Bringing the hammer down

[booWorld]

Edible Art Deco


Photo source:  Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library, Tulsa Historical Society

[PonderInc]

Anybody have any updates on the Tulsa Club?

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Anybody have any updates on the Tulsa Club?

No, but the "Take Me Back to Tulsa Club" at McNellie's is very tasty.

[BierGarten]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Anybody have any updates on the Tulsa Club?

I heard that a little bit of time internet sleuthing will turn up the current location of the owner... hmmm.

[we vs us]

Another Tulsa World update:

quote: City plots next step in building remediation

City officials will wait a little longer before asking Mayor Kathy Taylor to take action against a downtown building owner deemed in violation of city codes.

Harold Adair, abatement coordinator for the city's neighborhood inspections division, had expected to request action from the mayor by the end of April, but he's been busy with other city-related projects. He hopes to make that request soon.

pancakes?

quote:In a prepared statement, Taylor said: "Field Investigations continues to pursue remedial action and have notified me that they will be requesting approval to take further action.

"I will review their request when I receive it, and work with them to determine the best solution."

City records show Carl J. Morony of California, the owner of the Tulsa Club Building, faces more than $154,000 in fines for not bringing his building up to code.

City officials said they have attempted to contact Morony for months and sent him a letter informing him of his fines Feb. 28.

Adair said he has spoken with people who have been in contact with Morony, "but they won't put me in contact with him."

"I've been told he (Morony) knows of the fines."

Tulsa attorney Thomas Bingham
previously represented Morony.

"I've withdrawn from representation," he said.

Asked if he has recently spoken with Morony, Bingham declined to comment.

If Taylor approves the request, it would lead to legal action against Morony, the longtime owner of the 11-story building at Fifth Street and Cincinnati Avenue.

Ultimately, if Morony is summoned to court but fails to appear, his building could be sold at a sheriff's auction, city officials said.

The Tulsa Club, which has been vacant for more than a decade, has fire, electrical and plumbing violations. It also has safety and health code violations.

Lee Anne Ziegler, executive director of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, told the Tulsa World the organization is interested in revitalizing the building. She has said the organization has held monthly meetings about potential plans for the building, which could including archives and office space.

Morony has been fined $1,000 a day since August for failure to bring the building into compliance.

Under regulations that took effect in August, the city can impose fines of up to $1,000 a day until property owners bring a building up to code.

Meanwhile, David Horton, owner of the vacant Abundant Life Building, or "diamond" building at 1720 S. Boulder Ave., continues to work with city officials to develop a use.

Horton has said he plans to revitalize the building into a mixture of retail, housing and office space.

The Tulsa Club and Abundant Life buildings are two of 60 vacant buildings within and near the Inner Dispersal Loop that the city targeted in 2007.

[Wrinkle]

California's a big place. Don't suppose anyone knows with which town he may associate? Perhaps an address or phone number?

Local attorney bails, just when he's most needed.

....the theft of this man's property continues.

[sgrizzle]

Really great building and TFA wants to turn it into a file cabinet?

Thanks.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

Edible Art Deco


Photo source:  Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library, Tulsa Historical Society

That is a priceless photo booWorld, a vintage photo of the Tulsa Club building recreated in pastry with the culinary artist in the pic.  The Beryl Ford Collection is one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable resources for Tulsa history.

I would hate to see the Tulsa Club building fall to the wrecking ball.  I remember as late as the early 1980s, attending lunches there and marveling at the interiors, even in their 1980s condition.  And this was one of the last Tulsa downtown buildings that still had human elevator operators as late as the mid 1980s, the other being the Thompson Building at 5th & Boston.

If my Tulsa history memory is correct, the Tulsa Club building was designed by Bruce Goff and constructed as a joint venture of the Tulsa Club and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce.  The building was home to both entities until the 1950s when the Chamber of Commerce moved to new digs around 620 S. Main.  This building is very much a part of the history of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, as well as a valuable piece of Tulsa art deco architecture.  Where is the C of C voice, and the "young professional" mouthpiece organization arm of this group, in preserving this priceless piece of Tulsa, and their own, history?  Oddly absent, in my opinion.

