Lost Tulsa

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:47:52 PDT

Nelson's Buffeteria Returning to Tulsa

It's been a while since I've had a good chicken fried steak...in fact, about 6 years ago when I was working downtown and frequently visited Nelson's Buffeteria. After a 5 year absence, Nelson Barry Rogers (grandson of founder Nelson Rogers Sr.) is bringing back their original recipes and as much of their atmosphere as possible.

Rogers is reopening the restaurant as Nelson's Ranch House in June at the former home of the Ranch House Restaurant (a.k.a. Debbie's Ranch House) just west of Utica on 3rd St. The unique rock building across the street is the home of Leon Russell's church studio.

I am particularly excited to read the following quote:

Rogers said his family still has the distinctive neon sign that adorned the Buffeteria site for decades, though they're mulling over what to do with it. Nelson's Ranch House will open with a modified version of the Debbie's Ranch House sign.

I'm glad to hear that the downtown sign is safe and preserved. It will be interesting to see what they can do with 2 classic neon signs. Hopefully they can find a way to work the original in.

Read more about the rebirth of a longtime Tulsa favorite in this Tulsa World article.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:00:57 PST

Staring at Liquid Fire - My Obsession with Neon

As a kid growing up in the '60s and '70s, I was surrounded by the remains of America's mid-century neon sign boom. The colors, shapes, fonts and animation constantly grabbed my attention. By the time we entered a new century, many of these fragile pieces of art were non-functional and decaying. Fascinated by the warm colorful glow of the glass tubes, I still find myself drawn to all things neon. Even the rusting darkness of a neglected sign excites something inside of me. After a recent night-time excursion with my trusty sidekick (my son), I realized that I had enough neon-related photos to assemble a dedicated photoset.

Mobil Oil 1930s-style Pegasus Neon Sign

From The History of Neon Signs:

In 1923, Georges Claude and his French company Claude Neon, introduced neon gas signs to the United States, by selling two to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles. Earle C. Anthony purchased the two signs reading "Packard" for $24,000.

Neon lighting quickly became a popular fixture in outdoor advertising. Visible even in daylight, people would stop and stare at the first neon signs dubbed "liquid fire."

Liquid fire. I really like that. Kind of hints at the primal pyromania that is deep inside so many of us. This is my collection of neon I've photographed over the past 6 years with no fewer than 4 varying quality digital cameras. Some of the signs still remain proudly standing, some are now stored in dusty warehouses or worse...destroyed and hauled off to a landfill. Most are from around Tulsa, although I had to slip in a few from other locations. I've done probably 8 dedicated nighttime neon hunts, and there's still MANY signs that I'd like to capture (or recapture with a better quality camera) around this area. I truly appreciate the fact that there are still artists out there who continue to create these wonderful pieces that can never be surpassed by simple back-lit plastic signs.

Nelson's Buffeteria Neon Sign - Removed in 2004 - fate unknown.

Someday I'd really like to visit The Neon Museum in Las Vegas:

The Neon Museum's mission is to collect, preserve, study and exhibit neon signs and associated artifacts to inspire educational and cultural enrichment for diverse members of our international community."

Our collection ranges from the 1930s to present day. A number of pieces are restored as public art and mapped for our self guided Fremont Street Tour. Others are kept in our Boneyard which is available by advance private appointment only.

And if I ever made it to Cincinatti, I'd certainly want to drop by the American Sign Museum.

We've got our own success story in the preservation and restoration of Tulsa's Meadow Gold sign above. After removal and storage of this Route 66 landmark, the experts at CNF Signs (restorers of the Atlas Life and Circle Cinema neon) are bringing it back to life. A new support structure has been built at 11th and Quaker (near Peoria), a few blocks east of it's former home. The metal framework has been completed and the huge neon-illuminated letters will soon be hoisted up. It's my understanding that only the clocks will be initially missing from the restoration. This Route 66 News article has some pics of the restored letters awaiting installation. The Cameras Voice has also posted these pics of the new structure, including the metal framework.

Sheridan Lanes Animated Neon Sign
I really want to update this with higher quality shots

Is there a favorite neon sign that you think I should photograph? Let me know! Among the top of my "Most Wanted" list right now is:
Ann's Bakery
Brook Theatre
Trippets
Sheridan Lanes (in action)
C&C Tile

Hope you are all having a great 2009. It's been a lot of fun getting back into Lost Tulsa after a long lull. Your words of encouragement have been great motivators to me and I thank you all for that.

