Downtown Development Overview

[Hoss]

I believe it was 1985 when Texas got a bit more restrictive with their alcohol laws due to Federal mandates directed at curbing drunk driving crashes.  Up to that time, IIRC, drinking age was 19 and open container in a vehicle was legal.  They also had (and may still have) drive through liquor stores at that time.

When I was living in Houston in the early 90s, there were no drive through liquor stores.

First time I ever saw one of those was in Casper Wyoming in the late 80s.

[AquaMan]

They had them in Dallas in 1970 when we drove down there to a Texas/OU game. I was stunned. Came back and told my manager at McDonalds that we should install a drive-through at our store. He said no one would ever use it and told me to do my job and stop thinking!

Didn't we have a drive through for kegs on Brookside at one time?

[Conan71]

They had them in Dallas in 1970 when we drove down there to a Texas/OU game. I was stunned. Came back and told my manager at McDonalds that we should install a drive-through at our store. He said no one would ever use it and told me to do my job and stop thinking!

Didn't we have a drive through for kegs on Brookside at one time?

Yep, Beer Time, seems like it was on the east side of the road about 47th st. or so.  Might be where the fancy car wash is now or one of the lube places.

[Markk]

Wasn't Beer Time south of 51st?

[rebound]

I believe it was 1985 when Texas got a bit more restrictive with their alcohol laws due to Federal mandates directed at curbing drunk driving crashes.  Up to that time, IIRC, drinking age was 19 and open container in a vehicle was legal.  They also had (and may still have) drive through liquor stores at that time.

I grew up down in SW OK across the border North from Wichita Falls, and we used to make drinking runs to TX all the time.   It was about '85 when TX went from 19 to 21 for everything, but the open container law didn't change until 2001.  There were several drive through places in Wichita Falls well up through the early 2000's.  The law was (and is, as far as I know) a little ambiguous on "open".  Even about 10 years ago, there was at least one place down there that sold wine-based smoothies via drive-through.  They would take the styro-cup (with plastic lid and straw already in it...), stick the whole thing in a clear plastic bag and heat-seal the bag, and that made it no longer "open".

[DTowner]

For a while, females in Oklahoma could buy 3.2 beer at 18, but men had to be 21.  That law was struck down in 1976 as unconstitutionally discriminatory against men.  Then the feds forced everyone to go to 21 or lose federal highway dollars (thanks, Libby Dole).

Oklahoma state law requires the liquor ordinances of municipalities and counties to conform to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, and prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting penalties more severe than those of the state law.  As a result, there can be no dry cities or counties in Oklahoma.

As for Texas, things are pretty quirky - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dry_communities_by_U.S._state#cite_note-VA_ABC_2013-113

Of Texas's 254 counties, 7[110] are completely dry, 194[110] are partially dry or "moist", and 53 are entirely wet. The vast majority of entirely wet counties are in southern border regions of Texas near Mexico, or in the south central portion. The patchwork of laws can be confusing, even to residents[citation needed]. In some counties, 4% beer is legal. In others, beverages that are 14% or less alcohol are legal. In some "dry" areas, a customer can get a mixed drink by paying to join a "private club," and in some "wet" areas a customer needs a club membership to purchase liquor by-the-drink, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
A bill passed in 2003 by the Texas Legislature allows for Justice of the Peace precincts to host alcohol option elections. To date, this law has allowed many JP precincts, particularly in East Texas, to allow a vote that has resulted in many previously dry counties becoming "moist" and allowing sales of beer and wine, but not liquor.[112]
Texas law prohibits off-premises sale of liquor (but not beer and wine) all day on Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Off-premises sale of beer and wine on Sunday is only allowed after 12:01 pm.
Texas law also prohibits the sale of alcohol in any "sexually oriented business" in a dry county. Strip clubs in these dry counties often sell "set ups" (a cup with coke, ice, and a stirrer to which one can add their own alcohol) and have a BYOB policy to allow patrons to bring their own alcohol into the establishment.

[Oil Capital]

When I was living in Houston in the early 90s, there were no drive through liquor stores.

First time I ever saw one of those was in Casper Wyoming in the late 80s.

There were drive through liquor stores in Houston in the early 90s and there are still drive through liquor stores in Houston today.

[Hoss]

There were drive through liquor stores in Houston in the early 90s and there are still drive through liquor stores in Houston today.

I lived there and didn't see any.  Sorry.  I went to a bunch too.  I'm not saying there aren't any, I just didn't see them.

Remember how big that city is.  I didn't spend a lot of time looking around in it.

[BKDotCom]

Stillwater had the Beer Barn in '92   
still there

[erfalf]

Stillwater had the Beer Barn in '92   
still there

The liquor store and beer drive through are separate in this case actually. Same owner, but completely different stores. Kegs must be purchased from the liquor store as well.

[DowntownDan]

The liquor store and beer drive through are separate in this case actually. Same owner, but completely different stores. Kegs must be purchased from the liquor store as well.

I helped pick up plenty of 3.2 kegs from the drive thru.  I think only the higher point kegs have to be done inside, and even then, they'd role it out for you and help you load it.  Is Calvin still going strong?  He was pretty old when I was there 10 years ago.

[erfalf]

I helped pick up plenty of 3.2 kegs from the drive thru.  I think only the higher point kegs have to be done inside, and even then, they'd role it out for you and help you load it.  Is Calvin still going strong?  He was pretty old when I was there 10 years ago.

You are right. I did not specify high point, but that is true. I honestly don't know about Calvin, 10 years for me as well.

[Townsend]

Renovated Central Library to Reopen this Fall

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/renovated-central-library-reopen-fall

On October 1st, the renovated Tulsa Central Library will reopen. The $55 million, three-year,  project is nearly complete. Library Director Gary Shaffer says that means the'Librarium' in the old Safeway/Homeland store downtown will be closing.

The Librarium opened in September 2013 to serve downtown residents, students and business professionals during Central Library's renovation, Librarium will close its doors for the last time Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.  Library staff will begin moving the Librarium's collection to Central Library on Aug. 22.  Customers will still have access to computers and Wi-Fi during the transition.  Beginning Monday, Aug. 29, materials on hold can be picked up at the Brookside Library, 1207 E. 45th Place.

The Librarium, a 22,000-square-foot building, serves as a showcase for the latest in new library services, technology and equipment to meet the changing needs of the 21st-century library customer.

[heironymouspasparagus]

There were drive through liquor stores in Houston in the early 90s and there are still drive through liquor stores in Houston today.

We have always been pretty casual about availability and use of alcohol in automobiles...freedom of the open road, etc...drive through liquor stores....1957 Cadillac with a built in bar...

https://www.google.com/search?q=57+cadillac+eldorado+bar+option&sa=X&biw=1376&bih=713&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjI6OWdrdjOAhXkHpoKHRAkAWoQsAQISw

[Tulsasaurus Rex]

Renovated Central Library to Reopen this Fall

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/renovated-central-library-reopen-fall

Now that unlocks the old Homeland space as a development opportunity for downtown.