Camelot Conundrum

[CoffeeBean]

[CoffeeBean]

The broken windows remind me of an oversized advent calendar.  Or a game of Punch-a-Bunch

[deinstein]

Our best bet is for some nutjob to just burn the place down at this point.

[dsjeffries]

This just in:

quote:From the Tulsa World:
Taylor announces plan to tear down Camelot Hotel


By Staff reports
4/10/2007  1:22 PM


The city is considering a plan to finance the destrution of the dilapidated Camelot Hotel, Mayor Kathy Taylor announced Tuesday.

The Tulsa Industrial Authority is set to vote Wednesday on a loan agreement with building owner, Marharishi Ayur-Ved.

A landmark in the 1960s and 1970s, the hotel became famous for hosting Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon when they made trips through Tulsa.

It was built in the 1960s to resemble a medieval castle, complete with a moat, drawbridge and turrets. The hotel became a popular spot for banquets and galas, honeymoons and special occasions.

[pmcalk]

Wondered about all of the news vans out there.

[sgrizzle]

Also here:
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6325

[Breadburner]

It's unfortunate that it could not be renovated.....I think that would be the highest and best use for the future considering whats going on and going to be done in the future.....If the ownner would get real on the price it's a possibilty.....

[TulsaSooner]

Anyone know of any websites out there dedicated to the history of the Camelot hotel?

[tim huntzinger]

The feller at 'lost tulsa' did a camelot shoot for flickr.

[ashfromtulsa]

Did anyone else hear the rumor that the a friend of the mayor's wants to build a shopping center on that spot?

[RecycleMichael]

What's wrong about putting a shopping center there?

[Townsend]

I'm sure the neighbors would like a shopping center over a giant obscenely lit convenience store or a vermon infested building

[flybriz]

I live at 50th and Quincy, and I definitely would prefer a shopping center over a convenience store or the current sad state of the Camelot...  However, the Bellaire shopping center just across the street seems to be a bit empty, plus the dollar store and Hancock Fabrics are both closing so it will be even more bare soon.  Seems like a shopping center would do little good if they're having so much trouble filling the existing one up with tenants.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by flybriz

I live at 50th and Quincy, and I definitely would prefer a shopping center over a convenience store or the current sad state of the Camelot...  However, the Bellaire shopping center just across the street seems to be a bit empty, plus the dollar store and Hancock Fabrics are both closing so it will be even more bare soon.  Seems like a shopping center would do little good if they're having so much trouble filling the existing one up with tenants.

Well, the whole retail area there has gotten rather blighted, and I place about 80% of the blame on the condition of the Camelot.  I imagine that if the Camelot came down and a new center were put in it's place, it would help bring the entire area back up.  It's hard to imagine opening a new store in the bellaire center when there is an eyesore across the street.

[YoungTulsan]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

quote:Originally posted by flybriz

I live at 50th and Quincy, and I definitely would prefer a shopping center over a convenience store or the current sad state of the Camelot...  However, the Bellaire shopping center just across the street seems to be a bit empty, plus the dollar store and Hancock Fabrics are both closing so it will be even more bare soon.  Seems like a shopping center would do little good if they're having so much trouble filling the existing one up with tenants.

Well, the whole retail area there has gotten rather blighted, and I place about 80% of the blame on the condition of the Camelot.  I imagine that if the Camelot came down and a new center were put in it's place, it would help bring the entire area back up.  It's hard to imagine opening a new store in the bellaire center when there is an eyesore across the street.

I agree the Camelot is a large source of the "ghettofication" of that intersection.  When everything closes down and turns into Cash Advance stores and Pawn Shops, with your occasional Rent to Own and Prepaid phone place, you know things have gone downhill a bit.

That being said, the entire Brookside area is not going to be able to thrive unless there is an injection of population density in the area.   Stores and businesses don't just magically fill themselves up.  They need a local population to fill them up.  So my point is that the Brookside area needs some infill, perhaps some mid-rise residential, if some of the struggling storefronts are to thrive and for some of the blight to be feasibly replaced.

I dunno about the Camelot property itself.  I think it would be a good retail space.  But further up in the 41st to 36th area there really needs to be some dense infill installed.