Closed Tucumcari buildings may see new life

Robert Moore Jr. has been working to restore several historic buildings in Tucumcari.

With the help of his wife Heather and brother William Cooke, Moore is buying long-closed businesses in Tucumcari and trying to restore them to their former glory.

"We want to better Tucumcari. We were tired of looking at rundown buildings," Moore said. "We wanted to make new jobs for people and make a change."

He owns a plethora of properties in the community. He plans to reopen The Malt Shop, the Relax Inn (formerly the Circle S Ranch Court motel), both along Route 66, and the Massey Building in downtown after finishing large renovations to each.

"All of our projects are important, but our big thing is (the) ice cream shop and Circle S Ranch," Moore said.

He said his dream is to make more opportunities for area kids.

"There is not a lot of stuff to do in Tucumcari," Moore said. "I want to get stuff for kids to do after school."

Moore, who owns Tucumcari Automotive, said the largest struggles of this project are time and money. The estimated timeline to finish is five to six years.

"Financial is the biggest part, but we also have other things to dedicate time to," he said. "We want people to have patience and understand that it's not an overnight job."

Moore said though these are long-term projects, he is looking forward to making a change for the better.

"Put yourself in the environment you want to be in," he said.

Moore said he met his wife in Tucumcari in 2019, and they moved to Tucumcari in 2022. His brother, who is in construction and auto transport, works in Oregon, New Mexico and California.

"We are in this together; it's a family deal," Moore said.

Cooke said he admires Tucumcari.

"I've always loved Tucumcari as we pass through on outings as I drive all over the country for my car hobby," he said. "I'm so excited about helping Tucumcari gain more of its awesome Route 66 theme and vibe."

Although he lives in Pinon Hills, California, Cooke said he remains heavily involved in the Tucumcari projects.

"(The biggest struggle is) the time to get back and forth. While I'm gone, the project is in good hands with Robert, who lives in Tucumcari," he said.

Cooke said the restoration of the buildings has to start at ground zero to an extent.

"The renovation kinda required us to start from the condition of the building," he said.

His main role in the renovation projects is design and construction.

"(I do) design, accuracy to authenticity, along with the construction (knowledge)," Cooke said.

He said that the project is important to all those involved.

"We hope these projects are going to help bring the community together (and create) fun places for families to gather for generations to come," Cooke said.

Heather Moore, the owner of Tucumcari Cleaning LLC, said she is helping with anything the projects need.

She ended up in Tucumcari seven years ago, before she met her future husband. She said it was her husband and brother-in-law's idea to acquire the properties and begin the renovations.

"(I am excited to) improve the buildings," she said.