Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-03
Official Announcement Is
Made at School Board
Meeting.
COST A HALF MILLION
Plans for Downtown Civic
Center Temporarily
Held Up.

A 12-story building, to he built at a
cost OF approximately 100000. and
to he constructed of reinforced con-
crete and steel. is to be erected at the
intersection OF Boston and Fourth by
p. s, cosden within the next year.
Such was the announcement mace
last night at a meeting OF the school
board when that body was asked 10
join In the contract with the j. 5. Cos
den Refining company on a party-wall
agreement, whereby the school board
would bind the pun chaser Of the ad
joining site TO bear portion of the
cost Of erecting the wall adjoining the
ste. which yet remains in possession
OF the hoard
Representatives of Mr.. Cosden. who
H. absent from the city. appeared be-
fore the board and declared that plans
already had been completed for the
building. and that IL would be but the
matter cf "A few weeks until the con-
tract for the structure would he let.
by the time you hold school IN
this building during The next term"
said one OF Mr. Cosden's representa-.
tives, 1--WE will be so high with our
building that the noise will not bother
the school classes This was taken
by Principal Oberholtzer to mean that
work would be rushed to an early
completion.
FIRST official Word.
While II has been known for some
time that Mr.. Cosdcn was planning on
the erection of q building on the site
hc purchased from the school board
last summer. and sale of which has
been upheld in the supreme court. 1t
was not known until las; night what
character of a building was to be
erected.
For some weeks there have been
reports among the civil engineering
fraternity that Mr.. Cosden had asked
for grades and lines on the site, which
indicated that he was having plans
drawn. particularly for the basement
Within the past month portion
of the clerical force of the Cosden
company, which occupies greater
portion of the upper floors of the
Daniel building, have been placed in
n room on the ground floor because
of inadequate quarters.
The members of the school board
were informed that the building
would be one of the most modern in
this part of the country. and" said
one of Mr.. Cosden's representatives,
the building will be of such char
acter that 1t will greatly enhance the
price of the property which the
school hoard now holds adjacent to
the site where the new building will
be located"
The plans for the new building II
was declared, have been prepared by
the architect and that several con-
ferenccs upon them had been held.
with a result that the final plans and
details only await the arrival in Tulsa
of Mr.. Cosden. when they will be
accepted and the contract awarded.
Affects Park Plan.
With the final announcement that
Mr.. CosGcn is prepared to begin the
erection Of this, Tulsa's highest office
building. the plan fostereG hy the lead
inp civic organization OF the city for
the location on the school grounds OF
a civic center and downtown park
temporarily will be held up. IT was
part of this plan, and certainly a
point upon which 1t was contingent,
that Mr.. Cosden dispose of his prop
erty 10 the school board, after which it
should hc diverted as 2 part of the on
tire block to the city for use of 4
park Tho suggestion hes been made
that Mr. Cosden might erect the build
ing on another site. This may be sug-
\rcstcd to him when h reaches the
b - only other piece of property
on This block of land not held by the
school board. is that tract which re-
Gently was purchased at the corner Of
Fourth and Cincinnati by Mayor John
H. simmons for the city, AMI at a cost
of S25,00l. 1t ie upon this size that
the new city hall is TO he erected at
a cost Of approximately 800. 400. Plans
for this building are now being drawn,
Mayor Simmons has stated, and will
include quarters for all city offices, q
largo auditorium for the smaller con-
Z ventions attracted to this city, and
HeadGtG rtcrs for the civic organza-
<tions IF Tulsa, especially the Chamber
of Commerce, the Retail Merchants
association and the Traffic association.
II was the plan of thuse Interested
in seeing a city park established on
the school ground site, TO have this
city hail erected IN the south side OF
the block, the northern portion being
reserved entirely FOR rark, which
would be beautifed with trees, flower
beds and fountain. making of 1t an
ideal downtown rest spot.
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