Showdown over the Golden Dome

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 4, 2002 by Matt Maile The Journal Record

Owners of a popular dome-shaped bank building at the intersection of NW 23rd and Classen in Oklahoma City plan to go before a city board today in their effort to tear down the structure.

Bank One, a Chicago-based bank holding company, and Classen Associates have appealed to the five-member Oklahoma City Board of Adjustment to overturn a decision by the Urban Design Commission that has blocked demolition of the building. If the bank succeeds, the building could be torn down.

The Board of Adjustment is scheduled to take up the appeal when it meets 1:30 p.m. today in the City Council chambers.

"They (the building owners) have a building that is functionally obsolete," said Dennis Box, an attorney representing Walgreen Drug Stores, which wants to locate a store on the property.

The Urban Design Commission in late February rejected a proposal by Bank One to tear down the 1950s vintage building. The bank wants to build a new branch bank and a Walgreen Drug Store on the site. Bank officials at the time said the existing bank building, an anondized-aluminum domed-structure, was too costly to maintain and too big for the bank's needs.

Opposition to the proposed demolition has come mainly from a group of citizens calling itself Citizens for the Golden Dome. The group said in a message to supporters through its Web site this week that it will again speak against the building's demolition.

The group said it is organizing members to show up for the Board of Adjustment meeting and in a statement said it would present comments to the board that focus on the economic viability of the bank building.

The Board of Adjustment is scheduled to consider three separate appeals by Bank One and Classen Associates.

Bank One and Classen Associates have jointly appealed a decision by the Urban Design Commission to deny a demolition permit for the property. Separately, the bank and Classen Associates have appealed the decisions by the commission denying certificates of approval for construction of a new Bank One building and the Walgreen Drug Store on the property.

Not all of the board of adjustment members may listen to the appeals today.

Board member John Yoeckel said he will recuse himself from the decision, because he chaired an ad-hoc committee appointed by the city to find an alternative to demolishing the bank building.

Yoeckel said Mike Voorhees also planned to recuse himself, because Bank One has been a past client of the Oklahoma City law firm where he works. Voorhees through his assistant said he could not comment on pending matters before the board.

The loss of the two board members for the Bank One decision would leave only three to consider the appeal, the minimum number required under state law. Yoeckel said all three board members would have to vote in favor of the appeal for Bank One to succeed in overturning the Urban Design Commission decision.

Today's Board of Adjustment meeting may have little impact on the ultimate fate of the domed building. Representatives of both the bank and those opposed to the demolition have said they would likely appeal to a district court, if necessary, in the battle over the building.

"No matter who wins this one, it is going to end up at the courthouse," Box said Wednesday.

Box said that if the district court is asked to decide the fate of the Bank One building, the process could take anywhere from six months to a year to resolve the issue.