Blue Dome Building sold to operators of Arnie's Bar

[BKDotCom]

Until the end of the year...

Know where they're moving?

[heironymouspasparagus]

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.

[saintnicster]

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.

As CharlieSheen pointed out, it was actually 1.5 for both Woody's and the Blue Dome.


Also, it turns out the World "updated" the article the next day.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Blue_Dome_sold/20130928_32_E1_CUTLIN291227
Blue Dome building purchased by Arnie's bar owners

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.

[Conan71]

They mis-characterized Arnie's.  The article purports that the Armstrongs "started" Arnie's in 2004 in the Blue Dome.  That's incorrect.  Donal and Neil Cosgrave bought Arnie's when it was on 15th and they moved it downtown.  Chris and JoAnn bought it a few years later from the Cosgraves. 

Word around the campfire is that the Armstrongs also take over promotion of the BDAF as a part of the purchase of these properties.

[davideinstein]

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

[Townsend]

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

Really liked that location

[RecycleMichael]

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.

[Red Arrow]

I went to Arnie's a few times when it was on 15th St with some TU classmates and the Prof.

[Conan71]

Really liked that location

If you stopped in for 15 minutes, you smelled like you had been in the place for hours.  Hands down the smokiest bar I've ever been in, but it was worth it to drop in, play some shuffleboard, and chat with Joe the bartender.  Wasn't he Arnie Simmons' brother-in-law?

[rdj]

Drakes is the same.  Smoke that is.

[carltonplace]

Drakes is the same.  Smoke that is.

As is Arnie's. Even outside.

[Conan71]

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.

[swake]

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't take it either. Maybe it's getting older or I'm just not at all used to smoke anymore but I hate hacking for two days after being in a bar. It didn't used to phase me, but now it really does. And I have never smoked.

[Townsend]

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 did that to myself for way too long.

The non-smoking bars tend to be cleaner from my experience.  A preference of mine.

[rebound]

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

Exactly.  I haven't gone to a smoky bar in years.  Too many other good options.