Oasis Motel - Rt. 66 Tulsa

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:26:56 PST

Casa Bonita Surviver's Guide

Denver's Westword (think Urban Tulsa, but better) posted this humorous list aimed at preparing and informing those interested in visiting Casa Bonita, "the world's weirdest Mexican resturant". Just like the old South Park episode, this article leaves me wishing our Casa Bonita was as cool at the one in Denver. Still, they list some decent pointers and tips that could apply to both locations (e.g. "the fried ice cream is for suckers.")

Mmmm...sopapillas...powdery pillows of goodness!

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:17:15 PST

Future of Temple Israel Looking ~~Brighter~~ Bleak

Update: 01/28/09 - NewsOn6 has an update on the building and it doesn't sound good.
"...investigators visited the scene Wednesday and determined the building has no internal structural components in tact or reliable enough to prevent a collapse of the exterior walls."

Update: 01/27/09 - On 01/27/09 at 3am, the former Temple building caught fire. It's suspected that some homeless started a fire to keep warm during the ice storm last night, and it got out of control. Firefighters at the scene say that it's too dangerous to enter the building. No one is believed to be hurt.
[Ch 2 News]
[Newson6]
[Tulsa World]
My heart goes out to the developer who was attempting to restore this building and to all the Tulsans who were looking forward to seeing it finally happen.

Still burning around 4pm 01/27/09. Photo by Gold from TulsaNow Forum.

______________________________________________________________________

According to this NewsOn6.com article, the long vacated "Temple Israel" building is to be restored and turned into a community arts center. Sitting on the corner of 14th and Cheyenne since 1910, Tulsa's first synagogue has been abandoned for years. It's the last of the early synagogues left standing in Tulsa. The new owner, Kevin Stephens, has hopes of having the building placed on the National Historic Registry and using it's auditorium for dance, theater and visual arts performances. This project could really bring new life to this neighborhood and rescue a decaying Tulsa landmark from demolition. Win/Win.

View Larger Map

Top photo copyright Dan Watson.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:33:46 PST

Oklahoma Modern Captures I-44 Victims

Oklahoma Modern has this new entry on the demolition of Tulsa's uniquely circular Patrick Henry Apartments. Some very interesting information on the complex's design (round closets?!) and a handful of wonderful photos of the buildings as they were being torn down to clear the way for the widening of I-44. The photo of the round pantry alone is worth the jump. They took the curved theme even further than the University Club Tower.

Also in the path of the I-44 expansion was the former Osborn Ministries (a.k.a. World Museum) building. Oklahoma Modern was there late last year and posted this World Museum entry that includes some nice interior shots. I've had a lot of people ask about "that museum off 44 with the shrunken heads", so I'm quite happy to see these.

Great catch, Rex and Jackie! Thanks for sharing.

Above photos: Patrick Henry Apartments Circular Clubroom Building and Osborn Ministry Building from Oklahoma Modern.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:33:58 PST

Lost Bartlesville

It's been over 5 years now that I've been commuting to/from Bartlesville for my job. Although I prefer to live in Tulsa, I am quite fascinated with Bartlesville's history and structures. I finally got out and took some new photos of the places that interest me the most. With the new pics added to old photos I've been holding onto, I realized that I've got a pretty huge collection of Bartlesville-related stuff. So, breaking from the strictly Tulsa-centered sets, I present Lost Bartlesville [flickr].

Bartlesville in many ways mirrored Tulsa's growth in the 20th century, with a large oil-driven surge early in the century, then explosive growth after WWII. They managed to keep many of their downtown structures preserved from a fate as surface parking. There are many excellent examples of varied architectural styles, including some wonderful art deco and mid-century buildings.

Some items of interest in this set:

Downtown Bartlesville with all of it's great brickwork, fading advertisements and fire escapes. Top photo: May Brothers Apparel is going out of business after almost 100 years of service to the area.

Murphy's Steak House Neon Sign - If you're going to hurt yourself, you have to do it right with a wonderfully decadent Hot Hamburger!

Frontier Pool - A 1969 two pool former Olympic platform diving tryout location (10m). It's now being torn out to be replaced by a splash pad park.

Travelers Motel - Fantastically preserved mid-century neon sign.

Bartlesville Downtown Tunnels - Follow the tunnel network beneath downtown Bartlesville.

Hotel Phillips - 1950 luxury hotel threatened by new modern facilities opening in Bartlesville.

These and much more are in the Lost Bartlesville photoset for your browsing pleasure. For those of you who don't care about Bartlesville will just have to wait a bit longer for a new Tulsa entry.

