Restoration: Clean up/copyedit
Okumaya devam et...
← Previous revision | Revision as of 15:37, 4 May 2024 |
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| ==Restoration== | ==Restoration== |
| The property went into foreclosure for [[repossess]]ion in February 2005, with Timothy White and Walt Wilson relinquishing control and returning ownership of Amboy to Bessie Burris, Buster Burris's widow. She offered all the property for sale "on the San Bernardino County courthouse steps," but no bidders came. In March 2005, with the help of her granddaughter, Bonnie Barnes, Bessie Burris declared the town to be for sale for one week, with the property being sold to the highest bidder that Friday at noon. | The property went into foreclosure for [[repossess]]ion in February 2005, with White and Wilson relinquishing control and returning ownership of Amboy to Bessie, Buster Burris's widow. She offered all the property for sale "on the San Bernardino County courthouse steps," but no bidders came. In March 2005, with the help of her granddaughter, Bonnie Barnes, Bessie declared the town to be for sale for one week, with the property being sold to the highest bidder that Friday at noon. |
| The town was sold to [[Southern California]] preservation patron [[Albert Okura]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/07xtra/286-xtra_route66.html |title=286 Extra-Route 66 |publisher=US [[Bureau of Land Management]] |date=2007-08-13 |accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> after he made a pledge to Bessie Burris to restore Roy's, keep its original Route 66 aesthetic, reopen it, and to open a new museum showcasing Amboy's history. Okura acquired approximately 950 acres, which contained the town and Roy's Motel and Café, for $425,000 on May 3, 2005.<ref name="LAT01"/> | The town was sold to [[Southern California]] preservation patron [[Albert Okura]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/07xtra/286-xtra_route66.html |title=286 Extra-Route 66 |publisher=US [[Bureau of Land Management]] |date=2007-08-13 |accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> after he made a pledge to Bessie Burris to restore Roy's, keep its original Route 66 aesthetic, reopen it, and to open a new museum showcasing Amboy's history. Okura acquired approximately 950 acres, which contained the town and Roy's Motel and Café, for $425,000 on May 3, 2005.<ref name="LAT01"/> |
| Albert Okura, who also owned the [[Juan Pollo]] chain restaurants, faced challenges in getting electricity and water services to be restored and operative. Okura's restoration challenges predominantly involved Amboy's infrastructure, most of which had been laid by Buster Burris himself and which was not to current building codes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/17/local/me-amboy17 |title=Destiny in the desert |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-01-17 |accessdate=2012-04-20 |first=Mike |last=Anton}}</ref> Bessie Burris continued to visit and work with Albert Okura, collecting [[memorabilia]] for the town and Roy's until her death at the age of 91 on May 17, 2008, in nearby [[Wonder Valley, California]]. | Okura, who also owned the [[Juan Pollo]] chain restaurants, faced challenges in getting the towns' electricity and water services restored and operative. Okura's restoration challenges predominantly involved Amboy's infrastructure, most of which had been laid by Buster Burris himself and which was not to current building codes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/17/local/me-amboy17 |title=Destiny in the desert |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-01-17 |accessdate=2012-04-20 |first=Mike |last=Anton}}</ref> Bessie Burris continued to visit and work with Okura, collecting [[memorabilia]] for the town and Roy's until her death at the age of 91 on May 17, 2008, in nearby [[Wonder Valley, California]]. |
| Okura had experience with [[preservationist]] efforts and stewardship, as the owner of the [[History of McDonald's|Original McDonald's]] in [[San Bernardino, California]], which he operated as a [[museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rt66roys.com |title=Route 66 Roy's |publisher=Rt66roys.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> Unlike Wilson and White, who wanted to maintain Roy's and Amboy in a "weathered" condition for use in film shoots, Okura planned to fully restore Roy's as a "nostalgia tourist" destination and Route 66 rest stop for travelers en route to and from [[Colorado River]] recreation areas before his death. However, Albert died before finishing the project, so he passed it to his son, Kyle Okura.