The historic Gold Dome building, a former bank, along Route 66 in Oklahoma City will be auctioned in a foreclosure sale on Sept. 13, reported The Oklahoman newspaper.
The gleaming geodesic dome was built in 1958 as a Citizen’s Bank, at Northwest 23rd Street and North Classen Boulevard. It was scheduled for a date with the wrecking ball about 10 years ago, but a preservation group — mostly through the efforts of eye doctor Irene Lam — stepped in to rescue it.
However, the building again has fallen into hard times:
Vacancy has gone up in recent years with the loss of the Prohibition Room restaurant and the Oklahoma Main Street Program as tenants.
Lam is also delinquent in paying property taxes, with records showing she owes $49,359 assessed over the past two years. The Oklahoma City Council last year paid off a $1 million federal loan they extended to Lam when she bought the property. City Planning Director Russell Claus said Lam has paid only interest to date on that loan.
Lam told The Oklahoman she remained hopeful she could work out a deal with lenders and cancel the foreclosure sale.
Oh, my, I worked at Citizens Bank in 1961, posting checks and right out of High School. My first foray into the big city from small town Texas. It was so beautiful and I felt so grown up.
It barely met the qualifications for the National Registry of Historic Places when it was saved a few years ago. So it’s safe from destruction. I hope it can be bought and put to good use.
Contrary to what you believe, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places does NOT protect you from the wrecking ball. Local ordinances are the only thing that can do that.