Thanks for all the kind words and excellent memories in your e-mails and comments. Please keep them coming. It's your recollections of these places that bring these inanimate buildings to life.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:34:14 PST

Tulsa Union Depot

Digging deep through the Tulsa City-County Library's Beryl Ford Collection today, I tripped across some great pics of the Tulsa Union Depot. This is one of my favorite Art Deco buildings in Tulsa, and I have some old shots from 2004 that I've been wanting to share. This was just the excuse I needed.

Completed in 1931, Tulsa's Union Depot is a PWA Moderne style building that barely escaped demolition after years of vandalization and decay.

The depot was planned by architect Frederick Kershner. He was responsible for accommodating the three separate railroads that would serve Tulsa with 60 trains arriving each day. The building was designed by R.C. Stephens, an architect for the Frisco Railroad. It was originally built by Manhattan Construction through the Public Works Administration program. During the Great Depression, the PWA created jobs for architects, designers, and builders by putting them to work creating government and public buildings.

The station was used for passenger rail service until 1967 when it was closed and left abandoned for well over a decade. During this time, it was ransacked by thieves who took marble, chandeliers and etched glass. Anything left below eight feet was stripped bare.

The Williams Companies bought the building and financed the life-saving renovation of the structure for use as office space in 1982. Using the original builders, Manhattan, they managed to make the building look better than new. Compare the modern pics to the archive photos and I think you'll agree, the restoration they performed is remarkable. The ongoing maintenance of this historic building is impressive as well.

The former depot is now home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra as well as office space for Level 3 (formerly Williams subsidiary Vyvx).

Considering all of the lost depots around the nation, we're lucky to still have such an impressive structure downtown.

Additional information on the history and details about the architecture can be read in this BNET article that I borrowed from (among other internet sources) for historical reference.

As always, clicking the top image will take you to the [flickr] photoset.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:34:31 PST

Diamond Building - Abundant Life Building Reimagined

"This reconstruction of a 6 story windowless building into an 12 story mixed use facility is expected to help revitalize an entire section of near-downtown Tulsa. The uses will include ground floor retail, office space from 2nd through 6th floors and well-appointed condominiums in the 7th through 12th floors. Materials include a rough rectangular limestone base and columns, metal trellises and sunscreens and preformed concrete panels. An iconic rooftop lookout platform is oriented towards the downtown skyline, and extends the roof garden that overlooks the neighboring Veterans Park, historic neighborhoods and the Arkansas River in the near distance."

It's an interesting idea, although I have to wonder where the "diamonds" are. In fact, this design is lacking in pretty much any reference to the original architecture. Ignoring that fact, I think it's a pretty good looking building. I'd love to live in a modern multi-use building like this, particularly once occupancy reached a good level. With an additional 6 floors you'd have some spectacular views comparable to the University Tower. It's unlikely that this particular proposal will come to pass, but it's interesting to see what people can dream up for the renewal of this historic Tulsa landmark (albeit eyesore, currently). Most people I talk to dream of it as a rubble heap, being carried off in large dump trucks. I have mixed feelings myself. The historic significance as the headquarters of Oral Roberts Ministry is unquestioned, but the structure simply doesn't lend itself easily to re-purposing without drastic changes.

Top photo/Quote: Freese Architecture

Abundant Life Building at Night courtesy of Beryl Ford Collection, Tulsa City-County Library

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:34:42 PST

Williams Center Forum

The Williams Center Forum was a modern 3-level shopping mall with ice arena in downtown Tulsa from the late '70s to early '90s. After going defunct, it was converted and reopened in 1998 as the Williams Energy Trading Floor, taking up the space of a football field and wired with over 235 miles of data cable.

I've had a lot of requests and questions regarding pictures of the former mall and it's ice skating arena. Unfortunately, even though I spent lots of time there during High School (my Sr. prom was even held there), I never managed to take any pictures before it closed down. However, today I stumbled across Flickr user Steven Wilson's fantastic Williams Center Forum photo set of the center during it's prime.

Also of interest is his Woodland Hills Mall photoset showing it's original '70s design before several subsequent renovations. I so glad someone else managed to capture images of these places before they were changed so drastically.

Above: Photo by Steven Wilson of the Williams Center Forum ice arena.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:34:56 PST

The Remains of Detroit

From the "It Could Be Worse" Department:
Sean Hemmerle, a Brooklyn, New York-based photographer has captured much of the world when they were at their lowest point. His work at Ground Zero led to his continued work in Afghanistan and Iraq. A regular photographer for Time, he has recently preserved the derelict side of Detroit. Time.com has put this photo-essay online covering some of these aging abandoned structures of America's Motor City. In reference to the former passenger depot, Michigan Central Station, Hemmerle says "It's staggering, that such a phenomenal piece of architecture could stand empty for twenty years." For all of the history of industrial superiority that many of these buildings represented for the city of Detroit (and indeed all of the US), they now wait patiently for their inevitable demolition. Makes me thankful to live in Tulsa. It truly could be much worse.

