The owners of the century-old St. Cloud Hotel in Chandler, Oklahoma, are contesting the city council’s decision to condemn the property.
According to KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, the city council in April voted to condemn the building because it “lacks necessary repairs and is in a state of decay to such an extent, it is a hazard to the health, safety, and welfare of the public.”
Co-owners Larry Donbraswell and John Givens were shocked by the action. They had planned to rebuild the building for Route 66’s centennial this year, but fell behind after a storm last spring.
“I had actually approached the city in February. I wanted to put the balcony on, and they were ecstatic, but the roof blew off on March 19th. They locked me out and refused to let me do anything on the buildings,” Givens said.
The pair hired an attorney to appeal the city’s decision.
In order for the appeal to be successful, a bond had to be paid worth the price of the building, which is approximately $400,000.
Givens did not pay the bond, which was due in December 2025.
Jason Orr, Chandler’s city manager, sent the television station this message:
“After hearing all the evidence during several public hearings, the Chandler City Council voted to demolish the St. Cloud Hotel building due to public safety concerns. The property owner also has had an opportunity to appeal the decision through the court system but has not been successful in that endeavor. It is very unfortunate when owners of historically significant properties allow them to deteriorate to the point that they pose a serious threat to public safety and welfare.”
The city did not indicate when it would tear down the building.
The publisher of the acerbic The Lost Ogle website — who happens to be a Chandler native — wrote this about St. Cloud’s possible destruction under the headline “Chandler to Demo Historic Building in Time for Rt 66 Centennial …”
I think it’s funny and ironic that just as Oklahoma is ramping up its Route 66 celebration – an event meant to showcase our towns, history, and roadside charm to passing tourists – some towns are busy tearing down the very history they’re supposed to be showing off! […]
… If the co-owner was going to put a balcony on it, the building can’t be that bad… right? The city is obviously doing whatever it can to find a savior to resurrect the building, or – at the very least – keep it up through the end of the year, right? The last thing they’d want is for it to get bulldozed for an OnCue. That never feels right!
Well, apparently not.
The St. Cloud Hotel was built in 1904 for John Edward Gormley, predating Route 66 by more than 20 years. It reputedly had the first elevator in the city.
According to Route 66 Times, Gormley died in 1926. Ghost signs on the south side of the building bear the hotel’s name and a Coca-Cola advertisement. The St. Cloud also was known as the Evans Hotel and Grace Hotel in later iterations. It also housed a Chevrolet dealership.
The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
(Image of the St. Cloud Hotel in Chandler, Oklahoma, by Taylor Baker via Wikipedia)
