The organization responsible for protecting the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings is being sued by the owners of Price Tower, the skyscraper that the architect built in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
In a filing made on October 21, Copper Tree Group, which has owned Price Tower since March 2023, argues that the activities of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy have hampered its ability to sell the building in recent months. The move is the latest exchange between the two organizations that began in August when the Conservancy filed a claim against Price Tower’s owners after it became apparent that Wright-designed fittings and furniture had been removed from the building.
The items, which included a directory board, architectural copper relief panels, and copper tables, had been placed with 20c Design, a mid-century design dealer in Dallas, Texas. These furnishings are protected under an easement that was agreed in 2011 between the Conservancy and the nonprofit that previously ran the building. Copper Tree Group has claimed that this easement was “extinguished” after it acquired the building from the nonprofit as it did not sign the easement.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Washington County, Oklahoma, seeks to make the Conservancy’s previous lawsuit void, to prevent the Conservancy from further interference in the sale of the building, and to award Copper Tree Group a minimum of $75,000 in damages.
“The Conservancy’s interference was an unfair act without justification,” the suit reads. “The Conservancy intentionally interfered with plaintiffs’ business relationships and expectancies with prospective purchasers, causing a breach an termination of the relationships.”
In a statement addressing the legal action, the Conservancy emphasized its strong objections “to the baseless claims of this lawsuit and stands by the terms of its easement.” It explained that the group had intended to file suit against Copper Tree to enforce the easement in August, but decided to settle the matter out of court. According to the Conservancy, it received assurance from Copper Tree that no further objects from the collection would be sold and that the group would be permitted to discuss the easement with any potential buyers of the building.
“The Conservancy continued good faith discussions in the interest of preserving the Price Tower and its collection, while Green Copper was apparently preparing a suit instead,” the Conservancy said in its statement, adding that it “remains committed to preserving the Price Tower and the easement-protected items from the collection and ensuring that the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright and his creation in Bartlesville endures.”
Price Tower will go for auction on the online platform Ten-X from Oct 7 to 9. Photo: Ten-X.
The latest legal volley represents the increasing lengths that Copper Tree Group, which is run by Cynthia Blanchard, is applying to clear the way for the sale of the building. In mid-August, Price Tower was shuttered and its businesses forced to relocate after Blanchard claimed the financial difficulties facing the building were insurmountable.
The 19-story concrete and copper structure was set to be auctioned off on Ten-X, a digital commercial real estate auction platform, in early October before McFarlin Building Company, a Tulsa-based property developer, intervened with a legal notice. McFarlin’s manager, John Snyder, claimed that Blanchard had already promised to sell Price Tower on May 23 for $1.3 million. The case remains unresolved. Neither Ten-X nor Green Copper have commented publicly on any development, but Price Tower’s listing was moved to November 18.
When Blanchard bought Price Tower, the only skyscraper Wright built, for a nominal $10 last year, she promised to pay down the property’s $600,000 debt and invest $10 million. Neither of these happened. McFarlin has a reputation for redeveloping historic Oklahoma landmarks and has indicated a willingness to invest up to $10 million.
“We are ready to work with any new owner as partners in the building’s preservation,” a spokesperson for the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy previously said via email. “The sooner a qualified buyer who can take on this important project can be finalized, the better for this building.”