Abandonded Buildings & Homes

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


You could always buy it...

Others have tried. She wants like $120,000 for a 1800sqft home. That is slightly above market rate for homes in good condition in the area.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


You could always buy it...

Others have tried. She wants like $120,000 for a 1800sqft home. That is slightly above market rate for homes in good condition in the area.

Fire is always a risk for empty property. Who knows what could happen? []

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by si_uk_lon_ok

Fire is always a risk for empty property. Who knows what could happen? []

Just for the record, I have never considered that...

[dbacks fan]

I'm trying to picture where the Tulsa Club is in my mind and can't place it, could some one help me with thtis?

[pmcalk]

Suggestions from other cities of how to prevent abandoned buildings:

Albany--each building that has sat vacant for a certain period of time must register with the fire department as a vacant building.  With that registration the owner is required to submit a plan for maintenance of the building during its vacancy, as well as pay a fee (based on the theory that it is a higher risk of fire).  The process itself discourages owners from allowing buildings to sit empty.

Boston--tax laws rewritten that gives penalties to owners that hold on indefinitely to abandoned buildings.

Burlington--similar to Albany.  Upon vacancy of 90 days, the owner must allow inspectors in to determine the continued structural integrity.  Plans of maintenance must also include a timeline in which the owner will return the property to productive use.

Dallas--has the Urban Land Bank Program which aggressively seeks out tax-delinquent properties for repossession.

Willimington--also has an abandoned building registration, with fees that increase each year of vacancy, regardless of multi-ownership.  Waivers to the fee are allowed on a one time basis when rehabilitation is attempted.

Many other cities simply use inspections, fines, etc.... to make it difficult to retain abandoned buildings. The problem in Tulsa is that there is no incentive to not leave a building sitting empty.

[sgrizzle]

I like the above except for the fact it would likely encourage demolition in an already fairly demo-happy town.

[pmcalk]

True--it would have to be coupled with a more stringent demolition process, or a mechanism that would allow others to purchase the building.  Or perhaps fees (equal or greater) for empty or surface lots.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Suggestions from other cities of how to prevent abandoned buildings:

Albany--each building that has sat vacant for a certain period of time must register with the fire department as a vacant building.  With that registration the owner is required to submit a plan for maintenance of the building during its vacancy, as well as pay a fee (based on the theory that it is a higher risk of fire).  The process itself discourages owners from allowing buildings to sit empty.

Boston--tax laws rewritten that gives penalties to owners that hold on indefinitely to abandoned buildings.

Burlington--similar to Albany.  Upon vacancy of 90 days, the owner must allow inspectors in to determine the continued structural integrity.  Plans of maintenance must also include a timeline in which the owner will return the property to productive use.

Dallas--has the Urban Land Bank Program which aggressively seeks out tax-delinquent properties for repossession.

Willimington--also has an abandoned building registration, with fees that increase each year of vacancy, regardless of multi-ownership.  Waivers to the fee are allowed on a one time basis when rehabilitation is attempted.

Many other cities simply use inspections, fines, etc.... to make it difficult to retain abandoned buildings. The problem in Tulsa is that there is no incentive to not leave a building sitting empty.

^are any of these within the realm of possibility in Tulsa?

This, coupled with the points you make regarding a policy to discourage demolition, would be a huge accomplishment in any effort to create "urban density"...

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by dbacks fan

I'm trying to picture where the Tulsa Club is in my mind and can't place it, could some one help me with thtis?

The Tulsa Club building is at 115 East 5th Street, the north side of 5th Street between Boston & Cincinnati (the corner of 5th & Cincinnati).  Built 1927 by the architect firm of Rush, Endacott & Rush, designed by Bruce Goff.  I believe there was a modernization of the exterior in the 1950s and the lower portion of the building was refaced in black glass panels.

The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture's reprint of the "Tulsa Art Deco" book has 3 pages full of vintage 1927 photographs that illustrate just how magnificent this building once was.  The building was a riot of 1920s Art Deco and color.  The Tulsa Chamber of Commerce originally occupied the bottom 5 floors, the the Tulsa Club had the upper 6 floors and roof garden.  The Tulsa Club offered a gymnasium, Turkish bath, barber shop and dormitory rooms for members.  Men's Lounge, Ladies' Lounge, meeting rooms, club rooms, private dining rooms, central dining room, and large rooftop garden terrace for dining in the summertime.  Back in the day, Tulsa Club full membership was limited to men only; women were allowed only in certain areas of the Club and for dining and special functions.

