Tulsa's Historic Sinclair Building To Get New Life

One of Tulsa’s first skyscrapers in downtown will soon be getting a face lift.

A Tulsa Company is buying the Sinclair Building in downtown and said they plan on starting renovations soon. 

For about 25 years, the Sinclair Building has been vacant, but will soon be brought back to life with office space and apartments. 

“This was the heart of downtown and Sinclair wanted that. The old downtown had kind of been across the tracks and then the oil men kind of brought it down south… way down south here at 5th street,” said Ellen Stanley.

Stanley is the tour coordinator for the Tulsa Foundation of Architecture. She knows a lot about Harry Sinclair, the man who built the building in 1919 and the history behind it. 

“It had 12 foot ceilings which was really new for the era; it had oak floors, under me… the basement is actually under the sidewalk instead of just under the building. And it had a heated ceiling, so when it was snowing out or icy the sidewalk automatically cleared itself," said Stanley.

Sinclair Oil and Gas Company occupied the building for 30 years and throughout the last several decades, businesses have come and gone in the building. 

“So many buildings around it have been brought back, and it’s very important not to just have a vacant building on the corner that sort of brings down the look of things as visitors come to town they wonder you know this is a glorious building why is it empty," said Stanley.

She said she's excited about the changes the new owners plan to make. “

The Ross Group has been very good in renovating some of the other buildings around town of really honoring the style of the building, the era of the building, while still bringing it up to modern use," said Stanley.

The Ross Group said the goal is to open apartments in the building in Spring of 2023.