DIY Downtown Business...

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

I would really like to see a bowling alley downtown.  It would be nice to have one more thing to do downt there on a night out with friends or a date.

I would have it so that all 4 outside walls were glass. At night driving by you could see all the action inside and even the machinery working behind the pins. I would put the whole thing on the second floor of a building, perhaps parking underneath with shops etc. on some of the street level. Would be neat to have it all kind of modern with a mix of art-deco. Lots of glitz, silver and gold...

A bowling alley was one of the things I wanted to include in my little DIY downtown thing, but yours sounds much cooler!  I love the idea of all-glass--it gave me lots of ideas, like color-changing lights along the inside perimeter... I don't know how to explain it, but I took some pics of a shop in Milan in December that illustrates it:


Why is there not a Senate/House committee whose full charge is to bring our liquor laws out of the 1800s?!

[T-Town Now]

There's also surface parking lot on the northwest corner of 7th and Main. And technically, there is a Bank of America drive in bank on the southwest corner of 7th and Main that takes up about a half of the block in both directions, so that entire area isn't really parking.

I like your map, it's an excellent visual on downtown parking!

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by DScott28604


Why is there not a Senate/House committee whose full charge is to bring our liquor laws out of the 1800s?!

Many people don't have a problem with them as they are.

[cmiked]

I am part of the group that owns both the bank and the Smith Brothers building as well as the Chamber building across the street.  We currently have no idea what to do with the empty buildings.  We own Equity Insurance Company, located in the Chamber building and bought the bank and the Smith Brothers building from Chase primarily because we needed parking for our employees and the other tenants of the Chamber building.  As far as the drive through area goes, we are working to rework it to maximize parking without too much structural change.  We live in Texas and had discussed remodeling the Tom Tom Room into an apartment for extended stays.  We'd love to get some sort of restaurant in either or both buildings.  There is 15000+ sf of basement under the bank too.  We're using it as storage.  The Smith Brothers building will take a bit of work, but, again, we'd love a restaurant.  The new park is so much nicer than the parking lot that was there, our employees love it, it just doesn't help with the parking situation.

We love Tulsa and love being downtown.  Equity is a big piece of our business so we will remain committed to Tulsa, downtown specifically.

I've really enjoyed reading the history of the buildings and seeing some of your ideas.  I'm passing these on to the powers that be and we'll see what we can make happen.

Thanks,

Mike

quote:Originally posted by we vs us

quote:Originally posted by MichaelBates

quote:Originally posted by we vs us

Smith Brothers Abstract and Title Co. needs to become an upscale steakhouse if there's enough square footage; if not it should be a martini bar.  

So:  gut rehab with an eye to modernizing the excellent deco shell. The inside would need the most work (installing a full kitchen is crazy-expensive), and of course all the design elements should be deco as well. 1950's ad-man chic. In tone, it has to take itself seriously; no kitsch allowed.

That building was originally (or at least back in the '70s) the home of Ponca City Savings and Loan, which later became (I think) Frontier Federal Savings and Loan.

Love the idea of '50s (or maybe early '60s?) ad-man chic.

Anyone know what will become of the old 1st National autobank on the east half of that block? The little branch bank attached to it is an interesting modern building, not to mention the "Tom Tom Room" -- the meeting room that sits atop the parking deck.

That whole block really just reeks of mid-century awesome.  I have no idea what a drive through bank branch like that can segue into, but I wish it would.  It's still very pretty, and it's only used for parking right now.  Even the parking structure on the north end of the block isn't too shabby.  Actually, it is pretty shabby, but you'd think it could be restored easily to its former glory.

Does anyone know what's going on on the SW corner of Boston and 6th?  What are they building?

[cmiked]

We spend quite a bit of time and money erasing both Bebop and Tron and just get hit again shortly after.

quote:Originally posted by inteller

I know one thing, I want to be goofing off one night very late downtown and catch that 'Bebop' ****er and commit various acts of vigilante justice on his/her donkey.

that is a very sweet building.  I never get into that part of town because construction is horrible.

[EricP]

Wow, very cool... somebody who actually owns property open to ideas I think I know the building you are talking about. In general I would say we need residential and some convenience stores and stuff for people who live downtown to shop at.. that kind of stuff. I assume there are hurdles to overcome or reasons a lot of people haven't made it happen.

Downtown needs to have so many people who live there that the vagrants will be afraid to be seen by them and fear for their lives People to claim it and protect it as their home would be nice. Empty parking lots don't complain much when you graffiti the building next door.

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

I think a small drug store, like Walgreen's, would do well right at fifth and main. It would be great to have a little card shop and a place to pick up things on my lunch half hour.

CVS would do well to break into the Tulsa market that way.

I'd love to see a classic downtown Walgreen's,  I was looking through a book of old Tulsa photos and saw a great picture of an old Walgreens - sure would be cool to emulate the original.

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelBates

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603


Mine isn't downtown, but it's in an area that needs some revitalization.  The Carpet City store at 15th and Delaware.  It's been going out of business for about 5 years now!  Anyway, I'd clean it up and keep it basically the same, kind of 1950's funky, but I'd tear the warehouse off the back to create additional parking.  There is a brunch place in Houston called LaStrada, and basically, you go there on Sunday for the brunch, bloody mary's, and mimosas.  They play music, the waiters are a ton of fun, and there is always a line to get a table.  This place could be the same.  Turn it into a huge, slightly cleaner and more energetic, Brookside By Day.  Living in Florence Park, this is the kind of thing I would want to walk to.  It would attract TU students on Sunday mornings for brunch after a night of drinking, Florence Park and Renaissance residents who could walk there, and I imagine it could do a pretty good lunch business, since that area of town seems underserved by restaurants.