I've always been fascinated by Detroit's abandoned buildings since David Kohrman started Forgotten Detroit back in 1999. It's the closest thing we have to a post-apocalyptic large city in the United States. Ukraine has Chernobyl (Pripyat) and we have Detroit. Even though I've only briefly driven through the city once, I've spent many hours absorbing the images and history of a lost Detroit. BTW, I do realize that these only represent a portion of the city, and that it's not entirely this way. But the shots of the forgotten parts are ominously wonderful to me!

Above: The Michigan Theatre, a glorious 1926 performance venue was converted to a parking garage in 1976.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:37:52 PST

Eastgate Metroplex Metamorphosis

I'm sure lots of you wish I'd get off my Eastland Mall kick, but I'm still getting a thrill out of watching this dead mall go through a $55 million metamorphosis, springing back into a living, breathing space again. This week, as they near completion of the external renovation of the former Mervyn's, they put up the new University of Phoenix signage. I had to drop by and take some new pics.

Then
Now

The OK Dept of Public Safety's drivers license testing facility has successfully made their transfer from Jenks to the new location downstairs in the former food court / arcade area. Workforce OK is moving forward quickly with their new space next to UoP. Community Action Project has settled in well with their Early Childhood Education Center. Alorica is building out plenty of workstations for their new $2 million 45,000 sf call center, which will soon be home to about 700 employees currently working in the Citiplex towers. Coca-Cola Enterprises keeps filling their parking lots up more and more. There's even a cafe/coffee shop in the former Helzberg Diamonds space, if you're in the mood for some java and a bite to eat (free WiFi too). IBC Bank is building out a space, as is Weststar Mortgage and there's positive word on talks with a national food operation to lease there as well.

Then
Now

At just over 30% capacity, the developers are expecting to have close to 1000 employees working at Eastgate Metroplex by the end of this year. It will be interesting to watch as the number of employees working at this mixed-use facility finally reaches the point that new retail is desired. So far, I've been very impressed with Director of Development, Gerry Chauvin and Rob Phillips' ability to quickly bring his vision for this facility into reality. I'm sure that Tulsa (and Eastside in particular) will certainly appreciate the economic impact that this should have for the city.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:36:16 PST

Lost Tulsa's Most Interesting Photos

Above is a slideshow of the most interesting Lost Tulsa photos, as chosen by Flickr's algorithm based on number of views, favorites and comments. It definitely picks some of my favorites. I can't wait to add even more photos soon.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:35:36 PST

Camelot Hotel Demolition Day

I'm still playing catch up, so I'm a year late with these. The Camelot Hotel photoset has been updated to include shots from last December on the first day of demolition.

The Google Street View crew captured the hotel around a month before it was torn down. Click the arrows on the yellow street lines to "drive" around the hotel. Grab the screen and drag or use the widget in the corner to adjust your view.
<
View Larger Map

It was still standing when Google's satellite provider snagged their last shot of Tulsa, too. Click the + to zoom in. You can even see the spade-shaped pool.

View Larger Map

On a final Camelot-related item. I was pleased to see that Alison Zarrow has posted her wonderful book, Abandoned Tulsa as a downloadable PDF (try the freeware PDF viewer Foxit, if you don't have Acrobat installed). I already own a hard copy of the book, but now anyone can enjoy her wonderful photos and well researched, inspired prose covering some of Tulsa's most interesting vacant places. It also includes some great shots from inside the Camelot Hotel as well as ephemera from the hotel's past. Thanks so much for sharing, Alison.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:35:49 PST

Sheridan Village - Admiral Place and Sheridan Road

Built in the mid-1950s, Sheridan Village was a contemporary 2-story shopping center at Admiral Place and Sheridan Rd in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Crown drug was a popular pharmacy with a soda fountain and grill in the back. Frequented for the main anchors JCPenney, TG&Y and Humpty Dumpty Grocery stores, it was also well remembered for it's Borden's Cafeteria, library, shoe store and card shops. It featured one of the first escalators in a suburban Tulsa shopping center. There was upper level parking on the roof accessible by way of a car ramp on the SW corner. The out-building OTASCO was directly across from the ramp, leading to stories about rolling a non-working car from the rooftop across to have it worked on. The shopping center hit it's peak in the late 1960s / early-1970s before slowly losing retailers to the larger, more modern malls being built around Tulsa. In it's later years it was used as a Bingo hall and a handful of small retailers. A small shoe store and barber shop appear to have operated there until the end. Vacant and vandalized, it now sits silently awaiting demolition in coming weeks/months.

