Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic and only completed skyscraper, is set to change ownership for US$1.4 million after months of financial mismanagement and legal disputes. Located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a County judge enforced a May 2023 contract for the sale of the building to McFarlin Building Company, a Tulsa-based developer. McFarlin aims to restore operations for the 19-story high-rise. Funds from the sale will be held in court, addressing debts exceeding US$2 million owed by the current owner, Copper Tree and Green Copper Holdings, and to address proceeds from furnishings sold in August 2024—which include a rolling directory board, architectural copper relief panels, and an armchair—per preservation rules.
Copper Entities acquired the building in 2023 with promises to modernize it but failed to deliver, closing the building in August 2024 and shutting off utilities, risking damage amid frigid winter temperatures. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy has urged swift transfer to preservation-focused new owners.
McFarlin, known for restoring the Mayo Hotel and Frontier Hotel in Oklahoma, is expected to begin by restoring the building’s utilities and preparing for future revitalization.
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