Restore the city’s heartbeat: Save the Amador Hotel

Next month, City Council will vote whether or not to fund the on-going restoration of the Amador Hotel, at 180 W. Amador, located west of the Visitor’s Center at the southern gateway to the revitalized Downtown.
Local supporters of the adaptive re-use project should contact their city representatives now. Current plans, approved by the State Historic Preservation Division in Santa Fe, envision the local landmark as a vibrant cultural hub, museum, events center, business incubator including Wi-Fi access and leased offices. It will once again be a cherished social destination for locals and tourists alike.
Funding to date for the planning, the selective demolition, the lobby columns conservation effort, asbestos removal, lead paint abatement and the downstairs interior room-by-room preservation work have been accomplished using legislative funding, volunteers and private donations to the Amador Hotel Foundation (AHF) Board.
The Board is currently requesting $1.5 million for this phase. The funding will come from Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) monies, which are designated for improvements to the Downtown.

Selective demolition of the interior currently proceeds. Exterior work at the west elevation will commence soon. The requested $1.5 million funding will be used to begin the installation of interior electrical, plumbing, communications and security systems, and to continue the exterior adobe and lime plaster work.
Anyone who has traveled to other cities has seen for themselves the renovations that can occur with vision and community support.
A WWII torpedo factory in Alexandria, Virginia, brings thousands of visitors each year after its conversion to an artists’ colony. Albuquerque’s thriving Bow and Arrow Brewing Co. resurrected what was an empty warehouse.
Santa Fe’s abandoned railroad depot corridor is now a bustling Farmers’ Market.
Each of these creative adaptive re-uses transformed unsafe neighborhood blights into self-sustaining civic enterprises. Upon successful completion, the Amador Hotel will be a source of pride and revenue for the City. With your support, we can finally restore the City’s heartbeat!
Twelve years ago, City Council signed a resolution endorsing the adaptive re-use of the Amador Hotel. Please communicate with our Mayor and your City Council representatives to remind them of their original 2009 commitment to this effort. Let them know you endorse a $1.5 million phased investment now toward the reimagining of this local treasure into a vibrant community events and business center, tourist magnet and educational beacon.

Please take a moment today to contact Annette Granado, executive assistant to the city manager and mayor -- Direct phone: (575) 541-2076; email: agranado@las-cruces.org; visit City Hall at 700 North Main, Las Cruces, NM 88001; mailing address: P.O. Box 20000, Las Cruces, NM 88004; Phone: (575) 541-2066

Jean Fulton owns TimeSprings, Inc. in Mesilla, a firm dedicated to conserving cultural resources.