Courtesy of Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Historical Society.

Anonymous recalls Sheridan Village in their comment:

Back in the 60s it was a very popular place to shop. It had a JC Penney's, TG&Y, Rexall Drug, Grocery store, Hallmark store, Borden's Cafeteria, Merle Norman, etc. The Rexall had a soda fountain, the TG&Y had a candy counter including hot peanuts. The JC Penney's had a fabric department that was second to none; at that time most people made a lot of their clothes. The Hallmark store started out in a tiny little alcove and later moved to one of the store spaces out front. There was also an Otasco next door to the center that was very popular. What a wonderful place it used to be.

According to another commentor:

There are STILL some employees that work for JCPenney that worked at the Sheridan Village store. Most of the moved to Eastland after Sheridan village - and now, they all work at Promenade.

On Tulsa TV Memories, Charles Stevens in Fargo remembers,

The card shop at Sheridan Village was called the Postman and for years it was located in a small store underneath the escalator that went upstairs to Borden's Cafeteria. Borden's had a treasure chest where kids could pick out a prize after eating. The Presidential visit I remember is Johnson in the late 60's. He was in town to view progress on the Port. We stood out on the curb on Admiral and watched his motorcade go by.

I was unable to find any information on the future plans for the lot that the demolition of Sheridan Village will leave behind. If anyone knows of it's proposed use, please add a comment. For those interested, check out the new Sheridan Village Photoset on Flickr. Like much of the mid-century architecture in Tulsa (think: Mayo Meadow Shopping Center), it's not particularly exciting or special, but it had it's own charm. I'm sure that there are still people out there who remember it fondly from their childhoods. Please share your recollections!

PS...glad to be back.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:36:26 PST

Camelot's Reign is Over

This morning the demolition of Tulsa's former Camelot Hotel began. Unfortunately, we don't get a dramatic implosion, but rather a week-long process of chewing away at the structure with hydraulic scissors. KOTV (Ch.6) has a nice 2 minute video of the start of the destruction.

Lots of folks are reporting on this one:

Camelot Hotel razing to begin Thursday [Tulsa World]
The End of Camelot [KOTV]
Taking Down a Historic Hotel [KOTV]
Camelot Demolition Continues [KJRH]
Demolition Begins on Camelot Hotel [w/ video KTUL]

It's sad to see it finally being torn down. I have some really good memories of this place during the early 80s. But it's been an eyesore for entirely too long. It's simply not feasible to renovate and it needs to go.

Tulsa Library has this collection of "vintage" pictures of the Camelot during it's better days. Some may view these pics and remember clearly how things once were. Others are probably too young to remember it as anything other than an abandoned fake castle.

Despite the ugly gray skies, I couldn't resist swinging by there this afternoon for some last minute photos. I'll get them posted to Flickr soon.

QuikTrip Corporation will build their 500th store on the site. Somehow, I just don't believe the new store will have as much visual impact to visitors coming through town on I-44. I'd love to see QT prove me wrong.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:36:39 PST

Pulse Check

Just dropping a line to let everyone know that Lost Tulsa still has a pulse, although it's a bit weak at the moment.

I have to mention a new Flikr photoset posted recently by R_Smarte_Pants. He managed to gain full access to the partially renovated Mayo Hotel. He captured both the new and pristine, as well as the old and decaying. Absolutely stunning! Check it out here.

It was a sad year to visit the State Fair and see that Bell's Amusement park had been successfully converted into a 4000 space car lot. I still couldn't find a place to park, and ended up skipping the fair this year. Call it a boycott of inconvenience.

The Camelot had a scare a few weeks back, when a pile of junk caught fire from a welder above. They quickly doused the blaze, returning the I-44 icon to it's regularly scheduled impending doom. Quik Trip will be building a special 500th store on this location, possibly with additional tenants on the property they purchased this year.

The dead mall, Eastland is finally showing new life as re-christened Eastgate Metroplex. New lighted signage has been built along 21st St and the main entrance has been completely renovated. Coca-Cola is opening their new customer service facility in the old JC Penney's section on the West end of the mall. Open house will be next week. They expect have have 300 employees working there by Christmas. Community Action Project opened last week with new classrooms and even a nice new playground built out on the Southeast side. Last month, the partnership that is responsible for the $45 million renovation/repurposing closed on the former Dillard's building and is hoping to close on the former Mervyn's space. This will give the partnership 100% ownership of the facility, including the massive basement beneath the entire mall. The Dillard's building is planned for conversion into a windowed, 3-story office tower.

