A move is on to save a hotel in Belen that was built more than 100 years ago and may be on the verge of demolition.
Located at 100 Reinken Avenue, the two-story Hotel Kuhn was opened in 1906 and for decades served as a pleasant resting stop both for visitors as well as those working at the next-door Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rail station.
With 35 rooms and a pleasant front balcony decorated with a series of decorative trellises, the hotel for years provided meals, baths, showers, and a barber service, among other amenities. In the 1930s it was also the home to the Albuquerque-Chicago College of Beauty Culture salon.
The hotel fell on hard times in the 1970s, with fewer and fewer guests, and has since been owned by several different parties. City officials, meanwhile, have long taken note of the deteriorating condition of the building.
Late last month, members of the Belen City Council finally voted to demolish the structure, describing it as an “immediate menace to the public comfort, health, peace, and safety.”
City documents indicate a multitude of issues with the structure that include a collapsing roof, mold infestation, and crumbling walls. The property has also been subject to vandalism.
Now the owner of the property has announced that an effort is underway to sell the building to an investor who has indicated an interest in purchasing the old hotel and restoring it.
That potential new owner has told the council that he wants to enter into an agreement with the city that will keep the building from being demolished, while at the same time trying to determine just how much it will cost to bring the Hotel Kuhn back to life.
The council, in response, agreed to hold off on any demolition plan for the next several months.
By Garry Boulard