David Senk, historic preservationist, discusses efforts to restore and revive the Amador Hotel in Las Cruces. He spoke with KC Counts. Here is a transcript of their conversation:
KC Counts:
For those who don't know, maybe you can give us a little trip down memory lane and tell us why this is such an important building.
David Senk:
Martin Amador was an entrepreneur, and he brought the railroad to Las Cruces. Mesilla was not interested in having the railroad, and so it really grew the city, and he was very innovative. And the Amador Hotel also had a lot of community gatherings, arts, people from all over the world came to that space.
KC Counts:
And so maybe you can give us a little bit of a picture of where we are in the process.
David Senk:
So there has been a lot of construction happening on the exterior, and they're working more, they're going to be starting on the interior in January. And there's a lot of amazing details that are going into it. There's also LIDAR technology, so it's been scanned. So down to the millimeter, we can see all the details.
KC Counts:
Can you say if there's been any really significant or interesting finds?
David Senk:
Yes, there's actually a crate with Martin Amador's signature in the ceiling, which was amazing to see that. And also the Vigas have been covered up. And so there's different layers and there's tin ceilings. So there's a lot of layers to this building going into it.
KC Counts:
Talk about what's important moving forward in terms of how the building will be cared for and restored.
David Senk:
What's important is really the stories about this place, not just the hotel itself, but where we are in Las Cruces.
KC Counts:
And what is its future?
David Senk:
Well, the future is up to the city and the people. It's really about what people would like to see. We're talking a lot about arts and culture and science and integrating all of those things into this space, which would make it a very unique asset for the city and for the county, the state.
KC Counts:
And speaking of the state, I guess it's important to involve state legislators in the process. What is their role?
David Senk:
Yeah, so their role is really to help steward the process and make sure that it gets done.
KC Counts:
Let's talk about the foundation and the funding mechanisms and what's involved there. I mean, do you have even an idea of what kind of funding is necessary to see this project through?
David Senk:
So in total, it's about $14.5 million. There's a lot of funding going in with the city and there's some grants being written and lots of just getting people together and fundraising.
KC Counts:
So what is coming next?
David Senk:
What is coming next for the Amador? What's coming next is really looking at the possibilities and the limits, but keeping an eye on the future and keeping it positive and what's possible in this space. And it's not just in the space, but what surrounds the space. The future also is a lot of technology as a part of the concept. So we think about history, but we're also thinking literally about the technology and the future of that space.
KC Counts:
When it comes to, you mentioned, and what surrounds it, and city leaders and folks like yourselves will have an eye to how this plays a role in growth or economic development for the city. What can you say about what you think this particular spot will play in economic development?
David Senk:
It plays a huge role. I think it's been hidden for a long time, and some people grew up here and don't even know it exists. And so making people aware of the story of entrepreneurship and innovation and changing the narrative on how we think about things here in Las Cruces in terms of economic development. And we brought Shani Harvie here, who's the Director of Economic Development Creative Industries Division. And so being really creative and innovative about how we think about the building’s environment and the cultural landscapes here in Las Cruces in the Borderlands.
KC Counts:
I guess when it comes to cultural resource management, can you define that a little bit?
David Senk:
Yeah, it's really complicated. It's really multifaceted. And when we talk about sustainability, we talk about infrastructure, cultural resource management plays a big role in terms of the policies around how the federal government looks at culture and community and getting people involved. And so getting people's buy-in about what's happening, cultural resource management plays a big role, because they're the people on the ground seeing what's actually there and sometimes there's ruins and they need to be protected or water.
KC Counts:
You never know, right? Until you get the science.
David Senk:
And the stories that people have to tell. Because sometimes they'll try to run a freeway - there was one example, and there was actually an old blacksmith in this town in Texas that I learned about. And so they put a monument to that, or they put some signage so people understand the meaning of what happened in this particular very complex space.
KC Counts:
Can I ask a little bit about your background and what other projects that you've been involved in that you think are maybe some of your favorites?
David Senk:
Yeah, so I have about 25 years in community development experience, informally working with arts organizations and nonprofits. And I went back to graduate school recently during COVID to get more formal experience in this type of architecture and cultural resource management through a degree in historic preservation and regionalism. But I also studied arts leadership and business. So I'm at the intersection of the arts, economic development, and preservation architecture.
KC Counts:
So along the lines of what the plans are for the Amador Hotel, what can you tell us about what stage those development plans are in?
David Senk:
Yeah, so there is an adaptive reuse plan in place as well as construction plans that have been put together by Mass Design, which is a firm in Santa Fe that is a nonprofit and they specialize in historic preservation. And MASS stands for Model of Architecture Serving Society. So it's a really unique firm that's going to be a part of this process.
KC Counts:
And the Amador is at the intersection of...
David Senk:
So actually it's at the intersection of Amador and Water. And the reason why the street is called Water is because there was an acequia that ran through there. And we have pictures of that. And that's something to consider for the future - how can we get water running through?
KC Counts:
There's a lot of talk about rejuvenating and going back to the way water was handled all those many years ago.
David Senk:
Yes. And acequias are a big part of the culture here in New Mexico. And so it would really tie things together in multiple ways.
KC Counts:
What's the timeline right now for the Amador Hotel? Do we even have one?
David Senk:
That's a good question because we haven't gotten total commitment from what the city is at with it, but it's going forward. So we've set some dates and we want to try to commit to that as much as possible. So it's not 20 years, it's within the next five years.
KC Counts:
If people want to learn more about this historic space or how to get involved, what do you recommend?
David Senk:
Yes, so being involved in the community and many of the nonprofit organizations here in town, there's, it's, we're all connected here. So, really, that's one of one of the hopes for the Amador is to have a space for community groups to have office space, to have a space for dialogue, and also can't forget to mention exhibitions and a historic Amador tribute in the space. The city, we've given the city some plans and also some 3D visualizations, videos that you can see the space. You can actually walk through the space. So again, we're bringing technology into the center of town.
KC Counts:
We look forward to hearing more, David, as this project develops. I know it's a labor of love for many, going back many years. And so we'll keep calling.
David Senk:
Yeah, and I also want to acknowledge Heather Pollard and Deb Dennis and Jean Fulton and Sonia Cooper, who have been working tirelessly among other people who have been involved, like Senator Papen and others.
KC Counts:
All right. Thank you, David. We appreciate your time and look forward to seeing what
happens next.
David Senk:
Thank you.
You can learn more about the Amador Hotel Foundation here, and view the video and architectural plans here.