Thanks to Sgrizzle on Tulsa Now Forum for the following article quote:

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recID=82763

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eastland Partners pays $1.8 million for Dillard’s location
October 17, 2007
TULSA – A fine steel gray powder permeated the renovated entryway at what once had been Tulsa’s Eastland Mall. It pooled like desert sands in the waves of the protective plastic sheeting, clung to the bricks and tile, and formed murky clouds in the centerpiece two-story fountain.
Such was the all-prevailing sign of construction that grips the one-time shopping center being remade as the Eastgate Metroplex office environment. A casual inspection uncovered workers busy in the central corridors, inside former outlets, painting exterior signs, even trimming trees.
“We are on track for how we anticipated it would be,” said Director of Development Gerry Chauvin for developer Eastland Partners LLC. “But the truth is, we had two deals in place much sooner than expected. That raised expectations we would be moving faster than we had hoped – including yours truly.”
With their first year on the $50-million-plus renovation project nearing completion, Chauvin said the mixed-use project remains only 15-percent occupied, its reconstruction about 20-percent finished. But the developers will soon complete two key steps to advance their vision.
• As Eastland DP LLC, Tulsa County Courthouse records indicate the developers paid $1.8 million to Dillard’s Inc. for the chain’s former mall location, a 250,000-square-foot, three-story extension that Chauvin expects to transform into a Class A office tower.
• Another arm of Eastland Partners LLC expects to close on the 106,000-square-foot, two-story Mervyn’s location within a month.
These deals will finally give Eastland Partners control of the 1 million-square-foot mall and its 150,000-square-foot basement, expanding its ability to meet user needs even as its first two tenants settle in.
Coca-Cola Enterprises will hold a grand opening Oct. 30 for its 62,000-square-foot customer service center at Eastland’s west end. Chauvin expects that facility to ramp up to its projected 300 employment by the year’s end. The Community Action Program of Tulsa County moved into its 28,000-square-foot Early Childhood Development Center last week at the mall’s southeastern edge, near the former food court and Mickey’s bowling alley and billiards.
Those operations give Eastgate a resident work force of about 350.
“It’s weak,” admitted Chauvin. “But we are on track for how we anticipated it would be when we started.”
With one year down, working from plans by architects Kinslow, Keith & Todd of Tulsa, Chauvin expects primary contractor Hopper Construction Techniques of Tulsa to complete work on the renovations over the next two and a half to four years. He sets the same time frame for getting the complex to a stable leasing foundation of 75- to 80-percent occupancy.
But the work completed pleases Chauvin, from the restored fountain and the new stonework adorning the main corridors to the new roofing, wiring and entryways. With the old chillers replaced, on Nov. 17 the developers will use helicopters to install 19 rooftop air conditioners and heating units, marking another step in the projects development.
Clearing out the many abandoned storefronts also has given Chauvin the opportunity to give away many old tables, chairs, cabinets and other fixtures it otherwise would junk.
He is in negotiations with two potential restaurants to enter the facility. To protect their business base and not cannibalize their market, he doesn’t intend to add more until other potential offices move in.
“Our goal is to finalize a restaurant operator by the first of the year,” said Chauvin. “With our momentum building and the pending deals and exposure, we feel we are right on track.”

My favorite "acoustically perfect" venue, The Brady Theater (aka Old Lady on Brady) is getting closer a really nice renovation herself.

According this oldish article from the OKC Journal Record:

A group of Tulsa music enthusiasts led by Alter, founder of Tulsa- based Matrix Architects Engineers Planners, launched a capital funding campaign to buy and renovate the 93-year-old Brady Theater, scene of legendary performances ranging from Enrico Caruso, Benny Goodman and Fatty Arbuckle to Bill Cosby, Cyndi Lauper and U2.
...
Having completed a feasibility study of the Brady Theater, the buyout group Historic Brady LLC desires to not only restore some of its celebrated ambiance, such as the Bruce Goff interiors installed in the 1930s, but also to bring needed upgrades, including handicap access and environmental systems and wider, more comfortable 21- inch seats. While that promises to lower its 2,750 seating capacity, the remodeling would take advantage of unused supports made for a third balcony, adding a level to bring its capacity back to 2,500.

This will be a much needed facelift for the Brady that will hopefully bring in even more acts like the upgrade to Cain's Ballroom did.

Thanks for all the comments here on Lost Tulsa. They are both inspiring and motivating. Although it's not frequently updated, LT has become a wonderful time-capsule of places and memories, mostly thanks to everyone else's participation. Please continue to share your thoughts with all of us.

