Bringing Back The Mayo

Friday, August 24th 2007, 4:45 pm

By: News On 6

Crews are making over the Mayo. The historic Tulsa hotel is being remodeled from the top down. News On 6 anchor Terry Hood reports investors have committed $35 million to renovating the downtown icon.

The first couple floors of the Mayo have already been remodeled. But some of the old Tulsa glamour is still missing. Many still ask about the grand staircase, it is coming back in this next renovation, but crews have a much taller order upstairs.

"When you walk upstairs it's like your walking back in time," architect Joel Slaughter said.

Time hasn't been kind to the Mayo Hotel. Architect Joel Slaughter points out the relics of days past, like a door inside a door. Hotel guests could leave their dirty laundry inside for staff to take for cleaning.

"Guy comes around, opens the door, takes the stuff out, and you never have to come to the door," said Slaughter.

As Slaughter passes the 13th floor he knows it's going to take more than luck to bring back the Mayo's magic.

"It's not just a building. It's a memory," he said. "People had a memory here, and people cherish that memory."

Nowhere were more memories made than in the Crystal Ballroom, now not as sparkling as it once was.

"It's like walking in the Titanic, something like a Titanic. You walk in and it's a ghost," said Slaughter.

The stage that saw everyone from Elvis to Ella Fitzgerald now sits quiet. Outside the ballroom, Slaughter has 14 floors to renovate, half will be high-end apartments, the other half a hotel. Not to mention the penthouse patio with a panoramic of downtown.

Slaughter is convinced he can leave his 21st century footprint on a piece of Tulsa history, and make it the pillar of the city skyline it once was.

"Once it's brought back to the grandeur it once had I think there's gonna be that interest level that people just can't stay away," he said.

The Mayo hopes to have people moving in by the fall of 2009.

The first floor at the Mayo is a popular spot for wedding receptions and books up months in advance. The Mayo's manager is seeing the same interest in the other 16 floors. At least six people have already called about renting apartments.

Watch the video: Restoring The Mayo Hotel