Word on the street is that Powerhouse Gym in downtown was bought out. The new owner (A church) intends to level the building! This is truly unfortunate considering there are already enough parking lots in downtown and the fact that Powerhouse brought much needed life to the area.
Are they leveling the building for a parking lot or to build another structure?
Regardless, I think it is a shame that another business is being harmed. There are plenty of vacant buildings all over the area that they could use for another church facility/lot. Has anyone else heard anything?
I have heard that too but they just hit my account for another month of dues... anyone got a time frame on the leveling?
It isn't like that building has any architectural significance, I believe it was a car dealership, but it does mean i will have to find a new gym near downtown...
Problem is... there really are no other gyms(of any worth) in the area. The time frame I heard was August.
Great. Another owner who is exempt from taxes. Why don't we just face reality and zone the entire downtown area TF (Tax free zone) and pave everything over. Between government buildings, education buildings and churches there is little room left for a service or retail business. And if they aren't quickly successful they risk being gobbled up. I liked the building, I liked the concept and its the kind of thing that will make downtown interesting and useful. The building across the street was also, just a car dealership service building. But no. We need more churches, law offices and medical buildings. Party on.
There is a great business opportunity in opening a quality gym somewhere in the midtown/downtown area. There is truly nothing of quality. All the good stuff is unfortunately out south.
Was this gym busy and successful seeming?
Anybody know?
I'll take this opportunity to repeat the suggestion that any demolition inside the IDL should have to go before a review board. I know that's a property use restriction, but we have plenty of those already.
Yeesh, the rumor mill around this place.
First Presbyterian's congregation voted to buy it, though I'm not sure if the building sale has gone through or not. If it goes through the church will use the existing building for a youth center.
I used to go there before I moved to another part of town early this year and it got inconvenient. Yeah, it seemed to be decently-attended and isn't a bad gym, if a bit small.
quote:
Originally posted by wordherder
Yeesh, the rumor mill around this place.
First Presbyterian's congregation voted to buy it, though I'm not sure if the building sale has gone through or not. If it goes through the church will use the existing building for a youth center.
I used to go there before I moved to another part of town early this year and it got inconvenient. Yeah, it seemed to be decently-attended and isn't a bad gym, if a bit small.
That is EXACTLY what I heard. The news story may have been slow on this because the church had the meeting interupted by inclement weather, from what I heard.
I'm not sure that gym ever made enough profit for the owners. They were always trying to do promotions with businesses downtown -- like they would show up with a pizza and make you listen to a presentation. Aside from the irony of a gym giving out free pizza, I imagine they got frustrated with the lack of growth.
Is that the last of the gyms downtown (other than the Y and all the pribate gyms in office buildings)?
That is the last good facility. The Y is less than reputable. The other facilities are company facilities. This is sad.
quote:
Originally posted by TulsaPride
That is the last good facility. The Y is less than reputable. The other facilities are company facilities. This is sad.
Not true, here's one:
Health Zone Downtown
401 South Boston
1600 Mid Continent Tower
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
(918)584-6466
Hours
Monday - Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
I know this sounds funny but I am looking for a more "hardcore" facility. I enjoy having a heavy duty free weight selection as well as equipment for heavy lifting. No offense to that facility but it is no where near on par with the larger gyms such as Platinum, Golds, or Sky (all outside of mid/downtown).
TCC has a gym, it's relatively new and you do not need to be a student. You can join through the "Alumni & Friends" program and you don't need to be a student or an alumni - just a friend. But the best part is the price. The full summer costs $25.
The facility has a full locker room with showers, a basketball court, spin room, exercise room, weight machines and free weights. Downsides - there is no pool and no raquetball court and the equipment, while plently for most, may not satisfy the hardcore, e.g. I cannot find an incline bench.
But its a steal IMO.
+1 on TCC Gym. The elevated track around the basketball court is pretty awesome.
From my understanding, Gold's is going to build multiple metro locations, 71st and Memorial is just the first. Maybe a bunch of people should call and ask them about building downtown.
Or maybe we should petition sgrizzle to open a private gym...
I can see it now.
By the way....there's nothing wrong with serving pizzas at a gym. It's brilliant, actually.
quote:
Originally posted by CoffeeBean
TCC has a gym, it's relatively new and you do not need to be a student. You can join through the "Alumni & Friends" program and you don't need to be a student or an alumni - just a friend. But the best part is the price. The full summer costs $25.
The facility has a full locker room with showers, a basketball court, spin room, exercise room, weight machines and free weights. Downsides - there is no pool and no raquetball court and the equipment, while plently for most, may not satisfy the hardcore, e.g. I cannot find an incline bench.
But its a steal IMO.
I didn't know that about TCC. Thanks for posting about it. I belong to the HZ downtown. It is dinky, but it does have an incline bench. The whole "we'll make you a sandwich while you exercise thing" is cuter than the dickens.
I've been considering the First Methodist recreation facility. The weights sound fine, but the classes are ministry based, and that is just not for me.
