TULSA, Okla. (AP) - An iconic building in downtown Tulsa that was once the world headquarters for televangelist Oral Roberts’ ministries is losing its distinctive diamond shaped facade for safety reasons.
The Tulsa World reports workers are removing the diamond-shaped slabs of granite that cover the Abundant Life Building,
The building was originally constructed in 1958 but has been vacant since the 1980s. Its ownership has changed hands several times over the years. It’s now owned by Sharp Development.
Brian Elliott, with Sharp Development, on Friday said several of the diamonds have fallen on this own.
“We’d like to be able to keep the building, so we’re doing what we can to get a better look at what’s there,” Elliott told the newspaper in an email. “We’re trying to keep as many diamonds unbroken as possible and are happy to entertain ideas for their re-use.”
Preservation Oklahoma chose the windowless structure as one of 2016’s most endangered historic places. Preservationists say the building exemplifies at-risk mid-century architecture and is woven into the fabric of Tulsa’s past.
The building had been subject to several nuisance violations between 2004 and 2014. A trespasser died in 2013 after falling down an elevator shaft.
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