120 new Brady District Lofts + retail

[TheLofts@120]

Good evening all.  It's been energetically pleasing to see all the recent postings regarding our proposed development and the support we've been receiving.  Just thought I would fill you in on recent developments and help clear up some comments Ive seen posted.  

The Mayor stated this afternoon that she now does not support the use of eminent domain and never has despite the fact that Peter Boylan, as pitchman for this ballpark development and its surrounding lands, represented such at a Brady Village owner's meeting on July 7 in the presence of many of the Mayor's staff. All in all, I believe that to be good news for the surrounding businesses that could have been affected by this effort and are good city stewards with thriving businesses.  As the site we are pursuing is currently owned by the TDA, an eminent domain claim would have been needless.

We have maintained that we are pursuing this matter for two reasons, one is to secure the property to build what we had planned all along, even larger in scope with the ballpark in place.  This will add to the employment base, bring more residential ownership downtown, add to the sales and ad-valorem tax base and usher in concepts and names that might not be found anywhere else in Tulsa to draw more people to the downtown area and help drive further private development in the area.  Two, even if our project falls out due to these current circumstances, we feel its our duty as caring citizens of Tulsa that want to see it grow that such an issue is made public and that this doesnt happen to another developer in the future.  The last thing we want is for developers to be in fear of doing business in the City of Tulsa and hope that by bringing this situation to light, we can help overcome that for future developers.  We believe in the direction John Fregonese wants to take with the PlaniTULSA but also want the concerns of the citizens that they pointed out discussed...this seemed like a fitting exercise to address that fourth concern among Tulsans about the wealthy and powerful.

To clarify, the City Council on July 10, passed the BID Assessment package to provide additional funding for the ballpark and its construction.  It did not approve a master plan as some would suggest.  I have spoken with some of the city councilors at length in the last few days and can say with certainty that this is not the case.  The properties highlighted surrouding the stadium is what the 'donors' want to see placed into Trust, a Trust controlled by a majority of those donors having donated over $2 million, the Mayor and a downtown property owner.  Jack Crowley, city planning advisor and ballpark design consultant, stated to us repeatedly that the parcel we are pursuing was not needed by the donors but simply wanted since they wanted to "control the universe" as he put it during a dsicussion in his office on June 17.

Lastly, every indication suggests that the donors want to develop a mixed-use development very much the same as what we have been proposing.  Not surprising since before the ballpark announcement, we shared our design conceptuals, plans and scope with both the Bank of Oklahoma, in particular with Ms. Paula Bryant-Ellis (recently named in TDA correspondence as possibly being a new Board member)and Stanton Doyle of the George Kaiser Family Foundation when we approached them to help provide housing for OSU professors and graduate students in our lofts.

The last comment I'd like to address is regarding our qualifying for such a project and the stability of our financial proposal.  With the announcement of the ballpark, we were able to secure the interest of a local hotel developer that wanted to incorporate a 100+ room national flag brand into our development.  Securing such a development that would utilize over the required 30% prior lease/purchase committment only strengthened our business model in the eyes of the financial lender and private investors, not to mention having the ballpark across the street.  So for purposes of transparency, the quick answer is yes, our proposal as originally stated and as updated with the ballpark development remains intact in all terms and viability.  

Hope this helps answer any additional questions, comments or concerns.  Again, thank you all for your posts and those that are supporting our efforts, your help has been greatly appreciated!

Will Wilkins

[Rico]

As I said earlier; I think this is a case of one Board or Authority not knowing the powers of the other. or something like that.

Compare this to a Realtor being unaware that the broker has certain plans for a property.

The Realtor, in good faith, opens negotiations and begins a dialogue with a perspective buyer.

Just as things get interesting... the Realtor receives a call from the broker saying "The property has been pulled from MLS and no further negotiations will be done".

The City of Tulsa ie Mayor Taylor, and whoever else was dealing with this matter knew long ago that there were certain sites that were on the table.

The fault goes to the City for not making the TDA aware that they need to attach certain conditions to negotiations in regard to site A, B, or C.

Like...." yes we will negotiate regarding your development.... however if the City choses this location all deals or negotiations are withdrawn."

Whether they intentionally left TDA out of the loop or this was just one of those things where one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.... quien sabe?

One thing that becomes more and more clear, on this forum, conspiracy innuendo is frowned upon.. I fault the mods for that. They allow FB to rant and rave with an answer to everything buried in a conspiracy.  So much so that they become quickly annoyed by phrases like a "land grab". Which IMO was not that far fetched an idea.

