The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Bookstore coming to the Brady Arts District

A new non-profit group is set to bring "literary magic" to the Brady Arts District.
Magic City Books will be a project of the newly-formed group Tulsa Literary Coalition. The independent store will be the anchor tenant in a building on Archer Street between Detroit Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Brady Arts District.
Renovations on the building are set to begin soon with the bookstore opening later this year or early 2017. The building is owned by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and Chris Lilly Architects is leading the renovations.
Jeff Martin founded the bookstore and Tulsa Literary Coalition. As part of the new group, Martin will bring in his popular BookSmart Tulsa series to bring in more author events to the Tulsa community.
“It’s no surprise that Downtown Tulsa is experiencing a renaissance.” Martin said. “Magic City Books and the ongoing outreach of the Tulsa Literary Coalition will create and foster a new literary tradition in Tulsa, providing a much needed center for the literary arts. We will keep Tulsa reading, thinking, and talking about books and ideas.”
The for-profit bookstore will be part of the funding source for the literary non-profit group.
Cindy Hulsey will serve as executive director of the coalition and general manager of the bookstore. Martin will serve as president and board of directors for the coalition.
The bookstore will also feature a cafe, meeting room, newsstand. The cafe will offer light food, coffee, tea, wine and beer.
The Tulsa Literary Coalition will provide programs beginning this summer and Magic City Books will have pop-up shops at various events and venues before the opening.
For more, go to tulsalitco.org.

Good news for the Brady!

I saw this on the Tulsa World:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/arts/bookstore-coming-to-the-brady-arts-district/article_d825c8aa-d96a-5d66-8076-5ae266bccc5c.html (http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/arts/bookstore-coming-to-the-brady-arts-district/article_d825c8aa-d96a-5d66-8076-5ae266bccc5c.html)

I heard of another development by the GKF between Boulder & Cheyenne, south of Easton. Something about converting the old factories to a mixed use development or maybe building new. Has anyone else heard of this?

Books? Aren't those like, movies on paper?

Sounds cool though

Better!!   MUCH better!!

TULSA, Oklahoma -
At almost 100 years young, another one of Tulsa’s historic buildings will get a new life thanks to a major renovation set to begin next month.

An old warehouse in the heart of the Brady Arts District has sat empty for years. The 72,000 square foot building might not look like much now, but the George Kaiser Family Foundation has big plans for the space.

One of the first tenants announced is a bookstore, but that is just the beginning.

Built in the 1920s, the Archer Building has strong bones, but is in need of a fix-up. The original tin tiles line the walls and the old warehouse doors help tell its story.

But in March, The George Kaiser Family Foundation will start writing the new chapter - a $30 million renovation that will include 35 artist studios and 14 apartments for those involved with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

On the bottom floor, up to ten new restaurants and businesses - one of which will be Magic City Books, supported by the Tulsa Literary Coalition.

Board President Jeff Martin gave News On 6 a tour and history lesson on the ‘Magic City’ term; apparently coined by President Teddy Roosevelt after you could get rich from oil here - like magic.

"We wanted to enforce that our magic time is not over, it is right now, and what is in the future," Martin said.

Novels will line the walls and there will be event space for things like book clubs.

Martin said, “It’s hard to imagine 'cause its raw right now, but when it comes together it will be beautiful, and special and super cozy like a favorite book store should be.”

And once you're done reading your books, maybe you'll be in the market for a unique vinyl. Holy Mountain records will be moving from 11th Street into the Brady District.

Owner Jay Hancock called the opportunity to pair with GKFF, mind blowing, and, at first, hard to believe.

"We're just little guys. There is no way this is going to come to fruition," he said.

But it is, and Hancock said not much will change as far as the shop is concerned - except the premiere location in the heart of the Brady Arts District.

Glacier Chocolates will also be opening a second location called the City of Chocolate. It will have everything from the bean to the final product and around 7000 square feet of an educational component.

I checked and not a single one offers 7.1 sound.

   On the one hand, I know this will be good for downtown.  On the other, I am really afraid of what it will do to my business and perhaps even the other businesses in our part of downtown.  Most of us over here are small fry working really really REALLY hard with what we got to make a go of it.  We have dreams and hopes of creating something wonderful ourselves.

Then you see this.  Someone with big pockets who can go in and make their own ideas happen and leave the rest of us possibly faltering and our years of hard work and dreams dashed. 

