Institution

Nearly everyone with an opinion on urban renewal has that one building they point to as a tragic loss. For older longtime residents with an emotional connection the old city that is usually the Biltmore Hotel, likely because of the number of weddings, proms, and banquets that were held there. For newer or younger residents, it's frequently the Criterion Theater.The Criterion was OKC's grandest palace in a time when cinemas were palaces. At its opening it was described as, "a symphony in brick and stone; a monument to the motion picture." An art glass facade gleamed above the sparkling marquee, while inside the 1900-seat theater crystal chandeliers hung over velvet covered walls, two orchestra pits and an immense organ.The Criterion opened in 1921 as a silent film cinema but screened the first talkie in OKC in 1928. In the 1930s several world premieres were run on the Criterion screen while spotlights out front added to the dazzle of tuxedos and evening gowns.In the 1960s the Criterion suffered the same drop in business as other Downtown theaters around the country. But in 1967 local investors encouraged by the promise of urban renewal poured millions into purchasing and refurbishing the grand lady. The theater did enjoy a revival of sorts, but the wrecking ball came in 1973 to make way for the Sheraton Hotel/Century City Mall. The Criterion was the last building on its block to be demolished and photos of the lone seemingly defying its demise make its departure all the more poignant.

Audio commentary provided by legendary Oklahoma City newsman Gan Matthews

Nearly everyone with an opinion on urban renewal has that one building they point to as a tragic loss. For older longtime residents with an emotional connection to the old city, that is usually the Biltmore Hotel. For newer or younger residents, it's usually the Criterion Theater. The Criterion opened in 1921 as a silent film cinema but screened the first talkie in OKC in 1928.

Criterion Theater

Director

Welcome to the Metro Library's walking tour of Downtown OKC urban renewal sites. Please enjoy this tour safely, following normal precautions when walking around the city - keep an eye out for traffic and always maintain an awareness of your surroundings.

Myth and controversy surround the urban renewal era and hopefully after completing this tour you will have a clear understanding of the era of the 1960s and 1970s in Downtown OKC.

It's important to note that even though the period covered in this tour is called the urban renewal era, OKC has undertaken some form of major urban renewal roughly every 30 years since statehood. Renewal programs in cities nationwide made use of federal housing money and an expansion of the powers of eminent domain from the courts to clear blighted areas in urban cores. Despite its young age, OKC had definite problems caused by rapid growth and uncontrolled postwar urban sprawl. 

In the late 1950s civic and business leaders began the process of planning urban renewal culminating in the selection of noted architect I. M. Pei as the master planner. We commonly use the term "Pei Plan" as an umbrella term but there were actually a series of projects and plans in many parts of the city between 1964 and 1966. For the purposes of this tour, we will use the term Pei Plan and the 1964 date for convenience.

The Downtown portion of the Pei Plan was somewhat ominously called Project 1-A. It was administered by the Urban Renewal Authority and called for a near-total transformation of Downtown OKC stretching from Shartel to the Santa Fe tracks and NW 6 to SW 3. 

Phase 1 of Project 1-A was the acquisition of this city block for the construction of a new building for the Mummers Theater. In 1962 the Ford Foundation provided a matching grant to Mummers for a new building and in 1965 they selected noted Brutalist architect John Johansen to design it. Land clearance began in late 1968, demolishing a total of 19 businesses in 20 buildings and relocating a handful of residents.The project was on rocky ground from the beginning as city leaders delayed in providing matching funds and a site because they wanted the new building to be a showpiece to kick off Project 1-A, much to the disappointment of the Foundation. Making matters worse, Johansen's design was repulsive to city leaders and residents alike. Still, the building met with praise and celebration internationally.Later dubbed Stage Center, the Mummers theater company folded a year after construction was completed in 1970 largely because of the cost of operating the building. For nearly fifty years Stage Center was a polarizing structure in the city which saw a parade of tenants, all unable to make it functional.Although it's footprint still appears in Google maps and it's written about in architectural textbooks, in 2014 Stage Center was demolished to clear the way for a new OGE Energy corporate headquarters, a building which never materialized. Stage Center was the only building in the city's history to be recognized internationally, prompting many to muse that Oklahoma City still has a way to go to reach maturity.

