2 Brothers Try to Revitalize Uptown

One metro area is run-down, but not out. Two brothers are working on a revitalization project for the area known as Uptown near NW 23 Street and Broadway Avenue.

Saturday, July 11th 2009, 11:14 pm

By: News 9


By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- One metro area is run-down, but not out. Two brothers are working on a revitalization project for the area known as Uptown near NW 23 Street and Broadway Avenue.

In a span of a few decades, the Uptown district went from the place to be, to a place to avoid, something the Dillon brothers are hoping they can change.

"I came to Tower Theater here. It was on the tail end of its life, but I came to movies at this theater," said Uptown developer Mike Dillon.

It's that history that Mike Dillon and his brother Marty, owners of Party Galaxy, are hoping to preserve, so they bought the theater.

"It's pretty strange to own a decrepit, spooky movie house," Mike Dillon said. "It's a lot more interesting and a lot more fun than putting together some basic commercial property, restaurants and retail."

The duo will have their work cut out for them, and are expected to shell out $3 million when all is said and done, but they say the success Cheever's restaurant has enjoyed over the past eight years is proof the area can make a comeback.

Ryan Lawson, the head chef at Cheever's, likes what the Dillon brothers are trying to do.

"It's definitely a good thing to have people starting and opening small businesses. It's probably the best competition you can have," Lawson said.

"It could either be a vibrant retail mecca or it could become a commercial ghetto and I think the possibility and everything is in place where we can really bring it back to where it's supposed to be," Mike Dillon said.

The first step in the brother's plan to make is to get the Tower Theater sign working again. The sign they said is the beacon for the whole area. Once that's finished they will start work on the inside of the buildings.

The Dillon's vision for the area is to move their Party Galaxy offices from the top floors and use the bottom floors for restaurants and other commercial space.

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