Tulsa West Bank Development

[dbacks fan]

Man, you were involved with those in some way I'm guessing. Or you have a fantastic memory. My father worked on Fontana, The Falls and probably the others too. He really got shafted on the Falls when the builder got caught in a real estate collapse at the time. The Falls went bankrupt IIRC.

I also lived in Place One in the mid to late 70's and often visited the club. It was small and always packed. On Friday nights we enjoyed "Free Beer" at the nearby clubroom. Place One was still pretty cool then. Olympic size pool, weight room, Sauna, showers and Tennis courts. Club One may have been private, (I remember having to carry a club membership card) but the laws were so screwy back then. I had a dozen or so cards.

Oh the life I've led. I actually worked security while Southen Slope and Westport were being built, and the company I worked for also took care of the properties around 71st & Mingo. I later worked for Finger Furniture Rental, and got to see every apartment complex in Tulsa for residential, and did lots of work downtown on the office side as well. The worst was when we went to pickup all of the damaged furniture after the Memorial Day flood. There's nothing worse than picking up mattresses and couches that have been sitting in standing water, and then airing out.

[Conan71]

Westport was built in 1983 at the same time and the same group that built Southern Slope behind where the Double Tree at 61st & Yale is. At the same time, Sugarberry 61st & Garnett, Glen Eagles and the place just west were being built just north of Union HS, the apartments south of 61st and east of 169, Waterford at 53rd & Harvard, and two complexes just sout of 71st and east of Mingo, and Chardonay behind the QT on 71st across from Woodland Hills. All of these were the first "upscale" apartments built in Tulsa since The Villa Fontana/Terrace, and The Falls were built in the early 70's and those two were on the decline at that point. Interesting fact about Villa Fontana, The Falls, and Place One on Riverside, all three of these complexes had full bars in them as they were a members club, and only the residents of those complexes could get memberships IIRC. Place One had Club One, The Falls had The Cave Club with panoramic views, and I can't remember the name of the one at Villa Fontana.
Forgot one, One Eaton Square that had a spectacular fire while under construction in early '84 that you could see the flames from at 71st & Elm in BA.

And out of those cited, I believe Westport is the only one which has not become a mini-ghetto.  It serves a purpose as affordable housing for average working folk and college students.  Why do we always think there's a better formula for the inhabitants of a city which involves "upscale" development?

[we vs us]

And out of those cited, I believe Westport is the only one which has not become a mini-ghetto.  It serves a purpose as affordable housing for average working folk and college students.  Why do we always think there's a better formula for the inhabitants of a city which involves "upscale" development?

That's the thing I found really interesting.  The Mrs. and I looked at Westport way back when we were moving here in 2007.  As soon as we saw the surroundings we discarded it as an option but were impressed by the generally good upkeep of the facility for where it was.  It's not upscale but it's definitely not downscale, either. 

That's the question, really . . . can you bottle what makes Westport stable and solvent, and then spread it liberally all over the riverbanks down to 31st? That may be the way to make the west river pay off. 

[Conan71]

That's the thing I found really interesting.  The Mrs. and I looked at Westport way back when we were moving here in 2007.  As soon as we saw the surroundings we discarded it as an option but were impressed by the generally good upkeep of the facility for where it was.  It's not upscale but it's definitely not downscale, either. 

That's the question, really . . . can you bottle what makes Westport stable and solvent, and then spread it liberally all over the riverbanks down to 31st? That may be the way to make the west river pay off. 

I really don't mean to belittle your opinion of the river from 31st to 11th, but I don't think you really spent much effort considering it at the time or since then.  I believe any option north of 61st St. along Riverside is a fantastic option.  FAIK the apartments lining the east bank from 33rd to 31st are quite stable and low crime. 

Too bad there's an image issue, apparently.  Maybe we could attract even more people like you and your wife, who are exactly who that style of living should appeal to.  If there was a misconception of those properties, please expand on it because there is something for us all to learn from it.