This is the site of the ultramodern Mummers Theater which was considered the pacesetter for the dramatic changes and impressive upgrades city leaders hoped urban renewal would bring to downtown Oklahoma City. The ill-fated project met with controversy before the first shovel of dirt was turned in 1967 and would remain so until its demolition in 2014.

Mummers Theater

Main Street was the retail core of OKC for the first 75 years of its history. The stretch between Robinson and Hudson featured the three major department stores Brown's, Kerr's, Halliburton's and at it's height in the 1950s, an observer quipped that on Main Street, "You can buy anything but a car or a boat."Contrary to popular belief, urban renewal did not kill Main Street retail. The consumer killed Main Street retail by demanding front door parking and locations not too far from her suburban home. In OKC the shift to the suburbs began in 1954 when Sears moved from Downtown to NW 23 and Penn. Other stores either followed Sears or folded. Locally, only John A Brown made a successful transition from Downtown to suburban malls.What urban renewal did do, however, was cut too deep, demolishing all of the buildings in the retail core and any hope of a return of retail to Downtown with it. The failure was in the execution and not the planning as the Pei Plan included the massive Galleria retail "superblock" from Park to Sheridan and Hudson to Robinson. However, by demolishing all but the Colcord and Cravens Buildings, the patient was killed in order to save him. Retailers tend to flock together and ultimately, no major retailer was willing to commit to the Galleria alone.

Main Street was the retail core of OKC for the first 75 years of its history. The stretch between Robinson and Hudson featured the three major department stores Brown's, Kerr's, Halliburton's and at it's height in the 1950s, an observer quipped that on Main Street, "You can buy anything but a car or a boat."TOUR GOERS MAY WISH TO REACH STOP #3 BY WALKING EAST FROM HUDSON THROUGH THE DEVON ENERGY GARAGE TO HARVEY IN ORDER TO GET A FEEL FOR WHERE THE RETAIL CORE WAS LOCATED.

Main Street Retail

The John A Brown department store was an OKC retail institution. Known for its wide array of merchandise from all over the globe in a medium price point, Brown's was the most beloved and successful retail enterprise in the state. While Brown's major competitors built bigger and taller buildings for their stores, Brown's occupied a single three-story building on Main in 1908 and eventually spread weblike into neighboring buildings along Main and Park Aves between Robinson and Harvey. Described as maze on the inside, the store eventually encompassed nearly the entire city block except for the Hales Building on Main and the Cravens Building (Robinson Renaissance) on Park. Brown's was a difficult case for urban renewal. The Pei Plan called for a four-block "superblock" retail galleria between Park and Sheridan and Robinson and Hudson. But it was a risky proposition to destroy all Downtown retail and then hope retailers returned when the Galleria was complete. Making matters worse, Brown's refused to move or sell until 1974 when they relocated to Crossroads Mall (they were already at Penn Square Mall) which critically delayed the project, essentially dooming it. A restructured Galleria plan by Dallas developer Vincent Carrozza to provide a mixed retail-hotel-office development got underway in 1979, resulting in One Galleria (Corporate Tower) on the Hales Bldg site in 1980 and Two Galleria (Oklahoma Tower) in 1982. But the plan stalled when Carrozza was unable to find retail anchors to take a chance on the site without an established store like Brown's there. Fired from the contract in 1983, Carrozza summed up his frustration, "Oklahoma City tore down too much."

The John A Brown department store was an OKC retail institution. Brown's occupied a single three-story building on Main in 1908 and eventually spread weblike into neighboring buildings along Main and Park Aves between Robinson and Harvey. Known for its wide array of merchandise from all over the globe in a medium price point, Brown's was the most beloved and successful retail enterprise in the state.

John A Brown Department Store / Oklahoma Tower

This site was one of the "limited site" developments that aided development by a specific client, in this case Fidelity Bank. The bank had previously occupied the Baum Building and then today's Park-Harvey Tower. This block was essentially already cleared when the demolition contract was made in 1968. It was mostly covered by surface parking lots and a few low height buildings facing Robinson. The only structure of note is still there - the Federal Reserve Bank building at McGee and Harvey. The 14-story tower was completed in early 1972. An additional contribution Fidelity Bank brought to Downtown was the pet project of the CEO, Jack T. Conn. It was Conn who was the ardent prophet of the underground passageway that courses below city streets today. He even lent it his name - The ConnCourse.

