We've unfortunately found another location for a new Braum's!
We have learned via the Ogle Mole Network that The Habana Inn – or as Sally Kern calls it, "Terrorist Cell 5038" – is on the local real estate market.
A cornerstone of the "Gayborhood" near NW 39th and Penn, the hotel is billed as "The Southwest's Largest Gay Resort." Home to the famed Copa Nightclub and a hopefully chlorinated swimming pool, the Habana has been a gathering spot of the OKC LGBTQ community, truckers and Oklahoma politicians for decades.
The property is on the market for only $2.4 million, and is sadly being marketed as a "an excellent opportunity for a tear down and re-use."
Here are more details via Hotel Broker One:
This property is a 170 room exterior corridor, limited service, two-story hotel. It includes a casual restaurant with private rooftop bar, two nightclubs, two outdoor pools, and a gift shop. According to the hotel's website it is known as "The Southwest's Largest Gay Resort". The hotel is known for its friendly staff, trendy bar, and welcoming attitude to the LGBTQ community. The hotel is offered significantly under replacement cost and at approximate land value. With 4.14 acres and over 1000 feet of Interstate frontage the property is an excellent opportunity for a tear down and re-use.
To be clear, the building has not been sold, but the fact that it's being pushed as "an excellent opportunity for a tear down and re-use" has to raise more alarms than a gay student enrolling at Southern Nazarene University. As we've learned over the years, developers really don't give a shit about the cultural, architectural and nostalgic significance of real estate. Hopefully, some rich gay person buys the hotel, sinks some money into much-needed renovations, and the cornerstone of OKC's gay culture will remain open for business.
