cluster of neon motels on West Flores Street -- pourquoi?

#7591

Howdy, VT'ans:
I noticed a while back that there is a cluster of five old neon motels/ motor courts on West Flores Street a block or two east of North Oracle Road.  The most excellent "Historic Miracle Mile Driving Tour" guide by Demion Clinco and Dirk Arnold --  (~6.72MB, four pages, PDF format) -- mentions them (as stop 14), but does anyone know why there are motels here and not also on Rillito, Ventura, or any of the other side streets?  
Did Flores Street connect Miracle Mile to something interesting further east that would draw enough traffic to justify customer-snaring motels?
Currently there is a cluster of four or five residential properties (a tiny oasis of SFRs plus a multi-unit in an otherwise very commercial/ industrial area) at the east end of Flores where it dead-ends behind the Sixth Avenue Dog Park, but there does not seem to be anything else  particularly noteworthy on that street.
Or is this just dumb luck of development? 


Some recent-ish history:  the El Saguaro Apartments at 303 West Flores Street (and 302 West Ventura Street, property is full block deep) sold on 23-JUN-2015 --  -- for $267K to Gary Allan Properties LLC (whose member/managers are Evelyn Lieuwen and Gary A. Zimbler*).  This property was last used as residential drug rehab housing by Compass, now Pasadero, and was the site of a shooting death --  -- in 1996.


Cheers and thanks,
Les.


* Zimbler is/was also a principal in Riviera Investments, Inc., and Sunland Motel LLC, among other entities.

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7588

Here is the history I found, it is now the Mountain Oyster Club. It has a cool history all its own.

CLUB HISTORY?????

There are many colorful stories of how the Mountain Oyster Club came to be.? There is probably a thread of truth in most of them.? The most common versions say that it was begun by a group of cowboys, playboys, ranchers, polo players, race-horse types, and others whose unacceptable behavior had gotten them thrown out of all of the respectable establishments in Tucson.? Whether the real reason for its’ creation was to give ranchers and their wives a place in town where they could feel at home in their boots and Levi’s and shoot out the lights without offending the rest of the membership or some other less interesting purpose, we know it began in 1948.??????

A group of six men have been given the blame or credit as the case may be for creating a list of original invitees.? The club opened for business November 1, 1948, in the basement of the Santa Rita Hotel in downtown Tucson, a location deemed “The Passion Pit.”? The club was relocated to the neighboring Pioneer Hotel in 1965.? The Mountain Oyster Club was forced to find a new location ten years later when the Pioneer Hotel ceased operations.? After extensive renovations, in November of 1975, the club reopened in the historical Jacome home, then owned by well know accountant and member, C.T.R. Bates.? This mansion at the corner of Stone Ave. and Franklin became the home of the M. O. Club for the next 30 years.? In 2003, with another lease renewal looming, the club sought a place to purchase, the investment of a permanent home for the Club.? Unable to negotiate the purchase of the current facilities, the search began for a new home; a historical building and ample parking were the top priorities.? In January 2004, the Mountain Oyster Club moved out of downtown to its current location near Speedway and Wilmot on Tucson’s East side.? The new facilities house the club and several commercial rental spaces.?????

The new home of the Mountain Oyster Club has a long rich history of its own.? It was originally built as a home for Miss Florence L. Pond, daughter of a distinguished lawyer in Detroit.? The building, called Stone Ashley, was planned by Grosvernor Atterbury, a well-know New York Architect.? It was constructed of block and native fieldstone by the M. M. Sundt Construction Company for a price of $67,000.? The estate consisted of 318 acres that extended approximately one mile on Speedwayand a half mile along Wilmot.? Approximately 20 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds surrounded the 17 room residence, the rest was natural desert.? Miss Pond made Stone Ashley and the grounds available to servicemen and other groups in the area during WWII for concerts, other programs and swimming.?????

In 1947, Miss Pond put the property up for sale with an asking price of $300,000 unfurnished, and eventually sold it for $200,000 including furnishings.? After approximately $400,000 in renovations by architect Bernard J. Friedman and the M. I. Poze Construction Company, which included the addition of a third floor to the main building and other building improvements, which would house up to 80 guests, it opened in 1949 as the El Dorado Lodge.?? Also added at that time, were tennis courts, a heater for the pool, putting greens, badminton courts, shuffleboard courts, horseshoe pitching facilities, an 18 hole golf course, horse stables, corrals and a residential community.

The El Dorado Guest Lodge promoted its self as a place “...where breathless scenery, age-old traditions and the pleasures of today combine...”??????

It later became the Palm Court Restaurant? before being purchased by Charles Kerr, former maitre d’ of the Tack Room Restaurant and opening as Charles Restaurant in 1979.? Charles attempted to return the mansion to its original English manor style with slate floors, wonderful fireplaces and a beautiful beamed ceiling.? He was also responsible for the addition of a first class kitchen.? What had once been elegant guest rooms were now offices for various Tucson businesses.? In 1984, an additional 2 story office building was added to the northeast side of the existing buildings, which copied the style and materials of the original structures.

?

Most recently, for a period of about 2 years the original mansion housed a French restaurant that went by the name of the original home, Stone Ashley.

??