[Daniel Wright]

Considering the way the building is or was set up making it into a small boutique hotel might be an option.  I thought one floor was set up as a gym with a jogging track. If one kept that floor set up as it was and turned the upper levels into ballroom and convention space. Restoring the art deco look of course. The lower floors which were offices could
be gutted and made into hotel rooms.  

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by booWorld

quote:Originally posted by DScott28604

I don't think it's selective at all... There are around 60 buildings in and around downtown that have been put on notice.

But the emphasis is on the Tulsa Club Building, not 60 buildings.

quote: ...but I'm afraid the owner will decide that it's cheaper to demolish it than to pay $1,000/day that it's not up to code.

So am I.  And my guess is that another Art Deco building designed by Bruce Goff will be ripped down and replaced by another surface parking lot.  Many buildings downtown have been vacant for years.  Vagrants were getting into the Mayo Hotel a few years ago, but thank goodness we didn't tear it down.


"When you only have two pennies left in the world, you might as well forget the idea of buying a loft in the Tribune Building."  

I remember some historic buildings at Main between 7th and 9th: specifically an old apartment building replete with a classic old-model elevator, and of course the old Cathey's furniture store. These seem to have been ripped out in favor of who knows of what signifigance or common good. And as for leveling them for parking space? Well, good parking still seems kinda scarce in many places downtown.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

California's a big place. Don't suppose anyone knows with which town he may associate? Perhaps an address or phone number?

Local attorney bails, just when he's most needed.

....the theft of this man's property continues.

I looked him up.  He lives in Berkely, CA.  For more info, I'd have to pay, but I'm not gonna do that.

[Wrinkle]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

California's a big place. Don't suppose anyone knows with which town he may associate? Perhaps an address or phone number?

Local attorney bails, just when he's most needed.

....the theft of this man's property continues.

I looked him up.  He lives in Berkely, CA.  For more info, I'd have to pay, but I'm not gonna do that.

Thanks. I know a guy who thinks it's a great location for his Pizza Hut franchise operation.

Red roof logo.

[we vs us]

The wheels of justice grind slow, but if we're lucky, they'll grind exceedingly fine.

quote:City seeks to sue building's owner over violations  

City officials have asked Mayor Kathy Taylor to approve legal action against the owner of a downtown building deemed in violation of city codes.

Harold Adair, an abatement coordinator for the city's Neighborhood Inspections Division, said the request for action names Carl J. Morony of California, who owns the Tulsa Club Building at Fifth Street and Cincinnati Avenue.

City records show that Morony owes $154,000 in civil penalties for failing to bring the 11-story building up to code.

The building, which has been vacant for more than a decade, has fire, electrical and plumbing violations as well as safety and health code violations.

"It's up to Taylor to decide if she will approve the request," Adair said.

City officials said they had tried for months to speak to Morony about bringing the building into compliance and that they sent him a letter Feb. 28 informing him that he was being fined for the violations.

Ultimately, if Morony is summoned to court but fails to appear, his building could be sold at a sheriff's auction, city officials said.

Morony had been fined $1,000 a day from August until sometime last month for failure to bring the building into
compliance. Under regulations that took effect in August, the city can impose the fine until property owners bring a building up to code.

Although Morony's fines total $154,000, he only paid $125,000 for the building.

City officials said it wasn't their intent to allow Morony to continue accumulating thousands of dollars in fines.

"Our main concern is getting the building safe and (back) into compliance," Adair said.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

California's a big place. Don't suppose anyone knows with which town he may associate? Perhaps an address or phone number?

Local attorney bails, just when he's most needed.

....the theft of this man's property continues.

If you throw a cd player out your car window and I pick it up, it's not theft. I can keep it for myself and fine you for throwing it away. While this building never moved, the owner has definitely thrown it away.

[Dana431]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by Wrinkle

California's a big place. Don't suppose anyone knows with which town he may associate? Perhaps an address or phone number?

Local attorney bails, just when he's most needed.

....the theft of this man's property continues.

If you throw a cd player out your car window and I pick it up, it's not theft. I can keep it for myself and fine you for throwing it away. While this building never moved, the owner has definitely thrown it away.

+1