I was looking around on Zillow.com and it appears the Melvin Luster home is going into pre-foreclosure/auction. Here is the zillow listing:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/300-NE-3rd-St-Oklahoma-City-OK-73104/80913637_zpid/

I looked the county assessor's website and it looks like taxes haven't been paid on the property since 2009.

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/treasurer/AccountNumberResults.asp?PropertyID=020022700

Anybody have anymore information about this?

No, but I've been wanting that house forever. Hmmmm......

I am curious how much works needs to go into it.

I am curious how much works needs to go into it.

Same here - electrical and plumbing alone could be a bear. But what a nice house if it can be had for the estimated value. Either way, someone is going be get a nice house in an excellent location for next to nothing I bet.

anyone want to share a pic? I know, I could just go to Google Streetview...

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/searches/sketches/picfile/2735/R020022700002qA.jpg

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/searches/sketches/picfile/2735/R020022700002YA.jpg

anyone want to share a pic? I know, I could just go to Google Streetview...

And what is shown on google streetview six years ago is basically what it looks like now. Usually something like this wouldn't be a big deal, but it has been owned by the family since 1911 and is where the most development in the city's urban core is happening right now. I would assume it would be a personal home, but I guess it could be apartments. I think the house directly to the east of it is included in the sale. I am curious is the building behind it is included as well. All three buildings for one price would be a good deal. Fix them all up, live in the big one, parcel off the one to the east, lease the storefront space.

Strange, I had no idea this even existed here. Could be a really beautiful home if fixed up properly.

I've driven by that property many a times when I've come downtown to take pictures. I hope someone with historical preservation interests can snatch it up for a good price and remodel it or build it out for apartments. That would be awesome!

I generally hate it when people convert historic single family houses into multifamily, especially in historic districts like HH, Mesta, Gatewood, Crowne, etc. There are some houses across the street from me that have been converted back in the 50s and haven't been taken care of worth a crap, which is a common theme around here with converted multifamily housing. Though in an area like deep deuce where most of the residences are multi-family buildings, I think it would probably work a lot better and be better taken care of. Having said that, people are starting to build massive single family homes down there, so it could work either way.

more info on the property: Vintage Oklahoma City - Melvin Luster Home (http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/vintage_lusterhome.htm) -M

Would be a great ambiance for a very high end restaurant with private dining upstairs.

Would be a great ambiance for a very high end restaurant with private dining upstairs.

Tuck, are you listening?

That building to the south would be a great place for a new Market C... :)

Its former structure has nothing to do with how well it will be cared for. I assure you, if I owned it, it's not falling into disrepair. I suspect your experience has more to do with the land values where you were seeing this -- which is the driving force behind maintenance. The higher the values the more rent they can charge. The higher the rent in most markets, the higher the expectations.

Anyway, I appreciate your opinion but think you've seen some things and have drawn the wrong conclusion. I love old, large homes turned into multi-family. Great use of land and usually creates nice diversity in the lease market. Diversity that really helps to raise up an area.

It can be done right, but in several instances within Mesta Park and Heritage Hills (much more Mesta Park), including across the street from my house on 17th, it hasn't been. They haven't been well maintained, lawns are frequently in poor shape, and land values are pretty high here. Like I said, the concept would probably fit better in deep deuce where multi-family housing is the norm. Here the problems are more likely a case of poor ownership, which obviously wouldn't be the case in deep deuce. It just seems like the more rundown or poorly maintained properties here are converted houses or century old apartment buildings.

It can be done right, but in several instances within Mesta Park and Heritage Hills (much more Mesta Park), including across the street from my house on 17th, it hasn't been. They haven't been well maintained, lawns are frequently in poor shape, and land values are pretty high here. Like I said, the concept would probably fit better in deep deuce where multi-family housing is the norm. Here the problems are more likely a case of poor ownership, which obviously wouldn't be the case in deep deuce. It just seems like the more rundown or poorly maintained properties here are converted houses or century old apartment buildings.

I agree completely with you. It's just not been done will in several cases and I've soured on the idea. Rather see it as something else.

Deep Deuce Apartments have had a terrible reputation for years. They've been able to get away with it due to lack of competition. We'll see of that continues...

I know the Deep Deuce apartments are supposedly remodeling all the units. I'd like to see them put one building up for sale and see what happens.

Its former structure has nothing to do with how well it will be cared for. I assure you, if I owned it, it's not falling into disrepair. I suspect your experience has more to do with the land values where you were seeing this -- which is the driving force behind maintenance. The higher the values the more rent they can charge. The higher the rent in most markets, the higher the expectations.

Anyway, I appreciate your opinion but think you've seen some things and have drawn the wrong conclusion. I love old, large homes turned into multi-family. Great use of land and usually creates nice diversity in the lease market. Diversity that really helps to raise up an area.