While many changes have taken place over the years, much hasn’t.? You still enter the property by way of the tall Italian Cypress lined road and the original paneled front door of the Pond mansion, believed to have cost $1,500 in 1936.? A few of the fruit trees remain from what was a family citrus grove of grapefruit, sour orange and olive trees.? To the right of the front entrance, the bath house with 2 dressing rooms still remains although the pool has been replaced with a parking lot.? Many of the decorative gardens, fountains and other exquisite touches that made this estate one of the show places of the southwest can still be found inside and out.?

????????

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7589

There is a pretty complete history of the building on the Mountain Oyster Club's website:

?

It was originally built around 1936?as a home for Miss Florence L. Pond, daughter of a distinguished lawyer in Detroit.? The building, called Stone Ashley, was planned by Grosvernor Atterbury, a well-known New York architect.? It was constructed of block and native fieldstone by the M. M. Sundt Construction Company for a price of $67,000.? The estate consisted of 318 acres that extended approximately one mile on Speedway and a half mile along Wilmot Rd.? Approximately 20 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds surrounded the 17 room residence, the rest was natural desert.? Miss Pond made Stone Ashley and the grounds available to servicemen and other groups in the area during WWII for concerts, other programs and swimming.???? In 1947, Miss Pond put the property up for sale with an asking price of $300,000 unfurnished, and eventually sold it for $200,000 including furnishings.? After approximately $400,000 in renovations by architect Bernard J. Friedman and the M. I. Poze Construction Company, which included the addition of a third floor to the main building and other building improvements, which would house up to 80 guests, it opened in 1949 as the El Dorado Lodge.?? Also added at that time, were tennis courts, a heater for the pool, putting greens, badminton courts, shuffleboard courts, horseshoe pitching facilities, an 18 hole golf course, horse stables, corrals and a residential community.

The El Dorado Guest Lodge promoted its self as a place “...where breathless scenery, age-old traditions and the pleasures of today combine...”?????
It later became the Palm Court Restaurant? before being purchased by Charles Kerr, former maitre d’ of the Tack Room Restaurant and opening as Charles Restaurant in 1979.? Charles attempted to return the mansion to its original English manor style with slate floors, wonderful fireplaces and a beautiful beamed ceiling.? He was also responsible for the addition of a first class kitchen.? What had once been elegant guest rooms were now offices for various Tucson businesses.? In 1984, an additional 2 story office building was added to the northeast side of the existing buildings, which copied the style and materials of the original structures.?

?

Most recently, for a period of about 2 years the original mansion housed a French restaurant that went by the name of the original home, Stone Ashley.

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7586

February 23, 1950 Tucson Citizen page 9, Stone Ashley Grounds Now House Luxurious El Dorado Lodge.? Nice photos too!

It was originally the home of Florence Pond, the daughter of a prominent Detroit lawyer with railroad connections.? It was designed by New York architect, Grosvenor Atterbury and built in 1934.? In 1947, Miss Pond sold it to El Dorado Lodge, which then became Charles Restaurant and so on.

Hope this is of interest!? There is also a book, The Architecture of Grosvenor Atterbury, that shows the original plan of the home if you're interested (you can see it on google books.)

I was lucky enough to eat in the members only area that belongs to the Mountain Oyster Club as I have an old friend who is a member.? The food and service was divine and the tour after was very cool.? If you get the chance, go.? I think most of the areas at least on the first floor are open.? The grounds have changed quite a bit over the years, but still a beautiful place.

Oh, and the movie A Kiss Before Dying, which shows a lot of great old Tucson places, had several scenes filmed both inside and outside.? Rent it or download, but expect it to take a long time to get through because you'll be stopping to pick out all the landmarks!? Good movie too, a little scary :)

Catherine

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7587

From "The Mountain Oyster Club" website:

The El Dorado Guest Lodge promoted its self as a place “...where breathless scenery, age-old traditions and the pleasures of today combine...”??????

It later became the Palm Court Restaurant? before being purchased by Charles Kerr, former maitre d’ of the Tack Room Restaurant and opening as Charles Restaurant in 1979.? Charles attempted to return the mansion to its original English manor style with slate floors, wonderful fireplaces and a beautiful beamed ceiling.? He was also responsible for the addition of a first class kitchen.? What had once been elegant guest rooms were now offices for various Tucson businesses.? In 1984, an additional 2 story office building was added to the northeast side of the existing buildings, which copied the style and materials of the original structures.

?

Most recently, for a period of about 2 years the original mansion housed a French restaurant that went by the name of the original home, Stone Ashley.

Hope this helps!

Catherine

Re: Casa Molina Speedway & Wilmot - the bull

[email protected]

#7590

It was the same bull, but curbside and faced East. (Mid 70's memory from then-UA-college-student.)

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7584

The entire site with Cypress Drive, was the POND Family estate. ?Pond's cream ?.

Sent from

Re: Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7585

开云体育

It used to be the Ponds mansion.

?

Charles Restaurant- What was there before???

#7583

OKay, VT people...who can tell me what used to be on the land where Charles is now located (is Charles still there?)? Also, is there a way to search this Yahoo group?? I made myself crazy trying to find a way to see if this question had already been addressed???? Help me, Please?

Valerie