This site was one of the "limited site" developments during urban renewal that aided development by a specific private client, in this case Fidelity Bank. The bank had previously occupied the Baum Building and then today's Park-Harvey Tower. The building site was cleared in 1968 and the 14-story tower was completed in early 1972.

Fidelity Bank

This block was part of what was called a "limited site" development, where land was cleared for a development by a specific client. In general low-density buildings and surface parking lots were cleared to make way for larger structures for corporate entities like Kerr-Mcgee, Liberty Bank, Fidelity Bank and First National Bank. Buildings of size or note were generally left in place if they were structurally sound, which distinguished these sites from the wholesale "superblock" clearances on the south edge of Downtown. Still, critics of this expansion of eminent domain powers called these limited sites " the second land run," referring to the federal government's giving free land to the original settlers of the city in 1889.In this block the YMCA, Savings &amp; Loan, Braniff, and India Temple Buildings were left extant and incorporated into the campus centered on the new 31-story tower. Only the Braniff is left today after the Sandridge Commons development of the 2010s.In 1973, Kerr-McGee developed Kerr Park and donated it to the city. The concrete and stone oasis was a favorite lunchtime spot for office workers and featured a fountain, an amphitheater and two Leonard McMurry sculptures bookending Couch Dr - "89ers" on Robinson and the US Air Force Monument on Broadway.

This block was part of what was called a "limited site" development, where land was cleared for a development by a specific client. In general low-density buildings and surface parking lots were cleared to make way for larger structures for corporate entities during urban renewal. Critics of this expansion of eminent domain powers called these limited sites " the second land run," referring to the federal government's giving free land to the original settlers of the city in 1889.

Kerr-McGee Center / Kerr Park

Even before the Pei Plan was devised in 1964, urban renewal proponents made plans for the large convention center they so desperately wanted. The original plans put the facility on the west side of the Mummer's Theater between Walker and Lee. The Pei Plan placed it in its current location, arguing that it needed to be near the hotel district (which was Broadway) and have easy access to the railroad station and I-40. Pei also intended for the west side of Downtown to be residential. The new location was eventually accepted by the city, but Broadway presented a problem. Long the main north-south access into and through Downtown, Broadway was severed by the placement of the convention center. Pei's design ran Broadway under the facility but his clients nixed the idea because they wanted underground parking; they also thought it would be too noisy for those inside the building.The compromise was to create a large boulevard capable of high traffic loads, that would veer off of Broadway and carry cars directly to the big new public garages and the convention center. The land was occupied by surface parking and low-density warehouses and light industry, so it was easily acquired and cleared. Originally called Santa Fe Avenue, it was named for Daily Oklahoman owner E K Gaylord in 1973.

Long the main north-south access into and through Downtown, Broadway was severed by the placement of the new convention center during urban renewal. So a large boulevard capable of high traffic loads was created, veering off of Broadway and carrying cars directly to the big new public garages and the convention center.

E K Gaylord Boulevard

The development of First National Center in 1970 provides an example of what the city could have looked like if hundreds of buildings had not been razed to create the blank canvasses for new development.Essentially encompassing a whole city block, FNC developed as First Natl Bank purchased urban renewal lots for a couple of small low-density buildings, like a cafeteria and a parking structure. The expansion of the original 1931 skyscraper was planned around the extant historical buildings of its neighbors instead of demolishing them. FNC built two 14-story towers on Park Ave, another on Broadway, and a large garage on Main St, leaving today's BancFirst( 1921), Medical Arts (1924), and Oil &amp; Gas (1909) Buildings intact.

The development of First National Center in 1970 provides an example of what the city could have looked like if hundreds of buildings had not been razed to create the blank canvasses for new development. Essentially encompassing a whole city block, FNC developed as First Natl Bank purchased urban renewal lots for expansion.

1st National Center

Leadership Square was the last true urban renewal building project, starting just as Oklahoma Tower was wrapping up. Land was cleared in Nov 1981 and the original design worked around the two extant buildings in the block, the Park Harvey and the Leonhardt Building (now Court Plaza). The original design left the attractive 7-story Local Federal Building intact at Park and Robinson but it was demolished in 1983. Also the two towers in the design originally were to straddle the greenspace Civic Center Park that once ran along the path now occupied by the atrium connecting the towers.Completion of Leadership Square in 1984 came just as the local recession from the oil bust was setting in, effectively ending hopes for development of the Galleria - the last unfulfilled major project of the Pei Plan.