I look at First Fridays and see how my sales go dramatically down on that day compared to Fridays when that is not going on.

I think of some of our regular customers that we love to see.  I think in particular of the one gentleman and his little girl who come in every so often because she says she loves our store and likes going to Mods and the little Candy Castle across the street.  Then I imagine "Whats she going to choose when this big bookstore goes in with a giant chocolate shop next door?" 

Where are our local authors going to go now for their book signings?  To my store or this other one? Those books signings help us create a little buzz for our store. 


I have always known it would be a race against time.  That I would have to work really hard to grow and expand and better the business before the bigger competition and money would come into play downtown so that I could have a chance at competing. 

I have worked so hard to be a part of something, to try and use my talents to make Tulsa better. 

Perhaps I am just too small a person to make a difference, to compete and hopefully have my dreams come true. 

I can pivot and find a niche.... but then you always run the chance that, no matter how hard you work no matter how talented you are, no matter how hard you push, work day and night and weekends,  someone else with deeper pockets will waltz in and kick you off to the side.  It's tough out here. 

This is where the Deco District needs to come up with regular promotions like First Friday or figure out a way to get people to come through the DD on their way to or from First Friday.  Either that or you need to be doing promotions when you have the highest level of foot traffic, which I suspect is during weekday daytime hours.  You have the advantage of daytime pedestrian activity I don’t see in that part of the Brady.  Without a massive office tower going in a block or two from this new project, their daytime traffic won’t be all that spectacular.

Stick with your original plan of offering art classes and book signings.  Authors are happy to promote their work.  There’s nothing saying a book signing for an author or title has to be exclusive.

It’s been said in the car business for years: “If you own a Ford dealership, pray someone wants to open a Chevy dealership across the street.”

In other words, competition creates critical mass.  In your case, there might be too much walking distance in between for this maxim to apply, but there’s no reason to think this development will torpedo your business. 

You and I have talked about ways you can really prosper with an online presence and there are so many ways you can differentiate yourself from other offerings in the market including this one.  While your concern is appreciated, I believe you will be fine. 

I have always known it would be a race against time.  That I would have to work really hard to grow and expand and better the business before the bigger competition and money would come into play downtown so that I could have a chance at competing.  

I have worked so hard to be a part of something, to try and use my talents to make Tulsa better.  

Perhaps I am just too small a person to make a difference, to compete and hopefully have my dreams come true.  

I can pivot and find a niche.... but then you always run the chance that, no matter how hard you work no matter how talented you are, no matter how hard you push, work day and night and weekends,  someone else with deeper pockets will waltz in and kick you off to the side.  It's tough out here.  

3 years and I haven't made a time off the business, have still had to work my day jobs to make ends meet.  This year was the year that I could have done that but then with the big move to a larger more expensive space the "schedule" for me to start making a little was going to have to wait a little more.  But the dream is worth it. Someday it will be great and we will make it.  But now with this going in... gonna be even harder.  I don't know yet what my next pivot is going to be exactly.  And even if I do, will someone else just come in again before I can take off with that dream and pull the rug out from under all that work.    

Thank you so much for the positive support and suggestions!  We will keep on trucking.

Btw was on Channel 8 this morning promoting an event we will be having this Saturday for the kiddos.

http://ktul.com/good-day-tulsa/videos/miss-tjs-music-storytime-02-24-2016

  On the one hand, I know this will be good for downtown.  On the other, I am really afraid of what it will do to my business and perhaps even the other businesses in our part of downtown.  Most of us over here are small fry working really really REALLY hard with what we got to make a go of it.  We have dreams and hopes of creating something wonderful ourselves.

Then you see this.  Someone with big pockets who can go in and make their own ideas happen and leave the rest of us possibly faltering and our years of hard work and dreams dashed.  

I look at First Fridays and see how my sales go dramatically down on that day compared to Fridays when that is not going on.

I think of some of our regular customers that we love to see.  I think in particular of the one gentleman and his little girl who come in every so often because she says she loves our store and likes going to Mods and the little Candy Castle across the street.  Then I imagine "Whats she going to choose when this big bookstore goes in with a giant chocolate shop next door?"  

Where are our local authors going to go now for their book signings?  To my store or this other one? Those books signings help us create a little buzz for our store.  


