The western wall of the Rose Bowl Events Center in Tulsa collapsed Tuesday, weakened by 100 mph winds from severe storms just days before.
It had appeared that Tulsa’s iconic Route 66 buildings had emerged unscathed from storms that have left thousands without power, but that apparently was not the case.
An earlier report by another Tulsa television station showed the wall leaning badly before its collapse.
One Hope Tulsa, a community ministry, uses the former bowling alley at 7419 E. 11th St. (aka Route 66) for camps and weekly dinners for children.
News on 6 in Tulsa reported:
“It has a unique structure that can endure almost anything, but apparently not 100 miles per hour straight winds,” said One Hope Tulsa president, Joe Blankenship.
Joe said he’s devastated by the damage. He’s upset because such an iconic building in Tulsa is damaged, but more so for what happens inside the building.
“Just thinking about those things being missed, the smiles on kids faces when they come into this building, and the love that they experience,” Joe explained.
Blankenship said the building is insured, but due to the fact the structure is older, its policy won’t cover the replacement costs. He estimates One Hope will have to cough up another $100,000. One Hope set up a donation site to help cover some of those costs.
Blankenship said he hopes to have the Rose Bowl repaired within a month.
Longtime Tulsa architect Bill Ryan designed the Rose Bowl, which was built in 1961. It contained 2 1/2 concrete domes and 35-foot-high ceilings. He died in 2018 at age 93.
The Rose Bowl closed after two arson fires in 2005, and AMF slapped the facility with a non-compete clause, rendering it unable to be reopened as a bowling alley.
It eventually became the Rose Bowl Events Center in 2008.
One Hope Ministry bought the facility in 2012, adding a basketball court and artificial turf for the use of area children.
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