The TW article regarding "eminent domain" was a slight bit of overkill on the cities behalf. I get this mental picture of a Spanish Conquistador planting a flag on the end of a long pole and declaring "this land is ours.... ours I tell you..!"

What a way for a story about baseball to play out. The All American sport......

Sgrizz... they are not making sure that they don't get stuck with a "kum-and-go across the street"...
         
They are making sure it is a QT..[]

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by TheLofts@120

To clarify, the City Council on July 10, passed the BID Assessment package to provide additional funding for the ballpark and its construction.  It did not approve a master plan as some would suggest.  I have spoken with some of the city councilors at length in the last few days and can say with certainty that this is not the case.  The properties highlighted surrouding the stadium is what the 'donors' want to see placed into Trust, a Trust controlled by a majority of those donors having donated over $2 million, the Mayor and a downtown property owner.  Jack Crowley, city planning advisor and ballpark design consultant, stated to us repeatedly that the parcel we are pursuing was not needed by the donors but simply wanted since they wanted to "control the universe" as he put it during a discussion in his office on June 17.

I seem to remember several Tulsa World articles published on or prior to July 10th which showed the surrounding sites as part of the stadium project.  There was wording to that effect in an article published around June 25th.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I also seem to remember Councilor Martinson asking some questions about the stadium proposal and seeing responses to his questions posted prior to the July 10th Council meeting.  I think that it was explained in the responses to questions 9 and 12 that the George Kaiser Family Foundation would be assisting in acquisition of adjacent "necessary" properties for the Tulsa Stadium Trust.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I did not attend the July 10th public hearing.  What did the City Council actually approve?  Does someone have a link to the resolution or ordinance which they can post here?

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

The TW article regarding "eminent domain" was a slight bit of overkill on the cities behalf. I get this mental picture of a Spanish Conquistador planting a flag on the end of a long pole and declaring "this land is ours.... ours I tell you..!"

Well, I think the letter from the TDA to The Lofts @ 120's attorney was more than a slight bit overkill:

"After all, the city has the right of eminent domain and can take whatever properties become necessary for its municipal purposes..."

Why was it necessary to mention eminent domain if the City has no intention of pursuing it?

[TheArtist]

Just curious though, is the TDA still basically ignoring the developers and throwing up additional roadblocks that they normally dont require? Are they negotiating in good faith as they should be?  

The guy from the TDA during the Channel 8 interview, said that the 120 Loft developers had an "exclusive negotiating position" until Sept 4th.  Negotiating, as far as my poor little brain understands the concept, generally requires that the 2 parties communicate? So if the TDA is ignoring the developers, that hardly qualifies as  "exclusive negotiating".

Just a suggestion Will.  Next time you get the opportunity to do a TV interview,,,, pull out the big guns and put your mom on. Let her go ahead and get all emotional and teary eyed... You will instantly have everyones sympathy and the whole town up in arms at how the city is treating that sweet lady. If they are going to play hard ball, you need to do so as well. I promise you, it will work.  

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Just curious though, is the TDA still basically ignoring the developers and throwing up additional roadblocks that they normally dont require? Are they negotiating in good faith as they should be?  

The guy from the TDA during the Channel 8 interview, said that the 120 Loft developers had an "exclusive negotiating position" until Sept 4th.  Negotiating, as far as my poor little brain understands the concept, generally requires that the 2 parties communicate? So if the TDA is ignoring the developers, that hardly qualifies as  "exclusive negotiating".

Just a suggestion Will.  Next time you get the opportunity to do a TV interview,,,, pull out the big guns and put your mom on. Let her go ahead and get all emotional and teary eyed... You will instantly have everyones sympathy and the whole town up in arms at how the city is treating that sweet lady. If they are going to play hard ball, you need to do so as well. I promise you, it will work.  

LOL

Have we seen the first pitch at Westpaw Park already?

Let me call it:  Low -- and very, very, VERY inside!

"How can people be so heartless?
How can people be so cruel?
Easy to be hard...
Easy to be cold..."   ~ Gerome Ragni / James Rado

[Double A]

Oh, you poor misguided Tulsa Now Taylor toadies, you thought you were in Kwueen Kathy's Kourt. Little did you know you were just peasants to her. Reality bites.

