Abandonded Buildings & Homes

[Ihearttacos]

Just thought I'd show you a blog related to this topic posted recently....
http://www.moderntulsa.net/blog/


Inside the Tulsa Club
June 9th, 2009
Walking past the Tulsa Club on my way to and from work every day definitely got me wondering what was inside. At one time this was the most prestigious social and athletic club in Tulsa so it had to be nice, right. I've heard lore of the wealthiest Tulsans including Waite Phillips indulging in the finer aspects of life at this facility.

So, let's just say someone invited me inside to take a tour. Two of my colleagues and I entered the building and had a look around. We thoroughly explored the facility from street level to the roof, from racquetball courts to ballrooms from bookkeeping to bathrooms... They really did have had a ton of bathrooms in this place and plenty of graffiti as well. See for yourself at the full photo gallery.  http://picasaweb.google.com/moderntulsa/TulsaClubBuildingInterior?fgl=true&pli=1#

[jne]

What really ticks me off is the business sites that are left to rot.  I can think of a few I drove by on a daily basis. On 31st ST E. of Harvard there is the old Braums Corporate Office (I think - someone correct me if I'm mistaking this), a gas station,  and a dental office that have been abandoned.  The corporate offices just have the lettering of their  sign torn out, the gas station has had a torn up tarp on the sign for years, and dentist's old office is spray painted black over the name.  Shouldn't the mayor's action line respond to this stuff.  Its much worse than someone getting behind on their mowing IMO.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31st+and+Harvard,+Tulsa,+OK&sll=53.956086,-4.042969&sspn=18.00809,39.155273&ie=UTF8&ll=36.118828,-95.936716&spn=0.012029,0.019119&z=16&layer=c&cbll=36.118821,-95.936821&panoid=HT1tDYZEukUP3UgnTQIdbg&cbp=12,349.75,,0,5

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31st+and+Harvard,+Tulsa,+OK&sll=53.956086,-4.042969&sspn=18.00809,39.155273&ie=UTF8&ll=36.118828,-95.936222&spn=0.012029,0.019119&z=16&layer=c&cbll=36.118824,-95.936106&panoid=HT1tDYZEukUP3UgnTQIdbg&cbp=12,319.83,,1,-4.26

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31st+and+Harvard,+Tulsa,+OK&sll=53.956086,-4.042969&sspn=18.00809,39.155273&ie=UTF8&ll=36.118828,-95.935965&spn=0.012029,0.019119&z=16&layer=c&cbll=36.118825,-95.935861&panoid=HT1tDYZEukUP3UgnTQIdbg&cbp=12,339.83,,0,19.37

[DTowner]

Those photos are so depressing.  My wedding reception was at the Tulsa Club in 1992 and my wife's high school reunion was there in 1993.  It was such a unique and wonderful place.  I think it closed shortly afterwards.

[Fiend]

Ive been meaning to go take pictures on the inside of the Tulsa club building for a long time now. I sure hope someone takes it over and decides to restore it. I'm glad to see old buildings like the Mayo Hotel being restored. If they ever try to demolish the Tulsa club building, I will give them hell. One of my next projects will be documenting the old Oral Roberts Diamond building in between 17th and 18th on Boulder. It was a beautiful building back in its hey day, but its now falling apart.

[Steve]

Those photos of the Tulsa Club building nearly bring me to tears.  This was one of Tulsa's most prominent Art Deco showplaces in the late '20s-1930s.  A sad, tragic outcome for a grand building.

On the subject of abandoned residential homes, I am facing that problem directly.  The house across the street from me on 26th street was abandoned in October 2008.  The owners made no effort to sell the house, they just simply walked away, leaving the house and land full of trash and debris.  A large 50' tree in the back yard recently split and fell on the neighboring property to the east, right on top of their ski boat.  The remaining 2/3 of the tree is threatening to fall and take down power lines, damage other neighboring property and poses a threat to our neighborhood pool.  Multiple reports have been made to AEP/PSO, the Mayor's Action Center, and City of Tulsa code enforcement department;  they all basically have said there is nothing they can do and have given us the complete brush off.  They say it is all up to the mortgage holder and the legal system to resolve.  Meanwhile, we have this growing eyesore and potential danger to contend with.  Suggestions, anyone? 

[Fiend]

Call the channel 2 problem solvers or Fox 23 works for you. They seem to be able to take care of things....

[AngieB]

Speaking of eyesores...

From The Tulsa County News, Editorial, Wednesday, June 10, 2009:

Crystal City a black eye on Southwest Tulsa

For several years, Southwest Tulsans have wished that something could be done about Crystal City. Maybe they are about to get their wish.

The steadily deteriorating shopping center on Southwest Boulevard gives Southwest Tulsa a black eye. Not only does it flank Historic Route 66 at one of the proposed "gateways" to Tulsa, it can be seen by motorists passing through on Interstate 244.
The mostly-empty shopping center in its heyday was a proud symbol of a thriving community west of the Arkansas River. But for several years, the Crystal City property has been declining. Tenants have steadily fled the buildings which reportedly need significant roof work and other maintenance.
With encouragement from the Southwest Tulsa's Community Chamber and STAR Coalition, Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor asked for a meeting with the property's owner. She invited City Councilor Rick Westcott, Fire Chief Allen LeCroix, and officials with the Working In Neighborhoods department charged with code enforcement.

An ultimatum was delivered by the delegation to Crystal City's owner - bring the property up to code standards or face civil penalties. Under a new city ordinance approved last year, the city can levy penalties up to $1,000 per day for properties that are chronic violators of the city's fire, safety and health codes.

