View Full Version : Two hotels join rebirth of MidTown



Pete
06-16-2006, 08:15 AM
Two hotels join rebirth of MidTown

By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

Two MidTown hotels, both almost a century old, were recently added to Greg Banta's growing MidTown Renaissance development.

Banta completed a $265,000 purchase of the 98-year-old Hotel Marion, 110 NW 10, on Thursday. He bought the 96-year-old Cline Hotel, 1018 N Harvey, on May 31 for $389,380.

Both hotels are considered longtime eyesores along NW 10, which is being targeted for redevelopment by the city as a connection between St. Anthony Hospital and the Oklahoma Health Center.

"It's really good timing for the community," said Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. "So many of Greg's investments are helping the area move forward."

Banta has already started work at the Cline Hotel, which was a flop house until his purchase. All residents were evicted last month, he said, and crews are cleaning out debris and gutting the interior of the three-story building.

Banta also demolished a burned-out home on an adjoining lot.

Banta said "Cline" was his grandfather's last name -- something that drew his attention as he first began acquiring properties in MidTown. During the past year, Banta has bought several blocks between Western Avenue, Broadway, NW 10 and NW 13, an area known as MidTown on the north edge of downtown.

Renovations are under way at more than a dozen of the old homes, duplexes and office buildings, including MidTown's landmark Plaza Court Building.

Banta said he will soon seek permission from the Urban Design Commission to replace windows on the Cline Hotel, and will follow with roofing repairs and a marketing plan.

"I'm assuming it will be office space. ... It could be residential, too," Banta said. "We won't be operating it as a hotel, I can tell you that."

The Marion Hotel has been empty for about 20 years, and has passed through at least three owners in the past decade, all of whom attempted renovations.

"It's a difficult building; it's been in disrepair for a long time," Banta said. "Our plan is to go to the Urban Design Commission, get approval to put in windows, put a new roof on it and get it stabilized structurally. It's a neat old building -- and in a perfect world, we will keep it and try to take advantage of the architectural details."

Banta agreed with Lopez that the former hotels and the residents at the Cline were an obstacle for creating a medical corridor between St. Anthony Hospital and the Oklahoma Health Center.

"This is going to be a gateway," Banta said.

"It's important these properties are cleaned up, both for the city and for our investments."

Doug Loudenback
06-16-2006, 05:04 PM
This is, indeed, very good news. It will be great for these 2 "vintage" buildings to be restored.

BTW, I asked my wife this morning (after reading the article), "Hey, exactly what IS a 'flophouse'? ... one of the 2 had been described that way ... and neither of us really knew. So ... what IS a "flophouse"?

The Old Downtown Guy
06-16-2006, 05:20 PM
flop'house, n. A kind of hotel where a night's lodging can be had very cheaply.

walnut
06-16-2006, 07:52 PM
This is great news for the area...however, i now wonder what happened to the guy that was always dancing to his walkman on top of the awning/balcony over the front door of the Cline...i saw him every time i drove by!

Doug Loudenback
06-16-2006, 08:57 PM
Hopefully he is still dancing somewhere and enjoying his life to the fullest! I never saw him, but I've seen other stuff on the downtown streets that makes me think that I understand what you are saying!

Anyone remember the guy, 10-20 years ago, who had sandwich billboards on his front and back sides, which addressed our eternal future? He was a fixture downtown for several years.

rxis
06-16-2006, 09:55 PM
I think I saw the listing for that property. I remember asking about the old building everytime I saw it through my dad's truck window when I was a kid. I'd always ask him about its potential as a restoration.
I drove by there a couple of years ago and I thought one had already turned into an attorney office and the other a poor multiplex.
oh well...must have gotten buildings mixed up or something...shrug

one of these days I'm going to start a development :Smiley199

Doug Loudenback
06-17-2006, 12:56 PM
I took a few pics of the Marion & Cline (Kline?) today (very cloudy) and got a couple more near the Marion, per the map below:

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/nw10thcorridor.gif

The Cline (Kline?) Hotel ... this one was described as "a flophouse" ... Harvey & NW 10th

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/klinehotel.jpg

The Marion Hotel looking to the southeast from NW 10th

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/marion1.jpg

The Marion Hotel looking southwest from Broadway & 10th

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/marion2.jpg

From the same position that the above was taken, 1101 N Broadway ... was going to be a residential project (lofts?) but I think that's been dropped ... maybe someone can update about that ...

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/1101broadway.jpg

And, last, from the same position at the NE corner of Broadway & NW 10th, looking south at the lot on the souteast corner of NW 10th & Broadway where the Oklahoma City Communition Foundation will be built, and then an image from Skyline Snapshot shown an artist's rendering of the project ...

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/okccommunityfoundation0.jpg

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/okccommunityfoundation.jpg

Shake2005
06-17-2006, 01:13 PM
Cool old buildings, glad they can be saved.

Karried
06-17-2006, 05:01 PM
What a great thing... these properties will clean up nicely and be worth a pretty penny in the future .. yay!!

Doug Loudenback
06-18-2006, 12:04 AM
In my web searching this evening, here's another "vintage" pic of "downtown urban/apartment living" in 1912 on NW 10, at 215 NW 10th which would place it on the north side of 10th between Harvey & Robinson, on the north side of the block in which the Cline/Kline hotel is presently located. The pic is from the Metropolitan Library System, http://webinfo2.mls.lib.ok.us/okimages/okimages.asp?WCI=BeginSearch

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/1912.haddenhall215nw10.jpg

Doug Loudenback
06-18-2006, 11:29 AM
Well, I'll be jiggered! The above 1912 apartment building, "Hadden Hall", is still there! Here's 2 pics I took today ... clearly the same building but with changes ... the porches on the 2nd & 3rd floor are now converted to interior space. The building has been improved at least some, but appears to be empty.

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/2006.haddenhall215nw10.jpg

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/2006.haddenhall215nw10_2.jpg
And, I looked at the Cline again ... it IS Cline, not Kline. That was my mistake. I took some additional pics this morning of "midtown" "vintage" buildings that still stand and I'll post them later in a different thread.

diesel
06-19-2006, 06:36 AM
Have you noticed all the old cars on the second floor of that building?!?!!? What are they doing there?!! I bet there are some gold mines in there!!!

[QUOTE=Doug Loudenback]
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/okccommunityfoundation0.jpg

metro
06-28-2006, 01:01 PM
I saw some workers doing interior demo/cleaning out debris on the Cline yesterday.