CityPlex Towers

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CityPlex Towers
CityPlex Towers
Location
Place Tulsa, Oklahoma, (US)
Organization
Care System Private
Hospital Type Community
Affiliated University Oral Roberts University
Services
Emergency Dept. Unknown
Beds Unknown
History
Founded 1981
Closed 1989
Links
Website Unknown
See also Hospitals in Oklahoma

CityPlex Towers is a large office space complex located at 81st Street and Lewis Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The facility was originally constructed by Oral Roberts University as City of Faith Medical and Research Center and meant to be a major charismatic Christian hospital. The complex is now mostly office space.

Contents

[edit] History

In 1977 Oral Roberts claimed to have a vision of a 900-foot (270 m)-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center, which would be a successful hospital.[1][2] While City of Faith was under construction between 1979 and 1981 Roberts claimed to have more visions of Jesus who encouraged him to continue the project.

The hospital accepted its first patient in November 1981. By 1986 the City of Faith was losing over $10 million dollars a year.[3] In 1987, with costs spiraling out of control, the medical center went largely vacant.[3] Roberts told a television audience unless he raised $8 million by March, God would "call him home" (a euphemism for death).[4] The donations goal was reached but Roberts soon began looking for buyers or people to manage the facility.[3] In 1989, only eight years after it opened, the City of Faith was $25 million in debt and Roberts closed the hospital (the last patient left on 16 October).[5] Most of the complex was converted to office space and leased out as CityPlex Towers.

[edit] Structure and use

There are three triangular towers with over 2,200,000 square feet (204,000 m²) of office space.[1] The tallest is the 60-story CityPlex Tower which at 648 feet (198 m) is the second tallest building in Oklahoma (after BOK Tower, formerly One Williams Center). The main CityPlex tower is flanked by 30-story CityPlex West Tower and 20-story CityPlex East Tower, which are 348 feet (106 m) and 248 ft (76 m) high. Below the fifth floor all three towers are joined within a structure called the base building. The spacious complex includes three auditoriums with theatre-style seating, a fitness center, cafeteria, food court, convenience store and catering services.[6] Cityplex West is wholly vacant above the ninth floor (many floors are unfinished from the time of construction). The 60th floor features a dining room with a panoramic view of the Arkansas River and Tulsa.

Two towers are non-medical. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America was in CityPlex West until April 2005 when they built their own facility. Orthopedic Hospital of Oklahoma, an orthopedic speciality hospital, operates on the lower floors of Cityplex West and the base building. Christian radio station KXOJ has studios and offices there with transmitting equipment at the top of the 60 story tower. The leasing agent claims the complex is now a major site for call centers.[7] The facility was 50% occupied in May 2007.[8]

A large bronze sculpture called Praying Hands sat directly in front of the lobby with a series of fountains and streams headed towards the street until 1992 when it was moved to the nearby campus entrance of Oral Roberts University.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ideas and Trends: Oral Roberts's Word on Cancer," New York Times Jan 30, 1983
  2. ^ "Oral Roberts' Ministry Hits a 'Low Spot'," Dallas Morning News Jan 5, 1986
  3. ^ a b c Ostling, Richard. "Raising Eyebrows and the Dead", Time, Feb. 07, 1972. Retrieved on 2007-01-04. 
  4. ^ Randi, James (1989), The Faith Healers, Prometheus Books, ISBN 0-87975-369-2 and ISBN 0-87975-535-0 pages 186
  5. ^ "Tulsans have seen upheaval before but are concerned how it affects students.", Tulsa World, October 7, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-04. 
  6. ^ CityPlex website
  7. ^ http://www.cityplextowers.com/tour-callcenters.htm retrieved 08 October 2007
  8. ^ NewsOK.com, John Estus and Tony Thornton, How City of Faith Led to Fall, 2 Dec 2007, retrieved 4 Dec 2007
  9. ^ RoadsideAmerica World's Largest Praying Hands retrieved 08 October 2007

[edit] External links

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