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Aztec Motel
The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Until its demolition in 2011 it was the oldest continuously-operating Route 66 motel in New Mexico[3] and "one of the five most important motels left" in Albuquerque.[4] HistoryThe Aztec Motel was built in 1932 as the first of what would eventually be dozens of auto courts lining Central Avenue, which became U.S. Route 66 4 years later. During a remodeling of the building in the 1950s, the garages were walled in, bringin the number of units from 13 to 17, and a new neon sign replaced the original one.[5] It was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties[6] and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1] The building was well known locally for its exterior decorations, which consisted of hundreds of found objects assembled in the 1990s by a resident of the motel. The work was described in the Albuquerque Journal as a "beloved local folk art installation".[3]  In 2003, the Aztec Motel received a fund from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to restore its neon sign.[5] The Aztec Motel was razed in early June 2011. The motel's owners cited its deteriorating condition and high maintenance costs as reasons for the demolition, estimating the building would cost $1 million to renovate.[4] The motel's neon sign was left standing and was intended to be part of future development on the site.[3] However, the sign ended up being removed in March 2015. The city declared its intention to restore and reinstall it at a to-be-determined location.[7] See alsoReferences Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aztec Motel.
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