Bricktown

Steve Lackmeyer

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781467124157
• eBook ISBN: 9781439657973
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Bricktown, once an area reserved for federal troops, was given to Oklahoma City for development in 1898. Brick warehouses originally were built along rail lines to house wholesale operations, but a half century later, the district was abandoned as industry moved farther away from the urban core. The forgotten warehouse district was rediscovered by Neal Horton, who started the movement of transforming the area in 1979. Jim Brewer carried out Horton's vision, enabling Bricktown to become a regional destination where historic preservation and modern entertainment would merge. Excursion boats traverse a modern man-made recreational canal built in 1999 that flows between century-old brick warehouses. Bricktown's restaurants, shops, and attractions have hosted some of the biggest names in politics and entertainment. The transformation continues with the opening of The Criterion concert hall in 2016 and the construction of more retail space and restaurants, 400 apartments, and several hotels.

One

BRICK TOWN USA

Neal Horton’s interest in development began while he was a banker, and during trips to Colorado in the late 1970s, Horton saw the success of historic preservation in Denver’s Larimer Square.

He concluded a similar opportunity existed in a fading warehouse district east of downtown. Where others saw the brick warehouses as an eyesore, Horton saw a historic district that would draw people yearning to experience the city’s past. Attorney Bill Peterson, meanwhile, saw a similar opportunity with the former Iten Biscuit plant and commissioned an architect to draw up plans to convert the warehouse into a retail mall. Peterson lost the deal to U-Haul. Peterson’s effort, however, caught the attention of Horton, and they teamed with former city land attorney John Michael Williams to form the Warehouse Development Company. They then began doing deals with wholesale district property owners, many of whom were living out of state.

The plan for Bricktown (initially marketed as “Brick Town USA”) assumed the oil boom of the early 1980s would continue and downtown office space would remain at full occupancy. The partners agreed to double-digit interest rates on construction loans, fully anticipating they could capture a lease rate of $15 a square foot or better. They dreamed up lists of potential tenants—shops selling candies, antiques, clothing, music, and art, along with restaurants, bars, delis, and a radio station.

Renovations started in 1982, just as the boom turned to bust; energy prices dropped, and energy loans took down dozens of banks. Downtown occupancy rates plummeted. Horton, Peterson, and Williams continued on, hoping the downturn would be short-lived. They continued to promote Bricktown as the state’s first urban entertainment district and tried to negotiate deals for offices and restaurants.

Horton was mocked behind his back. City planners suggested he might have fared better by razing all the warehouses and starting from scratch with a new office park. Warehouse Development Company was going broke, and Horton’s car was reposed as he was negotiating a grant with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to build a parking garage. The partnership declared bankruptcy on September 18, 1984.

The Mideke Building at 100 East Main Street was constructed in 1919 and was home to the Mideke Supply Co. for 87 years. The company operated as a supply house for grain elevators, cotton mills, power plants, oil fields, plumbers, and bridge and road builders, and later, for refrigerators and air-conditioning. The operation closed during the 1980s oil bust. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

Decades-old warehouses at 1 and 27 East Sheridan and 1 North Oklahoma Avenues were acquired by R.T. McLain for his Bunte Candy Company, which dated back to a non-chocolate confection company founded by two German brothers in 1876 in Chicago. The operation continued through the 1980s before moving to a new plant in north Oklahoma City. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

The Rock Island Plow Building, 29 East Reno Avenue, was already empty when Neal Horton started developing Bricktown in 1979. The building was constructed in 1909 by the Rock Island Railroad Corporation of Chicago. The company, which specialized in farm implements, collapsed in 1932 during the Great Depression. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

The three-story building at 129 East California Avenue was built in 1928 and home to several tenants, including Bunte Candy Company. The building was eyed for acquisition by Neal Horton and his partners but was never a part of his Warehouse Development Company. In later years, the facade was stripped off, a new floor was added, and the property was renamed the JDM Building. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

One of the largest buildings acquired by Neal Horton’s Warehouse Development Company was the former home of Hunzicker Brothers, a firm established in 1920 with a train carload of light bulbs. The sales operation expanded to automotive accessories, wiring supplies, light fixtures, and appliances. The company moved from its home at 101 East California Avenue in 1960 to a new home at 501 North Virginia Avenue. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

The three-story building at 121 East Sheridan Avenue dates back to at least 1904, when it was used for mattress assembly and sales by the Oklahoma Furniture Manufacturing Company. The building was one of several for which Neal Horton secured an option to buy the property but lost the deal when his company later went bankrupt. (Courtesy of Beck Design.)

Neal Horton started as a banker but fell in love with developing historic buildings. He sought to create a master plan for redeveloping Bricktown after spotting the brick warehouses from his office window at the Colcord Building. (Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.)

The warehouse district east of the Central Business District still had a few viable industrial operations left when Neal Horton started acquiring properties in the early 1980s. Several buildings were vacant, some for years, and the district started to decline in the 1960s. (Courtesy of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.)

Bill Peterson sought to acquire the former Iten Biscuit factory for redevelopment as a mall. U-Haul bought the property, and Peterson partnered with Neal Horton in acquiring and redeveloping other properties in Bricktown. (Courtesy of Bill Peterson....

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Brick Town USA
• 2. Jim Brewer
• 3. Boom
• 4. Baseball and Water Taxis
• 5. The New Millennium
• 6. The Music