I have always known it would be a race against time.  That I would have to work really hard to grow and expand and better the business before the bigger competition and money would come into play downtown so that I could have a chance at competing.  

I have worked so hard to be a part of something, to try and use my talents to make Tulsa better.  

Perhaps I am just too small a person to make a difference, to compete and hopefully have my dreams come true.  

I can pivot and find a niche.... but then you always run the chance that, no matter how hard you work no matter how talented you are, no matter how hard you push, work day and night and weekends,  someone else with deeper pockets will waltz in and kick you off to the side.  It's tough out here.  

3 years and I haven't made a time off the business, have still had to work my day jobs to make ends meet.  This year was the year that I could have done that but then with the big move to a larger more expensive space the "schedule" for me to start making a little was going to have to wait a little more.  But the dream is worth it. Someday it will be great and we will make it.  But now with this going in... gonna be even harder.  I don't know yet what my next pivot is going to be exactly.  And even if I do, will someone else just come in again before I can take off with that dream and pull the rug out from under all that work.    

If anything I kind of wish we could have worked together on this and we could have been a part of whats going on there.  Surely they know of us and our efforts and realize what it will do to us.  I have always reached out and invited the "book community" to be a part of what we are trying to do for instance.  Us helping them helps us kind of thing.   And then out of the blue.  Yea it will be better for them, but not likely for us.

And stay after the media.  I’ve found over the last year the media is always looking for positive things to report and they will support local business when they are sought out.

I know many people still don't know about Decopolis. I don't know the answer (maybe posting events on a variety of places, twitter, reddit & even Craigslist, etc). Having a booth at events like Cherry St Farmers Market or Blue Dome Arts festival (but probably busy time for you) and maybe a popup shop at First Fridays could help. Still, there is a lack of stuff to shop for at First Fridays. Occasionally a few tables, but not much. I bet the Tulsa-Deco posters could do well there.

While I love everything that's happening in the Brady, it does create an unequal playing field: those that benefit from the synergies and support of GKFF's philanthropy, and those who are going it all alone in the free marketplace.

Another benefit we've received is that GKFF has essentially protected the Brady from being overrun by national chains.  In many cities, the areas around major public investments (ballparks, transit hubs, etc) end up surrounded by national chains.  The 16th Street Mall in Denver is a perfect example of this.  I don't know if it was originally envisioned as the miracle mile of national chains, or if high rents pushed the little guys out.  There's very little there that you couldn't find along an average Interstate service road, which is really sad.  One of the best things about downtown Tulsa (perhaps because there's a lot of land owned by a handful of property owners, or because we're still operating under the radar?) is that, for now, we haven't been inundated by national chains.  It's critical for Tulsa's future that our downtown remain a unique place.  Folks like the Artist are making that a reality--helping downtown be a place unlike anywhere else.

Another benefit we've received is that GKFF has essentially protected the Brady from being overrun by national chains.  In many cities, the areas around major public investments (ballparks, transit hubs, etc) end up surrounded by national chains.  The 16th Street Mall in Denver is a perfect example of this.  I don't know if it was originally envisioned as the miracle mile of national chains, or if high rents pushed the little guys out.  There's very little there that you couldn't find along an average Interstate service road, which is really sad.  One of the best things about downtown Tulsa (perhaps because there's a lot of land owned by a handful of property owners, or because we're still operating under the radar?) is that, for now, we haven't been inundated by national chains.  It's critical for Tulsa's future that our downtown remain a unique place.  Folks like the Artist are making that a reality--helping downtown be a place unlike anywhere else.

Interesting metric completely missed by me.

Other than franchise hotels and Spaghetti Warehouse, are there any national chains in the Brady?

Interesting metric completely missed by me.

Other than franchise hotels and Spaghetti Warehouse, are there any national chains in the Brady?

Subway

Hmmm, can’t picture where it is.

Not having lots of chains downtown has given many of us local guys who are inexperienced and starting out on a wing and a prayer, a better chance to start businesses, make some mistakes, learn, adapt, and still possibly make a go of it. 

For a while now its like "What does downtown not have?" and thats your opportunity to go in and do it while there are pockets of decent rent and low competition.

 But always keeping in the back of your mind that sooner or later as things get going, others with deeper pockets and more experience will be wanting in on the game,  so it's a race to keep your business growing and getting better as both rents and competition continue to rise. 

