Brown's Bakery property

[metro]

I'm sure this thread will end up controversial, but it's no surprise they have neglected their property for years. Now with Midtown truly in a renaissance and all the other buildings around the Walker roundabout in good shape, should the City of OKC start enforcing property code's for Browns Bakery or should they get a free pass because they are a staple in the fabric of the community. I snapped just a few pics of the neglect this weekend. Broken windows, rotting wood, graffitti, need for new paint, etc.

[Spartan]

I think metro just hates local OKC businesses. Bruno's, Brown's, and so on.. maybe he just hates the ones that begin with "Br" and not all of them?

Of course city code should be enforced though, always.

[metro]

So do you support the neglect Spartan? I thought your motto was to challenge city leaders from the status quo? What happened, getting weak on us before the summer is over?

[Spartan]

It has been a long summer, and yes, I am feeling weakened over the events of this summer. I think it would be great if Brown's started to fix up their building, but I don't know what their balance sheet looks like. I do know that a lot of offices downtown do everything they can to support them though...before 8 you can sure see the secretaries line up getting goodies.

[Steve]

Maybe the owners of Brown's Bakery are preparing for an extensive makeover of the entire property and have chosen to put off addressing these details in the meantime...

[metro]

Steve are you hinting at something or just dreaming? I'm a dreamer, but have talked to the owners of Browns bakery when I patronize their establishment, and they act like the though hasn't even crossed their mind. Acted as if nothing is wrong with the building. It's become quite the eyesore on prime land.

[Spartan]

It is an eyesore, I can agree with that...

(I am gunning for Truong though)

[fuzzytoad]

Honestly, Brown's Bakery looks less neglected than the majority of "older" businesses in midtown and far less neglected than the majority of businesses downtown...

I go there 2-3 times a week on my way to work in the mornings, so I'm not judging based solely on your pictures..

I know of a building at 215 NW 10th St. which has a large bit of graffiti on the side and you praised it metro.... On this forum..

I'm curious to know why you think they aren't getting notices from the city though?

[wsucougz]

Honestly, Brown's Bakery looks less neglected than the majority of "older" businesses in midtown and far less neglected than the majority of businesses downtown...

False.

[fuzzytoad]

False.

Really? so those buildings up and down harvey, hudson and walker that look like they belong in downtown sarajevo are just a mirage?

How about almost EVERY bricktown building from the 2nd floor up?

oh, and Kerr McGee buildings...

[Spartan]

Sarajevo is a very nice city. And in case you weren't aware...most of those Bricktown buildings above the street level ARE occupied by lawyers offices, huge lofts (like Doc Blues' for example), or super high-end office space.

[fuzzytoad]

Sarajevo is a very nice city. And in case you weren't aware...

Yeah, I wasn't... haven't been there in 15 years...

most of those Bricktown buildings above the street level ARE occupied by lawyers offices, huge lofts (like Doc Blues' for example), or super high-end office space.

And that makes it ok for them to look like complete crap from the outside?

[Spartan]

Well, let's just agree that Brown's has some improving to do. Some building owners are striving for a gritty, urban look..I guess that look is lost on some people who mistaken it for complete crap and disrepair.

Sarajevo's downtown is very beautiful and nice--just stay away from Novo Sarajevo and most of the city is that way.

[Platemaker]

Off topic...Have you been to Bosnia, Spartan?

[onthestrip]

Maybe the owners of Brown's Bakery are preparing for an extensive makeover of the entire property and have chosen to put off addressing these details in the meantime...

Sooo, back to this statement...

[Spartan]

Off topic...Have you been to Bosnia, Spartan?

I did a tour of Central and Eastern Europe after I graduated HS--didn't get as far south as Sarajevo, but I did take a class last year on large-scale redevelopment (ie cities after a war) and got to study the city as one of many case examples. Right now my life's dream is to do another graduate program abroad after I finish my m.arch, somewhere in Scandinavia where I would finally be considered very tan.

I just have a minor pet peeve where people make a reference to a place that is widely accepted as a dump when in fact, it really isn't. It has something to do with being an Okie and constantly hearing Oklahoma referred to in juxtaposition to some urban place. I think we all know what the Sarajevo or Beirut references mean, but I think it would be better to just use Baghdad or Mogadishu or some place that is actually in shambles..out of respect for cities that have actually strived and put in effort to rebuilding themselves.

[Urban Pioneer]

Steve are you hinting at something or just dreaming?

Steve is the ULTIMATE hinter. The cross pollination of blogs has become mildly amusing.

[Matt]

Sarajevo's downtown is very beautiful and nice--just stay away from Novo Sarajevo and most of the city is that way.

have you been to Bosnia, Spartan?

didn't get as far south as Sarajevo

lol

[Steve]

Steve is the ULTIMATE hinter. The cross pollination of blogs has become mildly amusing.

And you sir are certainly part of the entertainment!

[Spartan]

Steve is the ULTIMATE hinter. The cross pollination of blogs has become mildly amusing.

It's a close community, you could say.

[Larry OKC]

Hmmm...looking at the pics it looks like a vacant building. There is a business operating out of it? Where is the Browns Bakery sign and other indicators that something is actually going on inside?

[Spartan]

Hmmm...looking at the pics it looks like a vacant building. There is a business operating out of it? Where is the Browns Bakery sign and other indicators that something is actually going on inside?

The smell of delicious goodness emanating out from it.

[Larry OKC]

Ahhh, didn't know they were scratch-n-sniff pics....LOL

[BBatesokc]

I don't think its a matter of the city giving Brown's a 'Free Pass' ~ I think its more of the reality that city inspectors place priority on individual complaint calls. I've spoke to a couple of city inspectors in the past regarding the 'broken windows' theory on community policing etc. and wondered why one address gets the attention of the city and another does not. Each time they repeat the same thing "we respond to complaints." Occasionally the city will decide to concentrate on an entire area, otherwise it appears they are simply dispatched to investigate calls from citizens.

We have a humorous situation in our neighborhood. There is this (in my opinion very worthless) felon a block over that uses a house that he doesn't live in as his mechanic's garage to work on cars all day long. One of his neighbors could not get the city to do anything about fact he was using this non commercial property for commercial use so they began reporting him for parking four cars in his driveway and thus the last two would block the sidewalk. The city ticketed him twice and forced him to move the other two cars out of the neighborhood. One day he was yelling at the inspector because the neighbors on either side of him block their sidewalks too. The inspector just shrugged his shoulders and said "nobody has called complaining about them, just about you."

So, I guess if the condition of Brown's really bothers you enough, I'd call the city and make a complaint. You can ask them to follow up with you and they will mail you a summary of what (if anything) they did upon inspecting the property. You can also call and give them an address and they will give you a call history on that address.

[bandnerd]

Don't Edmond my Midtown.

I've been going there for years, twice a week, to get donated donuts for my school's newspaper program. I've never really paid much attention to the building, honestly. The interior certainly has...atmosphere...but as long as no plaster gets on the goods, and the homeless guy outside doesn't harass me too much, I don't really care.

Really, is everything supposed to be pristine? You're talking about a very old building.