[dbacks fan]

IIRC Westport, Southern Slope and Waterford were the first gated complexes ever in Tulsa. Even now I would consider Westport as an option to move into because of it's location especially if I could get a river view unit. Why that one has been able to stay a good place? The people that live there are either as pointed out OSU students at the nearby facilities (It;s strange for me to refer to the old Osteo Hospital as OSU, and the other location was also, and may still be the medical examiners office) but it always had poeple who had moved to Tulsa for work downtown as a transitional place. Back in the mid '80s if you lived at one of these three you were considered to be doing well. The only thing I can attribute Westports success to is execellent property management, and a screening method to keep the standards high. By the mid 80's Villa Fontana, The Falls and a lot of the Hardesty properties had become dives, and LPC, Lincoln Property Company, just became concerned with occupancy rates. The others I mentioned were really nice but slipped quickly in the 90's. Most of them had family areas, and adult only areas, but I think they just let it go to all in one. The biggest problem that I did not like back then was Place One and Villa Fontana had central plants for the HVAC, so the complex contolled the heating and cooling schedule. But there were so many places that during the late 70's to the late 90's when I left just went downhill. The people that built the complexes off of 71st & Mingo also built a nice one near West 61st and Union that went down hill quickly, and even Sand Dollar at 61st and Riverside was a nice place as well. I believe (just my opinion) is that most of them began accepting gov't subsidices to keep units full to satisfy the managemnet companies bottom line.

[Teatownclown]

Place One rocked...

And the only good visuals I ever caught of our "scenic" river was back in the 60's when they'd fire up the PSO plant during the night and it would look simply spectacular. Of course, I didn't comprehend pollution in the 1960's as a pre teen. It wasn't taught back then.

You have got to believe there's a ton of remediation to be done on that west bank property but "as is" is just that. Could that explain the poor proposals, BB?

Times have changed.

[we vs us]

I really don't mean to belittle your opinion of the river from 31st to 11th, but I don't think you really spent much effort considering it at the time or since then.  I believe any option north of 61st St. along Riverside is a fantastic option.  FAIK the apartments lining the east bank from 33rd to 31st are quite stable and low crime. 

Too bad there's an image issue, apparently.  Maybe we could attract even more people like you and your wife, who are exactly who that style of living should appeal to.  If there was a misconception of those properties, please expand on it because there is something for us all to learn from it.

Just to clarify:  I meant on the west bank.  I'm totally cool with the whole eastern strip, and the Mrs. and I have periodically tried to make the move closer to the river during our time here . . . we've just not found a place that fits our needs for the money.

[Conan71]

Just to clarify:  I meant on the west bank.  I'm totally cool with the whole eastern strip, and the Mrs. and I have periodically tried to make the move closer to the river during our time here . . . we've just not found a place that fits our needs for the money.

And that alone might be why Westport has remained a viable property as Brookside bungalows can be somewhat spendy.

[DTowner]

In summer of 1987 I came to Tulsa to look at apartments and visited several in the 61st-71st/Peoria-Riverside area.  I also visited Westport.  All were pretty new and were offering many inducements as the oil bust was in full swing and the apartment market was obviously overbuilt.  I remember Westport offered "happy hours" by the pool every Friday evening.  That was a very tempting pitch.

I ended up living on-campus at TU, but I had friends who lived at apartments on Peoria between 61st & 71st for all 3 years of law school.  That area changed dramatically during those 3 years, and not for the better.

[DowntownDan]

Westport is always ranked as one of the top 3 apartment complexes by Urban Tulsa Weekly, and has even been number 1 at some point over the last few years.  They are obviously doing something right.  I'm not sure it would make much difference to west bank development though since the areas being discussed are south of the complex.

[TURobY]

I lived at Westport for a couple of years during grad school.

I found the staff to be incredibly helpful when anything went wrong, the price point to be reasonable, and the view to be incredible (I and my ex paid a little extra for an apt on the river with a view of downtown). The only thing that made me move was when I found a house.

[Conan71]

In summer of 1987 I came to Tulsa to look at apartments and visited several in the 61st-71st/Peoria-Riverside area.  I also visited Westport.  All were pretty new and were offering many inducements as the oil bust was in full swing and the apartment market was obviously overbuilt.  I remember Westport offered "happy hours" by the pool every Friday evening.  That was a very tempting pitch.

I ended up living on-campus at TU, but I had friends who lived at apartments on Peoria between 61st & 71st for all 3 years of law school.  That area changed dramatically during those 3 years, and not for the better.

I dated a girl who lived at Sand Dollar.  Amazing how quickly that place went downhill.  I believe the older apartments just to the east became section 8 about that time.

[Teatownclown]

I dated a girl who lived at Sand Dollar.  Amazing how quickly that place went downhill.  I believe the older apartments just to the east became section 8 about that time.

You're always out front....

[Conan71]

You're always out front....

I always say: "Lead with the head" 

[Teatownclown]

LOL Conan...

OK, TTC suggests turning the site into a mountain....(of toxic debris  )

" I'm gonna build a daydream, from a little hope.
I'm gonna push the daydream, up that mountain slope.
I'm gonna build a daydream, woah, I'm gonna see it through,
Gonna build a mountain and a daydream,
Gonna make 'em both come true."