An article this week in the The State Journal-Register answers one question in the wake of the demolition of the Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois -- what will happen to the neon signs? The short answer: They've been acquired by two local residents, where they likely will be restored. Retired Springfield businessman Ron Metzger and … Continue reading Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
Tag: Springfield IL
Demolition of Bel-Aire Motel begins
The razing of the long-troubled and condemned Bel-Aire Motel along Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois, began Monday, according to varying media outlets in the city. The Springfield State Journal-Register published a gallery of photos of Sheppard's Auto Sales & Salvage doing the demolition work. The company's owner said he hoped he would be finished within … Continue reading Demolition of Bel-Aire Motel begins
Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum
For those who worried about the fate of the sputnik structure atop the doomed Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois, do not worry. Ace Sign Co. of Springfield removed the sputnik over the weekend and eventually will restore it for its neon museum that coincidentally opens today, according to the State Journal-Register. The fiberglass ball of … Continue reading Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum
Teardown schedule for Bel-Aire Motel solidifies
The historic but long-troubled Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Illinois, will be demolished by late summer or early fall, according to Tim Landis in his State Journal-Register business column. It earlier was reported the motel on South Sixth Street (aka Route 66) would be torn down by summer. However, demolition permits haven't yet been filed. Current … Continue reading Teardown schedule for Bel-Aire Motel solidifies
Widow of Bill Shea dies
Helen Shea, the widow of Shea's Route 66 Museum owner Bill Shea Sr., died Monday at a hospice in Springfield, Illinois, according to an obituary from Butler Funeral Homes. She was 96. A Springfield native, she worked at Sangamo Electric and helped run Shea's gas-station museum in Springfield. Bill Shea converted a Marathon station on Route 66 into a museum … Continue reading Widow of Bill Shea dies
Bel-Aire Motel will be gone by summer
The owners of the troubled Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Illinois, reached a settlement agreement this week with the city to vacate and tear down the historic structure within six months, reported the State Journal-Register. The decrepit and crime-infested motel had racked up more than 1,000 code violations and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines over the years. … Continue reading Bel-Aire Motel will be gone by summer
Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
Bill Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has been put on the market after the property cleared probate following the longtime owner's death in December, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. The newspaper noted the museum's Facebook page had this message a few days ago: Post by Shea's Route 66 Museum. According to the newspaper: … Continue reading Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
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
Owner of troubled Bel-Aire Motel dies
Gopal Motwani, owner of the historic but troubled Bel-Aire Motel on Sixth Street (aka Route 66) in Springfield, Illinois, died Saturday near his home in Naples, Florida, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. After putting the motel up for sale for $750,000 -- plus $114,000 in fines for 700 code violations -- this summer, Motwani told the newspaper he … Continue reading Owner of troubled Bel-Aire Motel dies
Railroad depot in Springfield named to National Register
The Great Western Railroad depot in Springfield, Illinois, was named to the National Register of Historic Places effective Aug. 25, according to an email a few days ago from the National Park Service. The depot at 930 E. Monroe St. (map here) sits barely a block east of the classic Ninth Street alignment of Route … Continue reading Railroad depot in Springfield named to National Register