I’m still too angry to talk about the Century Building

Last month demolition began on the historic Century Building in downtown St. Louis. The failure of the city to recognize the value of saving this building serves as a turning point for myself and others. Mark my words – Mayor Slay will be remembered for letting this happen on his watch. Even though time has passed, I am still too angry to dedicate an entire post to this tragedy.

Instead I want to share another turning point in my life involving the demolition of a historic building – The Biltmore Hotel in Oklahoma City in October 1977. Unlike the Century Building, the Biltmore Hotel was imploded in a highly dramatic fashion. Explosive experts had little concern for collateral damage because the city had already cleared adjacent blocks downtown. Four city blocks, including the block with the Biltmore, were razed to construct a single super-block (read: too big) containing a $39 million botanical garden. Yes, a downtown botanical garden adjacent to the Myriad Gardens convention center – a typical 70’s bland concrete mass on another super-block.

The Oklahoma Biltmore Hotel, built in 1932 at a cost of $4 million, was the tallest building in Oklahoma for many years at roughly 245ft containing 28 floors. Although short compared to the Empire State Building which opened a year earlier in NYC, the Biltmore was as costly on a per-foot in height basis. Amenities included 17 full-time elevator operators for seven elevators, five telephone operators, its own ice plant producing 110 tons of ice daily and three radio channels in every room. When imploded on Sunday October 17, 1977 it was the largest steel framed to be demolished with explosives. In 1995 another explosion occurred in downtown OKC – this time from homegrown terrorists. Since September 11th, many comparisons have been made between the planned demolition of the Biltmore to the collapse of the Twin Towers (due to similar steel structure & colapse pattern).

I still recall that Sunday when the building was imploded. I knew instinctively it was wrong. I cried that day. Nearly 30 years later it still brings tears to my eyes. The following day the Daily Oklahoman printed a story titled, “Youngsters Feel Sorry for Biltmore.” Four 8-year old boys were interviewed for the story. One said, “If all downtown looked like that old hotel it would look a lot better than all these dumb new buildings that reflect light.” This boy, Rodney Ferguson, was referring to the popularity of mirrored buildings. Rodney’s friend Daryl Osmus said, “I think they should fix up these old buildings. They could fix them up and make them better.” Rodney concluded, “In a way I’m glad I came [to see the demo] and in another I’m not.”

The promise of a renewed downtown for Oklahoma City did not appear as a result of the urban renewal project. Other areas are showing signs of life but this area remains devoid of life. Somehow I knew at the young age of 10 the demolition of this great building and the construction of the urban renewal project was a bankrupt idea. I didn’t have the vocabulary at the time to express why.

Today I have the vocabulary, forum and passion to express what should and shouldn’t be done to cities. I also have nearly 30 years of seeing cities unnecessarily torn apart in the name of progress.

I intend to do my part to help build better places.

– Steve

Vintage Postcard of Biltmore Hotel
Picture of Implosion
Oklahoma City National Memorial