Blue Cross Blue Shield Building

[dsjeffries]

Word from my friend who does demolition work is that Boston Avenue Methodist Church bought the Blue Cross Building and is going to implode it for another surface parking lot. I don't know if there is anything we can do to prevent it but we do NOT need another surface lot in that area.

[custosnox]

Word from my friend who does demolition work is that Boston Avenue Methodist Church bought the Blue Cross Building and is going to implode it for another surface parking lot. I don't know if there is anything we can do to prevent it but we do NOT need another surface lot in that area.

Hire a bunch of homeless people to protest them?

[nathanm]

Say what?

[dbacks fan]

Word from my friend who does demolition work is that Boston Avenue Methodist Church bought the Blue Cross Building and is going to implode it for another surface parking lot. I don't know if there is anything we can do to prevent it but we do NOT need another surface lot in that area.

Another surface lot, another waste of space instead of a revevolpment. Is there no thought by the city and developers? I showed the view from google earth to friends and coworkers here, and the question has always been, "Why so much surface parking crap? Are the people buying the space intent on creating surface crap?" My $.02, unless COT has some balls, you will wind up with crap. Downtown will become a collection of buildings, surrounded by surface parking, and everything that so many of the TNF people that want change and progressive redevelopment, will go away. Why can't Tulsa quit blowing up stuff, and making DT a giant parking lot?

[SXSW]

That building would be perfect for condos.  Great views of downtown from the upper floors.  

That would be a shame if it was torn down.  Boston Ave has plenty of parking. ARK Wrecking IS working on the current BCBS HQ at 14th & Boston doing interior demolition work for a big renovation there, maybe that's what they meant?

There is entirely too much surface parking downtown.  And while there has been a lot of new development there have been very few surface lots developed.  There needs to be more but I'm not holding my breath.  

[carltonplace]

This building is already surrounded by surface parking and there is a parking structure nearby.

[SXSW]

This building is already surrounded by surface parking and there is a parking structure nearby.

It wouldn't even be that close to the church.  I think they were either referring to the BCBS building on Boston (which is under construction) or impending interior demolition work at this building on Boulder. 

Some excerpts from an article when they moved out last year:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma plans to consolidate its downtown Tulsa employees into one building, vacating its original, iconic headquarters.

Plans for that 56-year-old, 12-story tower at 1215 S. Boulder Ave. remain under review.

"I think they would like to see this building retrofitted for another owner in a very positive way," said Lee Anne Zeigler, executive director and chief executive of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. "I was on the 12th floor looking around. The views are phenomenal. Structurally the building has a lot of integrity."
Blue Cross will join its 225 workers now at 1215 S. Boulder with the 250 working at its seven-story, 138,000-square-foot tower at 1400 S. Boston.

...

Since its 1954 construction and 1969 expansion, the 1215 S. Boston tower designed by Tulsa architect Joseph Koberling represented a modern architecture landmark along U.S. Route 66 and the Broken Arrow Expressway. A rotating 24-foot by 24-foot sign atop a 34-foot pylon secured its notoriety.

"It's a lovely building and it has such a strong identity for them, I know it must be very difficult," Zeigler said of the planned move. "They've made a management decision to streamline their organization. I can't argue with them about that."

Zeigler said the structure offers a wide range of potential adaptive uses, from office needs to hospitality or housing.

"I think their interest is genuine and sincere that we find another use for that building," she said. "The couple of floors I was on, they're partitioned in such a way you could really create whatever kind of usage you wanted to. I don't think it will be difficult to find."

[Conan71]

Like SXSW, I was aware of demolition for the renovations taking place, but not a whole building coming down.  I've not seen anything on the construction news for this anyhow.

[sgrizzle]

I thought I had heard that building was one strong wind gust away from being a parking lot anyway.

[SXSW]

I thought I had heard that building was one strong wind gust away from being a parking lot anyway.

Not according to this article...though the upper floors do vibrate which could be an issue if turned into condos: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20100311/ai_n52484864/

"Especially if you're on one of those upper floors, if a pretty heavy truck crosses the overpass, it vibrates the building enough that they can feel it," said Berry. "We've had structural engineers review that on at least three different occasions. Each and every time the structural engineers have come back with a report that there's no concerns with any kind of erosion or damage that may be taking place with the foundation or structure of the building. It's a pretty solid building. It's just one of those anomalies."

[Conan71]

Not according to this article...though the upper floors do vibrate which could be an issue if turned into condos: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20100311/ai_n52484864/

"Especially if you're on one of those upper floors, if a pretty heavy truck crosses the overpass, it vibrates the building enough that they can feel it," said Berry. "We've had structural engineers review that on at least three different occasions. Each and every time the structural engineers have come back with a report that there's no concerns with any kind of erosion or damage that may be taking place with the foundation or structure of the building. It's a pretty solid building. It's just one of those anomalies."

We get that here at my office several times a day.  There's a concrete plant down the block plus there's all sorts of heavy loads coming and going from the industrial park.  I basically get to experience a low magnitude quake 

[SXSW]

First United Methodist Church buying the building.  Hopefully they don't tear it down.    

First United Methodist is still evaluating what to do with the building, though R. Wade Paschal Jr., pastor and senior minister of the church, said the growing congregation allows the church to expand their physical facilities into the building.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20110602_32_0_Bursnl51693

[Townsend]

First United Methodist is still evaluating what to do with the building,

That sounds un-great.

[carltonplace]

They get a brand new street outside the front door and plenty of parking around it (both surface and structured).

[dbacks fan]

First United Methodist Church buying the building.  Hopefully they don't tear it down.    

First United Methodist is still evaluating what to do with the building, though R. Wade Paschal Jr., pastor and senior minister of the church, said the growing congregation allows the church to expand their physical facilities into the building.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20110602_32_0_Bursnl51693

Let me guess, the lot across the street only holds 200 cars and it's not enough parking spaces.