The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

River City Development purchased the Enterprise Building in January 2015 and received a property tax abatement from Tulsa County and the City in November 2015. They're turning the upper 8 floors into 70 apartments (46 one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and 8 one-bedroom units) and the first floor will be retail space. More details and a video are available on its project page (http://tulsanow.org/index.php/the-meridia).

It's been under interior demolition for a while, and they anticipate having the units ready sometime this fall.

(http://tulsanow.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Meridia.jpg)

Good find, I hadn't seen a rendering of it yet.

That’s going to look really great on that corner.  RCD is a solid group and great people to work with on the business side of things.

That is a huge improvement over the current look of that building.

Lots of work going on at that corner lately. Great to see.

What corner is that?

6th and Boston

Yes. A pretty non-descript building cate-corner to PSO with some green marble  panels iirc. NIce.

Block down from there. Across from LaSalles.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1508797,-95.9883409,3a,75y,297.09h,100.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCAHnel6ZyKoiJAJwGEaFjg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1508797,-95.9883409,3a,75y,297.09h,100.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCAHnel6ZyKoiJAJwGEaFjg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en)

Thanks. Pretty shiny!

I don't know how many times I've driven by that building yet never actually noticed it. The new design is generic, but much better than the black box, and having retail on the bottom will be a huge benefit to that corridor. Not to mention adding more people to downtown.

That black monolith style just makes it blend into the shadows. The only way I used to notice it was that the columns around the first floor used to be shiny gold color metal covered, and I think there was an architectural supply or design business on the Boston side of the building on the ground floor.

The new plans for it make look more inviting from the outside, and just the color change alone does wonders for it.

Was Triangle Blue Print the store you were thinking of?

I think it was. I remember the Triangle store on 41st, and when I worked for a courier service, we did a lot of pick ups and deliveries to that location on Boston, and it was always blueprints and drawings. That was one of the few buildings DT that I never saw anything other than the ground floor.

My mother was a commercial artist back when design was done by hand and not computer.  She used Triangle extensively for supplies and product output.  I think they are mostly an output house now.

Anyone know if they are planning on having parking with this development? I know some of these properties downtown they have converted the basements into a few spots (Vandever Building was able to get like 10 spots into the basement). There's the parking garage across the street so shouldn't be an issue, but will be interesting to see how much they will get per sq. ft. rent wise if it has no connected parking. This would make #3 downtown in terms of residential conversions that has essentially no parking. The Palace Building, Vandever Building, and this. There's also most of the Kaiser lofts that have no attached parking either.

I don't think they have the space like the Vandever did.

We did a lot of business with them back in the 70's when my dad and my brother got into doing photography of kids sports teams with team and individual shots for members and doing some matte settings for other work, and when I took two semesters of drafting at TJC North in 1982, and blueprint classes at Spartan in 1988. Still have most all of the supplies that I got from them and from my dad who worked as an engineer at McDonnell/Douglas including one of his slide rules that I never learned how to use.

Like I said it's good to see this building get a new life and a new face. IIRC it was discussed some time ago about the redevelopment of it. As for the parking issue, isn't the garage on the SE corner used by the IBM building or is it a public first come, first served? There is such a potential for more places like the K.C. Auto Hotel to absorb several of the stupid surface lots into a few parking garages with retail on the ground floor and better use for new structures for business and residential on the number of surface lots. I guess having lived in the PNW for the last four years, I have changed my thinking on things, and I see the hurdles that Tulsa is going through and mainly things that were neglected for years there, and as so many have brought up, until there is a change at the city council level, it will continue to be a struggle.

Speaking of new ideas, what is going on with this building? I think it would make a cool sports bar on the first level, and a upscale restaurant on the upper level.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/201+S+Cheyenne+Ave,+Tulsa,+OK+74103/@36.1532867,-95.9938077,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x87b6eb79d75812f5:0x49974a75af91aef4?hl=en (https://www.google.com/maps/place/201+S+Cheyenne+Ave,+Tulsa,+OK+74103/@36.1532867,-95.9938077,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x87b6eb79d75812f5:0x49974a75af91aef4?hl=en)

This: http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/hilton-garden-inn-coming-tulsa/nbsJr/

Hah, the old Oil and Gas Journal building.  I work for that company...well, its parent anyway.