Does anyone know the present condition of the interior of this building?  This is one DT building that would be fun for an "urban exploration" to assess its condition and what if any of the original art deco interior is still intact.  I am sure much of it has been stripped or lost to past remodeling, but it sure was an Art Deco wonder when new.  The rooftop dining room was a tile terrace with modern, futuristic fixtures, and a partial ceiling paneled in pale green and orange.  The elevators and chandeliers featured peacock tails in stained glass.  I remember the Tulsa Club building was one of the last downtown buildings that maintained manual elevators with human elevator operators, right up to its dying day in the 1990s.  

[NellieBly]

My sister held her wedding reception at the Tulsa Club right before it closed. It was really neat and I loved the elevator operator. I would think that unless it had been stripped after closing, its original charm may still remain.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

My sister held her wedding reception at the Tulsa Club right before it closed. It was really neat and I loved the elevator operator. I would think that unless it had been stripped after closing, its original charm may still remain.

I hope so, I've looked at it long and hard. You can see right down on it from the Philtower and I think its slowly getting ruined. The building is definately not secured properly.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by si_uk_lon_ok

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

My sister held her wedding reception at the Tulsa Club right before it closed. It was really neat and I loved the elevator operator. I would think that unless it had been stripped after closing, its original charm may still remain.

I hope so, I've looked at it long and hard. You can see right down on it from the Philtower and I think its slowly getting ruined. The building is definately not secured properly.

The last time I was in the Tulsa Club was for a business lunch in the late 1980s.  I remember the building as being quite elegant, but I don't recall the interior as being striking 1920s Deco, just quite posh.  The 1927 photos I referrenced in my previous post, although in black and white, show an extravagant interior, a riot of geometric Art Deco.  Some of this may remain today, hidden behind later "updates."  It would be fun to explore the building and find out.  It is such a shame that the building has been allowed to come to its present state.  Unfortunately, I see another surface parking lot in the making.

[mr.jaynes]

I remember the old Cathey's furniture store ("8th to 9th on Main"), and and apartmemnt building on 8th and Main, all obviously razed to make a parking lot-and from what i saw coming back to Tulsa for a short time, there still isn't anywhere to park downtown!

I'd a friend who lived there, the Tulsa Apartments I think it was. Had a friend that lived there, and to get up to his apartment, you used one of those old-fashioned elevators you see in those old movies. The building had a recreation room with a pool table, and the flooring was like a black and white checkerboard pattern. Very retro.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

I remember the old Cathey's furniture store ("8th to 9th on Main"), and and apartmemnt building on 8th and Main, all obviously razed to make a parking lot-and from what i saw coming back to Tulsa for a short time, there still isn't anywhere to park downtown!

I'd a friend who lived there, the Tulsa Apartments I think it was. Had a friend that lived there, and to get up to his apartment, you used one of those old-fashioned elevators you see in those old movies. The building had a recreation room with a pool table, and the flooring was like a black and white checkerboard pattern. Very retro.

I too remember the Tulsa Apartments, a 4 story red brick complex I believe with Cathey's Furniture on the ground floor.  I remember the entrance to the apartments being mainly on 9th street, facing south.  I also remember the Manhattan Court apartments, those were on Cincinnati I believe.  Lovely old 1930s era garden apartments, single story units built around a courtyard, must have been quite posh in their day.

I recall visiting a friend (I won't name any names here) many times that lived in the penthouse apartment in the Thompson Building at 5th & Main, SW corner.  The building where the old Charl-Mont restaurant was, it has since been renamed, but the building is still there.  You took the elevator to the top floor (and the Thompson building at that time still had manual elevators with human operators!) and walked down a long hallway.  You came to a non-descript door, looked like a janitor closet.  With the proper key, the door revealed a staircase to an upper hidden floor, and at the top was a fabulous penthouse apartment with gorgeous views 360 of downtown Tulsa.  I have often wondered if that apartment is still there and occupied today.  Must have originally been the downtown digs of some wealthy attorney or oil baron.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

quote:Originally posted by si_uk_lon_ok

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

My sister held her wedding reception at the Tulsa Club right before it closed. It was really neat and I loved the elevator operator. I would think that unless it had been stripped after closing, its original charm may still remain.

I hope so, I've looked at it long and hard. You can see right down on it from the Philtower and I think its slowly getting ruined. The building is definately not secured properly.

The last time I was in the Tulsa Club was for a business lunch in the late 1980s.  I remember the building as being quite elegant, but I don't recall the interior as being striking 1920s Deco, just quite posh.  The 1927 photos I referrenced in my previous post, although in black and white, show an extravagant interior, a riot of geometric Art Deco.  Some of this may remain today, hidden behind later "updates."  It would be fun to explore the building and find out.  It is such a shame that the building has been allowed to come to its present state.  Unfortunately, I see another surface parking lot in the making.

There is no reason for it to be parking. Lots of people want to buy the place. The guy who owns it won't sell. Its more than a shame its in its present state, its a crime.