# Civic Matters > Suburban & Other OK Communities > Norman >  Campus Corner- Toto's building

## OKCMallen

Holy crap, it is demolished. The Deli is still standing, but the building is razed on the Toto's lot. Anyone know what's up?

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## dankrutka

Why? Couldn't the building have just been renovated?!?

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## jedicurt

not from the looks of it the last time i was in there... that building was falling apart, and probably would have cost much more to repair and renovate than just build from scratch.

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## ou48A

It would probably shock many to know how bad of shape some of those campus corner building are in.

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## Questor

http://www.okctalk.com/norman/30179-totos-toast.html

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## dankrutka

I hear a pizza place will be built back in this space to join the other 3 pizza places within a block. It would be awesome if they built up a couple stories for some residential...

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## ChargerAg

> I hear a pizza place will be built back in this space to join the other 3 pizza places within a block. It would be awesome if they built up a couple stories for some residential...


I second the bit about it being cool if it was 2 story.   Especially if it was patio seating.

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## ou48A

Anybody who has ever been on Campus Corner very much at 1:30 AM probably wouldn’t want to live their. 
You would also need a secure and expensive place to park a car.

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## blangtang

> Anybody who has ever been on Campus Corner very much at 1:30 AM probably wouldnt want to live their. 
> *You would also need a secure and expensive place to park a car.*


  I don't get this-have you seen the police presence on a busy night at 1:30 am?  Maybe I misunderstand your point and you are referring to noise or something else, or rich people living in condos above 747 and having no where to park their Jags.

Also, I've known people who lived above Victoria's, who had parking in a lot behind the store. Also people live behind the bike shop on Buchanan and there is not a problem with vehicle theft or vandalism.  

But its true there's not much residential currently on Campus Corner itself.  Most people can park in the church lot behind Boren's House and no one messes with those vehicles.

If anything, they should build a balcony connection for the Deli on this lot somehow, I always thought that would be cool, especially since it was so packed these last few years.

an aside: I've  always heard Toto's was some sort of front to wash Mob money.  It was never real busy there, but they were always open, who knows....  In fact,come to think of it,  there was a secret passage thru the kitchen I've heard that connected to Joe's Taverna, where you could order a pizza late at night to be served in Joe's bar.

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## ou48A

> I don't get this-have you seen the police presence on a busy night at 1:30 am?  Maybe I misunderstand your point and you are referring to noise or something else, or rich people living in condos above 747 and having no where to park their Jags.
> 
> Also, I've known people who lived above Victoria's, who had parking in a lot behind the store. Also people live behind the bike shop on Buchanan and there is not a problem with vehicle theft or vandalism.  
> 
> But its true there's not much residential currently on Campus Corner itself.  Most people can park in the church lot behind Boren's House and no one messes with those vehicles.
> 
> If anything, they should build a balcony connection for the Deli on this lot somehow, I always thought that would be cool, especially since it was so packed these last few years.
> 
> an aside: I've  always heard Toto's was some sort of front to wash Mob money.  It was never real busy there, but they were always open, who knows....  In fact,come to think of it,  there was a secret passage thru the kitchen I've heard that connected to Joe's Taverna, where you could order a pizza late at night to be served in Joe's bar.


The late night noise would bother many people.
According to a City of Norman police officer and an OU police officer that I have talked to it would probably surprise most people at the amount of vandalism that occurs on Campus Corner.
High end condos in the area just outside Campus Corner would probably be a very good idea.

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## dankrutka

Having spent the last 12 years in or around Norman, I've never known or seen a break-in. There really is a massive police presence in the area. Are there any statistics to show there is even a vague crime problem in the area?

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## sooner88

Last I heard the owner's of Benvenuti's bought Toto's and were planning on opening a new restaurant/bar in its place...  I have heard several possibilities for what they were going to put in so not sure what it is going to be yet.

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## ChargerAg

Walked by this site today and it had foot long weeds and bushes on it.   Anybody know the story on it?  It seems crazy to demo a existing restaurant just to let make it a vacant lot.

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## BG918

I noticed a sign there for Lingo Construction.  They have built some pretty cool projects in OKC.  No idea what is planned here though.  
Projects - LINGO Construction

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## soonerguru

> Walked by this site today and it had foot long weeds and bushes on it.   Anybody know the story on it?  It seems crazy to demo a existing restaurant just to let make it a vacant lot.


It "burned down."

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## Geographer

Toto's was practically a crack house.  I went in there one time..never again hah.

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## HangryHippo

> It "burned down."


Is this accurate?  I thought they tore it down after the old guy decided to close the restaurant?

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## Stan Silliman

A four story building is going into the Toto's location, plus a penthouse on top. 
The plans look pretty good to me.

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## Moore 1979

Amazing what you run into here. Toto's was a great leftover, from a time when the corner and Norman had a personality and was a fantastic little college 'berg. Unlike today, as it has become a sterile collection of corporate entities that change every six months. If you missed Norman between 1970-1990 you missed it period.

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## john60

I think the character has changed and it has gotten a little more corporate (Starbucks, Chipotle, etc.), but most of Campus Corner is local. Volare is the Benvenuti's group. Blackbird is a local group. Victoria's, Pad Thai, Seven47, Brothers, New York Pizza, and O'Connell's are all local. The Louie's is the original. It may not feel like it did in 1975, but Campus Corner seems to me at least to be dominated by local tenants who are invested in the community.

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## Roger S

> I think the character has changed and it has gotten a little more corporate (Starbucks, Chipotle, etc.), but most of Campus Corner is local. Volare is the Benvenuti's group. Blackbird is a local group. Victoria's, Pad Thai, Seven47, Brothers, New York Pizza, and O'Connell's are all local. The Louie's is the original. It may not feel like it did in 1975, but Campus Corner seems to me at least to be dominated by local tenants who are invested in the community.


You left out Sugar's..... Intentionally maybe but left out none the less.  :Wink:

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## Jersey Boss

The DELI remains as a connection to the era mentioned by Moore.  When the Town Tavern closed, it seemed like it was the beginning of the end of that era. Fontenellies, Liberty D's, etc.. RIP.

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## mattjank

> I think the character has changed and it has gotten a little more corporate (Starbucks, Chipotle, etc.), but most of Campus Corner is local. Volare is the Benvenuti's group. Blackbird is a local group. Victoria's, Pad Thai, Seven47, Brothers, New York Pizza, and O'Connell's are all local. The Louie's is the original. It may not feel like it did in 1975, but Campus Corner seems to me at least to be dominated by local tenants who are invested in the community.


Also left out Pepe Delgado's, Marco's, Tea Cafe, Amazonia, Epic Pops, Meatball house, Apple Tree chocolates, heck even Coolgreens is a local chain. That's just restaurants. Most of the shopping is local too.

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## ChargerAg

Don't forget Sandros.

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## Jersey Boss

> Also left out Pepe Delgado's, Marco's, Tea Cafe, Amazonia, Epic Pops, Meatball house, Apple Tree chocolates, heck even Coolgreens is a local chain. That's just restaurants. Most of the shopping is local too.


Marco's is a national chain.

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## mattjank

> Marco's is a national chain.


Oops. Meant Sandros

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