It was reported this morning that River City Development is renovating the parking garage for the Philtower and for the first time will be offering 100 new parking spaces for day or hourly use.  Prior to now, it had been a permit-only garage.  This is the kind of developer who is good for downtown.

Speaking of parking garages.  Does anyone know why on earth OSU Med Center knocked down the parking garage off the east side of their building to replace it with a surface parking lot?  WTH?

Thanks, I now remember seeing that discussed here before.

Ahhh, PennWell. I still have nightmares about working in that building, and I know there's probably a couple hundred dollars worth of my tools in the ceiling space in that building.

Unless the plan has changed there will be a new parking garage as well as surface parking.  I imagine those lots will be developed as the hospital expands surrounding the parking garage.

http://www.osumc.net/2012/05/osu-medical-center-reveals-9-7-million-transformative-plan-for-new-parking-garage-and-campus/ (http://www.osumc.net/2012/05/osu-medical-center-reveals-9-7-million-transformative-plan-for-new-parking-garage-and-campus/)

That place needs a ton of updates.

I know a number of IT people at Pennwell.

It was 22 years ago that I did work in that building, and i don't know which was worse. The crawl space over the south west corner of the building or the dust and noise out in the press area. The crawl space. When they did work on the roof the tar would drip down onto the structural iron, and that tar acted as mouse and rat traps so you had to be careful where you put your hands.

I've not paid much attention so...how's that going?

Well, if the date on this Google Street photo is correct, I'd say they are just a wee bit behind schedule.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.153697,-95.9934682,3a,75y,203.02h,87.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD0lwtB7N6pmY7sOYjTChBQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en (https://www.google.com/maps/@36.153697,-95.9934682,3a,75y,203.02h,87.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD0lwtB7N6pmY7sOYjTChBQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en)

They seem to be the only department that doesn't turn over at an alarming rate.  I've been there now about 4 years.

No batteries required.  You do get a few less significant digits than a modern calculator though.

So do I

The parking garage at OSUMC was meant to be temporary.  Like many temporary things it lasted way longer than it's life.  They've been trying to get a new garage their built for years.

Progress is being made!  And, much to the developers credit, the final product looks almost exactly like the initial rendering.  The balcony space is awesome.  Will help bring more life to Boston after 5pm... and the more residents, the more the downtown trolley becomes a real part of mass transit.  Also, with the addition of TransOK and the existing Philtower condos, the park will have a good number of neighborhood users!

Website list info, though not nearly as much as some other downtown units:
http://themeridia.com/

1 bed 1 bath at 710 sq. feet, floor plans are shown for each (http://themeridia.com/experience/floor-plans/)
2 bed 2 bath at 1545
3 bed 2 bath at 1635

Most appear to be 700-900 square feet with each floor having a large unit at the corner of 6th and Boston.

Apartments.com lists the prices from $1099 to $2499 with some variations within each category.  Itists even more details, says some units are available now.  Has some really cool photos of finished units and the views.
https://www.apartments.com/the-meridia-tulsa-ok/y339qwv/

Listed amenities:
Open-Air Balconies In Most Units
Stainless Steel Appliances
Designer Tiles By The Renowned Ann Sacks
Dedicated Parking Structure
Kohler Fixtures Throughout Each Unit
Ultra-High Efficiency Heating & Air
Washer & Dryer In Each Unit
Water, Sewer, & Trash Included In Rent
Ground Floor Restaurant & Retail Shopping
Super Efficient LEED Green Architecture
Free Gym Membership
Pet-Friendly
Free Downtown Trolley Service
24-Hour Security
Concrete Structure Resistant To Inclement Weather
Modern-Style Architecture
Storage Space available


Fairly active on Facebook, with photos of progress and completions.  Even some future neighbors meeting each other:
https://www.facebook.com/themeridia


(http://i.imgur.com/ODql82G.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/nDRcjyS.jpg)

When I did the Dwell in the IDL tour the Meridia and the Palace were the only standouts (besides the ones above Prairie that aren't for rent). The Meridia sample apartment was breathtaking and modern with the large windows. I would totally move there except I have no desire to live on that side of downtown.