Leadership Square was the last true urban renewal building project, starting just as Oklahoma Tower was wrapping up. Completion of Leadership Square in 1984 came just as the local recession from the oil bust was setting in, effectively ending hopes for development of the Galleria - the last unfulfilled major project of the Pei Plan.

Leadership Square

At 12 stories, the State National Bank Building was one of the first big buildings on the Main Street retail corridor. It was constructed at the same time as the Colcord and Baum Buildings one block south in 1910 and this spurt of skyscraping brought a deep sense of pride and progress in the still-young city. After merging with other banks, the building was known as 1st National Bank, and when the big 33-story 1st Natl Bldg was built in 1931, the building was sold to the very wealthy W T Hales, who had made his fortune in trading mules and horses.The Hales Building was a beautiful classical design and its bright white exterior and elevation above its neighbors made it instantly recognizable. Adding to its exposure, its owner painted HALES vertically in stark Black and white lettering to leave no doubt as to its ownership.The Hales was in the Galleria site, and it seemed that each day that passed without a Galleria contract the Hales might be able to survive the wrecking ball. The public mood had turned bitter and angry against demolitions after the demise of the Biltmore and preservationists stepped up efforts to try and save the Hales. The Hales heirs even offered to buy it and renovate it. However the Urban Renewal Authority had struggled to find a developer for the Galleria and they had just signed a contract with a developer who agreed to take it on if the Hales was demolished. The Hales Building was imploded in May 1979.

At 12 stories, the State National Bank Building was one of the first big buildings on the Main Street retail corridor. It was constructed at the same time as the Colcord and Baum Buildings one block south in 1910 and this spurt of skyscraping brought a deep sense of pride and progress in the still-young city. In 1931, the building was sold to the very wealthy W T Hales, who had made his fortune in trading mules and horses.

Hales Building

After the convention center project, the new home of Liberty Bank &amp; Trust was the most anticipated of the urban renewal plans and this block was cleared as early as 1969, just after the convention center site. This block consisted of some surface parking and low 2-3 story warehouse buildings that gave it the appearance more of Bricktown than Downtown and there was no real resistance to razing structures here. There was a lot of symbolism surrounding the 36-story Liberty project. For one the design was very reminiscent of the twin towers under construction in NY City, soon to be the tallest in the world, and to some this signaled that OKC, too, was on the rise. And because Liberty was moving out of its tower at Park and Robinson (now City Place) and supplanting its rival First Natl Bank as the tallest building in the state, for some it was a symbolic mark of progress through urban renewal. The tower was completed in 1971.

After the convention center project, the new home of Liberty Bank &amp; Trust was the most anticipated of the urban renewal plans and this block was cleared as early as 1969, just after the convention center site. Soon a 36-story tower would appear with a design very reminiscent of the twin towers under construction in NY City, The tower was completed in 1971.

Liberty Tower

Many architectural gems fell during the urban renewal program, but in terms of historical importance, the Huckins Hotel was probably the biggest loss. This site was the location of the Hotel Lee (1900) until Joseph Huckins, Jr. bought it from Oscar Lee and renamed it the Lee-Huckins. A 1908 fire razed the building and Huckins rebuilt on the site with the much larger Huckins Hotel a year later. Situated as it was at the corner of Broadway and Main, the very nexus of Downtown, the Huckins featured in more than its share of historical events. When the people voted to move the capitol to Oklahoma City in 1910, Governor Charles N. Haskell ordered the state seal brought from Guthrie to his newly established office in the Huckins Hotel, posting the proclamation on the wall outside his door. In 1911 during the massive streetcar strike that rendered the city immobile, activist Kate Barnard scaled the balcony over the entrance and gave a rousing speech to the strikers to keep up the fight. The Huckins coffee shop served as the smoke-filled room of Oklahoma politics, the scene of all manner of political deal-making for decades. So much so, one longtime senator from OKC was referred to as "the Senator from Huckins County."As Mayor Patience Latting watched the Huckins demolition from a fire engine, she was heard to say, "It makes me kind of sad watching demolition machinery breaking up the Huckins. So many things have happened here." The Huckins became the first urban renewal building imploded by explosives in July, 1971.

