ENID, OK - Last Spring I attended the auction of the Broadway Tower. I was a little surprised when the auction ended before it began. We were told that the auction had been called off and the owners were going to do direct negotiations with a potential buyer.
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Months later Eli Berry has announced the the iconic Enid structure has now been sold to an out of state investment group. Eli's father, Bob Berry, and Lew Ward have owned the building since 1981. The new owners have not given details as to what they have planned for the building but have hired local resident Brad Waken as property manager.
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The tall building was reportedly purchased for $250,000. Many in Enid were surprised that such a large building could be purchased so cheaply. I have personally been told that the "real" cost is going to be in the renovation and updating which is what kept most local parties from buying the building. We've heard of safety issues with the elevators and fire escapes. Information from the auctioneers indicated that the building was operating at a steady month to month loss after operating expenses.
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Another downfall of the building has been the parking situation. Most of the limited parking owned by the Broadway Tower is located across the street in an unattached parking lot. With the addition of the new Event Center, parking will come at a premium downtown.
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There are currently around two dozen businesses occupying the Broadway Tower with right at 100 employees. All current leases will be honored through their lease dates.
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Broadway Tower was built in 1931 by McMillen and Shelton Construction Company (photo below). The Broadway Development Company hired George Ernst von Blumenauer of Enid, and an Oklahoma City firm to design the building, in the Art Deco style. It was reportedly built as a reaction to the Bass Building and Youngblood Hotel, which were located on the west side of the downtown Enid Square. The Broadway Tower was supposedly built on the east side of the Square to support businesses closer to the east side of Enid. A group of disgruntled businessmen formed a corporation and built the building. The corporation that built the tower did not last long and went bankrupt in 1932.
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In 1943, Mr. Garrison Munger, Sr. purchased the building. It remained in his family's ownership until 1981. It was then owned by Tower Investment Company and Oklahoma partnership. The building is the tallest in Enid at 14 or 15 stories tall. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985.
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Enid's Broadway Tower is Sold
