Downtown development recap

[patric]

Did she work there when they tried to turn it into a crater?

The live pictures of flaming cylinders flying like drunken rockets across still-flowing expressway traffic were epic.

[swake]

The live pictures of flaming cylinders flying like drunken rockets across still-flowing expressway traffic were epic.

I was working on the 19th floor of the First Place Tower when that happened, it was epic to watch.

[Conan71]

I love the human scud targets milling about in that photo.

[Townsend]

Deco District Shops has there own FB page.  Apparently more are opening on the 1st.

[jacobi]

Deco District Shops has there own FB page.  Apparently more are opening on the 1st.

The thing that we have that OKC doesn't have is the amount of local stores and restaurants in our downtown.  I love that this is happening.  We've all been waiting a while for this to happen.  Now I'm waiting for a new skyscraper to be announced.  and TCC to build a new building.

[Hoss]

Very nearly the same angle as Townie the Southie took..this was from this afternoon, but I was a little farther south, almost up to the arena doors here.

[carltonplace]

The thing that we have that OKC doesn't have is the amount of local stores and restaurants in our downtown.  I love that this is happening.  We've all been waiting a while for this to happen.  Now I'm waiting for a new skyscraper to be announced.  and TCC to build a new building.

First and Boulder could easily hold a scraper.

[jacobi]

First and Boulder could easily hold a scraper.

Yeah I would love for some of those lots that are 'behind' the BOK tower to vanish.  I think that the expansion of the parking garage on first street, might be a first step towards developing some of the surface lots.  Then again, It also might be prepairing the area for my pony that will be showing up any day now.

[dsjeffries]

First and Boulder could easily hold a scraper.

There are a lot of square blocks in downtown that could fit skyscrapers, and I've thought for a long time that the block bounded by 1st, 2nd, Boulder and the Williams Center would make a great one, but...

I'd rather see dozens of mixed-use, human-scaled, mid-rise buildings, with 5 or 6 floors permeate downtown rather than one large skyscraper. That's the stuff neighborhoods are built of. Buildings like the Devon Tower or BOK Tower are great, and they enhance a lot of things about a city's image, but low- and mid-rise buildings are the bones that make solid, dense, active, and unique areas.

[DowntownDan]

There are a lot of square blocks in downtown that could fit skyscrapers, and I've thought for a long time that the block bounded by 1st, 2nd, Boulder and the Williams Center would make a great one, but...

I'd rather see dozens of mixed-use, human-scaled, mid-rise buildings, with 5 or 6 floors permeate downtown rather than one large skyscraper. That's the stuff neighborhoods are built of. Buildings like the Devon Tower or BOK Tower are great, and they enhance a lot of things about a city's image, but low- and mid-rise buildings are the bones that make solid, dense, active, and unique areas.

I agree.  Tulsa already has a large enough and attractive enough skyline for a city our size.  We actually probably have more skyscrappers and a larger skyline than other cities our size.  Oklahoma City didn't really have as much, so the Devon Tower is kind of their highlight.  I've seen it from the highway, and it just kind of sticks out on its own and shows how low their skyline was before that tower.

I too would rather see more density at the street level before we worry about more skyscrappers.  I would also like to see our existing buildings connected better like in larger cities.  We have lots of larger buildings with nothing much in between.  The walk from the BOK Tower to the Hillcrest Building feels like miles and you feel as though you need to get in a car to get from one part of downtown to another, mainly because there is not much connecting them or wirth seeing while walking by.  Hopefully that will change and downtown continues to develop and become denser and vacant areas get renovated and filled.

[TheArtist]

I agree.  Tulsa already has a large enough and attractive enough skyline for a city our size.  We actually probably have more skyscrappers and a larger skyline than other cities our size.  Oklahoma City didn't really have as much, so the Devon Tower is kind of their highlight.  I've seen it from the highway, and it just kind of sticks out on its own and shows how low their skyline was before that tower.

I too would rather see more density at the street level before we worry about more skyscrappers.  I would also like to see our existing buildings connected better like in larger cities.  We have lots of larger buildings with nothing much in between.  The walk from the BOK Tower to the Hillcrest Building feels like miles and you feel as though you need to get in a car to get from one part of downtown to another, mainly because there is not much connecting them or wirth seeing while walking by.  Hopefully that will change and downtown continues to develop and become denser and vacant areas get renovated and filled.

Well said.  People often say that Tulsan's won't walk far downtown.  Problem is that nobody, even bonafied, hard core, city slicker, used to walking miles in the city, types don't want to walk very far in our downtown.  We have torn out a lot of our pedestrian friendly fabric, and a lot of the newer stuff that has gone in is just as miserable to walk past as an empty parking lot.  

Comedian Garrison Keillor when he was in Tulsa commented on our how nice some of our old buildings were downtown, and then noted how interesting it was that we have arraged it, with all the parking lots, so that you can admire each one individually.  

[heironymouspasparagus]

We ought to mix it up a little - bring in some new to mix with the old....

http://www.infernodevelopment.com/45-incredible-futuristic-scifi-3d-city-illustrations


I think Devon Tower in OKC was inspired by Limbo City halfway down this list.

[jacobi]

(in the voice of a whiny 13 year old) but guys!  Can't I have both?  I want a mix of 4-10 story mixed use properties and I want an 80 story sky scraper. 

Look guys, we're just daydreaming here.  Might as well dream big.  That's why I'm still counting on that pony.

[carltonplace]

There are a lot of square blocks in downtown that could fit skyscrapers, and I've thought for a long time that the block bounded by 1st, 2nd, Boulder and the Williams Center would make a great one, but...

I'd rather see dozens of mixed-use, human-scaled, mid-rise buildings, with 5 or 6 floors permeate downtown rather than one large skyscraper. That's the stuff neighborhoods are built of. Buildings like the Devon Tower or BOK Tower are great, and they enhance a lot of things about a city's image, but low- and mid-rise buildings are the bones that make solid, dense, active, and unique areas.

I don't disagree with you, but I think another couple of scrapers in the CBD is not a bad thing. I wouldn't want to see one in the Brady or Blue Dome, East End or Uptown. These areas need human sized infill.

[godboko71]

Are the apartments at 6th and Boston still happening? I walk by the building daily and can't help but think it would be more interesting with people living there.