Make your voice heard. What should be done with Driller's Stadium?

[TURobY]

So, get upset by this but there's already a great site for a pro or semi-pro soccer team to play and it's approx. at 71st and Mingo.

What site are you thinking of? The only thing in that area that I can imagine being applicable is Union's stadium. Is that what you are talking about?

[sgrizzle]

The citizens of Tulsa have ample opportunity to see high quality division I soccer played.  However, there's a reason why they don't play games at Chapman stadium...

So, get upset by this but there's already a great site for a pro or semi-pro soccer team to play and it's approx. at 71st and Mingeaux.

As it is right now, this facility and site isn't used 5-6 months out of the year.  So, sure we can half-donkey put an amphitheater in there, that wasn't designed for concerts and offers lovely views of the Lowe's and Walgreen's.

That annual .38 Special, Blue Oyster Cult show's going to bring in boucoup bucks.

Walgreens is at 71st and Garnett, Lowes at 71st and 169, and the spot you're talking about is on Mingo and doubles as an ampitheater?

Whut?

[Conan71]

He's referring to the view from the present Driller's stadium.  Walgreen's to the north, Lowe's to the east.  No idea what property would make a great soccer stadium unless it's the 13 or so acres availalble by Mathis Bros.  I'll take an existing stadium over building another one.

[PepePeru]

He's referring to the view from the present Driller's stadium.  Walgreen's to the north, Lowe's to the east.  No idea what property would make a great soccer stadium unless it's the 13 or so acres availalble by Mathis Bros.  I'll take an existing stadium over building another one.

I was referring to Union's stadium, as an existing site for a soccer team to play.
Failing that, the stadium at LaFortune Park.
The only people in large numbers that I can see attending professional soccer would live in that area (south Tulsa, Bixby, B.A.) so you might as well cater to it and make it convenient for them and even then.  2000 people at most for a home game.

This is too valuable an intersection in terms of geography and development potential to keep that ugly blue eyesore sitting unused 6 months of the year.

This soccer stadium idea has a moderate to high degree of fail.

[waterboy]

Tear it down, sell the aluminum and donate the scoreboard to a local high school. Apply the money to the Big Splash operation to make it more than a Saturday night public bath.

Use the corner for a casino with gasoline pumps, RV hookups and strip shows so the visiting Chili Bowl fans won't have to drive around town.

Just a thought.

[Conan71]

Pepe, my point is two-pronged. 

One being that we already own this stadium and I think the public is rapidly losing enthusiasm for new public building projects, especially under negative PR from ONEOK field.  Aside from pro soccer, there's a possibility for amateur sporting events which could bring in money from out of state like a Little League world series, NCAA softball, jr. league soccer tournaments, etc.  Granted, none are high draw events, most likely but it's one more thing to attract people to Tulsa. 

The other is, I don't see a point in tearing down a 31 year old stadium which is still in excellent condition unless there's an idea to put something there which would generate more revenue for Expo Square AND bring in tourism dollars.

The track part of Fair Meadows is open, what? Four weeks per year?  The water park is dormant 9 months out of the year.  Why don't we start there.  Along those lines, why not use the Fair Meadows infield for a park and ride, perfect spot and it's already there.

[PepePeru]

Pepe, my point is two-pronged. 

One being that we already own this stadium and I think the public is rapidly losing enthusiasm for new public building projects, especially under negative PR from ONEOK field.  Aside from pro soccer, there's a possibility for amateur sporting events which could bring in money from out of state like a Little League world series, NCAA softball, jr. league soccer tournaments, etc.  Granted, none are high draw events, most likely but it's one more thing to attract people to Tulsa. 

The other is, I don't see a point in tearing down a 31 year old stadium which is still in excellent condition unless there's an idea to put something there which would generate more revenue for Expo Square AND bring in tourism dollars.

The track part of Fair Meadows is open, what? Four weeks per year?  The water park is dormant 9 months out of the year.  Why don't we start there.  Along those lines, why not use the Fair Meadows infield for a park and ride, perfect spot and it's already there.

Absolutely, I think we should start w/ the water park.
Build another hotel there.

Connect the fairgrounds, downtown, points down south (Promenade, St. Francis, LaFortune Park) and the airport w/ reliable transit.  Yale is one of the longest N-S uninterrupted thoroughfares in the CoT.  Yale crosses rail (light rail), Yale crosses all major highways, (park and ride spots)

So, we chose Scenario D "centered city"  That's great!  Use the fairgrounds in concert w/ it as a "satellite" to downtown...that is if they wanted to get really serious about pushing downtown and increasing density downtown.  Parking would begin to vanish and people would need options to get there.

I realize I'm playing SimCity here, but these options the County presenting are not forward thinking, in my not so humble opinion.

[FOTD]

If it were SimCity the Arena would have bankrupted the City even though it's not too late for that.

Looks to me like the County decided on a master plan that would attract horse and livestock events.

With that in mind, and losing hope on soccer, might this demon suggest a rodeo rink or a bull fighting venue.

No cock or dog fights.

It could turn into an RV site....

[USRufnex]

I'm suggesting a transportation hub / bus station.
I guess I missed where, in my original post, I suggested adding a parking lot.

see below.

The site should be used for a bus station / park & ride station to downtown.
It could act as a hub.

Q)  What do you think a bus station/park & ride station is?
A)  A glorified parking lot.

Well this is a problem then isn't it.
No one seems to have any good ideas for this site.
So far, most of you have ideas as to what it shouldn't be without offering any real ideas.