While this "spend your money now or later" offer sounds reasonable, there is a complication. Crystal City is only one of about 200 problematic properties controlled by the same owner. And he faces the same ultimatum for all of them.

Nevertheless, Crystal City's owner was given 60 days to show progress and present a plan to reverse the blight.

The clock is running.

I've heard that the owner, when asked about leasing space, quotes rates that are insanely high. He'd rather it be empty, I guess. Med-X will be moving out soon - they're building a new pharmacy just west of Crystal City. I wish the whole place would be bulldozed.

[Townsend]

Call the channel 2 problem solvers or Fox 23 works for you. They seem to be able to take care of things....

Channel 2...not much help.  You have to resolve it yourself and then they come in and talk to you about it.  Very Strange

[Townsend]

Those photos of the Tulsa Club building nearly bring me to tears.  This was one of Tulsa's most prominent Art Deco showplaces in the late '20s-1930s.  A sad, tragic outcome for a grand building.

On the subject of abandoned residential homes, I am facing that problem directly.  The house across the street from me on 26th street was abandoned in October 2008.  The owners made no effort to sell the house, they just simply walked away, leaving the house and land full of trash and debris.  A large 50' tree in the back yard recently split and fell on the neighboring property to the east, right on top of their ski boat.  The remaining 2/3 of the tree is threatening to fall and take down power lines, damage other neighboring property and poses a threat to our neighborhood pool.  Multiple reports have been made to AEP/PSO, the Mayor's Action Center, and City of Tulsa code enforcement department;  they all basically have said there is nothing they can do and have given us the complete brush off.  They say it is all up to the mortgage holder and the legal system to resolve.  Meanwhile, we have this growing eyesore and potential danger to contend with.  Suggestions, anyone? 

AEP is across Yale from you today and through next week.  Have you seen a green door hang on that abandoned house?  That would be the notice from AEP to let them know they are about to cut.

[Hoss]

Channel 2...not much help.  You have to resolve it yourself and then they come in and talk to you about it.  Very Strange

Not the way it happened for my brother when he had a problem during a home sale with the abstract company.  He sent an email to them (KRJH) and they pressured the company, even though he didn't get on the news just the specter of having negative publicity was a little much for said company.

[Townsend]

Not the way it happened for my brother when he had a problem during a home sale with the abstract company.  He sent an email to them (KRJH) and they pressured the company, even though he didn't get on the news just the specter of having negative publicity was a little much for said company.

Ah great.  I'm glad they were effective for you mother.

I wish they'd done a better job for us.  It might not have had the juice they want for a story.

[Nick Danger]

Those photos of the Tulsa Club building nearly bring me to tears.  This was one of Tulsa's most prominent Art Deco showplaces in the late '20s-1930s.  A sad, tragic outcome for a grand building.

This is really sad. This would make wonderful condos/office space when the economy recovers enough for a developer to get financing and make it happen. Might be sometime though before anything could be done. What a waste of beautiful art deco architecture.

[Steve]

AEP is across Yale from you today and through next week.  Have you seen a green door hang on that abandoned house?  That would be the notice from AEP to let them know they are about to cut.

Yep.  There is a green PSO door hang on the front door of the abandoned house dated about 3 weeks ago and the box is checked that says "the tree has been inspected and poses no threat to power lines.  No AEP work will be done."
Either the inspector is blind, or he looked at the wrong tree.  That property has a double-deep back yard that is divided in half by a wood privacy fence, supposedly so the woman of the house there did not have to look at all her husband's junk.  The back (north) half of the property where the dangerous tree is located is full of junk appliances, old machine parts, trash and 4' high weeds and grass.  Probably a nice colony of rats too.  Maybe the PSO guy did not realize this and did not actually see the dangerous tree which is located on the back half of the property, beyond the wood fence.
The saga continues.  Meanwhile, myself and 2 other neighbors try to keep the front yard mowed so we don't have to look at a jungle every time we walk out the front door.

[Hoss]

Yep.  There is a green PSO door hang on the front door of the abandoned house dated about 3 weeks ago and the box is checked that says "the tree has been inspected and poses no threat to power lines.  No AEP work will be done."
Either the inspector is blind, or he looked at the wrong tree.  That property has a double-deep back yard that is divided in half by a wood privacy fence, supposedly so the woman of the house there did not have to look at all her husband's junk.  The back (north) half of the property where the dangerous tree is located is full of junk appliances, old machine parts, trash and 4' high weeds and grass.  Probably a nice colony of rats too.  Maybe the PSO guy did not realize this and did not actually see the dangerous tree which is located on the back half of the property, beyond the wood fence.
The saga continues.  Meanwhile, myself and 2 other neighbors try to keep the front yard mowed so we don't have to look at a jungle every time we walk out the front door.

Wouldn't doubt that for a minute.  I had a 75 foot ash tree that would span out across the utility eave; every four years or so PSO would come out and trim it.  Well, after AsPlundh took it over, I had to call to have them come out a night after a storm where the winds would blow into the lines and I could visibly see sparks arcing from the power line to the tree.  Power outages quite often.  They left a hang tag on my door and said it wouldn't need to be trimmed for three years.  I called a number someone from here gave me I believe that was a direct line to the department that handled that and threatened to call the Corp Commission if someone didn't come out and look again when it was obvious they needed to be trimmed.  A supervisor was out that evening and even called me to corroborate my beliefs and she was just as perplexed as I was as to why the determination was made that three years was the number.  Asplundh was out there the next morning and had the work done three days later.  This was before the ice storm.  And just before the ice storm I had both of those trees removed anyway (both the 75 foot variety of ash) and glad I did.  Had those stayed up, I would have had hell to pay for the roof.