Brady District

[DowntownNow]

Grizzle...I'm simply relaying the information that was shared at a recent Typros event.  One can assume the bulk of urban dwelling units will be geared to up and coming young professionals that live, work and play in the downtown area. 

I would be curious if anyone associated with the developments currently underway has done any kind of market analysis or survey to verify that there is enough support for their particular price point, number and  size of unit.  I want to see residential happen in downtown but what I would hate to see is a vast number of projects sitting emply because development cost demands a higher-than-the-market-will-bear price point or a glut of units is created that is unsupported right now and especially in today's market economy.  Hence the exercise above.

[sgrizzle]

But this price is.. about 1/2 of what most of the new developments are charging.

[OurTulsa]

$1.10/SF seems reasonable, if not a low, particularly for new construction/downtown living even if there really isn't a 'downtown' to live in just yet...even for Tulsa.  Isn't that about what individuals pay for Swan Lake/Maple Ridge garage apartments? 

[Ihearttacos]

I'd like to point out the Philtower lofts as a downtown living example.  Their prices range around $1.50-$1.60 per SF and being a young professional I find that I am not going to pay that much to be stuck in a location that offers nothing in return except possibly a walk to work.  This is a luxury type living and that  includes the smallest apartment at 772 sf being $1,220. According to their web site the Philtower Lofts have 5 vacancies out of 26.  Not a good ratio for an owner who expects to have income from those properties.

Downtown is still developing and we do need to infuse downtown with more living options.  I used to live downtown in the Brady District three years back.  I had a laughable rent price of $300 that people would drool over for a studio apt.  I know that at that time I was lucky to have such a situation strait out of college.  I believe that the Blair charges around $550 for their apartments and minus the kitchen spaces being tiny and outdated it's a fair downtown price and they keep them filled.  I loved living downtown and miss it greatly, I wish I had been around long enough to walk to the restaurants that have filled in the area.

To be fair I would never pay $900 for a 500 sf apartment.  I think with this economy and unemployment I see people downsizing and learning to live more on less.  People are looking for good, safe, convenient, affordable housing and there just isn't enough of it in Tulsa. 

To address what I'd like to see in the Brady area:  I love the idea of having a stall market for produce, local goods, with bakeries and small food stands.  I think this would provide quick affordable lunch eating for downtown workers and more foot traffic.  Philly has a great one downtown, I used to go there for Amish goodies and hot pretzels.  This is also one of my favorite foreign destinations...I always look for the local markets and get things like empandas, ice cream, fresh squeezed juice drinks, fresh breads, cheeses, premade sandwiches, etc.   
To draw more people from outside of the local downtown dwellers there needs to be more storefronts opening up their doors into the evenings.  I think we should encourage more wide range retail and gift stores to give it a more shoppable feel, where people feel like exploring, one or two specialty stores doesn't really draw the consumers that make it successful. 

[TheArtist]

It is still tricky in this town. The urban areas still arent that, well, urban, and dont currently offer what they will in the future. They just arent that desirable yet. So you really are still competing with homes and apartments that are much cheaper nearby. I like the idea of urban living, but right now what we have is not that much more desirable than where I am at. Or at least not twice as desirable. When I can pay around 900 a month for a 2,000 sq foot house fairly nearby,,, why pay 900 for 500 or 600 sq feet? Downtown may be more desirable for some people, but not THAT much more desirable,,,yet.  5 years or so from now we may be singing a different tune.

[OurTulsa]

I thought there was a thread related to the subject of this article or maybe I read about it elsewhere.  This article was in Sunday's World. 

I think in 5 years the Brady district will be largely unrecognizable.

I continue to marvel at the improvements this man is making happen for Tulsa.  At this point, I care not if there is any selfish motivation...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090614_11_A1_Electr944568


Brady area stretching boundaries
A $6 million project will connect BOK Center and Greenwood.

An artist's rendering shows a view of an intersection in the Brady District after the new streetscaping is completed. Courtesy of Bing Thom Architects 
By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 6/14/2009  2:25 AM
Last Modified: 6/14/2009  3:24 AM

The Brady District downtown is readying itself for a transformation that will stretch beyond its boundaries to connect the BOK Center and the Greenwood District.

The $6 million Brady Village Green Sustainability Project is one of the key elements of the plans, exciting many property owners and merchants in the district.

Adding to the mix are an array of other development activities ranging from residential units to art and entertainment venues that are brewing in or near the district.

"This could not be a better circumstance with everyone rowing in the same direction with the people who have the money, and the people who don't have money," said civil engineer Tom Wallace, a business and property owner in the Brady District.

"If we plan it right and make room for everyone to be successful here, we can have a wonderful place where people just want to come," he said. "Isn't that cool?"

Stanton Doyle, senior program officer of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, said the consensus among Brady District stakeholders is that the first step to expediting development is the creation of a sense of place, which starts by defining an identity.

The Kaiser foundation became interested in beautifying the Brady District a few years back. It and the city purchased the Mathews Warehouse on Brady Street to be renovated for art-related activity.

The foundation also thought green space was important for the area and purchased property directly north of the Mathews Warehouse with plans to convert the block into a district square to provide a focal point, Doyle said.

The park plans include converting a trucking dock on the site into a pavilion for an open market, having a small stage area and installing streetscaping around the park.

The foundation decided not to focus just on its projects in hopes of spurring other activity. Instead, it hired consultants to facilitate talks with stakeholders in the Brady, Greenwood and Blue Dome districts to develop a common vision for the area north of downtown, he said.

