Re: Tower Theater to be renovated
One of the things the Tower Neighborhood Working Group is looking at is how we might gain control of the Tower facade through an easement to one of the non-profit groups in the neighborhood and raise the funds to restore it. There are already some Historic Route 66 matching grant funds available for that work. We will also look into doing some work with the area's parking lots and finding a way they to attract some public or grant money to upgrade and landscape them.
We are not looking for volunteer labor to clean out the theater or anything like that, but we might organize a litter pickup on a Saturday later this fall or early spring as a way of involving the community at large and attracting some attention to the Tower project.
I'm sure that there are a number of people around town that have the same opinions as bombermwc and though I understand the frustration, I don't have much patience with them. Urban preservation and redevelopment projects are terribly difficult and those who haven't had any direct experience in a similar undertaking might want to learn a little more about the subject before they start jumping on people they have never met. Of course, this is a public forum and people are free to say what they like and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Finally, anyone with spicific ideas, wanting to volunteer some time to make some phone calls, do some research or make a tax deductible contribution toward refurbishing the Tower marquee can do so through Uptown 23 Development Corporation, a 501-C3 non-profit, via US mail to 315 NW 23rd Street, OKC, 73103. The funds donated for this effort are being held specifically for, and will be used 100% for the Tower marquee project. Also, feel free to private message me about this.
Thanks for all the supportive comments.
The Old Downtown Guy
It will take decades for Oklahoma City's
downtown core to regain its lost gritty,
dynamic urban character, but it's exciting
to observe and participate in the transformation.
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