Proposed re-use of Roosevelt School

[Conan71]

Thank you for making to easy to look at the files.

It shows levels of contamination consistent with an indoor facility storing used cars for twenty years. It also suggests reasonable measures taken during construction to remediate the problems.

I don't know why you thought this was some Chicken Little screaming "the sky is falling" report. Yes, old cars can leak motor oil if parked for decades. Yes, you are probably going to do some cleanup of the site. Yes, I am sure that work is anticipated before they build on the land.

So it's not a superfund after all, eh?

[Truman]

"bombthrower"  Don't remember ever being called that.


When Tulsa Now, was in it's infancy, I knew a fellow that was set on having employees on as many Boards, Agencies, etc. as contacts. Seems he did not trust the info he was given through the usual sources.
Possibly all that has changed. One can fold their hands and listen to the media, read the paper, and await the Bureaucratic statement released by the "parties involved".

In the above case, I thought, this organization deserved to know exactly what facts Fred Perry, and Karen Keith, etc. had been given the day before the Tulsa World story.

If the readers on this forum are content with "The truth" as the officials want them to have it; you will not have me giving life to any further outlandish stories.

Before I go, you wanted something in print. Here you go Sir.


http://www.mediafire.com/?jybq657lvaz11

 

Thank you for making to easy to look at the files.

It shows levels of contamination consistent with an indoor facility storing used cars for twenty years. It also suggests reasonable measures taken during construction to remediate the problems.

I don't know why you thought this was some Chicken Little screaming "the sky is falling" report. Yes, old cars can leak motor oil if parked for decades. Yes, you are probably going to do some cleanup of the site. Yes, I am sure that work is anticipated before they build on the land.

Reading comprehension is not your strong suit is it?

Either that or you know more than the DEQ personnel combined.

The findings trace back to "Norris" more than Storey. But you knew that.

[Vision 2025]

Reading comprehension is not your strong suit is it?

Either that or you know more than the DEQ personnel combined.

The findings trace back to "Norris" more than Storey. But you knew that.

Well Truman, I fail to understand your motive here but what is clear is that you are willing to make up your own facts to support it as little if anything of what you stated is true.  Especially your claims of "clean too clean" but where you really exposed yourself is your unfounded claim that PCB's were found which is simply untrue as the documentation you linked to clearly states.  So in your own words I guess "you know more than the DEQ" published in their certified report which is dated AFTER the fixed contract time for closing expired.

As one who was there during this process, in my opinion, this is a good site and the present conditions do not preclude a valuable reuse of it and depending on that reuse it may or may not require remediation as perhaps hundreds of other sites in the city might also.  The difference here is that when your proposed future use will have people sleeping on a redeveloped former industrial site the allowable contaminate threshold established by the EPA and administered by the ODEQ (that's why the agency was directly involved) is quite low, as it should be, and in my observation confirmation that it would be met could not be provided in the time allowed and the agreement expired. 

In closing, the owner's and the County have now learned a great deal about this site and I will state without reservation that the family was 125% cooperative from day one and are in no way due any criticism whatsoever on thier poropsed sale and I predict that we will all see this site re-purposed in the future.

[Truman]

Well Truman, I fail to understand your motive here but what is clear is that you are willing to make up your own facts to support it as little if anything of what you stated is true.  Especially your claims of "clean too clean" but where you really exposed yourself is your unfounded claim that PCB's were found which is simply untrue as the documentation you linked to clearly states.  So in your own words I guess "you know more than the DEQ" published in their certified report which is dated AFTER the fixed contract time for closing expired.

As one who was there during this process, in my opinion, this is a good site and the present conditions do not preclude a valuable reuse of it and depending on that reuse it may or may not require remediation as perhaps hundreds of other sites in the city might also.  The difference here is that when your proposed future use will have people sleeping on a redeveloped former industrial site the allowable contaminate threshold established by the EPA and administered by the ODEQ (that's why the agency was directly involved) is quite low, as it should be, and in my observation confirmation that it would be met could not be provided in the time allowed and the agreement expired. 

In closing, the owner's and the County have now learned a great deal about this site and I will state without reservation that the family was 125% cooperative from day one and are in no way due any criticism whatsoever on thier poropsed sale and I predict that we will all see this site re-purposed in the future.

Kirby, "clean too clean" were the exact words used by someone from the DEQ.

"PCB's" were at a time when they had located the electrical equipment. Once again, this was a verbal update on the tests, they were referencing the electrical transformer.  Sorry, if that was misleading.