It's sometimes risky and tough being first in, but there are advantages too. 

It's not just decent rent, it's dirt cheap rent comparatively speaking to the rest of the city. Deco District might have the best real estate market in the entire city...and I can't for the life of me figure out why people aren't taking advantage of it.

Lack of enough mixed use development?

Close proximity to Iron Gate clients?

Get more residential in the immediate area completed and that might change.

Deco District for sure needs chains. It's the same effect an anchor store used to have at a retail mall. There is enough real estate to have a mix and chains would add foot traffic to grow the local businesses.

Mexicali Border Cafe.   

Does 2 count as a chain, especially since the other is 'national' - Florida....

Mexicali isn't great by any means, but I don't think it's a chain.

According to their web site, there are two restaurants in their "chain." One in Tulsa, one in Florida. As "national chains" go, that's pretty weak.

Unrelated (or is it?)   The new taco joint (Jimmy Hula's) that's replacing Taco Cabana @ 18th n Yale is also in Florida.
Same franchisee?

http://jimmyhulas.com/locations/

What is the connection between Tulsa and Florida anyway? Naples Flatbread came from Naples, FL, as well.

Aside from the occasional JJ’s splurge, my wife and I generally avoid chain food places.  And no, I’m not saying that for your benefit, you guys do the best lettuce wrapped bread-less sandwich.  

So are you saying more chain fast food or more chain retailers would benefit the area?

For us, anyhow, we’d be drawn by locally-owned restaurants than chain to make it downtown for a meal.  When I meet a client or friend for lunch in the Deco District for lunch it’s either at La Salle’s or Elote.

Good chains of retail or food add for traffic. Put a Chipotle or CVS in the Deco District and it would help everyone. You don't need to overdue it but you need a good mix.

CVS isn’t in particular favor from a development standpoint and Chipotle is still reeling from their e-coli nightmare.

I can see where the convenience of a national level drug store would be of benefit, but the two giants seem to be bent on only existing in suburban dreck.

What we really need in downtown besides a grocery is a homegoods store and some clothing options beyond tee-shirts.

Cherry Street and to a lesser extent Brookside have seen the arrival of national chains with no ill effect (so far).  I prefer locally owned, but the arrival of chains put a stamp of approval on an area and, as mentioned by others, can help drive a lot more foot traffic that benefits everyone.  I can’t think of a single restaurant that failed on Cherry St. or Brookside because of a national chain’s arrival.  Indeed, Wolfgang Puck failed (started out great, but then went downhill) while locals around it flourished.

Chains will come to downtown once we’ve grown enough to catch their eye and meet their metrics.  We shouldn’t fear that eventuality, but recognize that it will force everyone to up their game to compete and succeed.  Of course, that is a lot easier for me to say because I don’t own a small retail business downtown.

I was told Wolfgang was paying $12k a month for that spot. That's an unreal price tag.

Local places are awesome until they don't have the income to stay open. Not every area will have millions from Kaiser or a stadium funded by public tax dollars to boom like the Greenwood/Brady Disctrict. I'll take a Starbucks in the Sinclair Building and consider that a win for everybody.

Your bias is showing as an owner of a national franchise. My question is, how do all of these local places in small towns stay in business without millions from groups like GKFF? I mean places like Fresno, Modesto, Coos Bay, Salinas, Payson, Page, Eureka, Medford, and towns that size that aren't tourist traps, or homes to major college or near pro sports?

I'm not an owner. I'm just giving you all the counter argument and it's something I analyze every day working for a chain. People want a utopia of local places but what I see is boarded up buildings in the city center. I want local to succeed but I think the vision on how to accomplish that is extremely skewed in a city the size of Tulsa.

You have to take into consideration that Tulsa is what, 10 years into trying to undo 30+ years of nobody gives a damn. You have a small group of people that had a vision of a different Blue Dome/Brady area and they started out on their own, and most of the places they moved into they probably got for a song in the beginning and very wisely so because if it didn't work the financial loss wold not be as high if it had been in other areas of DT. I applaud them and GKFF for giving an area that the before the jail, the only reasons to go there at night were you were homeless, going to Cain's, or worked at the dairy.

I think part of the locals longevity is that they have different standards for fiscal success. Or even personal success. Investors in chains want a certain roi or they grouse and bolt. Many local restaurants are run by past employees of chains or large successful locals. They rely on family, friends and self deprivation to achieve their dreams of success. And if they manage to employ cousins, aunts, and friends to survive its even more of a success.

