Brady District

[FOTD]

They aren't holding the deed are they? Which is worse? TDA or MS?

[dsjeffries]

When does the city take possession of that little property for Sager's massive failure?

Actually, it's nothing like the First Street Lofts. Those have been underway for how many decades now? The KOTV/Griffin land has only been under "development" (if you will) for the last year. That is an entirely different situation.

[dsjeffries]

Thats reflected in the latest numbers. KOTV saw declines this past year: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectID=275&articleID=20100203_275_D5_JayLen188564

The numbers may be slightly down, but they're still the most-watched channel in town. Remaining in first place is considered a death-knoll now?

[SXSW]

Here is the proposed park bordered by Brady, Cincinnati, Cameron, and Boston.  The Matthews Warehouse/Living Arts Center is at the south end and the KOTV building (if it ever gets built) will be at the north end.  This will be a great addition to the area along with the streetscaping going in along Brady and Elgin.



And hopefully once those projects are complete, as well as the IDL reconstruction, they can beautify the onramps/exits from I-244 at Cincinnati and Detroit and better connect OSU to Brady with improved landscaping, lighting, and sidewalks.

[OurTulsa]

I really hope KOTV is a dead deal or goes back to the drawing board.  I've thought their 'plaza' was a poor concept.  They intended to build a plaza/green space of some sort on the south side of their building up against Cameron and across the street from the Brady plaza.  That juxtaposition would have a diminishing affect on the centerpiece of the entire district 'Brady Park'.

That park will work so much better if it has active edges on as many sides as possible.  It would have hurt the Brady District and the park, imo, to have a single user that doesn't draw much traffic (pedestrian, bike, and otherwise) just to the north.  The north side of that park would have ineffect become a dead zone - no reason to engage that side of the park (how many people would walk to and from KOTV?).  A single use on that side gives fewer people a reason to utilize, and give life to, the park.  And the last thing we want on one side of an urban park is another vacuum 'open space that looks pretty but doesn't get used'.

That property up against 244 could be utilized much more efficiently to anchor and stretch the district.  A multi-story building with commercial (restaurants)/office uses on the ground floors with residential above with parking up against the highway wall would do well to mitigate the impact of the highway and the noise on the park.

[TheArtist]

I would also like to see as much as possible,,,ground floor retail or businesses right up to the sidewalks, all around that park. 

[carltonplace]

I think a Brady hotel should go into these buildings across from the Cains.

[kylieosu]

I think a Brady hotel should go into these buildings across from the Cains.

That would be awesome.

[TheLofts@120]

Carltonplace...good things come to those who wait...and very good things are coming for the Brady.

[dsjeffries]

Carltonplace...good things come to those who wait...and very good things are coming for the Brady.

Then all of us Tulsans should be getting the best things in the world, since we've been doing nothing but waiting since the dawn of time. I have very high hopes for Brady.

Unrelated to the hotel, I don't understand why the streetscape plan doesn't follow a more 3-dimensional approach--it follows Brady and some other main streets, but go around just about any corner and it stops. Don't we want to stop the 'strip'-like development and move toward 3-dimensional neighborhoods? I understand the purpose is to connect the Brady District with other parts of downtown, but this 'plan' just doesn't look complete to me. If it were just an initial phase, I'd say, "ok, that's a great start", but this looks like a final deal. No more trees and streetscaping except on those long strips.

[SXSW]

Then all of us Tulsans should be getting the best things in the world, since we've been doing nothing but waiting since the dawn of time. I have very high hopes for Brady.

Unrelated to the hotel, I don't understand why the streetscape plan doesn't follow a more 3-dimensional approach--it follows Brady and some other main streets, but go around just about any corner and it stops. Don't we want to stop the 'strip'-like development and move toward 3-dimensional neighborhoods? I understand the purpose is to connect the Brady District with other parts of downtown, but this 'plan' just doesn't look complete to me. If it were just an initial phase, I'd say, "ok, that's a great start", but this looks like a final deal. No more trees and streetscaping except on those long strips.