This concept is very misunderstood all over, here in Ohio they're generally called doubles or quads and the nomenclature is a sign of how common they are, yet many people who themselves are in the housing and community development profession have no inkling.

I went to a big housing trends conference in town recently (a yearly conference usually devoted to fighting the foreclosure crisis which is an epidemic here) but they were mostly talking about some newer, nice suburbs that are starting to go rental (where most of these people live). I spoke up and just mentioned, in case they didn't realize, that Lakewood and Cleveland Heights (by all accounts very nice inner ring suburbs that everyone loves) are about 90% rental. The room went silent. Someone then asked how that could be, those places are nice... lol

I've come to realize you're never going to demystify the rental phenomenon.

Melvin Luster Home (July 5 2013 - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157634555381817/)

I've always wanted to know about the little boarded-up commercial building just to the south. I suspect it might be territorial, pre-dating the house. If so, in some ways it is more unusual and interesting than the home itself, which is saying something.

I fear that nobody will advocate its preservation and that it will slip away unnoticed. It could be a real jewel in the district with a little TLC.

The assessor site and Doug both say it's a 1915 house.

But that doesn't mean the commercial building might not be a decade or more older..?

That would be amazing to have a home from before statehood in the heart of downtown, quietly being overlooked. We know how this will likely end however.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/9246587858_3bfcf1e1a4_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/9246587858_3bfcf1e1a4_z.jpg

I can't even begin to imagine what kind of structural problems there are with this property. It has been completely neglected for decades.

I remember Steve bringing up that this would be a good little grocery store and to be honest, I can't envision it being anything else but that. There is no space to interact with residents so a restaurant with wouldn't really work. I guess it could be an office but that would pretty boring.

The Burgess House has a nice ring to it....

There is no way that building is in worse shape than the houses on 9th Street that are now home to Hillbilly's Po Boys and Sara Sara Cupcakes. I also think it would make a great coffee shop, a tiny bistro or even a little pub, a la Skinny Slim's (it is actually much larger than SS). Barring that, a cool office of some sort or a house would be interesting. See the converted Alan's Restaurant space on Hudson for an example of street-level commercial space converted to housing.

I so badly want this property. :)

I would buy it too. Every time we walk by we lament the shape it's in. But it has great bones. I agree that the properties on 9th were in far worse shape so I would totally take it on as a project.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/9246539820_3a1cb63520_b.jpg

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The door being (what appears to be) busted open, makes you wonder how many people "live" there.

The porch on that small house is in serious danger of collapse.


Yet another example of how municipal codes are not enforced in OKC, allowing properties to get so run down they are not only a detriment to the community, but also beyond the point of repair.

We've seen it so many times and then the owner applies for demolition because the structure is beyond saving.


I know there is now an initiative to deal with abandoned structures in certain areas and I hope it will help to avoid these situations.

Can the city declare it a public nuisance and take possession by ED?

Can the city declare it a public nuisance and take possession by ED?

no

The plan seems to be to levy fines / fees for abandoned properties which will force some sort of action on the owners.

I created a new thread on this topic, because it's an important issue:

http://www.okctalk.com/other-urban-development/34396-vacant-abandoned-buildings.html



OKLAHOMA CITY — Leaders in Oklahoma City unveil plans to crackdown on the number of vacant and abandoned buildings in the city. Those buildings drag down property values and cost the city millions of dollars.

Right now there are more than 12,000 vacant homes and businesses in Oklahoma City. Low taxes and penalties allow those buildings to sit empty for years, sometimes even decades.

“It’s extremely frustrating to see these places exist in the same state for 18 years,” said Walter Jacques.

“The main reason buildings are vacant in Oklahoma City is because of the very low holding costs,” said city planning director Russell Claus.

For example, the Walcourt building near downtown has been vacant for 37 years. The owner pays four cents a square foot in taxes. Neighbors pay 16 times that amount.

“The markets out of whack. These buildings are actually being incentivized to be vacant,” said Claus.

To help solve the vacancy problems, the city council could soon set up a registry to track abandoned properties and levy some small administrative fees, but state lawmakers would have to sign off on increasing the financial burden of owning vacant properties to meet city costs.

“We’re not taking away the right to have vacant properties. We’re just saying you have to pay the fair cost of that,” said Claus.

This is what Shop Good on 9th looked like before the remodel. Pachinko/Hillbilly's was far worse, though I can't find a photo.

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150001vA.jpg

Here's the after:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150001sA.jpg

It is possible to restore buildings like this and come away with results that have far more charm and sense of place than most any infill new construction would.

This is what Shop Good on 9th looked like before the remodel. Pachinko/Hillbilly's was far worse, though I can't find a photo.

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150001vA.jpg

Here's the after:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150001sA.jpg

It is possible to restore buildings like this and come away with results that have far more charm and sense of place than most any infill new construction would.

