Big news out of Albuquerque: The city has chosen a developer to renovate the historic De Anza Motor Lodge on Route 66 (shown above in a vintage postcard), according to the New Mexico Business Weekly.

The city purchased the motel three years ago for $1 million in the hopes a developer would come in and restore it. De Anza LLC is headed by Matthew Terry who plans to downsize the motel to around 50 to 60 rooms, but preserve its historic basement murals and terrazzo tile floors. It is not known how much it will cost to restore the motel to make it an upscale destination.  [...]

City Council President Martin Heinrich is hopeful the De Anza will become the city’s first upscale Route 66 motor lodge with a link to the past. There is a niche market for travelers who stay at these upscale lodges along Rt. 66.

Matthew Terry also owns the historic Aztec Motel in Albuquerque. I’ve spoken with him on the phone, and he says he’s a committed preservationist to Route 66 history.

Maybe this is a sign that we can get some movement for El Vado Motel and take it off Richard Gonzales’ hands.

The former Illinois State Police District 6 headquarters, a unique gun-shaped building built in 1941 on Route 66 near Pontiac, likely will receive a designation on the National Register of Historic Places, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph.

But the future of the building is uncertain. It sits unused now, as it has plumbing and roof problems. But there remains some interest in the property, and it may be sold soon.

The building is listed on the Illinois Route 66 Association’s Hall of Fame.

UPDATE: The Pontiac Daily Leader has a similar story, along with a picture of the building.

Geoff Ladd of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County was kind enough to send some photos of The Mill, a long-neglected restaurant and tavern on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., that eventually will be shored up.

Here’s what The Mill looked like in 1946:

Here’s what is looks like now:

Here’s an artist’s rendering of what it will look like once it’s fixed up. The bureau plans to convert it into a tourism center.

The bureau has launched a Web site, called SavetheMill.org. We’ll keep you posted on the happenings with the landmark.

Here is Rascal Flatts‘ current version of “Life is a Highway,” featured in the “Cars” movie.

Here is Tom Cochran’s original, which was a Top 10 hit in 1992:

Which do you like better?