Cool thing from Kanbar

[Townsend]

Wrong building in pic as of this date but story is neat.

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4db93792-b0fc-422b-ae49-45a748c8e3fc

City officials announced the opening of the collaboratorium.

A networking center for the area's brightest minds to share ideas.

The goal is to help entrepreneurs help themselves.

Kanbar properties donated an entire floor inside the Old Manhattan building.

Billionaire Maurice Kanbar says he's excited to start the new project in Tulsa.

"As a matter of fact if we are to survive and prosper we need entrepreneurs to bring us better things at lower cost to sell to the world," said Kanbar.

Those wanting to join will pay rental fees at a discounted rate.

More than 20 coaches will offer businesses workshops and educational programs.

Mayor Kathy Taylor says it's the link missing in Tulsa

Not everyone will have to pay for space.

The winner of the Mayor's spirit award will receive space free of charge

[cannon_fodder]

I've heard Kanbar excited about various things in Tulsa, still haven't seen him actually DO anything in Tulsa.

[edit]I've seen him tear down a few buildings.  I think that's it.[/edit]

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

I've heard Kanbar excited about various things in Tulsa, still haven't seen him actually DO anything in Tulsa.

OK, well here's another.

[inteller]

the collabortorium?  What, is that like the Tulsa local chapter of the Illuminati?

If you want to start a new club here is an idea, buy the Tulsa club building and restore it to its former glory, I know lots of people who would want to go hang out in that club.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

I've heard Kanbar excited about various things in Tulsa, still haven't seen him actually DO anything in Tulsa.

[edit]I've seen him tear down a few buildings.  I think that's it.[/edit]

He's been remodeling the area in front of the bank one plaza as well. Not to mention the buildings he tore down he investigated restoring first to find they were completely unsafe. (when one of the guys looking at the building fell through the floor and landed in the basement)

Expect to hear more from Kanbar, he has a lot of options working and I suspect that his Tulsa properties are the best looking thing in his portfolio right now.

[carltonplace]

You can't blame anyone for being discouraged, it seems like he's had these properties for years now and no momentum.

Proposal                
Mayo District: Dead
First Place Public Area:Under construction
Downtown Loft Living: In limbo
First Floor Retail: Dead
No Parking Lot on Main: Parking lot installed on Main
Collaboratoriumnasium: Proposed

[sgrizzle]

Mayo hotel Lofts: Under Construction
First Street Lofts: Under Construction
Mayo Building YMCA/Lofts: Under Construction
Certain other building downtown: Announcement soon

[cannon_fodder]

I have learned to be steadfast in my refusal to get excited about projects to proposals in Tulsa until they actually start to materialize.  No offense to Kanbar, but it really seemed like he came in with gusto then let off.  We probably are the best thing he has going now and I hope he poors some money into our markets, but until I see actual change I won't get my hopes up.

[sgrizzle]

Kanbar and Kaufman came in together and I think the lawsuit between the two took some wind out of the sails. I believe they are prioritizing work and doing some small things like the bank one plaza resurface, collaboratorium, etc. I've heard one building is a bit of a money pit maintenance-wise so I'd be interested to see what is going to happen with it.

[RecycleMichael]

Kanbar is my landlord and we are not happy.

I wish he would spend some money taking care of his existing tenants.

[carltonplace]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Mayo hotel Lofts: Under Construction
First Street Lofts: Under Construction
Mayo Building YMCA/Lofts: Under Construction
Certain other building downtown: Announcement soon

I was speaking specifically about living opportunities in Kanbar properties. First Street is Sager, Mayo Hotel is Snyder, 420 Mayo is Wiggins properties.

[groundhog]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Mayo hotel Lofts: Under Construction
First Street Lofts: Under Construction
Mayo Building YMCA/Lofts: Under Construction
Certain other building downtown: Announcement soon

I was speaking specifically about living opportunities in Kanbar properties. First Street is Sager, Mayo Hotel is Snyder, 420 Mayo is Wiggins properties.

The only living opportunities that have ever been proposed by Kanbar was the TransOk Building conversion, which Kanbar was awarded a 0% interest loan from the Vision 2025 Downtown Living funds.  When it became clear that the Tulsa Development Authority had all sorts of strings attached to this loan, he told City that he would not accept the Vision 2025 loan, and the money is now being used to assist the remaining 3 projects with making both ends meet.

The plaza remake is a half million ($500,000.00) project.  This is no "small" project, as has been suggested, but an outward show of making private piece of land publicly accessible, filling the gap when the City removed Bartlett Square.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Mayo hotel Lofts: Under Construction
First Street Lofts: Under Construction
Mayo Building YMCA/Lofts: Under Construction
Certain other building downtown: Announcement soon

I was speaking specifically about living opportunities in Kanbar properties. First Street is Sager, Mayo Hotel is Snyder, 420 Mayo is Wiggins properties.

The only living opportunities that have ever been proposed by Kanbar was the TransOk Building conversion, which Kanbar was awarded a 0% interest loan from the Vision 2025 Downtown Living funds.  When it became clear that the Tulsa Development Authority had all sorts of strings attached to this loan, he told City that he would not accept the Vision 2025 loan, and the money is now being used to assist the remaining 3 projects with making both ends meet.

The plaza remake is a half million ($500,000.00) project.  This is no "small" project, as has been suggested, but an outward show of making private piece of land publicly accessible, filling the gap when the City removed Bartlett Square.

Half a million to repave and leave the staircases to nowhere and the nonfunctional escalators?

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

Kanbar is my landlord and we are not happy.

I wish he would spend some money taking care of his existing tenants.

I want to share with you guys what happened after I posted this comment. A Kanbar representative must read this forum and told the people upstairs about it.

The next morning, the top Kanbar person in Tulsa calls me and asks me to elaborate. Within thirty minutes, the building representative calls me. Within two hours, the building maintenence people show up and fix some problems. In less than a week, they had fixed the problems, cleaned up the area outside the building, and installed new carpeting on our floor and in the elevator.

Now they stop by and check on us every two days.

Oh, the power of TulsaNow! I just posted a comment and suddenly everything is fixed. Kanbar was excellent and now my co-workers are happy.

[cannon_fodder]

Glad to hear it.  I had high hopes for Kanbar when he entered the market in such a demanding way.  Perhaps my timetable was unrealistic or my hopes too high, but it appears action is starting to come around now.

I still hope my initial assessment was correct.  One large property owner can be a really good thing, or a death blow.  Lets hope he (they) capitalize on their Tulsa investment and hope it pays off big!