Step back in time at the biggest private preservation effort in OKC history

Dear valued subscribers,

Welcome to Don't Miss Reads, our weekly newsletter highlighting some of our editors' favorite stories, photos and videos that you might have missed.

I'm Ryan Sharp, news director at The Oklahoman. This week, our expert on everything downtown Oklahoma City, Steve Lackmeyer, wrote about what's coming fairly soon with the renovated First National Center. The 32-story art-deco tower is the biggest private preservation effort in city history.

Apartments will be the first thing to open at the historic First National Center, but several restaurants, bars, retail options and a 146-room boutique hotel are soon to follow. Steve's story points out that most of the food and beverage venues will be in the Great Banking Hall and vaults that were part of First National Bank when it opened in the 1930s.

If you've been inside the First National Center, you know how cool it is to take the escalator up to the Great Banking Hall and to feel like you've stepped back in time. Now you'll be able to have a drink or dinner in those same spaces. Stepping inside the massive door of a 100-year-old bank vault and ordering a drink? Sign me up.

Steve's story on what's to come for First National Center and the incredible photos that accompany the story are great examples of the work The Oklahoman does covering downtown development.

If you missed Steve's story, and the incredible photo gallery, I hope you'll take some time and see what's coming soon to Oklahoma City.

Below are links to more of our editors' favorite stories of the past week or beyond. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Step back in time at the biggest private preservation effort in OKC history