Great idea! It's a neat building, convenient to Florence Park and Renaissance neighborhoods and the renovated Tulsa Little Theater, and with those big windows, it would attract the attention of people driving by. It would be an anchor for the whole area.

I know locally owned bookstores are almost extinct, but that would also be a great place for a big bookstore like Denver's Tattered Cover.

We were just talking recently at work about how  there should be a Tulsa Tattered Cover downtown.  It would be a great anchor for some of the new gallery spaces.

[carltonplace]

Glad to see a downtown property/business owner joining our discussion and resurrecting this thread.

My dream is to build old style brownstones and apartments between Denver and Cheyenne, 11th and 8th. I would leave the few apartment buildings that still stand there, and try to make the price points cover the gamut so that there is both affordable and high cost. Each group would face front and meet the street with a little garden and gate with street facing balconies and each cluster would have a rear public area courtyard. I would want each cluster to have its own style. The whole complex would have at least one gym, children's park and pool. On the 8th and Denver side it would be nice to have a little community pub or restaraunt.

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

Glad to see a downtown property/business owner joining our discussion and resurrecting this thread.

My dream is to build old style brownstones and apartments between Denver and Cheyenne, 11th and 8th. I would leave the few apartment buildings that still stand there, and try to make the price points cover the gamut so that there is both affordable and high cost. Each group would face front and meet the street with a little garden and gate with street facing balconies and each cluster would have a rear public area courtyard. I would want each cluster to have its own style. The whole complex would have at least one gym, children's park and pool. On the 8th and Denver side it would be nice to have a little community pub or restaraunt.

Use something other than real "brownstone". I've read that the Brownstones in Boston are having structural difficulties after all these years. Nice style though.

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

People like to dress up, socialize, people watch, have a drink and have fun and its rare to have a place and time where you can really do that here.  

I know I'm a minority in this respect but I never really have liked getting dressed up.  Something like Dockers and a button down shirt with a collar is about as fancy as I like to get.  The rest is fun.

[dayzella]

quote:Originally posted by cmiked

I am part of the group that owns both the bank and the Smith Brothers building as well as the Chamber building across the street.  We currently have no idea what to do with the empty buildings.  We own Equity Insurance Company, located in the Chamber building and bought the bank and the Smith Brothers building from Chase primarily because we needed parking for our employees and the other tenants of the Chamber building.  As far as the drive through area goes, we are working to rework it to maximize parking without too much structural change.  We live in Texas and had discussed remodeling the Tom Tom Room into an apartment for extended stays.  We'd love to get some sort of restaurant in either or both buildings.  There is 15000+ sf of basement under the bank too.  We're using it as storage.  The Smith Brothers building will take a bit of work, but, again, we'd love a restaurant.  The new park is so much nicer than the parking lot that was there, our employees love it, it just doesn't help with the parking situation.

We love Tulsa and love being downtown.  Equity is a big piece of our business so we will remain committed to Tulsa, downtown specifically.

I've really enjoyed reading the history of the buildings and seeing some of your ideas.  I'm passing these on to the powers that be and we'll see what we can make happen.

Thanks,

Mike

quote:Originally posted by we vs us

quote:Originally posted by MichaelBates

quote:Originally posted by we vs us

Smith Brothers Abstract and Title Co. needs to become an upscale steakhouse if there's enough square footage; if not it should be a martini bar.  

So:  gut rehab with an eye to modernizing the excellent deco shell. The inside would need the most work (installing a full kitchen is crazy-expensive), and of course all the design elements should be deco as well. 1950's ad-man chic. In tone, it has to take itself seriously; no kitsch allowed.

That building was originally (or at least back in the '70s) the home of Ponca City Savings and Loan, which later became (I think) Frontier Federal Savings and Loan.

Love the idea of '50s (or maybe early '60s?) ad-man chic.

Anyone know what will become of the old 1st National autobank on the east half of that block? The little branch bank attached to it is an interesting modern building, not to mention the "Tom Tom Room" -- the meeting room that sits atop the parking deck.

That whole block really just reeks of mid-century awesome.  I have no idea what a drive through bank branch like that can segue into, but I wish it would.  It's still very pretty, and it's only used for parking right now.  Even the parking structure on the north end of the block isn't too shabby.  Actually, it is pretty shabby, but you'd think it could be restored easily to its former glory.

Does anyone know what's going on on the SW corner of Boston and 6th?  What are they building?

This made my day.  Thanks for posting and resurrecting this thread.

Even with the Daily Grill opening, I think the Smith Brothers building could still make it as a steakhouse.  

And if the old bank drive thru building is up for grabs, it would be nifty to have a walk-up/drive-thru donut shop downtown - especially a Daylight Donuts.

[Gaspar]

Simple.  
Cheesecake Factory needs to move downtown.

71st is the wrong market for them.  It was a poor decision.  Woodland Hills is no Plaza.

Their receipts are dismal.

Moving near the BOK and presenting a fantastic facade like they do in other markets will be a boom for them.

If they are wise, they will cut bait and do so soon, or abandon this market.

[sgrizzle]

What about the donut shop at 427 S Boston? I think it's a Paradise Donuts.

[EricP]

Ooh yeah.. a Daylight donuts, walgreens, apartments..... why is this stuff not here???