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What it’s like to accidentally own a California ghost town |last=Bindman |first=Ariana |work=SFGATE |date= |access-date=10 January 2024 |url= https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/owning-amboy-ghost-town-california-18353684.php}}</ref> | Okura had experience with [[preservationist]] efforts and stewardship, as the owner of the [[History of McDonald's|Original McDonald's]] in [[San Bernardino, California]], which he operated as a [[museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rt66roys.com |title=Route 66 Roy's |publisher=Rt66roys.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> Unlike Wilson and White, who wanted to maintain Roy's and Amboy in a "weathered" condition for use in film shoots, Okura planned to fully restore Roy's as a "nostalgia tourist" destination and Route 66 rest stop for travelers en route to and from [[Colorado River]] recreation areas before his death. However, Albert Okura died before finishing the project, so he passed it to his son, Kyle Okura.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What it’s like to accidentally own a California ghost town |last=Bindman |first=Ariana |work=SFGATE |date= |access-date=10 January 2024 |url= https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/owning-amboy-ghost-town-california-18353684.php}}</ref> |
| === Reopening === | === Reopening === |
| The [[coffeehouse|coffee shop]] and [[gas station]] at Roy's have both been refurbished and were reopened on April 28, 2008. The Roy's Motel and Café repair, renovation, and restoration costs so far have amounted to almost $100,000 USD. While the station's [[gasoline]] is still considered to be expensive, owing to delivery costs, its price is below that of gasoline when White and Wilson owned Roy's. Albert Okura also had plans to open a Roy's Café and mini-mart at the same location,<ref>[http://theguzzler.blogspot.com/2008/04/roys-gas-station-in-amboy-reopens.html "Roy's Gas Station in Amboy Reopens". The Guzzler. Retrieved on 2010-01-12]</ref> although a lack of [[potable water]] supplies has kept the café's kitchen closed. | The [[coffeehouse|coffee shop]] and [[gas station]] at Roy's were refurbished and reopened on April 28, 2008. The Roy's Motel and Café repair, renovation, and restoration costs so far have amounted to almost {{USD|100,000}}. While the station's [[gasoline]] is still considered to be expensive, owing to delivery costs, its price is below that of gasoline when White and Wilson owned Roy's. Albert Okura also had plans to open a Roy's Café and mini-mart at the same location,<ref>[http://theguzzler.blogspot.com/2008/04/roys-gas-station-in-amboy-reopens.html "Roy's Gas Station in Amboy Reopens". The Guzzler. Retrieved on 2010-01-12]</ref> although a lack of [[potable water]] supplies kept the café's kitchen closed. |
| A 2013 [[Kickstarter]] campaign proposed to restore the Roy's [[neon sign]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sbwire.com/press-release...ric-neon-sign-on-route-66-amboy-ca-256315.htm |title=Amboy Foundation Looks for Funding Support via Kickstarter to Restore the Historic Neon Sign on Route 66, Amboy, CA |publisher=Sbwire.com |date=May 24, 2013 |accessdate=2013-07-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/2013061...ric-neon-sign-on-route-66-amboy-ca-256315.htm |archivedate=June 10, 2013 }}</ref> as part of a larger project through which a newly established Amboy Foundation of Art proposes to restore the abandoned motel as a place in the desert where artists could find solitude and inspiration. | A 2013 [[Kickstarter]] campaign proposed to restore the Roy's [[neon sign]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sbwire.com/press-release...ric-neon-sign-on-route-66-amboy-ca-256315.htm |title=Amboy Foundation Looks for Funding Support via Kickstarter to Restore the Historic Neon Sign on Route 66, Amboy, CA |publisher=Sbwire.com |date=May 24, 2013 |accessdate=2013-07-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/2013061...ric-neon-sign-on-route-66-amboy-ca-256315.htm |archivedate=June 10, 2013 }}</ref> as part of a larger project through which a newly established Amboy Foundation of Art proposes to restore the abandoned motel as a place in the desert where artists could find solitude and inspiration. |
| The motel is now closed; however, it has been used as a staging ground for art exhibits. | The motel is now closed;{{when |date=May 2024}} however, it has been used as a staging ground for art exhibits. |
| == In popular culture == | == In popular culture == |
Okumaya devam et...