http://tulsapreservationcommission.org/blog/index.pl?e=1134I thought this blog did a nice job of outlining recent DT development.
Lately, I’d been thinking about writing another blog entry about all the progress occurring in downtown Tulsa, which I’ve done in the past. It was one of those things I’ve been meaning to do. However, something happened that struck me so profoundly that I couldn’t wait to write this entry.
Over the weekend, I read about Lyon’s Indian Store moving to the Blue Dome District. I’d seen the sign announcing the move in the window of their new home between 1st and 2nd Street on Detroit. But reading the article, I was struck by one word that was used to describe the Blue Dome District: vibrant. Not too many years ago, that was a word not often associated with downtown Tulsa. Now it’s a word used to describe downtown in the local paper... and it sounds right.
I think this blog entry was meant to be, because walking to work this morning with the Lyon’s news already in my head, I noticed that workers were installing new street signs in the Blue Dome District (pictured above). Yep, that’s a sign. Literally.
There’s been no shortage of exciting news coming out of downtown lately, but the pace seems to be accelerating. Each headline stands on its own, but when all the individual snippets of progress are gathered together in one place, one can’t help but feel proud, amazed, and optimistic. So with that, let’s review all the downtown Tulsa progress that has occurred or been announced in the past few months. Get comfortable, there’s a lot:
First, downtown Tulsa now has four districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Brady Historic District was listed in October and the Oil Capital, KATY Railroad, and North Cheyenne Historic Districts were listed just a few weeks ago. In addition to honoring their historic significance, National Register listing makes dozens of downtown Tulsa buildings eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits. These tax credits have provided tens of millions of dollars of financial assistance to Tulsa development projects such as the Mayo Hotel, Atlas Life Courtyard by Marriott, Tribune Lofts, Philtower Lofts, and many more.
Look for one more downtown Tulsa district to be listed in the National Register in 2011 — none other than the Blue Dome District. The nomination is being prepared this spring, with listing likely to occur in the fall.
So let’s stay in the Blue Dome for another paragraph or two and review all the recent happenings. Thanks to an ordinance change last year, several rooftop signs have popped up in the district. There have been several runs held downtown thanks to the opening of Fleet Feet’s Blue Dome location. Perhaps you heard they had a Holiday Parade through the Blue Dome, or maybe you rang in the New Year with fireworks at the district block party. If you attended either event, you saw all the holiday lights strung up downtown thanks to the GLOW campaign.
Two new Blue Dome businesses opened to rave reviews: The MAX Retropub and Fassler Hall. Look for more food and fun in the Blue Dome District soon — opening in the first half of 2011 are Back Alley Blues & BBQ, the Dust Bowl Lounge & Lanes, and Hi! Cupcake, which are all currently under construction. There are also rumors of two more restaurants coming in the former Olsen Coffey Architects offices at 3rd & Elgin and the former MET warehouse at 1st & Detroit. Stay tuned.
Just a few blocks down, the vacant fire station at 4th and Frankfort could soon be the new headquarters for Tulsa Opera. Further south, the old Broadway Poultry Market has been transformed into an urban event space.
Moving through the heart of downtown, the expansion of First Presbyterian Church is moving along nicely, with a three-story steel-framed structure rising up from 7th & Cincinnati. Longtime downtown fixture, The Petroleum Club, announced plans to move to the 41st floor of the First Place Tower in 2011. What is to become of their old space? Rumors are flying around about a local restaurant moving in. Time will tell!
Across the street, the Summit Club pulled a $1.2 million building permit to remodel the 30th and 31st floors of its facilities, following up on the success of their 32nd floor remodel last year. Just a few blocks up 6th Street, keep an eye out for the opening of Plush, a lounge in the former First National Autobank.
Moving over to the Denver Avenue corridor, there should be a flurry of construction throughout 2011, thanks to Brickhugger LLC. The group purchased the former City Hall building and will convert it to an Aloft Hotel, while blocks away the group will convert the vacant YMCA building to a mixed-use residential/retail space.
The BOK Center followed another successful Winterfest (drawing an estimated 120,000 visitors to downtown) with the announcement that the arena ranked 10th in the nation in ticket sales in 2010.
Cranes will soon be in the air on the block across the street from the BOK Center, as One Place LLC announced a 15-story, build-to-suit office tower would be the first project of its planned one-block mixed-use development. Just a few blocks away, Casa Laredo expanded their restaurant to add seating in the front windows, and two downtown institutions celebrate anniversaries in 2011: the Coney Island celebrates its 85th year and the Steakfinger House will turn 30.
Let’s head north across the tracks to the Brady Arts District. Soon, Tulsans will have another way to get there, as bidding and construction on the Boulder Avenue Bridge will (at long last) take place this year. Speaking of infrastructure, just last week crews were installing LED traffic lights and countdown crosswalk signals downtown, which will save money and increase pedestrian safety. And construction on the Inner Dispersal Loop should wrap up, on schedule, in early 2011.
If you think all the construction activity reported above sounds good, wait until you see the Brady Arts District in the coming months. Exciting times ahead! First, the $12 million, 75-unit companion project to the Tribune Lofts, the Metro at Brady Arts District, got underway last week. Across the street, MetroPlains LLC pulled a $9 million building permit for a four-story, 30-unit apartment building at Archer and Boston, tentatively named Brady District Flats. Also breaking ground this year on that square block is the $11 million, four-story Fairfield Inn & Suites announced by SJS Hospitality, who was recently honored by Marriott International for their Atlas Life Building conversion.
Just a block away, construction will begin this month on facilities for Philbrook Musuem and The University of Tulsa in the east half of the Matthews Warehouse. In May, construction will begin on a visual arts center for the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa on the southwest corner of the Matthews block.
It’s easy to see why the Tulsa World would declare that the "Brady District is ready to boom." Featured in that article is a popular new restaurant that opened last fall, Hey Mambo. Also opening recently is Brady Tavern, with its brand-new kitchen easily visible to pedestrians on Brady Street, and Glacier Confection, a gourmet chocolate shop. Patrons of the arts should be well fed.
Also in the Brady District, work continues on the Robinson Packer Lofts for Teach for America housing. The Detroit Lofts opened and work continues on the restaurant and bodega on the ground floor of the building. Just a block to the north, the long-awaited John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park opened to the public.
In just a couple of months, it’ll be baseball season again, and Tulsans can look forward to year two in charming ONEOK Field. Last year, the Tulsa Drillers set an attendance record with over 400,000 fans for the first time in franchise history. This year, the Drillers will play an exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies — the first time the Drillers’ parent club has visited Tulsa in 8 years.
It’s taken years of hard work, patience, and investment on the part of hundreds of Tulsans to bring downtown Tulsa to this point. The dream has been to make downtown not only relevant again, but the economic and cultural center of the region. And that’s why it’s fitting that the last piece of news to report is a special event application that appeared on the City Council agenda last week — the Newsome wedding to be held at the Center of the Universe on June 2, 2011.