Many architectural gems fell during the urban renewal program, but in terms of historical importance, the Huckins Hotel was probably the biggest loss. Built in 1908 at the corner of Broadway and Main, the very nexus of Downtown, the Huckins featured in more than its share of historical events. It served as the temporary state capitol, a rallying point, and a smoke-filled room of local politics. The Huckins became the first urban renewal building imploded by explosives in July, 1971.

Huckins Hotel

Among all the opposition during the fifteen year period of urban renewal, Howard Melton was the most successful; and even his fight ended in defeat. Melton purchased the building at 20 W Main in 1945 for his family's medical supply business. He later claimed the business had already been relocated twice because of eminent domain and so when plans were drawn up for a 30+-story office tower and hotel complex on a site that included his building, he dug his heels in.Melton began his battle in 1971 by delaying the demolition of the neighboring Huckins Hotel in court. Later he brought suit against the Urban Renewal Authority arguing that using the power of the state to transfer property to a private third party via eminent domain was illegal. Melton was successful in delaying the demolition of his building but in 1979 the city council voted that his building must go. By then preservationists had taken interest in Melton's fight. They made the case that the 1906 building was the last territorial era building Downtown and applied to place it on the Natl Register of Historic Places. But in a 1980 federal suit brought by Melton, a judge decided it was not historical and ordered it to be sold to the Authority. Melton tried one final time to delay, this time challenging the price he was to be paid for the value of his building. This final case drug into 1982, but it proved the final act and the Melton Building was sold to the Authority. 1982 was a watershed year for urban renewal, though. That was the year of the collapse of Penn Square Bank and the subsequent oil bust that afflicted the local economy for a decade. Although the planned office tower had already been built (Continental Resources Bldg now), the hotel plans were scrapped for lack of money and investors. So the Melton Building stood; occupied by an art gallery that leased the space from the Authority. The wrecking ball finally came for the Melton Bldg in 1998 to make way for the Marriott Hotel. When asked if he was going to renew his feud to save his former building Melton replied, "One wears out. I'll be 83 next month. I don't think you change the attitudes of people or their mind-set to the new and modern; and to hell with the old."

Among all the opposition during the fifteen year period of urban renewal, Howard Melton was the most successful; and even his fight ended in defeat. Melton began his battle in 1971 by delaying the demolition of the neighboring Huckins Hotel in court. Later he brought suit against the Urban Renewal Authority arguing that using the power of the state to transfer property to a private third party via eminent domain was illegal. Melton was successful in delaying the demolition of his building but in 1982 the courts decided that his building must go. Even so, it was not demolished until 1998 when the Renaissance Hotel was built.

Melton Building

Called "the unit block" because of its low-numbered addresses, this part of Broadway was one of the most dense parts of the city from the earliest settlement. The first tall buildings were built here, like the Culbertson and Herskowitz Buildings, and there were a number of hotels in the area like the Roberts and the Huckins.Early on, proponents of urban renewal were concerned about the lack of available hotel rooms to house the masses of conventioneers that were going to be visiting the city. To address the problem. two sites adjacent to the Myriad Convention Center were chosen for large hotel complexes. However, much like what happened with the Galleria site for retail, several hotels like the Huckins, Kingkade, Milner and Roberts were demolished which left the only hotel rooms 2-3 debris-laden blocks away from the Myriad. Like merchants, hoteliers like to cluster together, so with no other hotel nearby, they were reticent to be the first into the area.Finally, in 1973, Sheraton agreed to return to Downtown in the proposed Century City mixed hotel and retail development. Money problems and delays plagued the project so it was not until 1977 that the 400+ rooms became available. It would not be until 2000 that the Marriott opened on the east of Broadway.

Called "the unit block" because of its low-numbered addresses, this part of Broadway was one of the most dense parts of the city from the earliest settlement. The first tall buildings were built here, like the Culbertson and Herskowitz Buildings, and there were a number of hotels in the area like the Roberts and the Huckins.

