Saving Pawhuska's historic 'Triangle' building

The Triangle Building in Pawhuska is targeted for demolition if someone doesn't step forward soon with a plan to save it. <br><br>News on 6 reporter Rick Wells was in Pawhuska Friday as local preservationists

Friday, February 20th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The Triangle Building in Pawhuska is targeted for demolition if someone doesn't step forward soon with a plan to save it.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells was in Pawhuska Friday as local preservationists looked for someone to help them fend off the wrecking ball.

"This is a real cool little town." Donovan Rypkema is an economic development consultant. He looks at lots of historic buildings with an eye toward preservation. He's in Pawhuska to take a look at the Triangle building. It was built in 1913. One of only two triangle shaped buildings in Oklahoma.

It was home to many of the big oil deals in Osage County, but in recent years has been home to pigeons mostly. â€œYou can have an almost unlimited range of choices of what to do with these floors." He says the place doesn't look very good all the falling plaster and pigeon droppings but structurally this is a sound building.

He knows that because, the windows still open and close. The windows are also a problem. The glass has fallen out and that's a hazard to people on the sidewalk, that and the roosting pigeons caused the City Council in Pawhuska to declare the building a public nuisance.

Itâ€™ll be torn down if someone doesn't do something with it. Matt Schoenholz is one of two Tulsa developers who'd like to. "I'd love to have the building just be residential, cultural and retail." He's working on his proposal and hopes to have the opportunity to give the building new life and says he has commitments from potential occupants.

Rypkema: "The most important component ever in making these things work. The most important ingredient is not money it is time and flexibility." Unfortunately, for those concerned with saving this unique structure, time and flexibility are running out.

Preserve Pawhuska owns the building, and they've set a March 31st deadline for any development proposals to be completed.