The owners of the historic Blue Dome building in downtown Tulsa have applied for the city’s Facade Grant Program to begin phase 1 of a full exterior restoration.
The plan was outlined during the Feb. 10 Tulsa Route 66 Commission meeting. The first phase includes nearly $97,000 in restoration with about $81,000 in eligible facade expenses.
The work will focus on restoring the building’s exterior to match its original appearance as a filling station and garage. Plans include repainting and upgrading the iconic blue dome, replacing non-historic windows with divided-light windows that match the original design, restoring the decorative stars on the dome, cleaning and protecting the brick and repairing or replacing the original single-bulb lights that encircle the dome.
Construction is expected to begin after St. Patrick’s Day with the exterior to be completed in time for summer traffic and photo opportunities, according to Rebecca Surber-Cantu the city’s Route 66 program planner.
The project team includes a preservation architect who previously worked on the Mayo Hotel restoration.
This was informed by Ali Kalenak’s Documenter notes from the Tulsa Route 66 Commission meeting Feb. 10. If you’re interested in becoming a Documenter, visit us at documenters.org.
