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Resident asks Flagstaff commission to back adaptive reuse of historic El Pueblo Motel
Summary
A resident urged the Indigenous Commission to encourage City leaders to consider acquiring the El Pueblo Motel to preserve its Route 66-era exterior and convert interiors to affordable housing with a museum commemorating Navajo code talkers.
During public comment at the Indigenous Commission meeting, Phil Scandura, a longtime Flagstaff resident, urged commissioners to press the mayor and council to consider purchasing the El Pueblo Motel to prevent private redevelopment and preserve the site's historic connections.
"This property is not just an old motel. It is directly connected to one of the most significant military and cultural contributions in American history," Scandura said, linking the site to Philip Johnston and the recruitment of Navajo code talkers. He proposed restoring the motel's historic exterior, converting interiors to affordable housing units, constructing additional units behind the property, and rebuilding the office as a community space and museum.
Scandura said an action plan and nonprofit development partners are in place but that land acquisition is the principal funding obstacle; he asked the commission to reach out to the mayor, council and staff and to place the matter on a future agenda for consideration. Commission staff and members thanked him for the information and suggested the topic could be considered as a future agenda item; no formal motion or council-level action was taken at the meeting.
Provenance: public comment (topic intro: SEG 175; topic finish: SEG 248).
