Driller's Stadium Construction Progress

[TheTed]

The Drillers put a parking map up on their site. It says OSU-Tulsa lots will be free and available only Friday-Sunday. How much of a negative impact will this have on surrounding businesses (who are paying the freight for this park, and who should be raising a stink about people parking in an area where they're unlikely to patronize area businesses)?

I walked by the stadium the other day. Looks like they have a scoreboard up. An actual, tangible scoreboard. A lot of the new sporting venues just have video boards so you can't look at the scoreboard when they're showing ads. So I'm very happy for a real scoreboard. They also have a nice little playground area for the kids out in the outfield concourse area.

[SXSW]

The Drillers put a parking map up on their site. It says OSU-Tulsa lots will be free and available only Friday-Sunday. How much of a negative impact will this have on surrounding businesses (who are paying the freight for this park, and who should be raising a stink about people parking in an area where they're unlikely to patronize area businesses)?

I walked by the stadium the other day. Looks like they have a scoreboard up. An actual, tangible scoreboard. A lot of the new sporting venues just have video boards so you can't look at the scoreboard when they're showing ads. So I'm very happy for a real scoreboard. They also have a nice little playground area for the kids out in the outfield concourse area.

We can hope that as OSU expands those parking lots along Elgin will go away and will force people to find parking either in Blue Dome or Brady.  Even with the OSU lots open I still think a lot of people going to games will begin or end their night in Blue Dome where the restaurants are, or go to Spaghetti Warehouse, Mexicali, Caz's, Hunt Club, or the future pizza place on Boston in the Brady District close to the ballpark.  I'm sure we'll see more options right around the park in the near future.

[TheTed]

I'm sure many people will park nearer to downtown nightlife, but I don't see many OSU-Tulsa parkers patronizing downtown businesses. Walking from OSU to the ballpark to the Blue Dome or Brady and then back to OSU is way, way too much walking for the average Tulsan.

[dsjeffries]

Some pictures I took yesterday:


I really like the lighting in this first picture--the lights are aimed only at the parts of the building they want accented. Looks like they might add those old deco friezes above the windows and lights, too.

[OurTulsa]

I really like it.  My first thought was: it's too small.  But I think now: it's a good size and it's nice looking.  I walked through not that long ago and there is not a bad seat in the place.  I love the playground idea (i imagine they'll erect a net in front of the playground).

[rwarn17588]

I'm sure many people will park nearer to downtown nightlife, but I don't see many OSU-Tulsa parkers patronizing downtown businesses. Walking from OSU to the ballpark to the Blue Dome or Brady and then back to OSU is way, way too much walking for the average Tulsan.

Maybe.

But you do realize that at the old venue at Expo Square, you generally had to walk about a quarter-mile from the parking lots to get into the stadium?

The only difference now is that you actually have some night life and restaurants relatively close to the ballpark.

[TheTed]

Maybe.

But you do realize that at the old venue at Expo Square, you generally had to walk about a quarter-mile from the parking lots to get into the stadium?

The only difference now is that you actually have some night life and restaurants relatively close to the ballpark.

They also had a tram to carry folks from their cars to the stadium. And it looks like it'd be more than a mile round trip from the nearest OSU lots to Caz's, the ballpark and back to OSU. That's not a distance residents of this fine city are accustomed to traveling without an automobile.

You don't see any pedestrians downtown right now, not counting people who are 20 feet from their cars. It'd be more likely that the average Tulsan would walk back to OSU and drive to Caz's than it would be for them to walk to Caz's and the ballpark.

[Townsend]

The Drillers put a parking map up on their site. It says OSU-Tulsa lots will be free and available only Friday-Sunday. How much of a negative impact will this have on surrounding businesses (who are paying the freight for this park, and who should be raising a stink about people parking in an area where they're unlikely to patronize area businesses)?

I think starting the first season with a free parking lot is a smart thing to do.  If they had not then we'd hear anti-downtownians and the local news talking about how there is no parking at all.

Instead, we'll just here it's too far away but there is some parking.  There will be complaints about their inability to get their Hoverounds into the stadium easily.

[CoffeeBean]

At least one new locally owned business is prepping to open on Greenwood in time for the new season:  Fat Guys Burger Bar

[Conan71]

At least one new locally owned business is prepping to open on Greenwood in time for the new season:  Fat Guys Burger Bar

Mmmm, health food!

[Renaissance]

I really like it.  My first thought was: it's too small.  But I think now: it's a good size and it's nice looking.  I walked through not that long ago and there is not a bad seat in the place.  I love the playground idea (i imagine they'll erect a net in front of the playground).

It's absolutely too small.  Big mistake in the design.  Sure, it will be a hot ticket.  But ultimately that just limits the scope of the impact the ballpark makes on downtown. 

[sgrizzle]

At least one new locally owned business is prepping to open on Greenwood in time for the new season:  Fat Guys Burger Bar

Very to-the-point.

[Conan71]

Very to-the-point.

The logo's sort of got a creepy "King Of The Hill" meets the Corleone family thing going.

[Breadburner]

I hate to say but it looks pretty drab on the inside......Like something a high-school would build.....

[Wilbur]

It's absolutely too small.  Big mistake in the design.  Sure, it will be a hot ticket.  But ultimately that just limits the scope of the impact the ballpark makes on downtown. 

Someone confirm for me....  I keep hearing from an avid baseball fan of mine who has had season tickets to the Drillers for years and would certainly know about baseball stuff, that the new ballpark does not meet the standards of minor league baseball for distance in the outfield.  In other words, the field is too small.  His other complaint is, when you are the batter, catcher or home plate umpire, and you are playing an evening game, you will face southwest... straight into the sun... and not be able to see.