Downtown development recap

[Conan71]

I believe that the Avanti building is now completely empty.  They were losing tenants like crazy, and only had one or two left, so they kicked them out and plan on mothballing it.  That's not very promising for it's future.

Perhaps TCC will buy it and repurpose it for more classroom space.

[carltonplace]

I do think TCC will develop its lots and the buildings will be of high quality, like the Center for Creativity.  But it make take decades for that to happen.  Which is why OSU should move to that area and build it up which, like I said, would free up the Greenwood campus to be converted into research facilities (an area OSU wants to improve).  Have the undergrads and grad students at 9th & Boston with student housing in the vicinity, and build up the Greenwood campus as OSU's premier research campus with the ATRC already devoted to research and a second research building eventually planned across Elgin.  That is the only way I see those lots disappearing at a faster than glacial pace...

Well if they keep ripping buildings down you bet it will take awhile to fill the lots back up.

[carltonplace]

Artist - your idealism is a positive force for change, but surface lots have proliferated downtown because owners make more money renting parking spaces than they can renting class C or worse office space.  The new assessment to pay for Oneok field only increases this economic advantage.  While residential conversion has soaked up some of the available space that was unrentable as office space, there is still a lot of vacant or near vacant buildings downtown that cannot be brought up to Class A or B space without a huge investment.  It is only when demand for more residential and more office/commercial uses up this surplus space that land values will really start to rise enough to make surface lots a less profitable use of downtown real estate.  That is going to take a lot more jobs locating downtown and a lot more people living downtown.  We are making slow progress, but all of the mass transit dreams in the world cannot change the fact that it is relatively fast and cheap to drive to and park downtown and that is not going to change in the near future.

There are at least 6 proposed ground up multi-tenant developments planned for down town. There are at least as many plans to repurpose existing buildings.  TCC is not playing in the present.

[Townsend]

Noticed more work going on at the old B of A drive through on 7th today.  Anything happening there or just stripping the structure?

[jacobi]

I think Tinker Credit union is going in there.

[carltonplace]

I think Tinker Credit union is going in there.

Darn. Would have liked to see new construction here. I've heard that before the drive through went in there were at least six brick and mortar buildings on this block. I think Lyons was located here?

[jacobi]

Yeah it's really sad when you look what used to be on that block.

[sgrizzle]

Maybe tinker will do something about the people sleeping in the drive through every night. They are really stealing the the thunder of the 1-2 occupy tulsa people.

[carltonplace]

Yeah it's really sad when you look what used to be on that block.

Just look at what was around Holy Family.



Hotel at 7th and Main

[jacobi]

I've long though that we should have a second pot of downtown housing money specifically for projects that rebuild buildings that have been knocked down.

[TheArtist]

I've long though that we should have a second pot of downtown housing money specifically for projects that rebuild buildings that have been knocked down.

How about tying some of the redevelopment money that the city loans to build new things to having each new structure have some sort of Art Deco influence in its design. Whether it be classic Art Deco or contemporary design with a deco twist.  You can still have a downtown that has an incredible variety of styles, looks and time periods, while also creating a very unique, engaging and special identity.  Miami has done it with their unique style of Deco, we could kind of be the midwestern counterpoint to that with our own more varied look. 

[Townsend]

Per TW:


Coney Island in downtown Tulsa to move

Tulsa's iconic Coney Island Hot Weiner Shop restaurant, located at 123 W. Fourth St. downtown, will have to vacate its space by the middle of February.

Owner Jim Economou said he is looking for a new home for the business.

"We want to stay downtown because we believe it is important to us and the community," Economou said.

Coney Island's lease on the site, which is on the bottom floor of a vacant former hotel, expired in November. Economou said the property's owners want to raze the building.

Although Economou said he is looking for a new restaurant site in the downtown Tulsa area, he also has considered the Brady District.



Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=46&articleid=20120105_46_0_Tulsas364171

[TheTed]

I'd be a happy (and fatter) man if they moved somewhere near nightlife and stayed open late and on weekends.

They were open 10-8 Mon-Sat a few years back, but they cut back on their hours right as downtown began to pick up steam. Now they're only open Mon-Fri 'til 7 and not at all on Saturdays.

[dsjeffries]

Although Economou said he is looking for a new restaurant site in the downtown Tulsa area, he also has considered the Brady District.

I'm glad they're looking for another space downtown instead of closing shop, but it irritates me to no end when people say things like, "I'm looking in downtown but I'd also be willing to consider the Brady district", like the Brady District isn't a part of downtown. Similar phrases have been uttered in countless news stories talking about how close the Blue Dome District or Greenwood are to downtown. Newsflash: They're in downtown!

Brady District + Greenwood + Blue Dome + Cathedral Square + Gunboat Park + "Deco District" (I still don't like that name) + everything else in the IDL = Downtown.

That said, I wonder why the owner is razing the building. I know it's in terrible shape, but wasn't there talk one time about renovating it?

[jacobi]

I am pretty much always always pro preservation, but I wouldn't mnd if this building went away if there were Solid plane for the lot.