Then and now: Office space once was motel-apartments

Today’s building.

The Lake Front Building today.

The four-story Villa Del Mar Motel & Apartments from the 1960s was perched on the beach at 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd., directly across from the Bank of America in South Lake Tahoe.

The former motel investors purchased the

Fire destroys the building.

property in 1973 and renovated it as the Lakefront Professional Building.

The old motel.

In 1999, however, a late night fire gutted all floors, and the entire site had to be cleared.

Today’s replacement Lakefront building features several modern architectural improvements over its predecessor, including an elevator.

(Photo credits: The Villa Del Mar sign is from a “Congrats to Class of ’69” ad in the 1969 South Tahoe High School yearbook. It is courtesy of Bob Rockwell. All other photos by Bill Kingman.)

— Bill Kingman