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Regarding The Tulsa World’s Proposed Demolition of the Skelly Building at 4th and Boulder, and of the ‘Froug’ building on 3rd., in Downtown Tulsa. TULSANOW is a grass-roots, non-partisan, volunteer organization that is concerned about the well-being and prosperity of Tulsa and the surrounding region, now and for future generations. It issued the following statement on (i) the proposed demolition of the Skelly building at 4th and Boulder and its replacement with a surface parking lot, and (ii) the replacement of the ‘Froug’ building at Main/3rd St. with a cooling plant. “Since when was tearing down an historic building a downtown "improvement”? Such was the comment of a participant in one of TulsaNow.org’s forums, upon reading of the imminent demolition of the Skelly building in Downtown Tulsa and its replacement with a surface parking lot. We are very concerned about the recent announcement regarding the demolition of buildings in Tulsa's central business district. In terms of preservation, and in contrast to many of the proposals in Vision 2025, it goes against the fundamental principles of creating a vibrant, urban, downtown core. We propose a moratorium while alternatives for parking are explored by all concerned parties before a final decision is made to raze the historic Skelly Building. We draw attention to the publicly-funded, multi-story, parking lot now approaching completion that is a short walk from the Tulsa World’s offices. Further, to convert the former ‘Froug’ retail building on Main Street into a cooling plant diminishes the purpose of taxpayers' investment in reopening Main Street, which is to stimulate retail and residential development. TulsaNow believes that as a City we should be cultivating the preservation and imaginative re-use of our older buildings, which are part of our City’s uniqueness. A culture of preservation and architectural diversity is thriving in the urban core of many cities - including Oklahoma City. We believe it has an important role to play in the future, economic prosperity of our community too.
BACKGROUND ON TULSANOW TulsaNow’s Mission “TulsaNow’s Mission is to help Tulsa become the most vibrant, diverse, sustainable and prosperous city of our size. We achieve this by focusing on the development of Tulsa’s distinctive identity and economic growth around a dynamic, urban core, complemented by a constellation of livable, thriving communities.” TulsaNow’s Core Values§ A vibrant, walkable Downtown and revitalized, core neighborhoods at the heart of a regional strategy; § Diversity - of people, cultures, the built environment, and economic base; § Sustainable environmental and economic development policies; § Prosperity of all citizens in all walks of life, in terms of material opportunities, livability of neighborhoods, and civic amenities; § The role of Design - at all levels - in the physical planning and shaping of our collective future; § Respect, civility and genuine engagement with all points of view. |