Great example. Can you imagine if the buildings that house Iguana, Shop Good, Sara Sara cupcakes and Hilly billy po-boys (formerly Pachinko Parlor) were torn down and a long strip shopping center with parking fronting the street built in their place? I have to applaud Steve Mason for his vision of this area.

Here's Hillbillies:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150002vA.jpg

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/searches/sketches/picfile/2729/R010966150002SA.jpg

I would love to buy this property. All I need is money.

Thanks for finding the Pachinko before/after Pete. That before photo doesn't even do the decrepitness justice. That house had trees growing out of the cellar.

Melvin Luster Home (July 8 2013 - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157634598926730/)

Dang it... what the hay? Look at this:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3667/9243740715_b90685a7a5_b.jpg

Oh man, that's where I put my strong box with priceless valuables in it. I thought it would be safe, but someone broke in and took it!
It had stocks, bonds, jewelry, and tickets to Les Miserables. Oh the loss!

But seriously.... :)

Great pics Will. That's a grand looking house. Needs just a little TLC here and there, but otherwise, wonderful.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3726/9264234276_560ea902e2_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/9264428282_59c8beb32a_b.jpg

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http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5534/9261632913_397d7f9530_b.jpg

Holy cow, this really looks dangerous.

It's amazing how poorly OKC's municipal codes are enforced. This property has to be breaking at least a dozen.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/9264420506_ee6376503c_b.jpg

Another thing that concerns me is the state of the terra cotta tile roof. I had the same style roof on the home I lived in in Gatewood. It needed tens of thousands in repairs. A roof like that can be good for many, many decades, but it was in need of repair. From the street it looked flawless, but any time there was a lot of rain, water poured into the attic, down walls etc.

That roof does NOT look flawless from the street.

That house would have to be a labor of love. Renovation like that house will require would not be cheap, but it would be rewarding to restore it. I think you would get an emotional/intellectual reward, but the financial reward would not be certain - at least in the short run.

Wouldn't be surprised to see it turned into another law office.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/9265216629_44a3634d56_h.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/9267989724_f76b56ba9d_h.jpg

Man I'm frightened for the future of that little commercial building. Even as it sits forlorn and decrepit, when combined with the house and the neighborhood it exudes a character and sense of place that no longer exists in OKC. It would be a truly tragic wasted opportunity if something happens to it.

Does anyone have any information on this property? I live right by it and I am so intrigued by it.

Hope this helps.
Vintage Oklahoma City - Melvin Luster Home (http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/vintage_lusterhome.htm)

Yes it does. Thanks.

I don't care what happens to the other 2 structures pictured in the link, but I would be absolutely heart-broken if that house were ever razed.

I've long been concerned about the little commercial building. I don't have anything to base this on other than feel, but I suspect it is territorial. It's probably one of the oldest remaining structures in OKC, and it could be rehabbed into something pretty special.

Seeing the link zookeeper posted got me thinking about Doug L. What happened to him? Is he no longer participating here?

the assessor's site says that the commercial building is from 1915. -M

A few years newer than I expected. Nevertheless, 100-year-old buildings are in extreme short supply in OKC. Not to mention it has fantastic potential as a neighborhood restaurant or bar.

A few years newer than I expected. Nevertheless, 100-year-old buildings are in extreme short supply in OKC. Not to mention it has fantastic potential as a neighborhood restaurant or bar.

First time I saw it I thought "Hillbillie's Po-Boy" should have gone here!

Seeing the link zookeeper posted got me thinking about Doug L. What happened to him? Is he no longer participating here?

I think he mentioned stepping away because he didn't care for the mayoral thread (he supported Shadid). That's been a few months so no idea if something else happened recently.

Historic Luster House and property in Deep Deuce to be put on market (http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=331-Historic-Luster-House-and-property-in-Deep-Deuce-to-be-put-on-market)

After decades of neglect, the historic Melvin F. Luster House and related property is set to go on the open market.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/luster5.jpg


The primary home was built in 1926 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Originally built by prominent African American businessman Sidney Daniel Lyons as his residence, the house passed to Lyon's step-son, Melvin Luster. Mr. Luster died in 1993 and the property is still owned by his heirs.

The family has some items in the home but it has not been occupied in some time.

The two story brick house was built in the Italianate style and sits squarely in the middle of the thriving urban neighborhood know as Deep Deuce. The property also includes a smaller house to the east and a historic shop building to the south.

Sydney Lyons founded the East India Toilet Goods and Manufacturing company, and the factory was a half block from this home.

Lyons was a successful entrepreneur who owned several retail, oil and real estate investments.

Located at 300 NE 3rd Street, a price is yet to be set and the property will be listed by Tim Rasmussen.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/luster4.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/luster.jpg

Might be a cool setting for a bed and breakfast.