By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — The former OYO Hotel, once a bustling destination in Midtown Tulsa, is expected to come down later this year as city leaders look toward revitalizing the 41st Street and Yale Avenue corridor.
Tulsa City Councilor Karen Gilbert, who represents District 5, said the city has set aside more than $800,000 from its general fund to demolish the fire-damaged hotel after years of deterioration and safety concerns.
“We have dedicated funding to go ahead and demolish that building,” Gilbert said. “It’s very dangerous.”
The former OYO Hotel has sat vacant for several years, while the neighboring Studio Star Hotel closed roughly a year ago. Gilbert said both properties have become a concern for nearby residents and businesses, especially after a large fire at the OYO in May.
“To this day, the owner has not secured the building,” Gilbert said. “We have code enforcement going out there to make sure it is secured and locked up.”
According to Gilbert, the city’s decision to demolish the building came after the fire left the structure in unsafe condition and no cleanup efforts were made.
“People are going around there on a daily basis, and we don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she said.
Although the city is paying for demolition upfront, Gilbert said taxpayers are expected to be reimbursed. A lien will be placed on the property, allowing the city to recover the demolition costs once the property is sold.
“The money will come back to the city,” she said. “It will go back into the general fund.”
Gilbert expects demolition to begin sometime this year once environmental testing and other preparations are complete.
“We hope to get started on the OYO Hotel here pretty quickly,” she said.
Looking Beyond Demolition
For Gilbert, removing the OYO is about more than tearing down a dangerous building — it’s about creating opportunities for one of Tulsa’s busiest commercial corridors.
The OYO wasn’t always an eyesore.
“Back in the ’80s, it used to be a very prominent hotel. It used to be a Hilton,” Gilbert said. “Growing up, I went there to have Sunday brunch with family.”
She said the property gradually fell into disrepair after ownership moved out of state.
“It was kind of out of state, out of mind,” Gilbert said. “Not really paying attention to what was happening here in Tulsa.”
Just down the road sits another landmark awaiting its next chapter — Promenade Mall.
The mall has been closed for about three to four years, though several businesses surrounding the property, including the WeStreet Ice Center and other retailers, continue to operate.
Gilbert said she understands residents’ frustration over the lack of progress but believes change is coming.
“There is some work going on to purchase those two properties,” she said. “Change doesn’t happen overnight. I know everyone is tired of seeing it. I’m tired of seeing it. But I know there are some great things coming.”
She declined to identify a potential buyer but confirmed someone is actively working to purchase the Promenade property.
“There is a particular individual trying to purchase the property,” Gilbert said. “There have just been some hiccups along the way.”
While she doesn’t know exactly what future redevelopment will look like, Gilbert hopes the property ends up in the hands of a local owner.
“I hope that it will be a local owner and that they turn it into something unbelievable,” she said. “It’s right there in Midtown Tulsa with so much traffic through that corridor.”
Gilbert believes redevelopment of the area could build on the success of nearby businesses and help restore one of Tulsa’s historic commercial districts.
A Message of Hope
Gilbert said the OYO Hotel and Promenade Mall remain among her top priorities because of the impression they leave on people driving through Tulsa.
“I’m tired of people driving up and down our interstates and seeing that building the way that it looks right now,” she said.
While she acknowledges the redevelopment process has taken time because both properties are privately owned, she hopes residents remain optimistic.
“It’s a message of hope,” Gilbert said. “Good things are yet to come. I just ask that we be a little more patient.”
She added that she remembers when the area was one of Tulsa’s premier shopping destinations.
“I remember when Promenade used to be Southland,” Gilbert said. “I’d go there with my grandmother to Walgreens and get a milkshake. It was the place to go. That’s what I want it to return to.”
