In October, The Oklahoman reported about a forthcoming and first-ever historic preservation plan for Oklahoma City.
The newspaper reported:
The 141-page draft was reviewed last week in a workshop attended by members of the city council, the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission.
It is entering a period of public comment, heading toward hearings by the two commissions in November and a vote as early as Dec. 12 by the Planning Commission to officially adopt it.
The plan also cited several Route 66 examples in the plan. Unfortunately, the Oklahoma City historic preservation plan wasn’t online at the time.
But that changed earlier this month. Preserveokc posted the full report on the internet.
Maybe you don’t want to read all 141 pages. The introduction that includes an executive summary is shorter. It states:
The City of Oklahoma City values the identification, recognition, retention and revitalization of historic resources as a significant benefit to our economy, our environment, and to our sense of place and identity for residents and visitors. The City of Oklahoma City will promote and encourage historic preservation through such means as:
• Strengthening public support for historic preservation through outreach to and education of the general public and community leaders;
• Leading by example as a good steward of City-owned and City-controlled historic resources;
• Protecting historic resources citywide through the use of existing and new processes for identification, recognition, consideration, and regulation; and
• Encouraging historic preservation through the enhanced use of existing and development of new financial or procedural incentives for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.
Among the examples on Route 66 cited in the plan are:
- Big Truck Tacos;
- The Lake Overholser Bridge;
- Milk Bottle Building;
- Gold Dome;
- Ann’s Chicken Fry House;
- Taft Stadium;
- Cheever’s Cafe;
- Owl Court;
- Tower Theater.
Here is the full report on Scribd:
Oklahoma City historic pres… by Ron Warnick on Scribd
One thing that stuck out in the report is a citation from the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture: “Every $1 in historic tax credits spurs $11.70 in economic activity.”
The Oklahoma City plan is well worth watching to see whether it will be adopted and, if so, how well it’s implemented. Oklahoma City has been going through about a 25-year renaissance, and its thirst for progress occasionally has bumped in the desires of historic preservationists.
(An image of the Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City by Jim Whiteley via Flickr)