The two transit hubs located downtown and at 34th and Memorial are NOT located directly across the street from residential areas.  Please do a survey of the residents who live across the street from the fairgrounds about having a TulsaTransit hub replace the old ballpark... and get back to me with the results..... inquiring minds want to know.   

The citizens of Tulsa have ample opportunity to see high quality division I soccer played.  However, there's a reason why they don't play games at Chapman stadium...

College soccer ain't very popular... ANYWHERE.
Only 2 NCAA division I college soccer teams averaged over 3,000 fans per game in 2008.
Pro soccer in Tulsa, however.....

14,000 fans at Skelly Stadium for an MLS exhibition in April 2003 (3500 signed up for season tix)

So, get upset by this but there's already a great site for a pro or semi-pro soccer team to play and it's approx. at 71st and Mingeaux.

Mingueax?  Is that how the Midtown Elite spell it?  

Union-Tuttle Stadium has artificial turf and permanent markings, which is why the Tulsa Spirit women's semi-pro team prefers playing at the Union 7th/8th grade center these days.  

Playing minor league soccer at a high school football stadium was tried (and tried and tried and tried) over a decade ago, back when the Tulsa Roughnecks were revived as a USISL D-3 team (equivalent of USL-2)...

Metro Christian Stadium
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?no=subj&articleid=613612&archive=yes

Union-Tuttle Stadium
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=29&articleid=19980430_Sp_b-rough&archive=yes

LaFortune Stadium
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=29&articleid=19990702_Sp_b5lange&archive=yes

East Central High School's East Tulsa Sports Complex
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=29&articleid=19990730_Sp_b6asthe&archive=yes

WHY PLAY HIGH LEVEL PRO SOCCER AT A HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM ON ARTIFICIAL TURF WITH PERMANENT MARKINGS ON IT WHEN THERE'S A PRISTINE GRASS FIELD IN A WELL-MAINTAINED BALLPARK AT THE FAIRGROUNDS THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR?!?  

If the USL-1 officials I've spoken with believed Tulsa could only attract 2000 people "at most" for a home game, they wouldn't be interested in coming here.  And I wouldn't be interested in trying to push it.

You filled out your survey.
I filled out mine.

Ain't democracy grand?!?  

[Red Arrow]

The two transit hubs located downtown and at 34th and Memorial are NOT located directly across the street from residential areas.  Please do a survey of the residents who live across the street from the fairgrounds about having a TulsaTransit hub replace the old ballpark... and get back to me with the results..... inquiring minds want to know.   

Judging from some other threads, if it helps increase density, "we" don't care what the neighbors think.  Density over all else.

[nathanm]

Judging from some other threads, if it helps increase density, "we" don't care what the neighbors think.  Density over all else.

If you live across the street from the fairgrounds (next to Walgreen's and the ballpark, no less!), you ought to expect lots of people across the street.

Not that there would be any use in having a transit hub at the fairgrounds, unless by hub you mean a few free parking spaces for people to catch the bus down 15th street to downtown.

[Red Arrow]

If you live across the street from the fairgrounds (next to Walgreen's and the ballpark, no less!), you ought to expect lots of people across the street.

Not that there would be any use in having a transit hub at the fairgrounds, unless by hub you mean a few free parking spaces for people to catch the bus down 15th street to downtown.

I think a transit hub for light rail / (real) trolleys might be useful.  Downtowners (when that happens) would have a ready way to get to the fairgrounds. Assuming they would not be too snobby to go to the type of events held at the fairgrounds.   Not so much parking would be required downtown so we could get rid of some of the excess. Folks from around the fairgrounds could drive a couple of miles instead of all the way downtown, if that is where they actually go.  I have no desire to get rid of the stadium; however, not being a sports fan I would also not be affected by its going away. Free or pay parking at the fairgrounds?  If I have to pay to park at the fairgrounds and pay to take transit, why not just drive downtown?  Paying to park downtown has been talked to death.

I see no advantage to a "transit depot" for a bus that only runs every half-hour or so during daylight business hours.

[Red Arrow]

Back when Tulsa had (real) trolleys, there was service to the fairgrounds.  Oklahoma Union Railway had tracks along 11th eastward to Delaware, south to 13th, east to Louisville, south to a turnaround loop near 21st on Louisville.  The University of Tulsa was served via 1st, Lewis, and 11th by the Tulsa Street Railway.

(When Oklahoma Took the Trolley by Chandler & Maguire)

[nathanm]

Back when Tulsa had (real) trolleys, there was service to the fairgrounds.  Oklahoma Union Railway had tracks along 11th eastward to Delaware, south to 13th, east to Louisville, south to a turnaround loop near 21st on Louisville.  The University of Tulsa was served via 1st, Lewis, and 11th by the Tulsa Street Railway.

(When Oklahoma Took the Trolley by Chandler & Maguire)

If we could get trolleys back, I could understand the usefulness of a larger scale park and ride at the fairgrounds. As it stands, not so much.

As I mentioned earlier in another thread, I would be very happy if we had streetcars running down the middle of the major streets in Tulsa. In addition to just being handy, it would position us well for the future of expensive oil and help feed Tulsa-OKC intercity high speed rail. There's no reason we shouldn't be a leader.

[Conan71]

Back when Tulsa had (real) trolleys, there was service to the fairgrounds.  Oklahoma Union Railway had tracks along 11th eastward to Delaware, south to 13th, east to Louisville, south to a turnaround loop near 21st on Louisville.  The University of Tulsa was served via 1st, Lewis, and 11th by the Tulsa Street Railway.

(When Oklahoma Took the Trolley by Chandler & Maguire)

I wonder if that's got anything to do with the odd north/south street alignments on 13th between Harvard & Delaware.