You have to start somewhere, and Brady is being built up as the 'main street' in the district connecting the Brady Theater to ONEOK Field past the new park.  And then it's equally important to connect Brady to the rest of downtown in this case Elgin which connects south to Blue Dome and north to OSU, and Cheyenne which is an at-grade crossing that connects to the BOK Center area.  I would think that after this phase is finished they will tackle other thoroughfares such as Detroit (part of which is included in phase 1), Cincinnati, Main, Denver, and Archer.  And once the new Boulder Bridge is built and a streetcar line finalized we will see additional streetscaping there as well.

I really wish we hadn't blocked off Main at 1st and 3rd as that would be a solid connection to the rest of downtown from Brady.  All it would take would be the Crowne Plaza moving its meeting/banquet halls facilities to the east and tearing down part of the Williams Forum...

[dsjeffries]

I would think that after this phase is finished they will tackle other thoroughfares such as Detroit (part of which is included in phase 1), Cincinnati, Main, Denver, and Archer.  And once the new Boulder Bridge is built and a streetcar line finalized we will see additional streetscaping there as well.

That would be fine, but like I said, this doesn't look like a 'phase', it looks like, "this is the finished product and no one should expect anything more than what's in this plan".

I really wish we hadn't blocked off Main at 1st and 3rd as that would be a solid connection to the rest of downtown from Brady.  All it would take would be the Crowne Plaza moving its meeting/banquet halls facilities to the east and tearing down part of the Williams Forum...

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I've thought about that. When I have enough money, that's what I am going to do. There is no need for superblocks. Ever. Especially superblocks that destroyed invaluable historic assets and the oldest buildings in our city.

[SXSW]

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I've thought about that. When I have enough money, that's what I am going to do. There is no need for superblocks. Ever. Especially superblocks that destroyed invaluable historic assets and the oldest buildings in our city.

I'll pitch in, just have to convince or buy Crowne Plaza and hope BOK builds a new tower downtown allowing Williams to vacate Forum opening those blocks up for Main to connect once again..

[we vs us]

The PPG Industries building is being converted into condos, with restaurant and grocery space to boot.

"The old PPG Industries building in Tulsa's Brady District is being revitalized. It sits directly across the street just south of ONEOK Field, at North Detroit and Archer.

It's hard to believe looking at it today but by fall, the old building will be home to some of the coolest apartments in Downtown Tulsa, complete with indoor parking and amazing views of ONEOK Field.

"We have a lot of people interested. These are real industrial style apartments with brick walls and industrial style finishes that we are doing. It will have high ceilings and exposed ceilings," said Developer Macy Snyder.

She and her family have succeeded at this before. After decades of neglect, they transformed the Mayo Hotel back to its former glory.

Snyder said the success they experienced in leasing apartments at the Mayo shows the need for housing in downtown is there. Especially since the Detroit Lofts will be smaller and more affordable than most rental properties in the area. "They are smaller units. They range from 600 square feet to 1200 square feet. They will cost a dollar a square foot. So it appeals to a lot of the younger people."

The lofts will be flanked by a grocery store on the Archer side of the building, and a restaurant and bar on Detroit.

Tulsa Economic Development Director Mike Bunny expects to see even more development through that same corridor after ONEOK Field opens in the spring. "As people see the ballpark complete, they are starting to get interested in property that is close by. And they are starting to look at the opportunities the ballpark will generate."

Snyder agrees. "We see other development downtown when you get people living down here, other stuff starts to pop up."

The lofts are scheduled to open in August. The grocery store and restaurant will open later in the fall.

The developers hope to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1920, it burned during the Tulsa race riots a year later and was then rebuilt."

Not sure if we've mentioned this or not, but thought I'd share.

[sgrizzle]

I really wish we hadn't blocked off Main at 1st and 3rd as that would be a solid connection to the rest of downtown from Brady.  All it would take would be the Crowne Plaza moving its meeting/banquet halls facilities to the east and tearing down part of the Williams Forum...

I would bet you could create an open pedestrian route through there without near as much mess.