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Downtown Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Era Walking Tour
Item 8 of 24
This is a contributing entry for Downtown Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Era Walking Tour and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

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, 1983

Building, Skyscraper, Daytime, Property

Leadership Square Model, 1981

Building, Product, Rectangle, Urban design

Leadership Square

Skyscraper, Building, Daytime, Photograph

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.

"Site for Leadership Square Being Cleared." Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) November 15th 1981. .7.

"Steps Taken on Downtown Leadership Square Project." Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) August 25th 1981. .7.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.metrolibrary.org/archives/image/2020/01/leadership-square-under-construction

Oklahoma Historical Society

Oklahoma Historical Society