Sheraton Century Center/Broadway

A large convention center was the big selling point for the entire urban renewal program. Even before the Pei Plan was drafted in 1964, the city held a bond election in 1962 to provide several million dollars for a new convention facility.Businessmen had been promoting OKC as the ideal convention city virtually since its earliest days, hoping to capitalize on the city's central geographic location. Proposals for newer, bigger, better convention centers have always had messianic tones as it was assumed they would bring salvation in the form of an all-boats-rise economic engine. The dream was elusive, though, until urban renewal brought the promise that a convention center would become a reality.The original bond vote presented to the people placed the convention center to the west of Stage Center between Walker and Lee and there was considerable controversy when the Pei Plan placed it in the current location. Pei determined that his choice afforded easy highway access for the convention center. And he intended the west side of Downtown to be mostly housing because, "A lively city needs people living Downtown."To make room for the Myriad, 76 buildings were demolished housing 88 businesses mostly one- and two-story buildings that challenged the meaning of "up to code". In 1970 the city council voted to name the convention center The Allen Morgan Street Memorial Myriad Convention Center in honor of the (then) only three-term mayor in city history, although it was always referred to simply as "the Myriad". It was rebranded Cox Business Services Convention Center in 2002.

Businessmen had been promoting OKC as the ideal convention city virtually since its earliest days, hoping to capitalize on the city's central geographic location. Proposals for newer, bigger, better convention centers have always had messianic tones as it was assumed they would bring salvation in the form of an all-boats-rise economic engine. The dream was elusive, though, until urban renewal brought the promise that a convention center would become a reality. A large convention center was the big selling point for the entire urban renewal program. Even before the Pei Plan was drafted in 1964, the city held a bond election in 1962 to provide several million dollars for a new convention facility.

Myriad Convention Center

This area could be considered the cradle of Oklahoma City as it was nearest to the Santa Fe railroad station that brought the settlers in during the Land Run in 1889. The clearance of the convention center site included some of the oldest buildings in the city like the Buckhorn Saloon (1893) which historians at the time determined was the oldest building in the Downtown area and represented the last connection to the vice-ridden area known as Hell's Half Acre. Still, a newspaper editorial opined that, "Only the adventurous would miss the pawn shops, seedy hotels and pioneer Buckhorn Saloon."

Buckhorn Saloon

This area also included the old City Hall on the northwest corner of Sheridan and Broadway. The construction of the 3-story building in 1903 was a result of one of the first bond issues for the city and was widely seen as a sign that OKC had matured from town to city. One curious feature of City Hall was the mid-block alley on the west side of the building which gave way to the city jail nestled in a larger quadrilateral-shaped alley behind City Hall. This building served as the seat of municipal government until the current Municipal Building was built in 1937.

The construction of the 3-story building on the northwest corner of Sheridan and Broadway in 1903 was a result of one of the first bond issues for the city and was widely seen as a sign that OKC had matured from town to city. This building served as the seat of municipal government until the current Municipal Building was built in 1937.

Old City Hall

The Baum Building was quite possibly the most ornate ever to stand in Oklahoma City. Modeled on the Doge's Palace in Venice, this five story Solomon Layton-designed structure housed Mose Baum's clothing store on the lower floors and general offices on the upper three floors.The Baum Building was part of the first wave of tall buildings on Robinson Ave and rose simultaneously alongside the Colcord across the street and the State National (Hales) Building one block north in 1910. These buildings were the anchor of what would eventually be called "Robinson Canyon" when joined by the Cravens, First National, Ramsey and Petroleum Buildings.One of goals of urban renewal was the widening of the principal streets Downtown, ostensibly to provide speedy access to the new I-40 (1964), but also to erase the "jogs" created by stitching the two city plats together at Grand (Sheridan) in 1889. On Robinson, that meant the Baum had to go in the name of progress.The Baum's destruction came by bulldozer and sledgehammer rather than explosives in 1972. Although the fall of the Baum was only one of many defeats for the nascent preservationist movement in the city, 24 supporting columns and 4 cupolas were rescued. Some of the columns were used to restore the Goodholm Mansion at the Fairgrounds and at least two cupolas are still extant - one in Florence Park and another in the median southwest of Perle Mesta Park.

The Baum Building was quite possibly the most ornate ever to stand in Oklahoma City. Modeled on the Doge's Palace in Venice, this five story Solomon Layton-designed structure was part of the first wave of tall buildings on Robinson Ave. One of goals of urban renewal was the widening of the principal streets Downtown. On Robinson, that meant the Baum had to go in the name of progress.

