The Presley (formerly Lincoln Plaza)

[Larry OKC]

^^^
And a horse race at the Remington Park "Racino" is about as close as you are going to get to a casino in OKC. LOL

[ljbab728]

I knew many couples that spent their honeymoon at Lincoln Plaza. If I remember correctly from an old post card the Honeymoon Suite had a round bed. Correct me if I am wrong. There was the Governors Club and the Prime Rib Room as well as the Dinner Theater called The Forum.

You're correct. I never stayed at the hotel but took a tour of it during the grand opening. I did eat at the restaurants and attended several shows at the dinner theater. It was first class all the way when it was built.

[Rover]

And a "Jimmy Johnson"s" restaurant when he was still a Dallas Cowboy coach.

[Urbanized]

Actually when it opened he hadn't been the Cowboys' coach for five years, and even Barry Switzer had moved on from Dallas. Johnson was coaching at Miami when Three Rings opened. Switzer's Lighthouse was opening around the same time at Lake Hefner, and I always thought he should have named it "Barry Switzer's FOUR rings Bar and Grill." But that's just me.

[Rover]

I stand corrected. I've slept a couple of times since those days. LOL.

[Spartan]

Which project is completed first......Midtown Mercy or Linclon Plaza??

Probably Mercy. But how does that make a race? Fairly distant projects we have here...

[mcca7596]

Probably Mercy. But how does that make a race? Fairly distant projects we have here...

In regards to the fact that Tanenbaum had financing in hand ready to go, had he been chosen for the Mercy site.

[Spartan]

I wouldn't think that's transferable though?

[mcca7596]

Ah, good point. idk...

[Skyline]

Probably Mercy. But how does that make a race? Fairly distant projects we have here...

I am only making a story between Mr. Brooks and Mr. Tanenbaum, and each of their development track records. You really want to put money on the Mercy project and Mr. Brooks??

I am not familiar with Brooks other than "His Legacy", but I am very familiar with Mr. Tanenbaum and Mr. Gardner. Gardner/Tanenbaum has very deep pockets and has never had trouble financing any of their projects and the Mercy development wouldn't have been any different. GT also runs a very tight development company and makes it happen on a timely schedule. Remember it was Mr. Tanenbaum that put the pressure on OCURA to pull the contract extension with the original Mercy project. This man gets things done and now that he is investing in Lincoln blvd with his 2nd project expect Lincoln to make strides in other areas too. Okc is lucky to have a development group such as Gardner/Tanenbaum.

[Spartan]

Now I got cha. Yes, I agree that Tanenbaum deserves some credit for at least pressuring OCURA, and there is no way to argue with your salient point about Brooks/Henderson and their "legacy."

[OklahomaNick]

Okc is lucky to have a development group such as Gardner/Tanenbaum.

VERY much so! He does it all. Boeing, ARINC, The Lincoln at Central Park, and Now the Lincoln Plaza? Pretty impressive resume of multi million dollar projects.

I very much hope they keep the "dinner theater" in tact and restore it to its original form. That place was really cool even when the hotel was run down. I remember going to a couple of sorority date parties there not 8 or so years ago!

[RBS]

There are numerous references on many threads referencing Gary Brooks' track record with Legacy at Arts Central. Everyone needs to understand Mr. Brooks was NOT the developer of Legacy, and is not and never was part of the ownership of Legacy. Mike Henderson was the developer of Legacy. Mr. Henderson may have a small equity interest in Mercy, but he will not control any aspect of Mercy. Mr. Brooks will control all aspects of the Mercy development, and he has a successfull track record of actually doing what he says.

Mr. Tanenbaum is a very successfull developer, but he did NOT have permanent financing for the Mercy site despite what he claimed. He only had construction financing secured.

I know this has nothing to do with Lincoln, but thought clarification was needed.

[Pete]

Thanks for the clarification, RBS.


I had not seen this before but there is all the Lincoln Plaza back story and tons of great photos at the OKCHistory.com (link below). That old dinner theater was way cool and hosted many Vegas-style acts and plays.

http://www.okchistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=258:l incoln-plaza&catid=42laces&Itemid=78

[MustangGT]

I recall seeing a few "Vegas style shows" in the venue. Sadly it was WAY too small to adequately put on a major LV production but for OKC it was top of the town.

[Pete]

Is that dinner theater in the main, curved building or in the rectangular one to the south?

[Rover]

To the south, I believe.

[jdcf]

Sorry to digress but the hotel was the site of some great political watch parties

[MustangGT]

It was in the south building.

[Pete]

That entire venue (hotel, restaurants, dinner theater, office complex, ballrooms) was a star that burned very brightly, but also quite briefly.

It opened in 1970 and was already on hard times by the early 80's. Changed hands and hotel affiliations countless times until it's closure in 2006, but it really only had 10-12 years were it was going relatively strong.

[MustangGT]

My dad called it a pop bottle rocket, same analogy.

[Rover]

Lincoln was a negative address at that time....lots of flop houses, old industrial buildings, crime and dirt. I had old industrial and distribution to the west with nothing of real interest in the surrounding area. With Tannenbaum's apartments at Central Park, the invesment the state has made on Lincoln with new buildings, the streets and landscaping, etc., it has a chance to be okay. It still isn't a destination area, but better than it has been for decades.

[Pete]

And, they've cleared out a lot of the seedy hotels on Lincoln.

It's certainly getting better but still has a long way to go.

[MustangGT]

Virtually all of Lincoln below NE 36th and above NE 23rd has had the whore house motels and really crummy spots gone for quite awhile. I keep hoping Jamils will update that old ramshackle building they have.

[kevinpate]

Nah, Jamil's is just fine the way it is, at least to me it is.