Midtown on endangered list

[janle]

Check this out!

Midtown makes list of state's endangered places


By ANGEL RIGGS World Capitol Bureau
2/1/2008
OKLAHOMA CITY — Tulsa's midtown district was named Thursday to Preservation Oklahoma's list of Most Endangered Historic Places.

The area was included on the group's 15th annual list because of the increasing number of "supersized" homes replacing midtown's historic homes and the commercial encroachment threatening its character, according to Preservation Oklahoma.

"Every city has a uniqueness about it, and that uniqueness comes over a period of time," said Susan McKee, president of Tulsa's Coalition of Historic Neighborhoods.

"These historic neighborhoods are what make Tulsa what it is."

The area included on the endangered list stretches from 11th to 51st streets and from Lewis Avenue to the Arkansas River.

Homes in the area generally were built between the 1920s and 1950s. "In midtown, there are a lot of craftsman-style bungalows and smaller homes," McKee said. "They're older homes, and they're very well built, but they don't have the modern conveniences.

"You just don't find this kind of construction anymore," she said.

Preserving older homes is an aesthetic as well as an economic issue, said John Feaver, president of Oklahoma Citybased Preservation Oklahoma.

"Preserving homes is the biggest recycling project we have," Feaver said, adding that historic neighborhoods help to distinguish cities.

Barbara VanHanken, president of Preserve Midtown, was among those who petitioned to have the area named to the Endangered Historic Places list.

Being named to the list doesn't provide protection or funding for a site, but it helps to raise awareness and support for their preservation.

Preservation Oklahoma, a nonprofit group, aims to protect and promote the state's historic resources, communities and landscapes through education, leadership and advocacy.

"It's kind of an ominous list," VanHanken said. "It's not one you want to be on."

However, it might bring more attention to ordinance and zoning changes that, she said, are needed to protect historic neighborhoods.

VanHanken and others are working to enact a conservation district in Tulsa "to give homeowners a say in what happens on their block, as far as development and redevelopment."

"We've been working to stop the unlimited teardowns and have appropriate infill when that is necessary," she said. "There are a lot of good homes being torn down unnecessarily."

For more information about the effort, go online to www. tulsaworld.com/preserve midtown.



Angel Riggs (405) 528-2465
angel.riggs@tulsaworld.com

[Renaissance]

Midtown goes at least to Harvard on its eastern edge.  And between Lewis and Harvard is where you'll find some of the most egregious teardowns.

[izmophonik]

I thought Lewis was a stretch....Harvard?

[Renaissance]

Florence Park and Ranch Acres are Midtown neighborhoods, as far as I'm concerned.  But then again, I may be wrong.  Thoughts?

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

Florence Park and Ranch Acres are Midtown neighborhoods, as far as I'm concerned.  But then again, I may be wrong.  Thoughts?

You would be correct.....

[izmophonik]

I've heard so many descriptions of "mid-town" I don't know what is fact or not.  I've always heard mid-town referred to as a smaller portion of Tulsa.  This would be starting at 11th - 51st and going from riverside to Lewis..I can easily see Harvard but not past 41st street.  I think the farther east you go, midtown gets slimmer.

[TURobY]

Renaissance should be included in that list as well.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

Florence Park and Ranch Acres are Midtown neighborhoods, as far as I'm concerned.  But then again, I may be wrong.  Thoughts?

You would be correct.....

+1, at least as far west as Harvard...

[izmophonik]

As to my point...everyone has a different description of "mid-town".  It really doesn't matter anyway in the scope of this post.  In the article, the writer didn't define boundaries of mid-town.  They were only talking about the homes that were declared historically endangered by Preservation Oklahoma...  Which was described below:

"These historic neighborhoods are what make Tulsa what it is."

The area included on the endangered list stretches from 11th to 51st streets and from Lewis Avenue to the Arkansas River.

[Steve]

I suppose that Preservation Oklahoma's boundaries for this endangered places inclusion was defined by the areas most currently vulnerable to the tear down/infill rebuild problems.  At the least, I think the eastern boundary should have been Harvard.  More long term thinking, the eastern boundary should be Sheridan Road.  There are many great mid-twentieth century modern homes and commercial buildings between Harvard & Sheridan that may be subject to wanton destruction in the near future.

[joiei]

How about we break it down even more than just saying Midtown.  The realtors would make it sound like Midtown goes as far as 71st to the south and Broken Arrow to the east.  

Anyway,  my proposal is for Upper Midtown - 11th to 31st, river to Harvard  and lower midtown - 31st to I-44 and Harvard to the river.   The distinction definitly shows in the architecture of these districts.  

Anything else is just that, anything else.  I will let you all come up with names for this area known as anything else.

[TheArtist]

How bout "Historic Midtown" as a specific subset?  There will still be some fuzzy edge areas, but it certainly defines a more limited area than just saying "Midtown". Its more a descriptive "type" not just a location.