Their Tulsa Development Authority

[FOTD]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=11&articleID=071117_1_A15_spanc58247

I'm going to start pretending to be a citizen of a socialist city thereby accepting this type of civic uniqueness.

Himelfarb, where does it say the city has an obligation to develop? Does that come before or after trash collection? It appears to be a higher priority than education, our streets and public works, our system of education, and especially public safety?

Amazing how an attorney on the board could point out their own recklessness only to be somewhat ignored. Talk about cya!

TDA is up to some unusual business practices only compounded by their being an "extension" of a Chamber of Commerce coupled with a "branch" of government.... The Feds have strongly questioned their previous activities with an apparent lack of coherent responses from TDA.

This deal reeks of conflicts. The city should allow others to have the same opportunity that Jones Lang LaSalle is being granted which entails no risk while the city gets to land bank their investment. Nothing but upside for JLL at the mercy of our citizens. Sweet.


The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~Bertrand Russell

[swake]

Are you upset they didn't hire you?


I LIKE what Himelfarb says here. TDA is not a for profit company. TDA's mission is (re)development and while they have done some good work, sitting on properties for decades in some other cases is not accomplishing that mission.

Quote:
Himelfarb said he doesn't know exactly what the authority's legal mission is, "but I believe you are to redevelop areas of the city of Tulsa, which even if you don't get every penny back on this investment, it is still your obligation to take the property you have and get redevelopment, which creates jobs, retail sales tax, property tax, removes blight and all the various things we want to do."

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by swake

Are you upset they didn't hire you?


I LIKE what Himelfarb says here. TDA is not a for profit company. TDA's mission is (re)development and while they have done some good work, sitting on properties for decades in some other cases is not accomplishing that mission.

Quote:
Himelfarb said he doesn't know exactly what the authority's legal mission is, "but I believe you are to redevelop areas of the city of Tulsa, which even if you don't get every penny back on this investment, it is still your obligation to take the property you have and get redevelopment, which creates jobs, retail sales tax, property tax, removes blight and all the various things we want to do."

I would not do this type of work out of my belief in free enterprise and the American way.....

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~Bertrand Russell

[Renaissance]

Does that "American way" include good ole boy local deals that displace a downtown stadium in favor of a big box Wal-Mart, and then fail on both, sending the stadium to the suburbs and leaving downtown fallow?

Because that's what the local guys gave us.  Time to think outside the Tulsa box.

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

Does that "American way" include good ole boy local deals that displace a downtown stadium in favor of a big box Wal-Mart, and then fail on both, sending the stadium to the suburbs and leaving downtown fallow?

Because that's what the local guys gave us.  Time to think outside the Tulsa box.

Tom Seay is NOT a local guy.....some might say loco guy.

In a free market, the deal goes where the deal goes down....

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~Bertrand Russell

[Renaissance]

Local Claremore developer John Williams bought the options on the land from local owner Bill White and local company Nordam and brought in Tom Seay to develop.  These locals pushed out the non-local Global Development Company.  Tell me-- where did the abject failure of development in the East End come from?

I'll answer for you: The East End debacle was a direct result of local schemers interfering with Global's plans.  I understand the nuances--don't come at me with GDP's cash issues, etc.  If those hicks hadn't had the bright idea to stick a damn big box in the middle of downtown, Global could have moved forward with their stadium plans after solving their cash problems and Jenks would not have had the opportunity to poach our hometown team, as it appears they will.

Still touting local capabilities, my friend?  "Local" developers sense downtown's weakness and exploit it.  It's up to the city's leaders to defend our urban core, not sell it out.  If a Chicago company is the best equipped to do that, by all means bring them in.

[USRufnex]

GREAT NEWS!!!

Thanks, FOTD.

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