Retro rebirth OF ROUTE 66 MOTEL

First stage of redevelopment of DeAnza to begin in Oct.

Crews will begin demolishing the DeAnza Motor Lodge in October as a precursor to redeveloping the historic motel.

Practically everything now standing will be demolished and rebuilt as a hotel, apartments, a restaurant with rooftop seating, and office and retail spaces for lease, according to members of the development team.

Investors in the new venture, as well as city officials, were on hand Tuesday morning to preview renderings of the first phase of the project. The unveiling took place in what used to be the Turquoise Cafe, which will retain its turquoise-flecked flooring in its new iteration as office space.

The investment group has retained commercial real estate firm Sedberry & Associates to line up tenants at for the reimagined DeAnza, which many hope will revitalize an area along a blighted stretch in East Nob Hill. Sedberry representative Lisa Allen-Urea said the firm is in the pre-marketing phase and hopes to announce the names of tenants before construction is finished.

Key development partners on site Tuesday were Dale Armstrong, president and CEO of TLC Plumping and Utility, and members of Hartman + Majewski Design. HB Construction will also be involved in the enterprise, Armstrong said.

“We’re looking forward to breathing new life into this piece of Route 66 history,” said Armstrong.

As proposed, the $8.2 million project would involve tearing down and rebuilding dilapidated buildings on the 2.3-acre site at 4301 Central NE. Construction of a mix of one- and multistory buildings will evoke a Pueblo look, preserving Zuni murals and other retro elements.

The project is a public/private partnership between the city of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency and Anthea @ Nob Hill LLC, the investment group that the city has teamed with.

City of Albuquerque Planning Director Suzie Lubar said it took three tries for the city to find the right development partner.

The building, long dormant and deteriorating, has defied attempts at redevelopment, despite its prime spot along Central Avenue.

The city bought the De Anza in 2003 for $891,000. The motel was built in the 1930s.

Lubar said the developers initially will have a ground lease with an option to purchase the property.

COURTESY OF HARTMAN + MAJEWSKI DESIGN A rendering of the DeAnza site, which will feature modern touches and elements of its retro past.

STEVE SINOVIC/JOURNAL The DeAnza Motor Lodge sign will be one of the few surviving elements of the original structure.