Nov. 15–Downtown Tulsa’s hotel revival got another round of good news Thursday.
Developers announced plans for a $16 million, 134-room Hilton Garden Inn on the southeast corner of Second Street and Cheyenne Avenue.
The property, to be redeveloped by Tulsa-based Promise Hotels and The Ross Group, will include mixed-use space for retail, restaurants, event rooms and a rooftop patio overlooking the BOK Center.
Plans for the hotel, with construction to begin next year and be finished by 2016, were unveiled at the former Oil & Gas Journal building — a two-story structure that will be part of the complex, with a new seven-story building wrapping around it.
The project calls for two old structures next to the Oil & Gas Journal building to be torn down, said Paresh “Pete” Patel, president and CEO of Promise Hotels.
The development will be his company’s 11th hotel, said Patel, who has been in the industry for about 20 years.
“I can truly say my American dream has come true today,” he said.
Patel said the final design of the property will likely deviate from the standard look of a Hilton Garden Inn.
“We want to try to incorporate the features of the area, such as the glass of the BOK Center,” Patel said. “We feel Hilton will work with us.”
Besides being one block from the BOK Center, the hotel will be near the Cox Business Center and the new One Place high-rise complex, the developers noted.
The Hilton is the third downtown hotel project announced recently.
Promise Hotels plans to build a Holiday Inn Express near ONEOK Field, while another group has purchased the long-vacant former headquarters of Parker Drilling Co., at 8 E. Third St., for transformation into a hotel.
Mayor Dewey Bartlett said the Hilton Garden Inn will help fill the growing need for downtown hotel rooms.
“We can always count on the private sector to lead the way in this renaissance of Tulsa,” he said.
Though Promise Hotels and The Ross Group haven’t selected restaurant and retail tenants as yet, Patel said they’d like to use the large basement of the Oil & Gas Journal building as some kind of place for people to gather after they attend events at the BOK Center.
Parking will be handled by the existing garage directly north of the site, Patel said.
Gregory Francois, vice president of development for Hilton’s southwest region, said the hotel being so close to other downtown developments has the company excited.
“This is ground zero,” he said. “This is a dream site.”
Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, applauded Promise Hotels for putting up new facilities.
“We couldn’t be prouder of someone who invests their hard-earned money to continue to build hotels,” he said.
Promise Hotels has also signed a letter of intent with the Tulsa Stadium Trust to develop a parcel near ONEOK Field. The three-quarters of a city block bounded by Detroit and Elgin avenues, Archer Street and the BNSF Railroad tracks will house the Holiday Inn Express and other development.
Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
