Can't say I didn't see this coming

[Hoss]

Sad...wonder how this plays out...

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/bank-files-to-foreclose-against-jenks-riverwalk-property

[YoungTulsan]

2007 called.  It wants its bubble economy back.

[Stone]

I've posted this before regarding Riverwalk and have gotten ripped but I think it's time to really start thinking about converting it to a mixed use outlet mall. I've mentioned this idea to many Tulsans and to a person they all think it's a great idea. We just had a group of girls at work take a road trip last weekend to Texas for outlet shopping!!! I was thinking higher end stores like Coach, Banana Rep., North Face, etc. It's better than the night club scene bringing in punks and thugs vandalizing everything!! Jenks is a family community and needs family developments.

[DTowner]

I hope Tulsa city leaders and backers of river development carefully study what worked and didn't work at Riverwalk before we embark on river development here - most importantly starting with picking who is going to do the developing.

[Conan71]

I hope Tulsa city leaders and backers of river development carefully study what worked and didn't work at Riverwalk before we embark on river development here - most importantly starting with picking who is going to do the developing.

What went wrong?

Jerry Gordon's ego.

Same thing happened with his Easy Rider's/El Paso BBQ development.

[sgrizzle]

It's my understanding that Phase 1, Phase 2 and the apartments are all separate financing. I wonder what exactly they are foreclosing against.

[BKDotCom]

Riverwalk always suffered from being one phase short of a destination.

I think if he could have got phase 2 started much earlier.. and completed... without that big honkin gap between em...

woulda coulda shoulda

[DTowner]

What went wrong?

Jerry Gordon's ego.

Same thing happened with his Easy Rider's/El Paso BBQ development.

Gordon was clearly a problem from the get go as he appeared to over promise and under deliver on all fronts.

I think the location is questionable - issolated.  Sure, maybe after Phase III is completed and other developments come along, it won't feel that way, but that doesn't do the early businesses any good.

I think the design was misguided.  The first impression is the service entrance side of a strip mall, complete with dumpsters.

Failure to draw an anchor tenant that creates foot traffic during the day.  The movie theater might have helped if it was closer to the rest of the development, but even theaters don't draw much of a week day crowd during the school year.

Unclear focus.  What was the target audiance?  It appeared to start out as a town center by the river, but became more a food/bar district - at least those are primarily the businesses that have survived.

I believe river development in Tulsa will be more difficult than some want to believe.  Unlike many cities with successful river developments (Little Rock, Memphis, Louisville, etc), Tulsa was not and has never been a river town - the river was ancillary and irrelevant to our development and prosperity.  I believe Riverwalk gives everyone a chance to step back and learn from the successes and mistakes of others in an environment that is more relevant to Tulsa.

[swake]

His house building company seems to be gone too, the website for Timber Carver Homes is gone. I know that the city of Jenks had a falling out with him years ago over phase II of Riverwalk.

And don't forget his crying last fall about the city of Tulsa not helping him with river development on the west bank.

[Conan71]

River development is an odd dichotomy.  So far Blue Rose and Red Rock Canyon seem to be the only ones who have inviting views on the front and backs of their restaurants.  I'm actually surprised Fusco's restaurant has made it this long with reports of mediocre food and service and not even taking advantage of the river view (at least not last time I was there about 2 years ago).

I totally agree with the assessment of driving up to RWC, you are looking at what would normally be the alley of a strip mall. I don't know that in itself has killed the foot traffic.  It's simply a failure to sustain ample merchants and/or really great food/beverage businesses.  

High end furniture and nic-nac stores are a total crap-shoot and generally only work in resort communities which attract mostly higher level incomes like Vail village, or if they are set in with similar merchants like Utica Square.  I honestly don't see how independent retailers will survive there unless they've got a great specialty line which is in demand or also have a great web presence.

What has managed to succeed over the long haul at RWC has been places with fairly good food, drinks, and which seem to take good advantage of the outdoor atmosphere with their seating.

I simply think Jerry Gordon's vision is far grander than reality or he's a megalomaniac who believes he's smarter than common wisdom when it comes to retail in Tulsa.

[DowntownDan]

I'm glad the Drillers didn't fall for the whole pitch that Jenks would be the new destination while downtown would crumble.  Glad to see the downtown haters proven wrong.  Downtown is growing while the Jenks riverwalk is bankrupt.  I know a ton of people who never watched many Driller games who now attend multiple times a year because of the location downtown and the availability of pre and post game activity nearby.  I know for a fact I would never have gone to Jenks for the Drillers, and I think the team would have gone bankrupt as well if forced into Jenks.  I'm sure there are still people rooting against downtown, and as much as I hate to see anything fail in this town, I'm a little happy inside that the Jenks riverwalk project has been proven to be unsuccessful and that downtown is the place to be, like most other major metropolitan areas.

[Townsend]

Any chance the low water dams would've helped this development?

[Red Arrow]

I'm glad the Drillers didn't fall for the whole pitch that Jenks would be the new destination while downtown would crumble.  Glad to see the downtown haters proven wrong.  Downtown is growing while the Jenks riverwalk is bankrupt.  I know a ton of people who never watched many Driller games who now attend multiple times a year because of the location downtown and the availability of pre and post game activity nearby.  I know for a fact I would never have gone to Jenks for the Drillers, and I think the team would have gone bankrupt as well if forced into Jenks.  I'm sure there are still people rooting against downtown, and as much as I hate to see anything fail in this town, I'm a little happy inside that the Jenks riverwalk project has been proven to be unsuccessful and that downtown is the place to be, like most other major metropolitan areas.

You ready to build a wall around Tulsa to keep suburbanites out?  I know this is TNF, not Jenks Now, not Owasso Now etc but you are carrying a lot of hate.  It will give you acid reflux if you aren't careful.

[Conan71]

Any chance the low water dams would've helped this development?

I really don't see why.  Water nor lack therof doesn't drive people to places like RWC.  Good food, entertainment, and retail that people want does.  So long as the service and food remain good at Blue Rose that place will pack them in even if the river is dry enough to walk across.  Brown river water isn't real compelling.  Oceanside is a different story.

The problem is, there's about five or six good tenants paying rent toward a mortgage which was taken out with the intention of being paid by the rent of 20 or so good tenants (figures may not be accurate and items in your rearview mirror may be bigger than they look... I think you know what I'm getting at).

[Townsend]

I really don't see why.  Water nor lack therof doesn't drive people to places like RWC.  Good food, entertainment, and retail that people want does.  So long as the service and food remain good at Blue Rose that place will pack them in even if the river is dry enough to walk across.  Brown river water isn't real compelling.  Oceanside is a different story.

I was thinking it might've attracted more shops which in turn attracted more customers.  (area development looking promising due to support for dams and perhaps water taxis from the Casino)  That last part might've been a rumor from Wormtongue or something.