old city hall... sell sell sell!

[DTowner]

Oh, I should add that I talked to Tori afterwards, and now that they found out that they won't own the parking lot until at least 2028 they are going to have to reconsider everything and figure out what the strategy will be on parking.

This sounds like it could significantly impact/reduce their $1 million offer.  Meanwhile, the realized amount of any offer for this buidling continues to go down because the city loses money every day it remains in the city's/TDA's hands.  Brilliant!

[Breadburner]

So where was Omega Alpha a year or two back with their own offer? They weren't interested until someone else finally ponied up an offer. It's starting to piss me off what they are trying to do to queer the Snyder's deal. 

Who is Omega Alpha anyway.......I have my ideas.....

[custosnox]

The parking wouldn't be included?  I guess they could work something out with the Civic Center garage which is pretty close. 

So does TDA now have control over the property?  Are they still going to wait 6 months to award?  Have any renderings from the two proposals been released?

The parking is currently provided by lease to the city, with revenues going to pay the parking off.  Once that is completed (estimated at 2028) then it would transfer over to the owners of the building. 

8-1 passed to hand the building over to TDA to handle the sell of it, contingent on approval of the council.  TDA now has six months to handle the deal, unless they apply for and get an extention on the time.  If they do not complete the sell in that time period and do not get an extention, then it will revert back to the city.

Omega Alpha released this to the media after the Monday meeting



I am still waiting on the images from Brickhugger.  Lacy had surgery, so she is being a bit delayed in sending them.  They include the renderings showing 5th street extending through the plaza, and circling around infront of the civic center.

[SXSW]

Thanks for the info.  That image is sort of what I had it my mind as to what could be done to the exterior.  Keep the tan concrete but install new windows like this building in Fort Worth that was converted from an office building to a condo tower.  


Not so sure about the balconies though.  Would like to see the Snyder's proposal.

[Renaissance]

Aaaaand the Snyders win.  http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100708_11_0_hrimgs188386

Strange - the TDA acted quickly and intelligently.  Probably helps to have Manhattan Construction backing you if you want fast action. 

Anybody have access to a higher-resolution site plan? 

[dsjeffries]

Aaaaand the Snyders win.  http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100708_11_0_hrimgs188386

Strange - the TDA acted quickly and intelligently.  Probably helps to have Manhattan Construction backing you if you want fast action.  

Anybody have access to a higher-resolution site plan?  

Just saw that on KOTV.com. Glad to hear! But, like everyone else, I'd still like to see what their actual plans are. Renderings, site plan, etc.

I know they want to re-open 5th Street, which is a fantastic idea. Take that superblock back down to size.


Edit: Here's the tiny version of the site plan from tulsaworld.com:

[dbacks fan]

I got this from a tweet from COT:
"Brickhuggers proposal is for 10 hotel rooms/floor, and an extended 5th St. providing front door access to old City Hall and Conven. Center."

http://twitter.com/tulsacouncilgov/status/13753922055

[PonderInc]

Glad to hear this finally happened.  I'm sure the Snyders will do a great job.  And it's great that they're going to open up the street again.  The fewer blocked streets downtown, the better!

I think that to qualify for the HP tax credits, they will have to maintain the original exterior look of the building.  (Does anyone have more detail on what's allowed?)  While I've come to admire the downtown library's architecture, I've never been able to appreciate the former City Hall.  Hopefully, I'll be surprised.  The plaza area could be amazing...instead of the concrete wasteland it currently is.  Let's hope for some innovative landscape design to create a fabulous public space.

I'm optimistic.  Anything they do will be a huge improvement over the status quo.

[bacjz00]

A higher quality pic would be nice, but I really like this concept.   Opening up 5th Street makes all kinds of sense.  

Also, does anyone know when we might try to push a new central library out to voters again?  

The Police and Courthouse buildings are all kinds of old too, but I'm guessing we're stuck with those for awhile longer  

Name a county in Oklahoma other than Tulsa and I bet they have a more appealing courthouse.

[dsjeffries]

I was hoping 5th Street would reconnect with Frisco*, but it looks like the street will just be a circle drive at the end. It's still an improvement, but I'd really like to see them connected again.

* Corrected Elwood to Frisco.

[SXSW]

If a new library is eventually built in another part of downtown (hopefully Blue Dome) it would make sense to see the current library turned into additional convention/meeting room space and connected to the hotel just to the west.  That and the Page Belcher federal building getting demolished to make way for an urban park that connects the convention center, hotel, and BOK Center.  

I'll be interested to see more renderings and a larger site plan that I can actually read.  I have confidence the Snyder's/Manhattan Construction can pull this off.  Wouldn't it be amazing to see this project and One Place at 3rd & Denver under construction at the same time?  

[Renaissance]

I was hoping 5th Street would reconnect with Elwood, but it looks like the street will just be a circle drive at the end. It's still an improvement, but I'd really like to see them connected again.

You'd have to go under/over/through the Convention Center.

[sgrizzle]

Putting 5th street through is the best part of the plan I've heard. No maybe all these groups feeding the homeless will quit making that the lunch spot.

[dsjeffries]

You'd have to go under/over/through the Convention Center.

There's currently a driveway that leads directly from Frisco, south, all the way to 6th Street. It comes close to the front of the convention center but not under/through/in it. It's just at a different elevation than the current plaza.

This shows what I'm talking about: Bing Maps Street View of Civic Center

Edit: I meant Frisco earlier, not Elwood. Whoops! (Though Elwood also exists and could be connected, too. Like Frisco, it serves as a driveway to the parking lot, of sorts.)

[Renaissance]

Ah, right - I was thinking Houston.  Yeah, even just a narrow drive like what goes through former Main Mall would be useful as a cab stand, etc.