A few days ago, the Tulsa World newspaper ran a column about local developer Aaron Meek and the recent opening of Meadow Gold lofts near the historic Meadow Gold sign along Route 66 in Tulsa.
Meek’s father and two uncles once owned Meek’s Furniture along 11th Street (aka Route 66) until the neighborhood declined and the store closed during the 1980s.
Once Meek established himself as an electrician and contractor, he started looking at his old stomping grounds:
Where others saw nothing but blight, however, Meek saw potential.
He began investing in 11th Street properties more than a decade ago, long before City Hall launched a special commission to encourage development along Route 66. And even before a historic preservation campaign saved the iconic Meadow Gold sign from demolition and relocated it to 11th and Quaker Avenue, a block east of Peoria.
Taller than a four-story building, the neon sign’s arrival in 2008 created a photo op for Route 66 tourists. But more importantly for Tulsa in the long run, it gave the old run-down neighborhood a landmark to rally around.
“It gave the area an identity, a purpose,” says Ken Busby, executive director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance, an organization that promotes the historic highway nationwide. “It was like a beacon, saying, ‘Hey, this place is important. This place matters.’ ”
Pretty soon, Meek and other investors were fixing up nearby storefronts. Ike’s Chili opened in 2013. Josey Records came in 2017. And Bobby O’s Slices + Pies followed last year.
There’s more, but you get the idea.
Meek not long ago struck a deal to buy his family’s closed furniture store — not so much for sentimental reasons, but because it had become prime real estate again.
The second story of the building has become Meadow Gold lofts. The first floor will become a restaurant and retail space. Of course, the building is right in the shadow of the historic Meadow Gold sign.
Here’s a local television station’s story about the lofts:
NewsOn6.com – Tulsa, OK – News, Weather, Video and Sports – KOTV.com |
What’s not mentioned in the article is Meek also bought and restored the 1927 Casa Loma Hotel on 11th Street, renovated it and reopened it as the Campbell Hotel in 2011. Meek was one of the first people to take the step of reinvesting in 11th Street.
Meek saw potential in that property and others along 11th Street. For the hotel, it was because it sat close to the University of Tulsa. For the rest of the 11th Street properties, it wax because downtown Tulsa’s revitalization had reached a saturation point, and 11th Street was the next-logical place for the spillover from that.
Regardless, when historians write about the revitalization of certain areas of historic Route 66, Meek will be one of the key figures.
(Image of the Meadow Gold sign and one of the Meadow Gold lofts via Group M Investment)