"The point is not to create a new entertainment district, but bring a unified look throughout the connector streets to draw people in while keeping the historic authenticity of each area," Doyle said.

Ken Levit, executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, said a lot of people have worked on this a long time.

"It is our hope of stitching all of this together in a cohesive way to create a destination for the region," he said.

At a stakeholders meeting on Friday, the foundation presented the conceptual drawings gathered from feedback on what is envisioned as a unified look for the area.
Greening up
Jeff Stava, executive director of the Tulsa Beautification Foundation, said even with the new downtown ballpark being built in Greenwood, "there is nothing that aesthetically draws you into the Brady area. Likewise, there is nothing to draw BOK Center visitors."

That is why, he said, the streetscaping becomes a vital piece of the plan.

"We want to create an intimate feel of an area with a town square and shops that caters to pedestrians," he said.

Incorporating sustainable green elements into public portions of the plan that deal with streets, sidewalks and the park opened the opportunity to obtain $2.58 million in federal stimulus money.

Those funds are being matched with $2.58 million from the Kaiser foundation. Where the remaining funding to cover the $6 million plan will come from has yet to be determined, Levit said.

The proposed "green" features funded by the stimulus money include 500 trees to line nearly all of the streets in the district, providing shade to reduce hot temperatures. The effort will stretch east into the Greenwood District to connect the new ballpark, ONEOK Field, and to the west near the BOK Center.

The installation of the trees will begin in the Greenwood District because of the ballpark's spring 2010 opening deadline, and then move west toward Brady.

Other street and sidewalk features being proposed include bioswales that collect rainwater to be reused in landscape planters and tree areas, recycled tree grates, and energy-efficient LED street lighting. There's even talk of trying to narrow the streets and widen the sidewalks.

The Brady square area will house an underground, energy-efficient, geothermal heating and cooling system to serve the Mathews Warehouse and other surrounding buildings. It's hoped the system can expand to service the entire area, including OSU-Tulsa, Stava said.

Solar panels will be placed on top of the proposed pavilion in the square, which will be used to operate the geothermal wells, Doyle said.

In addition to the sustainability features, proposed streetscaping amenities include brick pavers integrated into the streets and sidewalks, pole banners, drinking fountains, sidewalk furniture, trash cans and bicycle racks. No design decisions have been made on those items.

There also will be efforts to provide lighting under the Interstate 244 overpasses on certain streets to encourage pedestrian traffic from areas like OSU-Tulsa.


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DEVELOPING THE BRADY DISTRICT
Development activity doesn't just involve the George Kaiser Family Foundation. other projects are set to begin or are in the works. Some are in the fundraising process. Here are some highlights:
307 E. Brady St.

The Kaiser foundation purchased the property initially to resell to the Tulsa Stadium Trust. Instead, the top floor of the building is being converted into affordable rental units for some Teach for America teachers.

The Living Arts Center is set to be housed in the ground floor. It is a contemporary art center for exhibits that include installations and performance art, along with musical performances and video screenings. It also provides space for working artist.

The building is under construction and set for occupancy in late August, Doyle said.

Mathews Warehouse

The city's portion of the building is being leased to the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa for its Visual Arts Center. Funds are being raised and construction is expected to start in late fall with completion in 2011.

The Kaiser foundation's side will be used by the Philbrook museum of Art for its new Philbrook Adkins Collection and Study Center. Demolition is under way and completion on that side of the building is set for sometime in 2010.

ONEOK Field

The new downtown ballpark is east of the Brady District in the historic Greenwood area. The 6,200 seat stadium will be home to the city's Double A baseball team, the Tulsa Drillers. It is under construction and set to open by spring 2010.

John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park

The park, which will memorialize Tulsa's 1921 race riot, is also located in the Greenwood District just across the street from its boundary with the Brady District.

The park is planned to include bronze tablets recounting the riot and two large-scale pieces by Denver sculptor Ed Dwight. A museum and research library are planned to eventually accompany the park.

Tribune II

American residential Group plans to begin construction on its Tribune II residential project in late fall. It is located directly west of the Tribune Lofts and will include 63 rental units and a parking garage that would serve both it and the lofts.



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P.J. Lassek 581-8382
pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com

[sgrizzle]

Read all of the amazing things going on in Brady in OurTulsa's post above and keep in ind this is just the announced/in progress stuff. Kaiser and friends have plenty of storage space in their well-tailored sleeves.

[cannon_fodder]

That's just awesome.  If all that comes together, or even most of that comes together . . . it will not be recognizable. I'd find it difficult for people to deny that downtown was "catching on" and life could continue to build downtown.

[T-TownMike]

It's nice to see some moves towards improving the area. I can't wait to see some sustainability in downtown that helps draw the masses into a destination type area. I like the potential of the area.

[FOTD]

It looks great on paper....BUT, where's the Parking!?

TPA!?

Again, where the hell are all those baseball fans going to park nearby? And, what if Cain's or The Brady Theater have gigs going on simultaneously?

Area businesses s/b concerned.

[Townsend]

It looks great on paper....BUT, where's the Parking!?

TPA!?

Again, where the hell are all those baseball fans going to park nearby? And, what if Cain's or The Brady Theater have gigs going on simultaneously?

Area businesses s/b concerned.

Are you being serious?

[FOTD]

Are you being serious?

[Townsend]

just checking