The historic Donnay Building in Oklahoma City soon will undergo extensive renovations and will be renamed Classen Circle as a nod to its historic, Route 66-aligned history.
NIck Preftakes and partner Caleb Hill bought the building for $1.5 million last year. The Donnay, originally built in 1949, was added on to over the years in crazy-quilt fashion, including having eight levels.
The renovations will bring it down to three levels and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, reported The Oklahoman newspaper.
Signage shown in a new rendering of the project shows other tributes to its history will be a “Patio” sign where the Patio Burgers served a devoted fan base for more than 50 years, and a nightclub sign mimicking the Hi-Lo Club neon that once anchored the rooftop of the southeast corner of the property. […]
The Classen Circle will not include apartments that were once a part of the Donnay Building but were shuttered in recent years. Preftakes said a restaurant is being built out on spec where the Patio Grill stood. The remainder of the space is likely to be leased to shops and service retailers. […]
Construction, meanwhile, is wrapping up on the adjoining Patio Grill building. The Patio Grill and Hi-Lo Club were the last remaining tenants when the complex was shut down last year.
Happy Plate Concepts, which owns Sunny Side Diner restaurants, bought Classen Grill in June 2022, and is set to reopen it under the original name, with the restaurant’s beloved fresh orange juice machine, and a menu that will include some favorites and new items, as well.
A few years ago, the Braum’s chain planned to raze the Donnay Building to put one of its stores there. That prompted outrage and protests. Oklahoma City zoning commissioners refused to rezone the site, and Braum’s withdrew its application.
According to Jim Ross’ “Oklahoma Route 66” book, Classen Circle was a 1950s alignment of Route 66. Current-day Oklahoma Highway 66, overlaid onto Interstate 44, also sits nearby.
(Image of the renovated Donnay Building, aka Classen Circle, by Brokus Payne Architecture via OKC Talk)