Old safeway store on 11th street

[citizen72]

The old store at 11th and Harvard is taking on a new persona.  After spending decades housing any number of marginal businesses it is being remodeled into the new Massad Dental Center. Looks a bunch better with its new "suit of clothes."

[Conan71]

When was it a Safeway?  I never knew that, it was always a pawn shop as long as I could remember.

[citizen72]

When was it a Safeway?  I never knew that, it was always a pawn shop as long as I could remember.

I can't really say when it was a Safeway.  I do know a few people that know about it and some even worked there.  My mother-in-law who is 86 says she remembers it very well. From the style of the construction I would guess the building is from the thirties or forties.

[Bumby]

My guess would be that they closed it when the new Safeway was built @ 15th and Yale in the mid 60's.   I remember going to the one on 11th a few times.

[citizen72]

My guess would be that they closed it when the new Safeway was built @ 15th and Yale in the mid 60's.   I remember going to the one on 11th a few times.

Went back and quizzed my mother-in-law.  She tells me she did in fact shop at this Safeway in the late sixties. So, looks like your guess is right on.

They have the new entryway completed which have been moved around to the west.  Don't know about that pea green color though.

[TURobY]

Don't know about that pea green color though.

Aww, I like the color...

[citizen72]

The old lady is going to have a new dress that is for sure. There is going to be stone on each of the pilasters and accent lighting on each as well.

[Townsend]

pssst...anybody got a pic?  I'm too lazy to do a drive by.

[patric]

The old lady is going to have a new dress that is for sure. There is going to be stone on each of the pilasters and accent lighting on each as well.

...with banks of 400-watt floodlights pointing almost straight up...
Swell, every dentists office needs that.  Maybe they have slot machines in the waiting room.

[citizen72]

...with banks of 400-watt floodlights pointing almost straight up...
Swell, every dentists office needs that.  Maybe they have slot machines in the waiting room.

Are you making that up or do you know for sure?

[PonderInc]

I always liked the old pawn shop building and the interesting corner.  This is an abomination.  "They've" bricked over the windows; added a strange "crown;" glued on some fake looking stone; paved and fenced in the corner. 

It gives me the creeps.

[Red Arrow]

It doesn't look very inviting to me.

[cannon_fodder]

It looks much better than the abandoned building that was there or the empty lot that custom in Tulsa would have made it.  Not too mention, having a dental office at that location is much better IMHO than a pawn shop.  The guy has spent serious money bringing this building up to code (I stopped and spoke with them last fall).  But I agree, architecturally I would have preferred accenting the features of the old building instead of covering them up.

Fwiw, the parking lot fence and the stone is meant to reflect the University of Tulsa campus across the street.

[patric]

Are you making that up or do you know for sure?

Saw it lit up last night last night but was racing home to beat the storm so I didnt get a picture, but the floodlighting is gaudy and overpowering.

[JoeMommaBlake]

This thing is a disaster. The pawn shop had a cool look and could've been made in to a very cool....anything. The color is tasteless, the fenced in parking lot is fug and this is one of the most notable examples of bad design I've ever seen. I live a few blocks from this catastrophe and would much rather drive by the old pawn shop. It's sad when the shady check cashing hut and the Buccaneer Bar look like architectural marvels next to your gaudy windowless trash pile of a building. The whole corner has tons of potential and yet we have a worn looking Harvard Liquor (though the building is still cool and the guys that run it are really nice), a dumpy check cashing business and now Massaud's (sp?).

Oh yeah...No offense.