Wow! Makes a big difference on that corner now. Impressed by how close to the rendering it is.

Thanks for posting the link, cannon_fodder!

I hope the final build-out of Apt #206 will include a water closet near the shower.  A unisex toilet is shown across the common corridor, but a shower/toilet equipped with a water closet within Apt #206 would make it a better place to live, in my opinion.  Personally, I wouldn't want to rent an apartment without a water closet included within the actual unit.  I wouldn't want to rely on common, shared toilet facilities.  A 710 square foot apartment really ought to include a private toilet with a water closet, in my opinion.

Something like this:
(http://themeridia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Bath-A-sink-1024x576.jpg)
Source:  themeridia.com

Hahahaha!  Good catch.  Maybe they were going to put a macerator in the shower drain or one of the wash basins.

I think it was left off of the drawing.

I assume this drawing was the plumber's work order.

Good that we're getting a Poke place which has been long overdue. The article mentions a speakeasy-type restaurant will go into the basement. This is great for adding density to the area. Hopefully they'll open soon as reported and the customers will increase foot traffic and help give the area a boost. Oklahoma Joe's is opening about 2 blocks away in the Pythian building also (I'm guessing in former Einstein Bagel location).

Now bring on some carne asada fries and a real New Mexican style restaurant and downtown will really have quite a diverse array of food!

I have yet to find any restaurant in Tulsa which does a credible job of green or red chile sauce. That always vexed me about Cafe Ole’, really good entrees but for a place supposedly capturing the taste of New Mexico, they don’t seem to have a clue about Hatch Chile.  Tomatillos don’t belong in a green chile sauce!

It’s literally damn near a condiment out here at any local place.  Even American fare restaurants will still have few New Mexican dishes or at least offer the opportunity to drown your breakfast, burger, or chicken fried steak in red or green.

That is one of my favorite aspects of NM. There's a whole food culture there and you feel very much in a distinct place, just about anywhere you go. It seems like Tulsa should have at least one place that does NM food right. A lot of Oklahomans travel to NM relatively often so I think there would be a good market. Plus the food is so good. Just about everything is better covered in red or green chile sauce!

Truth in labeling laws should require nearly ever Tulsa ethnic restaurant to append “something similar to” its description.

As for a poke place, that seems pretty specialized in a market that is not always favorably disposed to places with such a limited focus, particularly one with which a lot of Tulsans may not be familiar (Torero being the latest example).  If it works, however, it really will make the Deco District perhaps the most food diverse district downtown.

8 floors of units, there is ONE three bedroom unit. It has no balcony, faces the alley.

Which, I believe, is also actually the only 3 bedroom in this part of town.

I love tapas and am not a food snob, but Torero was just pricey for what you get. I think a real tapas place could do very well in Tulsa (Several restaurants have had tapas over the years, but not as their main thing like Torero). Tapas in Spain are usually small plates for low prices. The low prices are a huge part of it. If they were as expensive as Torero, most wouldn't survive either. IMO Torero did everything well or exceptionally except the pricing, although the location was probably difficult as it was not the busiest corner and I bet rent was pricey.


Poke makes some sense to be a stand-alone place because it is just a different kind of food dish with specific requirements for cooking areas. It is basically lazy sushi so theoretically a sushi place should be able to do it also. If Tulsans discover it, it will get big fast. It is like sushi but better and much more food (and much more fish) for the money. Rather than a $20 sushi meal, it is typically half that and more protein. Many from western states or who've been to Hawaii will want to try it.