Baum Building

This eight-story building was built in 1923 as the clubhouse for the Oklahoma Club, a men's social club modeled on the gentlemen's clubs of the Victorian era. Lower floors were dining and club rooms and the upper four floors were dormitory rooms for the city's elite, like club president John W. Shartel. The Chamber of Commerce officed in the basement for a years as well.Despite it's role as the "city house" for elites, the club was never really financially solvent and by 1960 was so far in the red, the clubhouse was foreclosed on. Although the Pei Plan was still some years off, investors anticipated renewal and purchased the clubhouse with plans to convert it into luxury apartments for the new Downtown.The building sat on the northeast corner of the planned gardens superblock which early plans modeled on Denmark's Tivoli Gardens. And when the apartment plans never materialized, the club was converted to hotel space and renamed Tivoli Inn. Like the Biltmore one block west, the Tivoli was safe from the wrecking ball in some early Myriad Gardens plans and clung tenaciously to it's patch of ground throughout the 1970s. It finally fell in August, 1979, the last building over two stories to be demolished in the urban renewal era.

This eight-story building was built in 1923 as the clubhouse for the Oklahoma Club, a men's social club modeled on the gentlemen's clubs of the Victorian era. Lower floors were dining and club rooms and the upper four floors were dormitory rooms for the city's elite, like club president John W. Shartel. The Chamber of Commerce officed in the basement for a years as well.

Tivoli Inn

The Biltmore Hotel rose during the skyscraper boom of the early 1930s. Following such luminaries as First National, Ramsey Tower and the Petroleum Building, the 600-room Biltmore was 26 stories when completed in 1932 on Grand Ave, two blocks west of the main concentration of hotels on Broadway.The art deco Biltmore was the site of many now-legendary events in the city including the famous dice game on Christmas Eve, 1945 when gambler Percy Wade rolled a "hard six" and won the title to Cattlemen's Restaurant from bootlegger Hank Frey.The hotel had always struggled financially but in 1961 the Sheraton chain bought it and pumped over $1 million into improvements to modernize it. Such an act of faith by an outside investor brought hope to urban renewal supporters just as the program was ramping up. Venerable Grand Ave., once the seat of the Overholser empire, had gone into decline so businessmen seized the opportunity to capitalize on the investment by petitioning the city to rename the street Sheraton Ave in an attempt to revive the reputation of the street. Although the city council agreed with the rationale, they decided the name smacked of favoritism and compromised by naming it after Gen. Phil Sheridan, founder of Forts Reno and Sill.In the Pei Plan, the Sheraton-Biltmore was to remain standing and indeed the planned large garden park was to be designed around it. Ultimately, even a deep pockets chain like Sheraton could not make the hotel profitable and the company chose to move operations to a cleared city-block site on Broadway across from the new convention center. The final Myriad Gardens design did not feature the hotel.A crowd of 30,000 Oklahoma Citians came Downtown to wish the old hotel a fond farewell on Sunday, Oct 19, 1977. The next to last major building to fall, the Biltmore was the largest steel structure ever demolished at the time.

The Biltmore Hotel rose during the skyscraper boom of the early 1930s. Following such luminaries as First National, Ramsey Tower and the Petroleum Building, the 600-room Biltmore was 26 stories when completed in 1932 on Grand Ave, two blocks west of the main concentration of hotels on Broadway.The art deco Biltmore was the site of many now-legendary events in the city and a crowd of 30,000 Oklahoma Citians came Downtown to wish the old hotel a fond farewell on Sunday, Oct 19, 1977. The next to last major building to fall, the Biltmore was the largest steel structure ever demolished at the time.