While I'm mentioning sharing, I'd like to make a request to everyone reading. If any of you have old photos or videos from Tulsa's past, please share them with us. I've had so many requests for photos of places that I never managed to take pics of...The William's Center Forum, Southland (and Southroads) Malls, the "shrunken head museum off 44", Malibu Gran Prix...the list goes on. I too would love to see anything that might be out there, sitting in someone's closet, just waiting to be appreciated by all of us. Please contact me if you have anything like this. I'd be happy to help with any digital conversion, if it'd make it any easier.

Enjoy your October!

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:30:34 PST

100 Most Interesting Lost Tulsa Photos

Playing around with a little Flickr tool. This collection of the top 100 most interesting Lost Tulsa photos as determined by Flickr "Most Interesting" criteria.

Hope everyone is staying cool. I'll be back out shooting some new pics soon.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:22:02 PDT

I recently posted up some new pics on Flickr, but they're not exactly on-subject. There's a new photoset that my wife and I took at this year's Blue Dome Art Festival. The art cars in particular were simply too eye-catching not to post up. This festival coincided with Mayfest, so I also ended up with a few shots of some of the neon signs along Boston Avenue. This includes the Atlas Life Building shown above. As I mention in the comments of this pic, this building was the first to pique my interest in Tulsa's wonderful downtown buildings.

Meanwhile, the vintage John Allen wooden roller coaster, the Zingo is getting very close to being dismantled completely. Last week, I watched a really good quality video from one of the new copter steadicams, showing a crane working on the upper u-turn of the south side. I wanted to link it here, but I can't seem to find it. What I did find was this equally depressing short video clip (.WMV encoded) on Coasterphotos.com showing Bell's in 2001, including a 1st person ride on the Zingo. If anyone has the link to the helicopter footage, please comment below.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:36:54 PST

Rose Bowl Renovation

Although I can't find an online version of the text anywhere, the Tulsa World has a small article about upcoming renovations to this unique Rt. 66 landmark.

From May 27, 2007 Tulsa World:

After well over a year of speculation, things are looking rosier at the historic Rose Bowl.

Literally.

"We've painted the outside with pink terra-cotta, since we didn't really like the white and purple scheme," said Sam Baker, co-owner of the Rose Bowl along with his nephew, Chris Whinery.

The new paint job marks the first external transformation from a shuttered bowling alley to an event center, which will host an antique auction the first weekend in July. Other potential uses include hosting home and garden shows, weekend flea markets, car shows and motorcycle rallies.

Though the building's purpose will change, Baker, the owner of several nearby automotive businesses, said he wants to keep the building as close to its original architecture as possible. He even stuck with the basic name, calling it the Rose Bowl Event Center.

Baker and Whinery, his partner in the venture and a mortgage broker with Whinery Mortgage of Edmond, Muskogee and Tulsa, purchased the former bowling alley at 7419 E. 11th St. in February 2006 for $295,000.

Baker estimated that it will take well over $1 million to renovate the building.

This is very encouraging news to see such a huge challenge being undertaken. I wish these guys luck with their renovation and I hope their schedule fills up quickly this summer.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Sat, 12 May 2007 14:30:20 PDT

KOTV Gives Update on Zingo

In this KOTV post, they report that Bell's has been given a last minute extension to allow the dismantling of the Tulsa landmark roller coaster, the Zingo. After having their work severely impacted by all of the rain we've received in recent weeks, the original May 15th deadline was simply not going to give them enough time. The expense of dismantling park is estimated around 1/2 million dollars. Anything left behind after the deadline will be forfeited to the county. Still unknown is whether Bell's will ever reestablish the amusement park at a new location.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:57:39 PDT

Phillips Petroleum Museum Grand Opening

In an effort to reaffirm their Oklahoma roots, ConocoPhillips is opening a new museum at 4th and Keeler in downtown Bartlesville this month. They have been renovating the former Arvest Bank building since last Summer. It will be operated and funded by a private foundation established by ConocoPhillips. Admission will be free.

Late 1920s Cottage Style Phillips 66 Service Station
Photo from Phillip's former "Timeline Tunnel" below the streets of Bartlesville.

Phillips used to have a very nice museum-type display set up on the second floor of the Phillips Building (PB), including a scale replica of a 1920s Cotswold Cottage design service station like in the photo above. I know that this model has been relocated. They also had an immense archive of historic documents and items which have been transferred to the museum. Last week, I could see a really nicely restored gas truck through the front window, but most of my view was blocked. I am really looking forward to seeing everything in a more public friendly environment.

The museum will be open to the public beginning Saturday, May 12. Normal hours of operation will be Mon - Sat, 10am - 5pm and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.

