New kids on the block

Loft project on the Cain's block seeking empty-nesters

Lori Schram rose from her seat at Chimera, offered her hand and warmly insisted on buying me breakfast. Sipping coffee out front, she and her husband, Doug, greeted every passerby. 

The Bixby transplants moved to the Brady Arts District in 2012 and fell in love with the neighborhood. Now, they’re the two most public of four partners in the Davenport Urban Lofts project neighboring Soundpony. Carefully surveying their foreheads as we spoke, I saw no sign of horns or pentagrams. Yet, for better or worse, they’ve become the face of downtown’s latest hot-button development moment. 

Construction on the 24-unit, 6-story Davenport Urban Lofts is planned for 2016. Long represented only by vinyl banners reading, “Davenport Urban Lofts, Starting at $450K,” the project was officially announced in early June via Channel 6 and the Tulsa World.     

Aside from a stray comment about “rising tides lifting all ships,” and someone (who missed the $450K starting price) welcoming downtown housing for young people, online reaction to the condos was negative. In addition to questions of price and utility, the common lament was: There goes the Pony.

The Schrams are bewildered by the level of opposition they’ve encountered (their banners were cut down, and someone stormed into their leasing office to complain). The Urban 8 and 100 Boulder condo projects are also underway downtown, and neither has been met with venom. But those projects sit between happening districts—Davenport will bookend Tulsa’s loudest block of live music and tower 6 stories above Soundpony, a key player in the district’s rebirth. 

The Pone

If you’re still recovering from Tulsa Tough, you’ve probably been under the influence of Soundpony (the event’s unofficial pub). A local cycling advocate, co-owner Mike Wozniak has also worked with Emerson Elementary to form a bike club for kids age 9-12. 

“When you own a business,” Wozniak told me, “people tend to take you seriously and give you a podium in the community.”

When Wozniak, Josh Gifford and Mickey Payne started that business in 2006, the Brady district was a ghost town (though the partners note that Caz’s, Mexicali and The Gypsy were true early adopters). Staking a house, a car and a life insurance plan as collateral, the team nervously put faith in the foot traffic desert. 

Sustained in their first years by Cain’s patrons, the bar began hosting every genre of live music. Giving bands a percentage of liquor sales, Soundpony’s music model was adopted by new neighbor The Crystal Pistol (now the Yeti). With an endless stream of touring acts, Soundpony has helped usher the Cain’s neighborhood into its present era as a nationally known music corridor. 

One fear wrapped up in the Davenport project is noise complaints from tenants (music at Soundpony goes until 1:40 a.m.). Because of their location in the Central Business District, Davenport residents can call the police if they hear music after 11 p.m. As new money floods the area, there’s also the concern that the Pony’s landlord might refuse to renew their lease and sell to a wealthier interest.

Blending in 

In response to questions about the need for affordable housing downtown, the Schrams said the lot size limited the number and size of units, and that the cost of materials also drove up the price. They and their partners, Jeff and Kathy Weaver, plan to live in the condos and hope that offering units for sale will build a permanent vertical neighborhood in the district they love.

“We have no desire to do anything but blend into the fabric that’s here,” Lori said. “But there is some natural resistance that happens, and I’m not terribly concerned.”

Some view the ousting of Lone Wolf’s food truck, a neighborhood staple, as a tear in the fabric. They were given two weeks to find a new spot when the lot sold.

“We were definitely kicked out,” said Lone Wolf co-owner Philip Phillips.

The Davenport and Soundpony owners had dinner recently. Wozniak told me they were just trying to be positive about the situation, even if he felt that someone was “parking a Mercedes next to our art-car.”

 If what’s best for Davenport turns out to be a worst-case scenario for Soundpony, well, “we’ll just have to move,” Wozniak said. “We will be devastated, emotionally and financially, but we know the Pony family will go with us.”

The Davenport project isn’t set in stone. If they don’t sell enough units by an undisclosed deadline, “we won’t do it,” Doug said. They won’t even break ground. But that possibility doesn’t dampen Lori’s optimism for the district’s growth.

“We won’t be able to recognize this street in a few years!” she said enthusiastically, staring toward the I-244 overpass on Main.

For the continuing story on Davenport Urban Lofts, read Mitch’s article, “Growing pains.”

For more from Mitch, check out his stories on touring and Cry Baby Hill.