The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Someone in another thread described this store as an "eyesore".  Certainly it is empty currently, but the truth is, the smaller footprint, like this building has, is what many grocers are returning to...the 60-80 thousand sq ft grocery store is just not what I am seeing built around the country.  In fact, I was just in Portland, where the Safeway brand still exists, and many of them are in these "vintage" buildings.  This design has become somewhat of an iconic thing for them, and is part of their branding. They have really knocked out some of these old buildings.  Plus, there are many fans of this mid-century design. Check it out:

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2607569055_691cfc761f_o.jpg)


(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2607569047_50b3f049c9_o.jpg)

I love this '60s "Marina" Safeway store. It's great that there's still some under their original name.

http://www.losttulsa.com/2005/06/1960s-era-safeway-this-former-safeway.html

There's some good Safeway history and pics on groceteria too.

http://www.groceteria.com/safeway/1960.html#

Great site for a minature golf course.....

Paul is not likely to do much here unless it's a Walgreens or CVS....

These old buildings are one of the only remaining structures I've seen which have those huge laminated wood arches.

Anyone remember the gas station at the SW corner of 61st & Lewis which had the laminated wood beams for the pump canopies? Very nice design. Some years later, when a convenience store chain took it over (not QT), they painted these nice laminated beams. Then, later tore the whole thing down....to build another gas station, replacing the nice wood-beamed canopies with the standard angle iron/corrogated steel type.  What a waste.

btw, this site is being reserved by those who control for the "Grand Central Library" next time they try to pass the bond issue.

Though the library building, I think, is proposed across the street to the east, I think this site is included in the overall design, perhaps as parking. Don't know for sure.

So, the days of this building are numbered, imo.

I'm pretty sure that whole idea is dead. The Library isn't even going to think of a bond issue for 10-15 years and the site was only popular for the family that happens to own that area of downtown, who are willing to donate part of the land but aren't willing to pay to build the library themselves.

Let's hope it's dead.  That location for the central library was a worse planning idea than the location of the BOK Center.

12th and Denver should be a grocery store again...hundreds of people live in walking distance either in Downtown or in Riverview. Many hundreds more live a short drive or bus ride away. People that work downtown would certainly stop in to grab bakery goods on their way to the office, or a gallon of milk on their way home.

I'd shop there! Every day I drive by and think that it's time for a grocery store downtown. It seems like the store could be profitable.

I used to visit that store and if anything wants to re-locate there, they will need a significantly better business plan to keep decent customers.  The old place was basically a large discount 3.2 beer/ cigarette store that happened to sell some meat and other items that were packaged elsewhere.  It was not a very pleasant place to visit, and I'm one of the ones on here defending downtown Tulsa as a pretty safe place.

If they actually had a deli and some other more pleasant items, I would shop there.  But that old place was really rough and I didn't shed a tear when it closed.  I do hope they put something decent in that location.  It is wasted land at the moment.

Agreed. I live about six blocks away and would LOOOOOVE to have a grocery store that close.

My apologies for reviving this thread...but, I think a lot has changed in downtown over the past year.  I really feel that this issue warrants more discussion.

Is this land privately owned, city owned, "managed" by TDA, or what?

I am no developer & do not have much knowledge on the politics involved in development.  So I have a couple of questions...

     1.  What need to happen to tell the city, developers, or other powers-that-be that this site being utilized as a grocery again would be a great decision for our downtown residents, tourists, concert-goers, hotel
          guests, etc...?  Petitions to the city?  I'm just not sure!

     2.  All robbery & slow sales comments aside please...what did the North Tulsa residents do so diligently that brought the Gateway Market to their neighborhood?

Thanks for any thoughts.


Edit:
This story shows how much the city is willing to do for these kinds of projects.  Block grants, etc...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=53&articleid=20100316_298_0_GtwyMr711272

I would like to have a grocery store in the area but at this location coupled with the Arena and Convention Center traffic.... May have a small problem.

I'd heard OSU Tulsa either now owns or leases the building, anyone care to clarify?

I think it's parking for OSU med ctr.

I was under the impression that it was owned by OSU medical center.

Is the space going to be torn down & developed?  Anyone have a link to story?

According to last year's Tulsa Stadium Improvement District assessment roll, the parcel is owned by Twenty First Properties Inc. That company and others with the same mailing address own a large chunk of land in that part of downtown.

Ah, thanks. I knew that a couple of my OSU-MC friends used to park in that lot, which is where I got that impression.

thanks MB!  Are there any known plans for the lot?

If not a grocery store at least a Walgreen's or CVS would be better than an empty storefront.  If the building had to be torn down I would want to see the new store built up to the corner of 12th & Denver with the main entrance there and parking behind.

The place I think would make a great grocery store is the Tulsa Fertility Clinic property (old Luby's) at 15th & Boston.  Move the clinic, raze the building, and build an urban, flagship Reasor's that fronts 15th with parking to the north and east next to the Cincinnati overpass.  That could be the new go-to store for Cherry Street, Maple Ridge, and Riverview and also for downtown, especially if there is a future streetcar along Boston.  Riverview, Sobo, and Uptown could see a lot of growth with a full service grocery store (and a Walgreens/CVS) in close proximity.  As far as future residential development, those areas and the parking lot wasteland near TCC hold the most opportunity for infill growth in the near future.

I think that building was brand new as the Luby's and I'd need another place to make deposits.

The old safeway is a great location imo.  I think a CVS would be handy if it can't be a grocery.

Maybe they could move down the street to Bumgarner's proposed 'medical office building' at 14th & Utica..   :)

Just try and pry all that asphalt wasteland from their cold, dead hands....

Man that Safeway picture sure brings back memories. My Mother was a employee for them over 20 years so I was in quite a few of them.

I think downtown would be better served by a smaller format grocery store (but still with produce, a deli, and a meat counter) than this one on the first floor of one of the older buildings farther north, and perhaps somewhat east.

Last night, I happened to be thinking about this and had a nice vision of a grocer taking up the full or most of the first floor of one of the older downtown office buildings. Something truly urban.

Not that putting a decent grocer in at the former Safeway location would be at all a bad thing, I just think we can do even better.