Finally, I in no way meant to infer that Storey was trying to hide anything.
My point was, the remediation of the site, may have been to costly for there to have been enough of a profit for Storey.

[TulsaRufnex]

Meeting on Thursday...

Wish I could go to support the new Oklahoma School of Visual and Performing Arts.... but ironically.... I have an opera rehearsal that night.

OPNA Members and Friends,

I wanted to share the information that I received from Tulsa Public Schools regarding Roosevelt. It looks like the Oklahoma School of Visual and Performing Arts still wants to become our neighbor.

Here is the email I received:

Dear Home Owners Association liaisons,

Please note the attached information regarding a neighborhood forum that will be held on Thursday, April 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,  in the  Roosevelt gymnasium.  Please forward this information to your respective neighborhood association email lists and don't hesitate to contact us if you need more information.

The attached document explains the nature of the forum with additional contact information and we look forward to answering any questions that you might have next week.



Best,

Paula Wood

Director of School and Community Relations

Tulsa Public Schools

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting,

Cheers,
David Moore
OPNA

[Conan71]

Meeting on Thursday...

Wish I could go to support the new Oklahoma School of Visual and Performing Arts.... but ironically.... I have an opera rehearsal that night.

Which show are you doing?

[TulsaRufnex]

...chorus for Aida.

[wylie]

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/oklahoma-school-for-the-visual--performing-arts-eyes-old-tulsa-public-schools-roosevelt-elementary

Posted: 03/31/2013

    By: Max Resnik

TULSA - The Tulsa Public Schools will host a public meeting Thursday to discuss the potential sale of the Roosevelt Elementary School building, which could be transformed into the Oklahoma School for the Visual & Performing Arts.

The father-son team of David and Coleman Downing are leading the effort to purchase the building, which was closed during the district's Project Schoolhouse Efficiency Initiative.

The school, constructed in 1926, currently houses TPS programs and offices, but if transformed, would offer an array of classes centered around the visual and performing arts.

"We'll have visual arts, which would cover drawing and painting, photography, video work. Performing arts, which would be orchestral music and choral, and we would have ballet and modern dance and acting and creative writing. Pretty much the whole spectrum of the arts," said Coleman Downing, who was inspired to create this learning atmosphere based on his summers at the Oklahoma Arts Institute.

The Oklahoma School for the Visual & Performing Arts would house 200 students from throughout the state for their junior and senior years.

"It's something that's under appreciated here in the state, in terms of funding from the state and from schools around the area. People don't put a lot of stock into it, but people don't realize how important it really is. I think that the best way to spread awareness is to fund more projects and have a place where kids can come and learn what they want to learn," Coleman explained.

Oklahoma House Bill 1737, signed into law in 2009, creates a public-private partnership for the school. Over the next year, David Downing explained, he, his son and their team, will need to raise between $20 and $25 million for the building purchase, renovations and equipment. Then, they'll need to seek operational appropriations for the school from the legislature.

"It's incumbent upon us, the school, to raise private financing to build, renovate, equip and prepare the facility for the kids. It's the responsibility of the state to fund the ongoing operation of the school through appropriation, which we will do every year hopefully for the next 50 to 100 years," David said.

The Downings hope to open the school in the next three to four years.

Community members can share their thoughts about the potential sale Thursday, April 4 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt Elementary School gym.

[zstyles]

I never got this area of "business" unless this isn't a business and they are just really nice people, they are wanting someone to buy the building for them and pay for it to be brought upto code than have the state fund it? Maybe I missed something...I am in the wrong line of business if I didn't...

[Conan71]

Why would we sell a property to an entity which does not have the money already on hand?

[takemebacktotulsa]

I never got this area of "business" unless this isn't a business and they are just really nice people, they are wanting someone to buy the building for them and pay for it to be brought upto code than have the state fund it? Maybe I missed something...I am in the wrong line of business if I didn't...

do you consider public education a business?

[TulsaRufnex]

... they've done a significant amount of fundraising over the past few years and had the high bid from the original auction.
Admittedly, I am not able to quantify "significant amount" at this time.

[zstyles]

do you consider public education a business?

I guess it depends who the vendors are that are taking the money from the public education system, yes I do consider it a business.

[takemebacktotulsa]

I guess it depends who the vendors are that are taking the money from the public education system, yes I do consider it a business.

I know the Downings, and I know that they don't expect any personal financial gain from this project. And so far they have only invested their own time and money.

[TulsaRufnex]

I know the Downings, and I know that they don't expect any personal financial gain from this project. And so far they have only invested their own time and money.

Exactly.

Did anyone go to the meeting last night?