A Look Back at NW 10 and Robinson
A couple weeks back I wrote about some interesting design twists being taken as part of the MidTown Renaissance development being led by Bob Howard, Mickey Clagg and Chris Fleming. I was especially taken by plans to create this public courtyard space in the alleyway between the Guardian Garage building (which is set to be converted to retail and housing) and the Packard Building (which is to be converted to retail and offices).
It’s an amazing transformation taking place, considering that for years the building at NW 10 and Robinson, being rechristened by its historic name of Packard Building, looked like this:
Pat's Lounge was for years the only tenant left in the Packard Building.
Over the years I’ve tried to find photos showing what the Packard Building looked like over the years, but with little success. Go figure I’d find a treasure trove of photos looking for images of the old First Christian Church across the street (of which I again had little success).
This is how I always remembered the Packard Building - boarded up and not great to look at. This photo was taken in 1978, shortly after I moved to Oklahoma City and Robinson was the major north-south road into the central business district.
This boarded-up building stayed, as it appears in this photo, though about 2008. Think about that....
Now we get a better look at what the building looked like before it was boarded up.
One last view....
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Comments
I feel so mixed about this project. On one hand, it’s absolutely terrific. The combined vibe of Broadway a street east, apartments in the Cline?, Hadden, and Guardian, a rooftop deck, retail alley, etc. Then on the other hand is this giant ass parking lot that’s being put in the back. There’s another giant parking lot just across the street that already ruins the entire intersection of 10th and Robinson, a parking lot abutting Hadden Hall. Parking lots. Parking lots. Parking lots. It seems Bricktown gets blasted for having them, but Midtown has TONS, just at a smaller scale. I don’t see how we ever expect Midtown to actually become something remotely dense or how we’re gonna spur development along the Streetcar in Midtown when a lot of the land is used for DEDICATED surface parking.
Pat’s Lounge(& Kegs) was the epitome of a “dive”; and I say that fondly. It attracted an eclectic crowd, from the transient homeless looking for relaxation to the downtown executive hoping for escape. A lot of college kids would come in and out for the beer keg rentals.
Pat, himself, was an interesting fellow; an avid golfer who could be a bit surly behind the bar at times. His mother owns the bar on the SE corner of 23rd & Western.
Michael, it’s gotta start somewhere. If the momentum continues for another 20 years, you might see some of these lots become garages or buildings. As it is, there is too much open land for infill just yet.
Here’s an interesting site that shows old The First Christian Church:
http://www.usgwarchives.org/ok/oklahoma/postcards/ppcs-okco.html
I think the Packard building would make an excellent Trader Joes. I know I know. They’ll never come here because of our liquor laws. A guy can dream though can’t he?