Related. I ate at Calaveras Mexican last nite at Admiral and Lewis in the old Whittier Square. I spent much of my youth in the fifties/sixties in that area. I loved it. Obviously a family operated restaurant with a very adventurous menu stuffed into what used to be a Crown Drugstore way back. I would go to this place over any chain for real Mexican food served quickly with hospitality. And the area is coming back to life so I want to support that growth.

I'm a tad worried about the Deco. We have two shops in the Philcade that just moved out. I'm not sure if they went out of business or moved, but I don't like empty store fronts. I love that you've upgraded your shop though.

It's a tough area.  Hopefully we will get another restaurant or two and things will pick up. Living in the area will help but probably not as much as people think. Hotels are probably better. Would love to see some more larger shops that can have a broader variety of stuff.  Just doing something like a small amount of women's apparel and the such is a tough sell in this area unless you really have something unique or "in" and with a lot of buzz.

Again, with retail in an urban environment you need to be off a high traffic area where lots of people walk.  Near a transit station helps. That is typically where you see lots of shops in other cities (or you get lots of shops in one spot and the transit follows).  And "destination" type things help too (lots of shops/restaurants can be a destination).  Our downtown is still very "amorphous" spread out and unsettled. 

It could end up that there is no retail in the Deco District (with me moving somewhere else) and just mostly daytime eateries.  Just depends on how things fill in.  And that is up to the city and or the building owners/developers.  It's their choice.

The Archer Building, a warehouse owned by BOKF Foundation in the Brady District (the big, white building on Archer, between Cincinnati and Detroit) will soon become home to art studios, apartments, and almost a dozen retailers, including Holy Mountain Records, a second Glacier Confectioners location named Chocolate City, a nonprofit book store, Magic City Books...

My hope was to bring in more tourists to downtown with the Tulsa Art Deco Museum.  We have some incredible architecture and stories. I would love to be a part of creating some magical places to explore and shop, etc.

Looks like in a way Kaiser and his organizations have a similar vision. They are doing a lot of the things I would be doing, if I had that kind of money. (Actually I would be building an Art Deco Disney World if I had that kind of money lol but I digress) and they are seeking out partners like Magic City Books and the Chocolate Factory, helping to build Museums, the park, bringing in stories and history with Woody Guthrie & Bob Dylan, etc.

I can't wait for Magic City books to open. Tulsa is lacking in bookstores. Are there any other good used book stores besides Gardners? That place is too overwhelming.

I can't wait for Magic City books to open. Tulsa is lacking in bookstores. Are there any other good used book stores besides Gardners? That place is too overwhelming.

Don't forget your current downtown bookstore "DECOPOLIS Books" https://www.facebook.com/DecopolisBooks/   we are constantly growing and adding a greater variety of classic novels, gift books, childrens books, etc. at our new bigger location!

Don't forget your current downtown bookstore "DECOPOLIS Books" https://www.facebook.com/DecopolisBooks/   we are constantly growing and adding a greater variety of classic novels, gift books, childrens books, etc. at our new bigger location!

FYI, my wife and I were having a drink at the bar at the Rusty Crane when a reporter from Fox 23 came in with a camera and asked us what we thought about the new construction going on across the street.  We spoke to her on camera for about 5 minutes.

FYI, my wife and I were having a drink at the bar at the Rusty Crane when a reporter from Fox 23 came in with a camera and asked us what we thought about the new construction going on across the street.  We spoke to her on camera for about 5 minutes.  One of her questions was "Aren't you happy that downtown will have a bookstore?" and I replied that downtown already has a bookstore and mentioned Decopolis by name.  Of course that comment didn't make it to air.

Did the reporter happen to mention the excavation along the face of building?  The hole in Detroit Avenue has gotten deep, and I'm wondering why it's so extensive.

They did that on all sides so my guess is to seal the basement so it can be used for storage.

Or parking

FYI, my wife and I were having a drink at the bar at the Rusty Crane when a reporter from Fox 23 came in with a camera and asked us what we thought about the new construction going on across the street.  We spoke to her on camera for about 5 minutes.  One of her questions was "Aren't you happy that downtown will have a bookstore?" and I replied that downtown already has a bookstore and mentioned Decopolis by name.  Of course that comment didn't make it to air.