Oklahoma Biltmore Hotel

The development of the Myriad Botanical Gardens and the Crystal Bridge deserves its own chapter in the story of urban renewal in Oklahoma City. This grand project was the hallmark of the Pei Plan, intended to be both the playground of the thousands of Downtown residents who would flock to the area and a draw for the tourists and conventioneers visiting town.The site selection and land clearance occurred early in the urban renewal process and Pei's original vision was something like the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark which is part amusement park and part gardens. The original plans included a bridge structure like the Crystal Bridge of today, but it straddled a lake large enough for boating.The initial stages of urban renewal moved very quickly and by 1972 many of the earliest projects like the convention center and Liberty Tower were completed. Those projects were completed by private developers, but the gardens had no such investors; neither did the city have a plan to pay for development of the large park. Having the large vacant superblock on the gardens site was a constant visual reminder of that failure.In 1975, Dean A. McGee created a foundation to raise money for the park. Under his leadership the foundation cobbled together a mixture of private donations, federal grants, and municipal bonds to pay for the park. Work finally started in the early 1980s, but most of the promised private donations evaporated when the oil bust devastated the city's economy after 1982. Still the park was able to open in stages and after years of determination and hard work the Foundation completed the gardens and the Crystal Bridge in 1988 - 20 years after the project began.

The development of the Myriad Botanical Gardens and the Crystal Bridge deserves its own chapter in the story of urban renewal in Oklahoma City. This grand project was the hallmark of the Pei Plan, intended to be both the playground of the thousands of Downtown residents who would flock to the area and a draw for the tourists and conventioneers visiting town.

Myriad Gardens & Crystal Bridge

Known as the Sooner Building at the end of its life, this structure was originally the Goodholm Building, named for its developer Andrew Goodholm. In 1910 it became Miller Bros. Dept. Store and in 1916 the Grain Exchange where state crops were brought to market. Its most notable client, though, was Sears-Roebuck Dept Store which opened their first OKC store here in 1929, remaining until 1954.The remainder of the block from Sheridan to California, Harvey to Hudson consisted of low-rise retail, rooming houses and surface parking lots.This building was part of the Myriad Gardens "superblock" and was left out of demolition plans initially, eventually falling in 1973.

Sooner Building

The Globe Life Building began its life as the Terminal Building in 1910. Despite the ominous name, this building was the headquarters and offices for the Oklahoma Railway Co. which operated the city's streetcar lines under the leadership of Anton Classen and John Shartel. The ground floor contained the offices of The Classen Co. real estate firm and the second floor the law offices of Shartel and Wells. The actual streetcar terminal was attached to the west side of the building and was the central point of all streetcar routes in the city.The building was designed by architect William A. Wells who had trained in Frank Lloyd Wright's studio and who was a protege of Louis Sullivan. Wells was the brother of Shartel's law partner, but given Classen's reputation for the utmost in quality and public image, Wells was a likely choice anyway. Many Wells buildings fell in urban renewal, but we still have the Colcord Building one block east and the Pioneer Building at McGee and Broadway.With the post-war demise of the streetcar system, the terminal was converted to auto parking and the building became the offices of upstart insurance company Globe Life in 1953. By 1973, Globe had become a major insurance company and prompted by the Galleria site clearance, the company purchased the Petroleum Building and City Bank Building (Mid-First Building) for offices.The Globe Life Building was demolished in June 1975.

The Globe Life Building began its life as the Terminal Building in 1910. Despite the ominous name, this building was the headquarters and offices for the Oklahoma Railway Co. which operated the city's streetcar lines under the leadership of Anton Classen and John Shartel. The ground floor contained the offices of The Classen Co. real estate firm and the second floor the law offices of Shartel and Wells. The actual streetcar terminal was attached to the west side of the building and was the central point of all streetcar routes in the city. The Globe Life Building was demolished in June 1975.

Globe Life Building

This location was once the site of the large streetcar terminal station which provided covered loading and unloading for riders in and out of Downtown. It converted to surface parking in the 1940s and a parking structure in 1954.Even before the advent of urban renewal, the post-war era saw a number of Downtown buildings razed to provide surface parking lots as the city and nation transitioned to automobile-oriented suburban life. In many cases these surface lots were cash cows for absentee owners; with no structures on the property their tax bills were reduced and they could simply collect cash for parking as opposed to dealing with multiple tenants and collecting rent. The Carport, Inc. structure was the exception more than the rule Downtown.The parking garage was demolished in 1975 as part of the clearance of the superblock for the Galleria shopping complex.

This location was once the site of the large streetcar terminal station which provided covered loading and unloading for riders in and out of Downtown. It converted to surface parking in the 1940s and a parking structure in 1954. The parking garage was demolished in 1975 as part of the clearance of the superblock for the Galleria shopping complex.

Downtown Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Era Walking Tour

Criterion Theater

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources