I received an e-mail from the Uptown Development Group in Oklahoma City, which seeks to renovate property that includes the old Tower Theater at 425 NW 23rd, an alignment of Route 66.
The group, which bought the property in February, seeks assistance from the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in its efforts.
The group has this to say about the property it acquired:
The property, on the original Route 66, is nestled between the historically preserved neighborhoods of Heritage Hills, Jefferson Park and the Paseo Arts District. The group plans on renovating the property under the guidance of Oklahoma Historical Society and the National Parks Service, into a thriving arts and entertainment destination. The property, built in 1926, includes 8,000 square feet of retail space on NW 23rd, 8,000 ft of office space, 50,000 ft of parking and the 8,000-ft theater which was built in 1937.
The Uptown Development Group's mission is to restore a portion of historic NW 23rd, a blighted urban area with 40 years of decline, in to a thriving entertainment and retail district. Restoring and renting the historic theater, retail spaces and offices will anchor the NW 23rd corridor, providing a catalyst for future growth in the area.
The Tower Theatre, built in 1937, originally was a 1,500-seat, ornate auditorium had a complete working stage, pipe organ, and billowing, scarlet waterfall stage curtains. It was also one of the first suburban theaters in Oklahoma City and one of the largest suburban theaters in the region. In the early '60s the theatre was given a deluxe renovation — 70mm, rocking chair seats, very plush and very comfortable. Roadshow attractions were the staple, with "Sound of Music" running at the Tower on a reserved seat basis for almost two years. "The Sand Pebbles" and "Cleopatra" also played at the Tower during those roadshow-reserved seat days.
If anyone has memories about the Tower Theater and shares the group's enthusiasm about having it renovated, e-mail it at info@okctower.com . Letters must be sent in by Thursday, as the group faces a Friday deadline for assistance applications.
