60s landmark, present-day crime den torn down

YEAR A SIXTIES LANDMARK ON OLD ROUTE SIXTY SIX IN ALBUQUERQUE BITES THE DUST STUART DYSON CHECKS IN FROM EAST CENTRAL AVENUE WITH WHY THE OLD TRADEWINDS MOTEL JUST HAD TO GO HOOKERS - DRUG DEALERS - WINOS - METH FREAKS - JUNKIES - MIX THEM TOGETHER - SIMMER WITH BOOZE NARCOTICS AND DESPERATION - IT S A RECIPE THAT MAKES ANY MOTEL RIPE FOR THE WRECKING BALL DEMOLITION BEGAN THIS MORNING FOR THE TRADEWINDS - RENAMED THE ECONOMY LODGE IN RECENT YEARS - THE ONCE-SPIFFY AND PROSPEROUS ROUTE 66 MOTEL AND caf WILL SOON BE A PILE OF RUBBLE - COPS SAY GOOD RIDDANCE In my 25 years - 27 years - in law enforcement - I ve been on this property more times than I want to count - it goes back to when the old El Cid used to be next door - so this is a good thing for this area of the city THE MOTEL S OWNERS WELCOME THE DEMOLITION - TAXPAYERS WILL PICK UP THE 219 THOUSAND DOLLAR PRICETAG - OWNERS HAVE THREE YEARS TO PAY IT BACK OR LOSE THE PROPERTY - THEY VE GOT PLANS We are planning to put a 200 room hotel with a convention center in the front - about 200 rooms - it depends on the city - how far they let us go up This is the 11th motel along Central that we ve actually closed down - and this will be the 7th motel that we ve actually torn down - over the last several years we ve taken action against roughly 54 motels along Central THE MAYOR CALLS THIS A GREEN DEMOLITION - EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE RECYCLED WILL BE GOODBYE TRADEWINDS - ONCE FAMOUS FOR ITS BUFFET LUNCH - SOME SAID THE CHICKEN A LA KING WAS THE BOMB - OTHERS INSISTED IT WAS THE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE ON CENTRAL AVENUE STUART DYSON