New Hotel Proposed Across from Arena

[dsjeffries]

From the Tulsa World (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20081001_11_A1_Arende901685):

quote:A hotel project pitch was made Tuesday to the Tulsa Development Authority for the city property that is for sale across the street from the BOK Center.

The $38.8 million development by Howard Raskin and funded through a private trust would consume the square block from Second to Third streets and Denver to Cheyenne avenues and include a 200-room hotel, structured parking, and conference, retail and restaurant space.

The hotel likely would be under the Westin or Hyatt name, Raskin said, but representatives of the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons also have been contacted about being involved.

Raskin said the quality demanded by the two luxury brands would double the projected cost of the project.

"We're going to have to see if it makes sense financially," he said.

The TDA — which is the city's real estate arm — has control over only the 1.29-acre, L-shaped parcel now used for parking. It is valued at $1.6 million.

Raskin said he had a contract to purchase the remaining building on the square block. The structure is owned by Geotrend LLC and leased to the arena's building team.

But he said he was having trouble reaching the out-of-state owner of the lot that
was the site of the now-razed Towerview Apartments to complete the development area.

"I don't see that as a stumbling block, though," he said. "We'll find him."

Larry Gordon Wilson of Tanner Consulting, which is working with Raskin, said the BOK Center was the catalyst that downtown needed for developers to pursue projects such as the one being pitched to the development authority.

"People can go beyond their vision and make things a reality," he said.

The presentation Tuesday was the first for the city parcel since it has been marketed by a private real estate firm, Jones Lang LaSalle of Chicago.

Kurt Little, the firm's managing director, said there were a "handful of other prospects" and that more proposals would be made to the TDA.

The firm has a one-year, $375,000 contract with the authority to market several parcels of publicly owned land in or near downtown.

TDA Chairman Carl Bracy said the authority would decide who gets to buy the lot across from the arena.

"We're really looking at what will be the best fit for that location, and not just for right now, for the next 10, 20 and 30 years," he said, adding that the authority had no time frame for a decision.

"It's not something we're going to rush," he said.

The authority put out a request for proposals for the site in 2006 and got one: a city-block-size development that would have included a Westin hotel, condominiums and commercial space.

But the developer, Heavenly Hospitality LLC of Anthem, Ariz., made too many demands, including moving the main bus terminal and renovating or demolishing nearby, privately owned buildings that it considered eyesores.

[we vs us]

Damn, you beat me to it!  I was just about to post this!

Good news, IMO.  This is just the kind of economic development that behemoths like the arena are supposed to spur.  

I also know that the numer of downtown hotel rooms limits the kind of larger scale events that might otherwise be attracted to the arena or to the convention center.  With only the Doubletree, the Crowne, and the Ambassador, there's a real dearth of rooms.  For instance, my hotel (which is out near 169) was asked to bid on accomodations for a fairly well known evangelist who's coming to the BOK this year.  We're 8+ miles away from the action, and yet we'll still be included as part of the rooming options.  Meaning that when there's only 700-800 rooms available downtown, multiday events that attract 10,000 or more people become very hard to accomodate.

So possible new downtown rooms now include:  Mayo Hotel at 100, Courtyard by Marriott at 120, and this Hyatt or Westin project at 200.  That looks like a booming market to me, my friends.

PS.  I'm waiting for someone to swoop in on that no-name downtown hotel (Downtown Plaza Hotel or something?), dump couple of mil$ all over it and rebrand it completely.  It seems just ripe for the picking.

[sgrizzle]

Their BOK Center rendering is horrible and I'd prefer something a bit more unique, but this is only an initial drawing...

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by we vs us


PS.  I'm waiting for someone to swoop in on that no-name downtown hotel (Downtown Plaza Hotel or something?), dump couple of mil$ all over it and rebrand it completely.  It seems just ripe for the picking.

It's currently closed for remodeling.

[TheArtist]

Lets hope the city pushes for a pedestrian friendly ground level on the west and south facing sides of whatever goes in there.


You would think that these types of places would make their restaurant, gift shop, bar, etc. have connections to the street. Make them part of the fabric of the area they are in and not "seclude" and hide them within the hotel? They would get a lot more business that way. You could even make each have its own unique looking storefront. The restaurant could even have some outdoor seating. I have never eaten at the Crowne Plazas restaurant, and dont they have a Starbucks? I have been around the hotel but havent seen either and am not going to wander around inside a hotel looking.

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by we vs us


PS.  I'm waiting for someone to swoop in on that no-name downtown hotel (Downtown Plaza Hotel or something?), dump couple of mil$ all over it and rebrand it completely.  It seems just ripe for the picking.

It's currently closed for remodeling.

Didn't some developer from western Oklahoma buy it last year and is putting six or seven million into the building and is going to rebrand it into a Residence Inn or something?

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by swake

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by we vs us


PS.  I'm waiting for someone to swoop in on that no-name downtown hotel (Downtown Plaza Hotel or something?), dump couple of mil$ all over it and rebrand it completely.  It seems just ripe for the picking.

It's currently closed for remodeling.

Didn't some developer from western Oklahoma buy it last year and is putting six or seven million into the building and is going to rebrand it into a Residence Inn or something?

I was told it was "local" so that could jive. I went by there to talk to them yesterday but there was no sign of anyone in charge, just workers.

[RecycleMichael]

That new hotel will block the view of our pretty arena.

Why can't they just build it all underground?

Sure, the rooms won't have windows, but think of how easy it would be to keep the temperature constant. Plus, they could all double as storm shelters.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Their BOK Center rendering is horrible and I'd prefer something a bit more unique, but this is only an initial drawing...

Wow, did they do that in MS Paint???

[bluelake]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Their BOK Center rendering is horrible and I'd prefer something a bit more unique, but this is only an initial drawing...

Wow, did they do that in MS Paint???

Flat shading FTW  /sarcasm

[Townsend]

Let me rephrase:

Hotel development - Yay

TDA - Boo

[TheTed]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

Lets hope the city pushes for a pedestrian friendly ground level on the west and south facing sides of whatever goes in there.


You would think that these types of places would make their restaurant, gift shop, bar, etc. have connections to the street. Make them part of the fabric of the area they are in and not "seclude" and hide them within the hotel? They would get a lot more business that way. You could even make each have its own unique looking storefront. The restaurant could even have some outdoor seating. I have never eaten at the Crowne Plazas restaurant, and dont they have a Starbucks? I have been around the hotel but havent seen either and am not going to wander around inside a hotel looking.

Pedestrian friendliness was my first thought in looking at that rendering.

The Crowne Plaza has actually done a pretty decent job in that. You could eat at The Daily Grill almost without noticing it's part of a hotel.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by swake

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by we vs us


PS.  I'm waiting for someone to swoop in on that no-name downtown hotel (Downtown Plaza Hotel or something?), dump couple of mil$ all over it and rebrand it completely.  It seems just ripe for the picking.

It's currently closed for remodeling.

Didn't some developer from western Oklahoma buy it last year and is putting six or seven million into the building and is going to rebrand it into a Residence Inn or something?

I was told it was "local" so that could jive. I went by there to talk to them yesterday but there was no sign of anyone in charge, just workers.

Are you refering to the Downtowner where Coney Island is? Or is it a different location?

[TheTed]

I think he's talking about the one at 7th and Boulder. It's being turned into some type of extended stay hotel.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by TheTed

I think he's talking about the one at 7th and Boulder. It's being turned into some type of extended stay hotel.

The old Holiday Inn. Thanks.