Johnathan Russell, the former owner of Oklahoma City’s historic Gold Dome, died Sunday from heart failure, adding more confusion in determining the fate of the historic landmark.
Russell, who was 54, redeveloped a blighted historic stretch of buildings at NW 23 and Walker Avenue into what is now known as The Rise. He also bought the former downtown Holiday Inn south of the Civic Center Music Hall and sold it to a developer that converted it into micro-apartments.
Russell bought the Gold Dome in 2015 as it was threatened with demolition by the seller, David Box. His death and the delayed confirmation of the sale to developer Caleb Hill continue decades of frustrated efforts to bring the former bank back to life. Previous proposals included redevelopment as a Natural Grocers store, and the building was briefly converted into an Asian event center, a string of small retail shops and a restaurant and bar…