In the latest twist for the Glancy Motel’s possible future, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told the city’s Economic Development Authority it would like the closed Clinton property donated so OHP can build a new troop headquarters there.
The Clinton Daily News (subscription required) had details about a letter of intent OHP sent to the authority:
According to the letter of intent, DPS is requesting the City donate an agreed upon piece of land in which DPS will utilize its best efforts to obtain legislative funding to build the new headquarters within an agreed upon timeframe. The letter also says the department will offer office space in the new headquarters to other law enforcement personnel including the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBN) and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The letter is non-binding and says any resulting agreement would be subject to the review of each party.
Anthony Moore, a state lawmaker, spoke in support of the proposal:
“I think that this is a very positive thing for Clinton and a big opportunity for the city,” he said. “OHP has been in need of a new headquarters pretty much my entire life and really in the past few decades their office has been in a state of disrepair and they thought that the Glancy site would work for what they need.
“When we started discussing this, I was unaware of their desire to bring in other law enforcement offices to create a central hub location but I think that is also a really incredible opportunity and a big win for the City. I am pretty excited to see what happens.”
The authority was scheduled this week to discuss the letter and two proposals for the Glancy Motel. One proposal would redevelop the property into senior apartments; the other would turn it back into a motel with RV sites and vintage trailers for rent.
Local oilman Rick Koch originally had planned a year ago to restore the Glancy Motel and the long-defunct and neighboring Pop Hicks restaurant, but he backed away from the project so he could concentrate on the closed Whitten Inn, formerly a Ramada Inn, on the city’s west side near Interstate 40 and the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.
The Glancy Motel at 217 W. Gary Blvd. (aka Route 66) was condemned by the city in 2019 after numerous code violations. The motel was built in 1950 and remodeled in 2007.
A fire destroyed the iconic Pop Hicks restaurant in 1999. Pop Hicks never was rebuilt because it lacked insurance. The restaurant opened in 1936.
(Image of the Glancy Motel in Clinton, Oklahoma, via Facebook)