Tulsa World: County OKs funds for land for a new juvenile justice center

[rdj]

County OKs funds for land for a new juvenile justice center
By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 6/1/2011  2:02 AM
Last Modified: 6/1/2011  8:16 AM

Tulsa County commissioners took two steps forward Monday in their effort to construct a new juvenile justice facility.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=333&articleid=20110601_16_A1_TlaCut858032




Seriously??  Nearly everyone acknowledges the city/county made a mistake by building David L Moss downtown.  Now, they want to put the juvenile justice center across the street?  This is just what an emerging Owen Park & revitalizing Tulsa Country Club needs, traveling thru an enhanced skid row to access the "glory" that will be the Brady District.  Can someone at the county please pull their head out of their arse?

[we vs us]

I saw that.  Total planning fail.  This is the kind of ridiculousness that can erase all the gains made by our "organic" development model.  Spook the risktakers and rehabbers and you're back to square one in the Brady and near the BOK. 

[Jeff P]

Wow.

Talk about a head-scratcher.

Almost directly across the the street from the BOK Center. 

Seriously... W T F?

[AquaMan]

its not hard to figure really. the answer is in the highlighted map.

[ZYX]

No, no, no!

This would be a real slap in the face to all the developers downtown. I'm begging for this not to happen.

[Conan71]

Fine where do we put it then?  

I don't see this as adding any derelict density to the area than there already is as it's a juvenile center and most likely when detainees are released (60 beds proposed), they will go back to their families or be moved on to long term detention facilities.

It also houses juvenile court and counseling services for youth and families.  Helps to know what the actual mission of the facility is before poo-poo'ing the location as too close to emerging housing and entertainment.  The existing facility is in the shadows of Brady Heights, yet I don't seem to see any zombie-like youths recently released from the juvie center wandering up Charles Page toward downtown.

From the Tulsa County web site:

"The mission of the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau is to collaboratively promote and administer prevention, justice and effective treatment in a fair, timely and appropriate manner with dignity and respect for the needs of the children, youth and families and for the safety or our community.

Oklahoma developed one of the first juvenile courts in the county in 1909.  In 1950, the Tulsa county Juvenile Court was established in its own facility and provided a judge specializing in juvenile law.  In 1968, a juvenile center was built to house the courts and the supportive programs for the juvenile justice system.

The programs of the Juvenile Bureau serve those youth and families involved in the juvenile courts, or at risk for involvement.  The Juvenile Bureau serves over four thousand youth and their families per year and provides the following services and programs.

INTAKE
The Intake Department receives all referrals of youth that have committed an offense, conducting an assessment and recommending a disposition.  The majority of referrals are diverted out of the juvenile justice system and into community services for further follow."

http://www.tulsacounty.org/TulsaCounty/dynamic.aspx?id=736

[Conan71]

Wow.

Talk about a head-scratcher.

Almost directly across the the street from the BOK Center. 

Seriously... W T F?

This is on the north side of the tracks.  What is there now is hardly attractive.

[ZYX]

Conan, we need to work on moving these out of Tulsa, not in downtown. Stick them a couple miles outside the city, away from houses and businesses.

[Conan71]

Conan, we need to work on moving these out of Tulsa, not in downtown. Stick them a couple miles outside the city, away from houses and businesses.

What else will relocate across from the county jail?  Nothing.  No one wants to open a retail center, bar, or restaurant across from a correctional facility.  The land has incredibly limited appeal for any sort of commercial purpose due to it's current neighbor. 

There's zero chance of voters approving to move a jail which is, what, less than 15 years old.  We are pretty much stuck with the DL Moss in it's current location for another 30-40 years if we can use previous building life-spans as a guide. 

This land is blighted old warehouse space which Storey uses to store cars.

This will in no way shape or form limit commerce in the Brady district nor have any direct impact on property values in Owen Park, Brady Heights, or around the Country Club.  Especially considering what the purpose of the Juvenile Center is.  Did anyone read the link I provided yet?

[rdj]

If we are stuck with DL Moss for 30-40 years, why tack another 15-20 on top of that by building this?

The Turner Park & White City neighborhoods swear the city is hell bent on moving all social services out of downtown into their neighborhood so the development bloc can benefit.  This "development" certainly flies in the face of that theory.

[ZYX]

I'm not saying that something better could take over that property. Right now, I'd rather have it empty. It may be 70 years, but eventually it would be nice to have all the jails, correctional facilities, etc., out of downtown. They don't have to be moved far away, just a few miles. Then, someday, new development would fill those empty lots.

[Townsend]

Maybe they could build it underground and place a nice park on the land...a multi-level structure with parking for the BOK?  It'd be pretty secure I'd imagine.

[Teatownclown]

The west bank with all the environmental issues might be the best place to put the delinquent center.

The dye was cast with the jail...which should have been as far out of the city boundry as possible. But Mayor Savage, on Mayor Randle's heels, pushed it down there. The Day Center was poorly located as well.

It's history. Maybe a giant wall on the west side of Denver separating the Brady Franklin district from the Indigent/Prison (Zarrow/Moss) district would solve this inner city inconsistency.

It's a shame the way downtown redeveloped in a hit and miss manner. The Penguin District languishes while the Snider District decays.....

[AquaMan]

"What else will relocate across from the county jail?  Nothing.  No one wants to open a retail center, bar, or restaurant across from a correctional facility.  The land has incredibly limited appeal for any sort of commercial purpose due to it's current neighbor.  "

And there is the answer C. The only potential buyer for the land is one of Storey's best friends, the County. The city being the other one.

The construction of Moss is pre-fab throw away. We should look into re-purposing that whole area in order to exploit its highest and best use which derives from the potential of surrounding neighborhoods and investment in the Arena and downtown. Just saying the die is already cast and adding to the mistakes is not a good plan.

I would also question the decision to put the juvenile center near an existing shelter and jail considering the bleed over into this area by its denizens. I speak from having direct experience with the jv system. They are impressive with their dedication and use of resources. I wonder why they don't expand the location on Gilcrease Drive? I forget, is that land not available?

Anyway, I just came back from Norman, OK where I noted they have clustered many of their human services in the north east part of town where they can benefit from the synergy created. They are not near a jail from what I can tell. Psychiatric hospital, (well run, blended in) homeless shelter, county health department, etc. all within walking distance from each other and nearby downtown commercial area. Good plan and seems to be working.

We made a mistake and we should stop compounding it.

[Teatownclown]

We City leaders in the 1980's made a mistake and we should stop compounding it.

That and the current form of government (don't get me started on 2025) ...... need to be stopped from further compounding....but that does give me the idea of calling the walled in area the Compound District!