of the tower from a distance; the motel's … Continue reading El Trovatore sign tower glows again
Ground broken on Luna Lodge project
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for a project that will convert the historic Luna Lodge motel in Albuquerque into a 30-unit affordable housing development, according to a news release from Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, one of the lenders on the project. More from the release: The developer of the project, NewLife … Continue reading Ground broken on Luna Lodge project