The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I hope this happens

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0607/431291.html

all without taxpayer funding, but I'm a little confused as to where this is going to go.

I realize they say on the west bank of the river between 11th and 21st Streets.  But there is stuff already there, like Westport Apartments, the Ampatheater, the Riverparks area where Oktoberfest and other events are held, and McMichael Concrete.  Are some or all of those places going away?  Are we going to get into some eminent domain issue with private property?

Just a few questions.

The only thing between 11th Street and 21st street on the West Bank of the river that is not developed is public land.  The concrete plant is South of 21st street and hence not between the two.

I really really really hope they get rid of that plant and develop that area (which coincidentally is about 150 acres) and leave the river parks alone.  I would hope a developer can see the advantage of having a nice green space nearby not to mention the major events it attracts several times each year.  Basically, I love Oktoberfest [:P].

Good news regardless, lets hope they do it right!  I'm excited to hear the official announcement but shall attempt to temper my enthusiasm until the bulldozers roll in.  I'm sure the old guard will do their best to stop any positive developments in Tulsa... somehow (usually throw incompetence).

I've got a better idea, let's build another low water dam, some islands, and.... wait I've heard that tune before. [:I]

The Concrete plant is NORTH of 21st. There was once a option on this property by the Channels bunch, which was said to have expired in March.

The City of Tulsa Public Works Dept is SOUTH of 21st (i.e., "23rd", so as to not be associated with the "21st Street" crowd).

And, just west of the concrete plant is one of the largest Section 8 housing projects in the city.

Seems the only way for anything to get done is for the City/County to back completely off and let free market forces work. Besides, they both (city/county) see it as a means to tax us all more. And, from their perspective, nothing can happen until they do.

Here's another link:
http://tulsabusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=35193024.2218592.588263.9376141.5075734.352&aID2=45242

Looks like it's definitely between 11th and 21st.  I'm withholding all judgment till I see plans.  150 acres isn't enough to include a ballpark, right?

Nice to see the Branson Landig folks might make good.

I would imagine a mixed public/private plan that gives festival space as well as shopping and retail.

According to the TBJ article, Branson landig (with Bass pro) was $430M and this project is $550M.

This might make Riverwalk seem like a mini-mart...

Lets hope we get the tram and structured parking too...

Probably going to be something very similar to this, with the Riverparks trail running between the development and the river.  They'll certainly be buying out Westport, which is willing to sell as we've already seen.  

(http://www.bransonlanding.com/images/NEW_BIG_MAP.gif)

i really hope this happens but i don't think it will be private-

"A local company, HCW Development Co., was hired to develop Branson Landing, but a large portion of the financing came from local and state funds. In 2003 the Missouri Department of Economic Development approved the state's largest-ever tax increment financing district for the project, providing $54 million in funding over 19 years for the convention center and infrastructure. Politics were another challenge. A number of public meetings and discussions were held to discuss funding. "The city is issuing bonds that have to be repaid, which had to be discussed in public many, many times," Huels says."

I would love to see this area developed, but my concern is the large area of section 8 housing just west of this development. Kinda a high crime area.

Just being section 8 doesn't make it high crime. This little area is surrounded by a lot of industrial and largely ignored city-wise. As the area moves from industrial to commercial, the whole are will change.

Those apartments are as close to the proposed area as the 51/Yale slum is to Promenade, and we all know how that worked out for the Promenade.

I hope that river development has windows and patios on the river, maybe even have some elements over the river.

And the likelihood of these fair-weather freemarketers NOT extorting TIFF $ is zero, no chance.

I wish the city would do something about the Apartments at 51st and Yale.

lol, the 51st and Yale area is GHETTO!  A friend of mine lived in the not so ghetto apartments just behind the YMCA.  Between the Church and YMCA (church separates from the worse apartments).

Anyway, he walked to the convenient store (read liquor and lotto store) back in there and on his way back was SWARMED by police.  Basically they found it suspicious that a white man in a polo was hanging out in that area.  They thought he must be there to sell drugs and pretty frankly told him so.  This guy is a stereo typical laid back Seattle guy and not prone to hyperbole, so I have no reason to doubt him.

/story was funny when he told me.   [V]

51st and yale will turnaround soon as brookside influence spreads. I see I-44 as the cultural divide in the not-so-far future. If they ever cutoff the peoria/riverside intersection, that could make it worse.