Preftakes Block

[Spartan]

I would rather have a vibrant downtown than a living museum of urban decay.

Oh for crying out loud...

[Kerry]

Oh for crying out loud...

Given two choices - and only two choices: Keep that block as it is right now or tear down the small buildings and replace with a new development, which would you pick?

[UnFrSaKn]

From russellc on the Devon thread.

[metro]

That pic is deceiving and bad angle

[UnFrSaKn]

Given two choices - and only two choices: Keep that block as it is right now or tear down the small buildings and replace with a new development, which would you pick?

Why only two choices?

[Pete]

Is the old Carpenter Square building really that great? Yes, it's old (1939) but it looks pretty plain and ordinary to me:

[UnFrSaKn]

Bing map view

[Spartan]

Given two choices - and only two choices: Keep that block as it is right now or tear down the small buildings and replace with a new development, which would you pick?

Sigh. If we're going to play that game, then the new development has to be Lower Bricktown-esque (we can call it Lower Arts District). I'd chose keeping the black exactly AS IS. No equivocation.

[Spartan]

From russellc on the Devon thread.

That is an awesome picture.

Pete--there is the black and white checkered tile. The frosted glass windows above. The terra cotta in the top of the facade and the embedded columns between the windows overlooking the street. It is a great building, very eclectic. It needs a lot of TLC.

[UnFrSaKn]

Carpenter Square on Bing.

[UnFrSaKn]

11:32 from the video also has a street level shot of Carpenter Square. It has graffiti written on it in the dirty windows.

[UnFrSaKn]

Here's a 1080p clip.

[UnFrSaKn]

Just got back from a 2-hour shoot of the whole area we're talking about. I think it'll be very relevant to the discussion. I'll have it up as soon as I can.

[UnFrSaKn]

I just read about who Nicholas Preftakes is, since I just now started following this. At least it's a local guy who's office is a short distance away.

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/20...ick-preftakes/

[UnFrSaKn]

I have been beating my brains out trying to remember the original tenent and name of what we are calling Carpenter Square Theater. Someone help me out.

On Doug's Vintage Map, it says: 1946 to present - Baron's Ready-to-Wear (1946-1952) John's Bargain Store, Dollar General Store, Carpenter Square Theatre (1988-1990), Skyline Theatre

[Pete]

What we are calling the Carpenter Square building was built in 1939 so there must have been a tenant before Baron's.

[UnFrSaKn]

Holy cow...see what it once looked like. Why not revert it back to something like this?

[mcca7596]

I think a vintage clothing store would work there...

Seeing those streetcar tracks is so cool, and makes one anticipate the new streetcar even more.

[Pete]

So cool! And so very, very, very depressing at the same time. Look at all those streetcar tracks and how beautiful those stores were!


There are actually two separate buildings with the same sort of facade. You can see there was Kinney's Shoes along with Baron's.

It also looks like Baron's had two entrances... The one with the little wrought iron fencing seems to be to a staircase to the lower level.

[UnFrSaKn]

I got good close up HD video of the front...even more sad when you see it now. Just not enough time to get it done today.

[Pete]

Interestingly, those old photos don't seem to have any of the black and white checkboard tiles now found on part of the facade.

I wonder when those were added?


Looking forward to your video William, as always.

Taking a look at the history is fun but I also find it makes me profoundly sad.

[Reno and Walker]

Devon is going to buy the block from nick. This is just a strategic buy and hold

[mcca7596]

Any guess as to their intent?

[UnFrSaKn]

Here's a view looking West down Main towards Harbour-Longmire and Montgomery Ward. Everything left to right to Harbour-Longmire is now the Devon garage. Baron's/Carpenter Square is just below Harbour-Longmire.

[MIKELS129]

Any guess as to their intent?

Larry Nichols publically spoke for Tom Ward and Sandridge's horrific mass destruction of our legacy buildings. Can you say "Urban Campus"