Luna Lodge

About Luna Lodge

Luna Lodge was our second Low Income Housing Tax Credits project funded with the support of MFA. The project name “Ubuntu” is an African expression that means “I am because we are” and connotes the importance of community to Luna Lodge residents.

The project involved the rehabilitation of the former historic Luna Lodge, built in 1949 and put on the National register of historic places in 1998, and described as one of the best examples of an “unaltered tourist motor court along Route 66” from that era. The original 28 motel units were converted into 14 units, and 16 additional units of new construction were built behind the motel in a style that complemented and gave emphasis to the historic elements.

Like many former Route 66 motels, Luna Lodge was dilapidated, boarded up, and a magnet for criminal activity. The property required asbestos and lead remediation, undertaken delicately to respect historic features. LEED PLATINUM was achieved, balancing historic requirements against energy efficiency requirements. Energy efficient and debt free ensures longevity of the historic asset, and is a formula that hopefully will be replicated elsewhere.