Powerhouse turned me off when they called me over 7 times after a guest visit. I finally told the shiller that even if they were the last gym left downtown, I wouldn't join because they had gone past the point of selling into harrassment.
Several months ago, I heard that the YMCA will be building two new locations downtown. The first will be in the lower floors of the Mayo Building (not the Mayo Hotel). I thought it was supposed to be a temporary facility until they can build a totally new facility over on the west side of downtown (in conjunction with the OSU Medical Center). Then I heard that they were going to keep the Mayo Building location as a "businessmen's gym" that would be convenient for lunchtime workouts. (It's supposed to be "state of the art" whatever that means.)
Not sure how much of this is still true. The Y has a habit of making promises about downtown, and then "back-burnering" the project, while they go off and build another new facility somewhere else. In the meantime, they don't want to pay for desperately needed maintenance/upgrades downtown b/c they're perpetually expecting a big capital investment in a new facility. This has been going on for years.
I have seen some construction going on in the Mayo Building...but I don't know if it's related to the Y or not.
I believe the construction going on in the Mayo Building (not hotel)is associated with the lofts being put in.
The TCC gym is by far the best deal in the area.
I heard Sky is looking for a midtown location. Suggestions? They're having a hard time finding a large enough building that will fit them. A friend of mine suggested the old Homeland on Denver, but apparently it's too small for what they want.
Several good locations. Old Mays Drug store on 21st and Harvard, Old Mervyns at Promenade, old Downtown Safeway.
Two other midtown gyms not mentioned are the health center at St Johns, and the Y at 22nd and Lewis.
quote:
Originally posted by tulsa1603
I heard Sky is looking for a midtown location. Suggestions? They're having a hard time finding a large enough building that will fit them. A friend of mine suggested the old Homeland on Denver, but apparently it's too small for what they want.
If homeland is too small (they are in an IGA now) then I would suggest doing the Gold's thing and moving into Mervyns.
The large windowless AT&T/SBC buidling, one
of them, is available, with a small leaseback. East Fifth and Elgin.
quote:
Originally posted by Radio
The large windowless AT&T/SBC buidling, one
of them, is available, with a small leaseback. East Fifth and Elgin.
I thought it was the brick gothic/deco AT&T building with windows and the transmission tower on top that was available, at least the floors below the transmission facility.
The green building on the NW corner of 6th and cincinatti would also make good gym space.
What about the vacated Med x on Harvard or old delta cafe on brookside?
What are the operating hours of the TCC gym?
quote:
Hours
Monday through Thursday: 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Hours are subject to change between semesters and holiday breaks. Call 595-7348 for questions.
The southeast campus fitness center has a rock climbing wall as well.
quote:
Originally posted by swake
quote:
Originally posted by Radio
The large windowless AT&T/SBC buidling, one
of them, is available, with a small leaseback. East Fifth and Elgin.
I thought it was the brick gothic/deco AT&T building with windows and the transmission tower on top that was available, at least the floors below the transmission facility.
Nope. We are extremely familiar with the older building. The microwave tower has been unused since 1994, (and then it was only used for admin circuits out to Mounds OK) and none of the fifth floor equipment is even active now.
AT&T put the fiber into the other buildings, and the beautiful older building sat vacant for a little bit, then SWB Wireless leased some space for some of their engineering staff. Now, of course that staff is back to being AT&T staff.
I drool everytime I go inside that building...
It's a great building and would have great potential for lofts or something if the tower was removed.
I think it would be neat to find a new purpose for the tower. Take that, El Guapo patio..
quote:
Originally posted by swake
It's a great building and would have great potential for lofts or something if the tower was removed.
What? That beautiful tower?
I think it adds quite a bit to the building,
and could even be functional, as possibly a
cell site.
If only I knew how to upload a picture here...
Back on the topic, workout equipment was being wheeled out of powerhouse gym yesterday, I believe St Francis bought it.
Sounds to me like they're quitting, not moving.
TCC is a smoking deal. I usually do cardio and machines. I'm really not into free weights so much anymore due to joint issues so it works for me.
Tulsa Rowing Club is another great deal at $250 per year, which includes use of all equipment and boats, plus it's more kinetic than a gym. We got to use the indoor "rowing tank" at TU a few weeks ago, that was tre cool.
For the more serious lifters, there's always
(http://brandonmolale.com/images/globo_shirt1.jpg)
I rather like Goblogym's concept of combining cardio, free weights, and cosmetic surgery.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
Back on the topic, workout equipment was being wheeled out of powerhouse gym yesterday, I believe St Francis bought it.
Sounds to me like they're quitting, not moving.
It was my understanding that 1st Presbyterian bought it and will use it for an activity center of some sort. Did that fall through?
The only news about it to date is that they were considering it, it was clarified in a post above that no deals had been done yet. The fact the equipment is moving out suggests it did finally go through.
Yes the sale went through. The owners are retiring I guess you could say. They made a killing on the building, apparently.
So this gym at TCC is pretty decent huh? I've enrolled for the fall semester so maybe I should check it out.