Commission approves Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza on historic Main/Robinson site

The Downtown Design Commission unanimously approved plans on Jan. 16 for the Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza at the former Katz Drug Store site near Robinson and Main streets, clearing the way for life-size sculptures and interpretive panels to memorialize Oklahoma City’s 1958 sit-ins.

Applicant representatives and committee members described a multi-year, privately funded effort led by the Clara Luper Statuary Plaza Foundation and the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority. Holt Lefever, representing the applicant and owner, said the developer and foundation raised funds and coordinated approvals; John Kennedy, the former chair of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, summarized the project’s long history of committee work and national connections to sculptors and fabricators.

Committee members and witnesses stressed historical accuracy. Marilyn Luper Hildreth, who was a child at the time of the 1958 sit-ins and is included in the design, spoke about the movement’s nonviolent roots and the project’s educational goals. Architect Colin Fleck described a simple hardscape intended to make the sculptures the visual focus and said interpretation panels would be concealed in limestone walls so visitors can meander through “chapters” of the story.

Staff recommended approval after reviewing the plaza’s materials, sightlines and design; staff also noted the site’s urban-renewal history and that existing fountain features and several large trees would remain. Commissioners asked about construction staging, temporary accessibility during work and the ability for children to interact with the display; the design team said life-size figures and an intentional empty stool would allow visitors, including children, to engage with the exhibit.

The motion to approve passed by voice vote; the transcript records the approval as motion passing and later notes a 5–0 recorded vote for the item.