Southwest: Skirvin Hilton Hotel

LOCATION: 1 Park Ave., Oklahoma City, Okla.

SIZE: 1.45 acres, of which 250,600 sq. ft. comprise the building’s footprint.

SITE BACKGROUND: Hotel opened in 1911 and was one of the first buildings in Oklahoma City to have air conditioning. It had two 10-story towers containing 224 rooms. The hotel was built to be self-sufficient and had its own natural gas pipeline, electric plant, water wells and telephone switchboard. The building stood empty for almost 15 years until Oklahoma City took the lead to preserve and restore the landmark to the city’s skyline, thus creating needed hotel space.

FEATURES: The 96-year-old Skirvin Hotel recently reopened as the Skirvin Hilton Hotel after 19 years of abandonment and neglect. Re-opened in February 2007, the hotel is widely recognized as one of the most important historic structures remaining in the city. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance and integrity and past role in the social, political and economic life of Oklahoma City.

COST: $56.4 million, with a private sector share of $36.4 million.

PROJECT PARTNERS: City of Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City of Urban Renewal Authority; Oklahoma Dept. of Environmental Quality; Oklahoma Dept. of Commerce; Oklahoma State Historical Preservation Office; Skirvin Solutions Committee; Skirvin Partners; Marcus Hotels and Resorts; U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

SYNOPSIS: Cleanup was completed in July 2005 and the facility re-opened in early 2007. Key accomplishments included the removal of 3,410 linear feet and 124,720 sq. ft. of friable asbestos; creation of capacity to preserve, restore and add needed hotel space to the downtown area and the leveraging of approximately $66 million for cleanup and redevelopment efforts.  The successful revitalization of the hotel (a Phoenix Award applicant) stands to create meaningful and lasting economic benefits, and serve as yet another success story in a decade-long downtown renaissance. Five core benefits of the project include: Use of brownfield money, which made it possible; Historical significance to the state of Oklahoma; Community importance to the city of Oklahoma City; Economic development to benefit the entire state of Oklahoma since it’s regarded as the premier hotel in the state; and an innovative financing package.

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