Speaking of cottage style Phillips stations, I'm was very pleased to read that the Vickory Phillips 66 Station at 602 S. Elgin is going to be rehabilitated using Rt. 66 corridor grant money.

Vickory Phillips 66 Service Station - Tulsa, OK

Once this historic gem is restored, it will be used as a Avis Rental car office. KOTV has this brief report including a few additional pics of the building before starting. It sounds like it's going to be a true restoration project, with all the painstaking detail involved. I can't wait to photograph the results when the project is finished.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:43:34 PDT

Camelot Demolition In Near Future

A report tonight from Channel 8 indicated that the owners of the former Camelot Hotel (built 1965) were in talks with the City of Tulsa regarding a loan to safely demolish the asbestos-ridden castle. The plan is that once the structure has been removed, owners Maharishi Global Development can sell the prime property and repay the loan. The removal is expected to cost approx. $1 million and could begin as soon as this Summer.

It had been formerly announced that the Camelot was not in the planned path for the upcoming expansion of I-44, and would not be bought out like the rest of the properties being forced out.

Update: According to this KOTV story, The Tulsa Industrial Authority approved the agreement Wednesday (4/11/07) morning. The city will back the loan as long as the owner agrees to tear down the building. Demolition is expected to be completed by September.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:38:43 PST

Northland Center Revisited

Originally built as one of Tulsa's first malls, the open-air Northland Shopping Center has been renovated after many years of neglect. It has successfully been re-purposed as a office complex, dubbed Northland Center. Presently, the primary tenant is a community outreach center.

Although they've modernized the front facade of the buildings, the rear still looks much the same. Also, they left the wonderfully huge Northland Shopping Center sign standing tall on the hill behind the mall. I've been taken by the design of this sign since I first saw it. I was pleasantly surprised that they left the sign intact, although all the former neon has been gone for a long time. My imagination runs wild when I think of how it looked when it presided over a thriving new retail center in the '50s and '60s.

Click on either photo above to visit the former Northland Shopping Center's newest photoset. I first wrote about this mall in this early Lost Tulsa entry. Lots of people who remember growing up with this mall commented and clarified much of the history of the place. Pics from a previous Northland photoset shows it as it was before the renovation.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:37:36 PST

Eastland Mall Metamorphosis

There's been a lot of activity over at Eastland Mall with a $45 million (increased from $30m) renovation in full swing. The newly dubbed Eastgate Metroplex is off to a good start. The biggest news so far is the signing of Coca-Cola Enterprises, who will open customer support offices in the former JC Penney space on the West end of the mall. They will occupy 61,850 square feet and expect to employ ~300 people. Eastgate developers are also busy building out classrooms for a new childhood education center operated by the Community Action Project of Tulsa County.

The external facade is beginning to change as well. I have watched them carefully remove a former incinerator chimney that took over a week. I can only a assume there were some asbestos abatement issues, or that rebar-reinforced concrete was just really giving them a challenge. They have removed the "tents" over the main entrance and will be replacing the square-tube open framework with a more traditional (read: boring) stucco treatment. Since Eastgate is going to be primarily commercial, there will not be as much need for a huge main entrance. Most of the tenants will have their own main access. Staying for sure is Mickey's bowling center. The theater will probably return after the renovation. Dillard's is in discussion over their future there. Very much in limbo is the fate of the former food court, which is simply too large for the smaller scale retail planned for this mixed-use facility.

I found this very informative Tulsa World article the other day, after visiting Eastgate Metroplex with my son for one last attempt at taking some shots. When I saw the photo at the top of the article, I was stunned. I've been trying to figure out for some time what part of this mall I visited as a kid in the early '80s, when I snuck into a cavernous uncompleted mall. Now I realize that I once wandered around in what would eventually become the 150,000 sq. foot basement below the main level of Eastland Mall. This basement surprised even the developer, who was unaware of its existence. I love the mention of the "stairs to nowhere" in the article. I'm sure there's many things like that remain from the original construction started in the mid-'70s.

Even though I couldn't go underground, I took a final opportunity to wander this mall before things really start to change inside. I always loved the waterfall that dropped to the food court level. Now, it's beautifully abandoned, dry as a bone with hard water stains streaking the stone tiles...dead plants surrounding the area. See my Eastland Mall 3 photoset for one last view of this structure as an abandoned/dying retail center. At the rate they're going, this will all be cleaned up renovated and repurposed in another year.

tom@losttulsa.com (Tom) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 16:14:51 PDT

Classic Peaches Pics!

Huge thanks to Lanette, who has posted some classic pics of her time at Peaches Records and Tapes ('79-'82). I really appreciate the time spent scanning in these great photos. They really give you a feel for what a "record store" used to be all about.