old city hall... sell sell sell!

[SXSW]

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.

Anything to break up the superblock is good.

[Conan71]

I'm glad to hear the Snyders won, what a boon to the area.  I guess Roscoe was right in the end, they held out and wound up with $200K more.  Makes you wonder if the other suitors were brought in only to up the ante.

[Renaissance]

TW responded to our requests for a more detailed rendering:



I'm going to throw this out there--there's NO WAY they'll extend 5th st without completely rebuilding Civic Plaza.  My understanding (from past discussions on this forum) is that the plaza is currently so structurally deficient that they can't even put water in the fountains or maintain gardens because of load bearing concerns.  How are they going to build a new street?

[custosnox]

TW responded to our requests for a more detailed rendering:



I'm going to throw this out there--there's NO WAY they'll extend 5th st without completely rebuilding Civic Plaza.  My understanding (from past discussions on this forum) is that the plaza is currently so structurally deficient that they can't even put water in the fountains or maintain gardens because of load bearing concerns.  How are they going to build a new street?

At their presentation to the council, they Snyders had someone speak for them that says they had the area surveyed and checked by engineers that say that it would have no problem supporting the street.

[custosnox]

just found a mention of the weight problem in a Tulsa World article

Sharrer smiles a little as the visitors inquire about a colorful penguin in the middle of an empty fountain in the plaza. The penguins were part of a Tulsa Zoo fundraiser and the fountain has no water in it because the water was too heavy for the structure, he explains.

I just wonder where he got his info at

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20081023_11_A1_TracyD757839

[dbacks fan]

TW responded to our requests for a more detailed rendering:



I'm going to throw this out there--there's NO WAY they'll extend 5th st without completely rebuilding Civic Plaza.  My understanding (from past discussions on this forum) is that the plaza is currently so structurally deficient that they can't even put water in the fountains or maintain gardens because of load bearing concerns.  How are they going to build a new street?

Judging by this rendering they are going to reinvent the plaza, but I agree, the only way they are going to be able to add the additional building is go through the plaza deck, the parking deck below, and into the underground parking to reach any surface thats stable. And in doing so, jmo, the new buildings would eat up alot of the existing parking thats there.

[DTowner]

I'm glad to hear the Snyders won, what a boon to the area.  I guess Roscoe was right in the end, they held out and wound up with $200K more.  Makes you wonder if the other suitors were brought in only to up the ante.

Of course, based on the on-going costs to the city, the extra $200K was eaten up by the delay in selling the property.

[dbacks fan]

[custosnox]

I wonder about those plans.  From what I understand they Snyders only got the building, not the parking area's around it. 

[sgrizzle]

KRMG was reporting this morning that the plaza is getting the kabosh in the snyder plan.

[dsjeffries]

KRMG was reporting this morning that the plaza is getting the kabosh in the snyder plan.

Then they need to connect 5th to Frisco at the end. They could still keep sidewalks at the plaza level that connect to the convention center.

[SXSW]

Then they need to connect 5th to Frisco at the end. They could still keep sidewalks at the plaza level that connect to the convention center.

Agree.   There needs to be a better connection on that side of the convention center.  If the Page Belcher ever is demolished and becomes a plaza it would make more sense to move the parking garage further west by the state office building, turn the new ballroom addition into more exhibit hall space (with loading docks facing Houston), and use the current garage site for a new ballroom expansion overlooking the plaza and skyline.  This hotel would be on one side and the BOK Center on the other.  It would really 'open up' that area to the rest of downtown.

[custosnox]

And now there seems to be a problem with the parking situation.  I was wondering when this would show up.

http://krmg.com/localnews/2010/08/old-city-hall-buyer-needs-park.html

[Rico]

Surface Parking Rules!

that has been the underlying theme for investing in Downtown..

[cannon_fodder]

The old images of downtown tulsa make me sad.  No super towers (20+), but a building all over, crowded streets (with diaganol parking), and no empty lots.  Stupid surface parking.

This isn't about surface parking.  If the area had enough parking with a city hall full, it has enough for a hotel.