Not a fan of Fox23, but that is just pathetic they would not include mention of Decopolis on air.  Beyond tacky.


I finally made it in to Decopolis over the weekend and love it!  William was working on a new canvas - doing some kind of pencil layout work.  It is just a lot of fun to walk around looking at stuff.  Couldn't buy anything this time, but found a couple books that looked interesting, so will be back after payday...   Have told some friends coming in from Texas about it who claim to be big Deco fans, so maybe they will come by, too.

Thanks for the compliments on DECOPOLIS!  Look forward to seeing you again, and your friends!  Oh and the painting is coming along nicely!

Archer Building getting ready to open retail spaces this summer
Some of the names of the Archer Building's future tenants have been on the fence outside the building for months. Others haven't been announced.

The plan is to have them all open by the end of the year, and add a broad swath of retail and artist studio space to a burgeoning Brady Arts District.

One wave of retailers will open this summer, including the Goods Bodega, Guitar House of Tulsa and Made: The Indie Emporium Shop, which will move from the Philcade Building in the Deco District and then use its current location for a different concept.

A larger group of retailers and restaurants are expected to open this fall, including Lone Wolf Banh Mi, Press Cafe x Yoga, Magic City Books, Glacier Confection, a board game cafe and sports bar  concept called Shuffles and a restaurant from local restaurateur Tuck Curren.

Ground floor retail and restaurants aren't the only thing the $17 million renovation project from the George Kaiser Family Foundation boasts. There will be 35 artist work spaces and 14 studio apartments for artists in the two-story former warehouse at 215 E. Archer St.

Strange Donuts and Holy Mountain Records, which had previously announced locations in the Archer Building, will not be tenants.

More local businesses

In a section of downtown filling up with GKFF projects, the Archer Building is, to at least one future tenant, a "missing piece of the puzzle."

"If you look at traffic flow for example on First Friday, … it should be such a busy, bustling thoroughfare to connect stuff over by the ballpark like Living Arts, and restaurants over there to Guthrie Green," said Thom Crowe, who with wife Christine Sharp-Crowe owns Made.

He added: "Right now, you can sort of walk between an office building and now an abandoned Spaghetti Warehouse Building parking lot. The restaurants and the shops that they're putting in there perfectly fit. It's like completing the puzzle in Brady Arts District."

Crowe said the new, larger space will allow his wife to get back to what she started the business for: encouraging fellow makers and teaching classes. The current location, he said, meets an interest in greeting cards and Tulsa-focused wares because of its proximity to the downtown cluster of hotels.

Crowe noted what the nonprofit has done for business owners and development in downtown.

"If you look at the Brady Arts District and the shops, Antoinette's, 36° North, the small businesses that are there starting up or just having a place to go work, Ida Red and us — it's really giving people an opportunity that otherwise, they wouldn't be able to have or it would take a lot of finding investors or getting a lot of other financial burdens.

"They're really making it possible for smaller businesses in Tulsa to thrive."

Residential doughnut

Photographs of signs line the blank white walls of an artist’s studio on the second floor of the Archer Building. The room, among close to three dozen on the second floor, is where Joel Daniel Phillips, with a maroon ball cap perched on his head, paces and contemplates the stories behind the signs he found along Route 66.

Phillips is from Seattle and lived in San Francisco before coming to Tulsa as a Tulsa Artist Fellow. He receives a $20,000 stipend plus room and board. The signs are a departure from his typical work, which has been “drawing my neighbors.”

In downtown Tulsa, he has noticed he doesn't have a lot of neighbors. Tulsa’s population density is a like a doughnut, he said, with a hole in the middle. And so he’s drawing the signs because they drew him in. Some are existing businesses. Others have seen time pass them by.

To Phillips, they are an acknowledgement of Tulsa growing around them, a clue to how big and empty Oklahoma is compared to the density of the Bay Area.

Artists like Phillips are part of GKFF's proposed solution to the lack of downtown density, Phillips described. The fellowship program, in addition to attracting artistic talent to Tulsa, is also intended "to people" the Brady Arts District.

The building itself was renovated with an eye toward improving the walk-ability of the Brady Arts District.

Aaron Miller of GKFF, who has a degree in metropolitan strategic development, said he hopes the Archer Building becomes a gateway between the burgeoning Brady Arts District and the Greenwood District.