Wilkins, you got played like a chump and milked like cereal. Maybe if you had ponied up a few million you might have had a chance. Don't you know that Tulsa is governed by the golden rule, those who have the gold make the rules?

I have laughed my donkey off reading these posts. You all are like naive little children who just found out there's no such thing as fairy godmothers. Maybe you will exercise some critical analysis before blindly co-signing Kathy Taylor's B.S. next time. Nah, you deeply deluded codependent enablers will just make excuses so you can continue in your dysfunctional state of denial, telling yourselves that mommy dearest knows best and you deserve the abuse.

Just another reason I'm proud to be an honest naysayer, instead of a dishonest cheerleader.

Cause I ain't tha one.
The one to get played like a pooh butt,
ya see I'm from the streets and I know wassup.
Street smart whiggas, don't get jacked by  golddiggas.
Ya can't milk Double A, Ho, cause I ain't tha one.

[booWorld]

Woohoo!  Yippee!

Three weeks after the fact, and I finally found the stadium district resolution.

Warning:  It's a 37 page file with the estimated assessments for the properties downtown.

When will the Tulsa Stadium Trust be established (if it has not been already)?

Let the champagne flow...

[carltonplace]

quote:Originally posted by Double A

Oh, you poor misguided Tulsa Now Taylor toadies, you thought you were in Kwueen Kathy's Kourt. Little did you know you were just peasants to her. Reality bites.

Wilkins, you got played like a chump and milked like cereal. Maybe if you had ponied up a few million you might have had a chance. Don't you know that Tulsa is governed by the golden rule, those who have the gold make the rules?

I have laughed my donkey off reading these posts. You all are like naive little children who just found out there's no such thing as fairy godmothers. Maybe you will exercise some critical analysis before blindly co-signing Kathy Taylor's B.S. next time. Nah, you deeply deluded codependent enablers will just make excuses so you can continue in your dysfunctional state of denial, telling yourselves that mommy dearest knows best and you deserve the abuse.

Just another reason I'm proud to be an honest naysayer, instead of a dishonest cheerleader.

Cause I ain't tha one.
The one to get played like a pooh butt,
ya see I'm from the streets and I know wassup.
Street smart whiggas, don't get jacked by  golddiggas.
Ya can't milk Double A, Ho, cause I ain't tha one.

Yikes. Need to turn down that narcissism a little.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by Double A

Oh, you poor misguided Tulsa Now Taylor toadies, you thought you were in Kwueen Kathy's Kourt. Little did you know you were just peasants to her. Reality bites.

Wilkins, you got played like a chump and milked like cereal. Maybe if you had ponied up a few million you might have had a chance. Don't you know that Tulsa is governed by the golden rule, those who have the gold make the rules?

I have laughed my donkey off reading these posts. You all are like naive little children who just found out there's no such thing as fairy godmothers. Maybe you will exercise some critical analysis before blindly co-signing Kathy Taylor's B.S. next time. Nah, you deeply deluded codependent enablers will just make excuses so you can continue in your dysfunctional state of denial, telling yourselves that mommy dearest knows best and you deserve the abuse.

Just another reason I'm proud to be an honest naysayer, instead of a dishonest cheerleader.

Cause I ain't tha one.
The one to get played like a pooh butt,
ya see I'm from the streets and I know wassup.
Street smart whiggas, don't get jacked by  golddiggas.
Ya can't milk Double A, Ho, cause I ain't tha one.

My understanding was that autofellatio was a physical impossibility.

Guess I was wrong.

[Kenosha]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

As I said earlier; I think this is a case of one Board or Authority not knowing the powers of the other. or something like that.

Compare this to a Realtor being unaware that the broker has certain plans for a property.

The Realtor, in good faith, opens negotiations and begins a dialogue with a perspective buyer.

Just as things get interesting... the Realtor receives a call from the broker saying "The property has been pulled from MLS and no further negotiations will be done".

The City of Tulsa ie Mayor Taylor, and whoever else was dealing with this matter knew long ago that there were certain sites that were on the table.

The fault goes to the City for not making the TDA aware that they need to attach certain conditions to negotiations in regard to site A, B, or C.

Like...." yes we will negotiate regarding your development.... however if the City choses this location all deals or negotiations are withdrawn."

Whether they intentionally left TDA out of the loop or this was just one of those things where one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.... quien sabe?

