TULSA, Okla. — City of Tulsa has allocated more than $800,000 to demolish two dilapidated hotels that burned on May 7. A city councilor said the properties' owners will compensate the city.
“The Promenade Mall, the hotels there on Skelly and Yale, they were prominent places to be back in the day," Councilor Karen Gilbert told 2 News Oklahoma on July 8. "Unfortunately, the way that it has happened is just they change ownership.”
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The latest owners of the OYO and Studio Star hotels, southern California-based 4740 South Braden, LLC, are a burden on the city," Councilor Gilbert added. So much so, she said, that the city spends thousands every day to maintain safety and security here and will spend around $840,000 for full demolition.
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EXTENDED INTERVIEW Councilor Gilbert on abandoned Tulsa hotels
Gilbert said negligence and code violations, including unsafe entry ways and no fire suppression, according to Tulsa Fire Department, helped fuel a dangerous fire that has left the buildings charred and deplorable two months later.
Gilbert said people behind the 4740 South Braden group are interested in selling but the city will still require them to pay back on the tax dollars spent.
"It is a safety concern," the councilor said. "And yes, it should speak volumes to other owners of property throughout the city of Tulsa that hey, safety is a top concern of ours and we expect you to take care of your property as we take care of ours.”
Gilbert said demolition could take place "within the next month or two."
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