The vacant lot at 500 Central Ave. SW in Downtown Albuquerque, where the century-old Bliss Building once housed the beloved Lindy's Diner, is now listed for sale at $1.1 million following the structure's demolition earlier this year. The property is being marketed as an urban infill development opportunity along historic Route 66.
A Route 66 Landmark Reduced to a Vacant Lot
The listing, first reported by Albuquerque Business First, marks the latest chapter for a site that spent more than a century as part of the city's commercial core. The two-story building dated to 1906, according to a separate report from bizjournals.com. The restaurant inside began as the Coney Island Cafe in 1929 before becoming Lindy's Diner in 1960, per Route 66 News.
The Bliss Building's decline accelerated this year. City inspectors found serious structural problems and ruled the building unfit for occupancy, and about a week later part of its front collapsed, the same outlet reported. A portion of the wall gave way on April 27, according to the Albuquerque Journal, and demolition began June 30 after the city said it stepped in to protect the public when the property owners did not follow through on a promise to tear the building down themselves, according to a statement from the City of Albuquerque.
Asking Price Drops as Listing History Shows Earlier Attempts to Sell
The $1.1 million price represents a decrease from earlier figures tied to the property this year. The Albuquerque Journal reported the site hit the market for nearly $1.3 million in late March, while The Paper. reported the owners relisted the building and restaurant business for $1.3 million earlier in April; Route 66 News separately described the asking price at that time as $1.27 million. Before that, the owners had tried to sell the building and restaurant business in 2024 for just over $1.2 million but found no buyer, according to The Paper.
Once the demolition was complete, the city announced that Central Avenue, also known as Route 66, had reopened, Route 66 News reported. The lot is now being pitched as a development opportunity rather than a historic property, a shift that reflects the building's total loss rather than any renovation or preservation effort.
Legal Fight Still Unresolved
The demolition has not gone unchallenged. The owners of the former Lindy's Diner filed a lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque and State Farm, alleging the historic Bliss Building was wrongfully demolished without due process, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The current status of that litigation has not been reported.
