The restoration of an historic hotel in downtown Las Cruces has been officially declared as one of the coming top priorities for the city.
Located at 180 W. Amador, the hotel traces its roots to the 1860s and was for decades a popular hospitality site until transformed into a bank in the 1970s.
A decade later, the two-story structure was used by Dona Ana County for offices, but was finally closed in 2006 after the county moved its offices elsewhere.
In the last decade, the City of Las Cruces has been trying to determine a new use for the property. A study conducted by the Santa Fe-based Kells & Craig Architects determined that the space could best be re-used for community events, housing offices, restaurant, and a bar.
While the City of Las Cruces has put aside around $1 million for the building’s restoration, an earlier report indicated it would take as much as $11 million to fully bring the building back to life.
Although Mayor Ken Miyagishima and the Las Cruces City Council, sitting as the members of the city’s Tax Increment Development District, have now voted to list the hotel’s restoration as one of the city’s top four priority projects, an exact timeline for that project has yet to be decided upon.
By Garry Boulard