The building, he explained, was originally built because of its proximity to the railroad tracks and then, as the car became the preferred method of transportation, the Archer Building was preserved by lack of use.

Rent for retail tenants, Miller said, is below market rate to give small businesses and entrepreneurs the ability to take advantage of the location in the Brady Arts District and because of requirements of the New Market Tax Credits that were used for the project.

Tulsa County property records show the building is owned by the BOKF Foundation, which is the nonprofit arm of BOK Financial. George Kaiser is the majority owner and chairman of BOKF.

Miller said the foundation has signed a long-term lease with BOKF to use the building.

He said the building is aimed to give downtown a "different type of retail" with a customer who is comfortable walking a few blocks.

"The Archer Building is another step in the right direction to make downtown Tulsa a walkable neighborhood."

Archer Building tenants

Summer 2017
The Goods Bodega: The Goods will be a corner market with food and convenience items.
Guitar House of Tulsa: Guitar House has provided vintage and rare guitars to the Tulsa market since 1964.
Made: Made is a modern handmade boutique with a goal of bringing thoughtful, functional design to our local community. Made also serves as a place for Tulsa's creatives to gather in a hybrid retail, classroom and studio space.
Fall 2017
Press Cafe x Yoga: Press is a minimalist coffeeshop with an adjoining hot yoga studio. Press is also a recent winner of Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation’s Startup Series.
Lone Wolf Banh Mi: Lone Wolf will open a full-service restaurant offering their famous banh mi sandwiches, kimchi fries, fried rice bowls and more.
Magic City Books: Magic City Books is a new, independent bookstore operated by the nonprofit Tulsa Literary Coalition.
Glacier Confection: Glacier’s much larger secondary location will feature an educational component in addition to bean-to-bar production on-site.
Shuffles: Shuffles is a board game cafe/bar offering a full restaurant, coffee shop and bar. Along with a sizable “open box” board game library, a retail space will allow you to take game and accessories home with you.
Tuck Curren restaurant: A new, to-be-named restaurant concept by Tuck Curren, chef and owner of Biga and Local Table, will also open in the Archer Building.

Strange Donuts and Holy Mountain Records, which had previously announced locations in the Archer Building, will not be tenants

Owner of Biga to open jazz club and restaurant in Tulsa Arts District

Two-story jazz club and restaurant opening in Archer Building, Glacier chocolate opens soon


The next food places in the Archer Building are expected to open within the next two months.

Glacier Confection is nearing completion of its second Tulsa Arts District location. The new store will have chocolate production facilities, a classroom area and a full bar in an open concept that will be visible to everyone in the building.

“If all goes well, we hope to be open sometime this month (March),” owner Bill Copeland said.

Tuck Curren, owner of Biga Italian restaurant, said he expects to have Duets, a jazz club and restaurant, open in the Archer Building sometime in April.

“It will have a jazz club on the bottom floor and a New American restaurant on the second floor,” Curren said. “We will be able to seat 120 upstairs with the outside patio and 120 in the club. The club will be booking some nationwide jazz acts, as well as local talent.”

A board game café called Shuffles also is expected to open in the Archer Building in the near future.

The Archer Building is on East Archer Street between MLK Jr. Boulevard and North Detroit Avenue.

Other food spots already are open in the Archer Building, in addition to some specialty shops.

Places to grab a bite, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine include Lone Wolf Banh Mi,

I'd be curious to know how far the Brady District would have developed thus far without the investment of the GKFF.  Think about it, they've got a huge stake in the district.

I'd be curious to know how far the Brady District would have developed thus far without the investment of the GKFF.  Think about it, they've got a huge stake in the district.

I'd be curious to know how far the Brady District would have developed thus far without the investment of the GKFF.  Think about it, they've got a huge stake in the district.

“GKFF owns the land and is planning a development consistent with our goals of creating a vibrant district that is attractive for young, creative people to live and work in Tulsa,” Levit said. “We are studying various options and hope to accommodate both residential and office uses on the property

Would really like to see the Spaghetti Warehouse block be a future target, along with the empty lots on Main.  I haven't heard anything new in awhile about the Hanson studio/brewery project at Main & Brady.

Would really like to see the Spaghetti Warehouse block be a future target, along with the empty lots on Main.  I haven't heard anything new in awhile about the Hanson studio/brewery project at Main & Brady.