Downtown development recap

[DowntownDan]

Yee-haw.  Google map shows this to be the old Flytrap, which I considered a criminally underused venue.

East downtown to see new country-western bar
By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer on Aug 1, 2013, at 3:15 PM  Updated on 8/01/13 at 3:16 PM

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Tulsa city councilor Blake Ewing speaks during a press conference back in 2011. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World File
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Food
Get ready for SalsaFest on Friday with recipe, event details
It's the hottest event in town this weekend, and not just because of the weather.

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There's a new place to swing your skirts and scuff those boots in downtown Tulsa. Local entrepreneur Blake Ewing will soon open Legends Dance Hall & Saloon at 514 E. Second St., just in time for the big concert Aug. 10 at the BOK Center featuring Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry and Cassadee Pope.

"It's the official pre- and after-party venue for the concert," Ewing said.

Get there a night early to party with local radio host KVOO and a country music DJ for a chance to win tickets to the Rascal Flatts show, too, Ewing said.

The venue opens 9 p.m. Aug. 9. The next night, Legends will open 5 p.m. before the Rascal Flatts concert. Street parking is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends, and a free shuttle will take fans to and from the concert.

Plus, a concert ticket will get fans a Coors Light on the house.

Ewing also wants Legends to be the official pre- and post-party venue for the Professional Bull Riders event Aug. 16-17, he said.

"We'll compliment the live music venues," Ewing said. "If there's a weekday country show, we'll open early for that, too."

He also owns themed venues The Max, an '80s-themed bar; The Phoenix, a book-themed coffee bar; Joe Momma's, a brick-oven pizzeria and Back Alley Blues & BBQ, featuring Memphis-style eats. He's also the District 4 city councilman.

Legends will feature light, salty fare: popcorn, beef jerky and hot roasted peanuts, he said.

"I've driven past this empty building for five years," Ewing said. "I think this is what it was always intended to be." Normal hours will be Thursday-Saturday. He also wants to add dance lessons and local country music to the small indoor stage.

Venue walls will feature "the colorful country look" of mid-century America, including a mural from local artist Josh Butts that's a comical take on the "card playing dogs" theme. It will include Davy Crockett, Pecos Bill, John Henry and more.

"Downtown needs all kinds of places to attract all kinds of people, and I noticed that there's not a country-western bar that would appeal to people that are coming from outside of the Tulsa city limits," he said. "I want Legends to be that place."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/East_downtown_to_see_new_country_western_bar/20130801_39_0_Theres385135

[carltonplace]

Cool! Maybe build a sky bridge from Woody's to the dance hall.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Is indeed the old fly trap,

[TylerBGoode]

Please tell me that they're going to keep the George Clinton mural.

[carltonplace]

Two new businesses are opening in the two story on the west side of the street across from Sound Pony.

on the left is a martini bar, and on the right is a salon. It looks like a gallery might be going in on the second floor.

[Townsend]

Downtown Tulsa's East Village District Ready for Growth

http://www.gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa-reporter/12242/downtown-tulsa-s-east-village-district-ready-for-growth

A downtown district is ready to make its name known.
"Development is headed this way," says Stuart McDaniel, owner of GuRuStu, a full-service advertising agency. "This way" is referring to the East Village district, the area east of the Blue Dome district, with its roughly-defined boundaries as the railroad tracks to the north, 11th street to the south, Highway 75 to its east and Greenwood Avenue to the west, with a jog to Elgin Avenue from Fourth Street to the railroad tracks.

In the summer of 2012, when McDaniel was preparing to move his business into the East Village, he found that, while there were "little pockets of activity" among business and property owners, no efforts were being made to bring everyone together.

Referencing downtown's already-established districts—Blue Dome, Brady Arts and Deco—he saw the one element they all shared: a united association, or group.

Most recently, "you look at the Deco District," he says, "and they have all gotten together and said, 'We want this.' They've added signs, lights, events." Most recently, on Sept. 14, the Deco District held Chalkfest at Fifth Street and Boston Avenue. It featured amateur and professional chalk art, vendors and live music. The district puts on other events throughout the year, including Salsafest, Cinco de Mayo and 2 Bucks on Boston.

McDaniel wanted to see a similarly unified voice coming from the East Village.
"We need streetscaping, lights, parking, trees, entrances. A group can create more of an impact," he says.

Therefore, in August, McDaniel organized a meeting with property owners and major tenants in the district. He found that besides the fact that there were a slew of people ready to see East Village grow, there were also a number of projects already in the works:

Hogan Assessments will begin construction on its new corporate headquarters, to be located on the northeast corner of Greenwood Avenue and First Street, in January 2014, to be completed by the end of the year. It will be a 28,000-square-foot building with an anticipated final cost of $11 million.

Because of its young and educated workforce, moving downtown makes sense for the company, says Chief Operating Officer Aaron Tracy. "Our employees are attracted to the vitality of the area, and it's appealing to our clients and international partners."

The block of land between Second and Third Streets and Greenwood and Kenosha Avenues will soon hold residential properties Urban 8 and Hartford Commons as well as an urban park.

Plans are also being discussed to renovate other buildings in the district in order to create more mixed-use buildings and to court larger retailers.

Ronnie Thomas owns a handful of properties on Third Street between Lansing and Kenosha Avenues that house businesses as well as second-story lofts. He expects to soon see restaurants come to the district not to serve as competition with the other downtown areas but, rather, as a complement.

"I think our vision is to make East Village more of a date-night, upscale, quaint area," he says. "I think the area has a romantic feel, and we want to go with that."
As buildings fill up in the other districts, growth is naturally going to move eastward, says McDaniel. "Here everything is still unknown. We have big masses of land and massive chunks of opportunity."

The next step for the East Village is to meet to decide on a name for its association and the district's immediate needs. "We would love to see more public green spaces and a grocery store come to the area," says McDaniel of his long-term vision. "But to bring that, we need more residents and people in the area."
It may not be long before that wish is granted.

[carltonplace]

I think the East village is the perfect spot for retail that is missing from Downtown such as home goods, pet supply, clothing (yes downtown has lots of niche clothing shops) for the masses, movies, art supply, etc. My hope is that any new construction is urban with smart parking.

[SXSW]

So the only active project is the office building at 1st & Greenwood.  What is the status of the proposed residential Hartford Commons and Urban 8?  And where is the "urban park" slated to go?  What about All Souls at 6th & Frankfort?

I like the organic growth of this area but there are some big holes to fill, notably at 2nd & Elgin.  I still think Elgin should remain the main street with the bulk of new retail/restaurants along with parts of 1st and 2nd, and 3rd around Kenosha while the other streets are more residential with nicer sidewalks/street trees. 

[carltonplace]

Great idea.

[AdamsHall]

I like the organic growth of this area but there are some big holes to fill, ...    

There is a new hole to fill after the demolition(s) that is underway on the south side of Kenosha between 3rd & 4th.

[carltonplace]

There is a new hole to fill after the demolition(s) that is underway on the south side of Kenosha between 3rd & 4th.

Crap?!

This building on the east side of the street?

[AdamsHall]

Crap?!

This building on the east side of the street?

Correct.  By "south," I meant "east."      It is the white painted brick building on the right side of the photo image you linked all the way to 4th street.

[davideinstein]

East End just needs to be totally redone with high rise condos/apartments besides a few small areas like the Bend and Greenwood.

[TulsaRufnex]

Is there a big demand for high rise condos downtown?

[SXSW]

Is there a big demand for high rise condos downtown?

Probably not highrises, but there is a demand for urban 3-4 story apartments.