One thing that becomes more and more clear, on this forum, conspiracy innuendo is frowned upon.. I fault the mods for that. They allow FB to rant and rave with an answer to everything buried in a conspiracy.  So much so that they become quickly annoyed by phrases like a "land grab". Which IMO was not that far fetched an idea.

The TW article regarding "eminent domain" was a slight bit of overkill on the cities behalf. I get this mental picture of a Spanish Conquistador planting a flag on the end of a long pole and declaring "this land is ours.... ours I tell you..!"

What a way for a story about baseball to play out. The All American sport......

Sgrizz... they are not making sure that they don't get stuck with a "kum-and-go across the street"...
         
They are making sure it is a QT..[]

Yep...heard that yesterday.

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by Double A

Oh, you poor misguided Tulsa Now Taylor toadies, you thought you were in Kwueen Kathy's Kourt. Little did you know you were just peasants to her. Reality bites.

Wilkins, you got played like a chump and milked like cereal. Maybe if you had ponied up a few million you might have had a chance. Don't you know that Tulsa is governed by the golden rule, those who have the gold make the rules?

I have laughed my donkey off reading these posts. You all are like naive little children who just found out there's no such thing as fairy godmothers. Maybe you will exercise some critical analysis before blindly co-signing Kathy Taylor's B.S. next time. Nah, you deeply deluded codependent enablers will just make excuses so you can continue in your dysfunctional state of denial, telling yourselves that mommy dearest knows best and you deserve the abuse.

Just another reason I'm proud to be an honest naysayer, instead of a dishonest cheerleader.

I'll remove my own personal attack here.

[PonderInc]

I understand that The Donors want to ensure that the surrounding area is developed in an "appropriate" way that maintains the integrity of the historic area, etc, etc.  I do too.  But, I don't see how the Lofts project and hotel would be out of scope with that goal.  

My fear is that if one group controls the design of all surrouding development, we're going to get some sort of Disneyland.  A bit too homogenous.  A bit too controlled.  A bit too "fake historic."  And a bit less creative...than if we let talented individuals play a role.

By all means, create some urban design/development guidelines (for ALL of downtown!).  Make additional surface parking lots illegal. Ensure that all structured parking is attractive and has ground-floor retail on all street-facing sides.  Require all buildings to be built up to the sidewalks in the traditional urban layout.  Limit the square footage of "blank walls" facing streets.  Protect the historic/older buildings that have managed to survive Tulsa's surface parking blitzkrieg.  Encourage mixed uses that will create vibrancy both day and night.

But I sure hope that whoever is in control of development near the stadium has the good sense to allow creative use of space, in addition to protecting the older buildings that remain.

Remember that the Matthews Warehouse is going to be a Contemporary Visual Arts center...not a historic warehouse.  A lively array of quality architecture in the vicinity (not just fake, historic-looking infill) can easily "blend" with and compliment the historic buildings...and should be allowed.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

My fear is that if one group controls the design of all surrouding development, we're going to get some sort of Disneyland.  A bit too homogenous.  A bit too controlled.  A bit too "fake historic."  And a bit less creative...than if we let talented individuals play a role.

But the stadium project is set up as a very, very exclusive development to be controlled by a very, very exclusive Trust funded by the assessment district approved by the City on July 10th.  Remember?

The surrounding land was shown and described as part of the stadium project as early as June 25th on the Tulsa World's website.




Prior the City Council vote, Bill Martinson requested more time so he could study the proposal in more detail.  But six Councilors were satisfied enough with the proposal to vote for its approval.  Remember?

Perhaps those six Councilors saw issues such as urban design standards as mere mouse turds that they didn't want to trip over on their way to embracing the stadium assessment district.

There was a public hearing on this issue more than three weeks ago.  A majority of the Councilors were satisfied with the amount of information they were provided, I presume.

My guess is that if the major donors want the stadium project to look like Disneyland, then it will look like Disneyland.  If they want tens of thousands of faux brick pavers, then there will be tens of thousands of faux brick pavers.  If they want those annoying acorn street lamps up street and down alley, then they will find a way to get them installed.

The City Council has basically given the Tulsa Stadium Trust $25 million to spend as they please.  What's to stop the donors from leaving Novus out in the cold?  The stadium project includes The Lofts @ 120 site, but not necessarily the Lofts @ 120.

Brrrrrrr.........  

[Double A]

Lamson ain't signed s#*t. Until that happens, nothing's legit.