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Saturday, August 07, 2010
City Finally Acquires El Vado
By Scott Sandlin
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
A neon museum? An atelier where visitors could watch artists and artisans at work?
Those are two of the ideas being floated around City Hall for possible future uses of the historic El Vado Motel, which is now officially city property after years of litigation. The property's trip through the courts included condemnation, counterclaims by the owner, and an attempt to get a permit to raze it and build townhouses.
In the end, the city agreed in March to pay $1.4 million to owner Richard L. Gonzales for El Vado — way more than the $524,000 appraisal or the city's $680,000 initial offer, but well below Gonzales' $2.5 million counteroffer.
Now, the focus is on what to do with the motel in an era when city coffers aren't exactly bulging.
"What we do know is it's a building we want to preserve, and it's a property in a key location in our cultural corridor," said David Campbell, the city's chief administrative officer.
"It's something we want to pay close attention to. We don't have money for (redeveloping or restoring) it right now, but we are trying to generate ideas for its possible use."
Campbell said he and Councilor Isaac Benton, an architect whose district encompasses El Vado, have been brainstorming on concepts.
The neon museum was one idea, to help show what Route 66 was like in its heyday.
U.S. Highway Route 66 was designated in 1926 as the first road traversing the nation's heartland, running from Chicago through the Southwest to Santa Monica, Calif. Motor courts, diners, curio shops, filling stations and neon signs sprang up along its 2,400 miles. Although the highway was decommissioned more than 30 years ago, some of the romance remains.
"We have some people showing interest in it," said Ed Boles, the city's historic preservation planner. "It's in C-2 zone, which allows a number of uses — quite a range. "
That zoning includes motels.
"Typically in historic buildings, the ideal way of preserving them involves maintaining the original use, or restoring the original use. That's preferable, of course, but it's not always possible, " he said.
While the ownership of El Vado was pending in the courts, the adobe structure itself deteriorated because the roof was left exposed after swamp coolers were pulled off. A couple of walls slumped into the ground.
That kind of severe damage is fairly limited, Boles said. The city has replaced the old tar-and-gravel roof with a single-ply membrane roof, at a cost of about $130,000, which will maintain the structural integrity while planning takes place.
"It's stabilized. It's secured. It's fully fenced. We visit frequently. I don't think anybody here expects this to remain vacant for as long as it has been now," Boles said.
Campbell said it's only recently that anyone at the city had the opportunity to think about uses for El Vado. A town hall or charette are likely at some point to get public comment, he said.
Planners have spoken metaphorically about the "string of pearls" that extends from the National Hispanic Cultural Center up the bosque across Central to the aquarium, Old Town and museum district.
"So to connect those is a key organizing concept for our redevelopment," Campbell said. "If we have concept and community support behind it, the money will come. We'll find a way to make it happen."
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