The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Michael Sager has sold the iconic Blue Dome building and associated properties to Chris and JoAnn Armstrong, the operators of Arnie’s Bar, for $1.520 million, the downtown developer announced Friday.

“There’s a new generation of folks I’m entrusting it to for the future,” Sager said. “They’re not tearing it down.”

The Armstrongs had been leasing the Blue Dome property from Sager at 318 E. 2nd St for the past seven to eight years and have worked with Sager closely on the Blue Dome Festival and other events. Sager’s office was in the actual Blue Dome portion of the building.

He said there is 14,500 square feet of land where the original building, a former Route 66 gas station, is situated.

The Blue Dome sale will include another property owned by Sager, the Woody’s Corner Bar, across the street at 325 E. 2nd St.

Sager said he will be focusing on plenty of other works in progress including the First Street Lofts and the Tallgrass Restaurant.

“We have 175,000 square feet, which is large. We’re just utilizing our assets and being conservative,” Sager said, noting that some of his other new properties include the Triangle Blueprint Company building at 314 S. Cincinnati Ave. which will be converted into retail and residential uses.

Iconic Blue Dome building in downtown Tulsa sold

Maybe that's how he plans to pay the city back.

Iconic Blue Dome building in downtown Tulsa sold

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Iconic_Blue_Dome_building_in_downtown_Tulsa_sold/20130927_32_0_Michae767607

So for $1.52 million maybe he can install doors in the First Street Lofts and await more money to do anything else.  Seems to be his practice.  Longest.  Development Project.  Ever.

Word is Sager only paid $40K for the Blue Dome property 15 or so years back at auction.

Isn't the dome currently the McNellies Group offices

Until the end of the year...

Damn straight. I tried to talk my wife into buying the building for my office when I was free lancing graphics work back int the 80's. $50k and included the Veterans bar next door.

Those people are insane!  $1.5 million for that place?

I used to go into the Veteran's Bar in younger years quite a bit.  Domino games going on ALL the time in the back room, and the dome room had pool tables.  Red beer was a quarter.  Ross and Juanita (I think that is what I remember his wife's name was) were good people and ran a nice little place there.

Michael Sager has sold the iconic Blue Dome building and associated properties to Chris and Jo Armstrong, the owners of Arnie's bar, for $1.52 million, the downtown developer announced Friday.

"There's a new generation of folks I'm entrusting it to for the future," Sager said. "They're not tearing it down."

The Armstrongs had been leasing the Blue Dome property at 318 E. Second St. from Sager since 2004 and have worked with him closely on the Blue Dome Arts Festival and other events.

Chris Armstrong said the torch was passed because Sager knows how much Armstrong and his wife love the Blue Dome District. Jo Armstrong said they feel lucky to have been a part of the revived Blue Dome District from the beginning.

"He built this district and put a lot of sweat equity into this district," Chris Armstrong. "He knew we would take care of it. It's an icon; it's a piece of history."

Sager said he didn't take the sale lightly.

"I wouldn't sell it to anybody except the right person. It's not a mere piece of property. This is a responsibility," he said.

Elliot Nelson of McNellie's Group has an office in the actual Blue Dome portion of the building, and Arnie's Bar operates out of the former service station.

Sager said there is 14,500 square feet of land where the original building, a former Gulf Oil gas station on Route 66, is situated.

The Blue Dome sale to the Armstrongs will include Woody's Corner Bar, across the street at 325 E. Second St., whose operator will continue leasing, Sager said.

Sager said he will be focusing on plenty of other works in progress in the Blue Dome District, including the First Street Lofts and the Tallgrass restaurant.

"We have 175,000 square feet, which is large. We're just utilizing our assets and being conservative," Sager said, noting that some of his other new properties include the Triangle Blueprint Co. building at 314 S. Cincinnati Ave., which will be converted into retail and residential uses.

The Armstrongs will office in the Blue Dome building and use some of it for storage because space at Arnie's is limited. But they also plan to redo some of the building's unique lighting and awning features, and create an area to display some of the artifacts tied to the gas station's history that Sager has collected over the years.

"There's so much interest in Route 66 and the Blue Dome. I don't know how you would do this and not have an archive of some sort," Jo Armstrong said. "I really think it's something we should honor. It was the first 24-hour gas station, and it was supposed to be an attraction to the public."

Chris Armstrong said people ask to see the dome every day.

"We get a lot of people doing the Route 66 tour. It would be nice to let them step inside and learn a little more," he said.

Arnie's Bar has a history of its own. It started in 1956 on Cherry Street in the building now occupied by Drake's Tavern. The Armstrongs started Arnie's in the Blue Dome District in 2004 after both worked there a few years before.

Blue Dome History

1925: The Blue Dome service station is built at Second Street and Elgin Avenue by Chastain Oil Company of Tulsa, according to the Tulsa Daily World. It's striking features included a blue dome with a copper cupola and copper "eyebrows" depicting east-west-north-south directions, and various motifs carved in concrete.

2003: The Blue Dome District is born with the approval of a tax-increment financing district in which sales and property tax dollars are captured and spent within the district on public improvements. Arnie's Bar and Good Fellas are the two main businesses in the district bordered by First and Third streets and Detroit and Frankfurt avenues.

2003-Present: Dozens of restaurants, bars and other retail businesses emerge in the Blue Dome District including Dilly Deli, Dwelling Spaces, El Guapo's, Fassler Hall, Juniper, McNellie's Pub House, Lyon's Indian Store, Joe Momma's, Yokozuna, S&J Oyster Co. The district hosts popular festivals including St. Patrick's Day, the Blue Dome Arts Festival and the Eat Street Food Truck Festival.

Arnie's was where Drake's Tavern is now.

Really liked that location

Drakes is the same.  Smoke that is.

As is Arnie's. Even outside.

One unfortunate reason I never go to Arnie's anymore and haven't been in Drakes in over five years.  Love the places, can't handle the 2nd hand smoke.

I'd be curious to know how many others avoid smoke-filled bars these days.  Thankfully, there are plenty of good non-smoking options around Tulsa to enjoy a nice craft beer.

One unfortunate reason I never go to Arnie's anymore and haven't been in Drakes in over five years.  Love the places, can't handle the 2nd hand smoke.

I'd be curious to know how many others avoid smoke-filled bars these days.  Thankfully, there are plenty of good non-smoking options around Tulsa to enjoy a nice craft beer.

I can handle the smoke but there's too many non-smoking bars to deal with smelling like cigarettes. 

I still go to Arnies but I don't stay long if there isn't room on the patio.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a bar downtown with a huge outdoor patio?  I mean you could have a small outdoor concert huge.

Something like the Mont in Norman at this location would be pretty awesome.  Just wrap the patio all around the Blue Dome building and plant a bunch of trees/plants.  It could be really cool, and yes have live music.

Drake's Tavern is still a great bar. The owner named it after his son (who is in the ninth grade with my son). He plans to give the bar to his son when he graduates from college.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a bar downtown with a huge outdoor patio?  I mean you could have a small outdoor concert huge.

The bar at the old train depot on 3rd had a good outdoor patio.

Somebody should open that again.

Great idea.

But who would do that?

Somebody should open that again.

The bathrooms are new but horrible and there isn't a bar upstairs anymore.  

Pretty sure Empire went non-smoking, though they have a nice patio where you can smoke.

Thread drift... but for a very cold beer with an Ice House type patio feel, the downtown RibCrip has really cold, great cold, $3 beers at 22-ounces.  I like.

Too bad I'm not a big fan of "RibCrip".

I wonder if there is a competing facility called "RibBloods"

http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=downer&play=true