Lost Bricktown
This building is still standing - but for how long?
If everything goes in the direction currently set, this building will be razed by the city sometime in the next few years.
On Tuesday I wrote about the plight of what I’ll call “lost Bricktown.” I want you to see these buildings as they were in their heyday, instead of how blighted they are today. Left alone, these buildings could someday be restored and brought back to life. But given the current momentum of development, I predict these buildings will disappear within the next few years, to be torn down not by short-visioned developers, but rather the city itself.
Forty years ago it was the mission of a woman I admired, Mary Jo Nelson, to educate the public about similar actions that were being pondered by city leaders. She documented the final days of landmarks we now mourn – the Criterion Theater, the Huckins Hotel, the Midwest Building and more.
Like Mary Jo, who passed away a couple of years ago, I can only do my best to bring these things to your attention. It’s up to you whether these properties matter in a city that has too few old buildings left. It’s up to you whether it’s a good or bad thing that these buildings are set to be torn down. And it’s up to you whether you want to contact the mayor and council, or whether you wish to stay silent.
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Comments
Steve, I have a couple of questions for you. I don’t necessarily disagree with you, I would just like some more facts before I make a decision.
1) Is there a density in this “Lost Bricktown,” or are significant buildings few and far between? Exactly how many buildings are we talking about here?
2) We certainly lost some architecturally signficant buildings over the decades in Oklahoma City. Do any of the buildings in Lost Bricktown fall into this category?
3) I assume some or all of these buildings are in the proposed location of the central park and convention center. If they were to all be saved, is there still a way to build the central park and convention center so that they are still efficiently located?
I may think of some other questions later. Thanks for doing all of this work, Steve!
Brian, the density is slightly more than what was present in Deep Deuce before it was redeveloped with existing structures being preserved, but far less than what people currently refer to as Bricktown.
Dennis, I didn’t know about that pending move by the city. That makes the timing of surveying this area even more curious, don’t you think?
Steve,
I understand that the survey could take up to 5 years to complete. I don’t think there’s a coordinated effort to circumvent the system, rather a right-hand-ignorant-of-left-hand syndrome… (or maybe too many middle hands!)
What’s the standard on what makes these buildings historic? Are all old buildings historic? Is there some other historic event that happened in these? I don’t think any old building is suddenly historic by nature of being old, it had to have been a significant part of history in some way.
I think just the fact that buildings arent built of this quality anymore is reason enough to keep them around. If properly maintained these buildings could still be standing long after most of the crap being built today is long gone. Do we want to find a use for something like this, or throw it away and build more prefab erector set buildings with no soul?
These buildings should be worked in to the newer fabric of buildings to come. Just a few old structures like this can give a lot of depth to a district, imo. Deep deuce, for example.
They should be preserved, even if smack dab in the middle of the park.
None of these buildings would even be standing if it wasn’t for Neal Jim or don. Let’s be thankful for what we have
Certainly none of the buildings in what we formally know as Bricktown would be standing. Neal Horton, Jim Brewer, Jim Tolbert and Don Karchmer deserve much credit for making the area the success it is today. The question is whether there are similar leaders ready to save “lost Bricktown,” and whether it should or should not be saved.
Amendments are pending to the City Ordinances that are intended to protect the city’s historic legacy by requiring the preservation of significant historic buildings. Two important questions are: 1) Will the significant buildings be designated as such prior to demolition, and 2) If so, will the City abide by their own rules?
At the upcoming December meeting, the City Council will most likely vote to adopt the amendment, which highlights another interesting question: If the Ordinance requires protection of historically significant buildings, and the vast majority of buildings have not yet been surveyed for identification as “significant,” can just any citizen stand up and declare “significance” thereby preventing demolition?