Downtown Convention Screw-Up

[DTowner]

Currently we have a Daily Grill and Spaghetti Warehouse downtown, both of which are chains (not counting Subway. Arby's, etc.).  While I prefer the independent/locally owned establishments, we can definitely use more chains and it would help satisfy visitors who prefer chains or who don't want to seek out something more interesting.

As for the event problem that started this thread, I've shared the misery a number of times of waiting for up to an hour to get to my office on a Saturday morning while watching a few straggling runners use the roads.  It's safe to say my blood pressue rose in tandum with the minutes that go by that the police will not let me through an intersection even though a runner cannot be seen for blocks.  I'm not opposed to running events, but downtown is not a jogging trail and run coordinators would do well to remember downtown is not the desolate place on the weekend it used to be.  It sounds to me like many of the participants in this conference had this experience and it set a pretty bad tone for the rest of their experience in Tulsa.

[carltonplace]

A group of "chains" would actually be beneficial for downtown.  It would bring a new set of wallets to the area.  People go where they are comfortable.  Some of us are comfortable venturing into a completely unknown restaurant or bar because we got a vibe to go there.  Many others feel comfortable going in Chili's in every town they visit because they find comfort in knowing they'll be served just like they're are accustomed to.

My hope is the ballpark trust can get going on the land they control and the public/private dollars they have left to build a district akin to the Power & Light District.  It will be a big sell to the out-of-towners (whether they be suburbanites, rural in for the night or conventions)

And a smartly placed chain restaurant can start a "restaraunt/shopping district". I'm with the majority that post here in that I don't eat at chains, but most other people do go to them. Put the right chain restaurant (with an urban footprint) in an area that needs development and it could be the catalyst for much more growth with both local and national establishments.

[DTowner]

The most logical location for a few chain restaurants would be in the street level space in the new construction across from the BOK Arena.  It's the one location that currently attracts the most out-of-town visitors and is centrally located to most of the current downtown hotels.  Also, given it is new construction, it will most likely have higher rents that can be more easily absorbed by a national chain.

[we vs us]

A great place for a great upscale eatery is the brick building with green roof tiles across the street from McNellie's.  Don't know the name of it but it's just begging to be a nice sit down restaurant, maybe even with private event space in back.  Another is the red warehouse juts catty corner at the same intersection (Elgin and 1st), which could be a most excellent multi-level dining space.  Or a monster sports bar.   

I think Juniper will function as a bit of a test case for more upscale fare in downtown.  If it sees even medium success/buzz, I bet you'll see at a couple of copycats within a year.

[rdj]

The former Sack's Engineering building?  That is a great building and I believe a former train depot.  It will make a great adaptive reuse project.

[carltonplace]

The most logical location for a few chain restaurants would be in the street level space in the new construction across from the BOK Arena.  It's the one location that currently attracts the most out-of-town visitors and is centrally located to most of the current downtown hotels.  Also, given it is new construction, it will most likely have higher rents that can be more easily absorbed by a national chain.

I would like to see ground up in an empty parking lot on Main St at 6th or 7th. This would help drive some new development in the CBD and maybe some reuse of empty spaces near Bartlett Square.

[DTowner]

I would like to see ground up in an empty parking lot on Main St at 6th or 7th. This would help drive some new development in the CBD and maybe some reuse of empty spaces near Bartlett Square.

I just don't see a chain going in as the first place on a few one-way blocks to no where with no other development around it (why is that section of Main from 6th to 10th still one-way?).  I think Boulder Grill has struggled in part because it is the southern most restaurant in the area and has a smaller office crowd base from which to draw for lunch and very little evening activity crowd from which to draw for dinner.  But if some chain would be willing to invest a substantial amount in that area, I would be thrilled.

[TheTed]

why is that section of Main from 6th to 10th still one-way?

That stretch is absolutely awful. I have no problem with one way streets. But streets like that, two-way, then one-way, then two-way again, are just ridiculous. When driving around that area, I have to stop and think to myself for a second about whether the portion I'm heading to is one or two-way.

Was there ever a reason for the one way portion? I can't even figure why all that capacity would be needed. And the capacity does no good because Main doesn't really go anywhere directly.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I keep wondering why Main street was opened back up again as a street?  Cannot see that the re-opening helped anything.  And took away a lot of space for those running type events that would not make traffic interference problems. 

[TheTed]

I keep wondering why Main street was opened back up again as a street?  Cannot see that the re-opening helped anything.  And took away a lot of space for those running type events that would not make traffic interference problems. 

The old photos sure make Bartlett Square look nice. Wasn't it reopened for the businesses there (pointless, since you can't even park on Main by the eateries)? So if we close it again, they might cut back from 11-2 M-F to 11-1 M-F???

[heironymouspasparagus]

The old photos sure make Bartlett Square look nice. Wasn't it reopened for the businesses there (pointless, since you can't even park on Main by the eateries)? So if we close it again, they might cut back from 11-2 M-F to 11-1 M-F???

I liked it.  Guess someone didn't, though.

If they opened it up for the businesses on Main, it just verifies everything I have ever said or thought about how Tulsa is going.  That is the "look up 'stupid' in the dictionary and they have the picture of the people who did that" moment.

Probably should have closed more streets, put in a little 'trolley', a tram, or a train system to move people around (elevated??), and had a really big "public square" thing going on.  Maybe even move parking further out, and extend the transport system.  If every large airport can move tens of thousands effectively, why can't the city??

[Conan71]

A great place for a great upscale eatery is the brick building with green roof tiles across the street from McNellie's.  Don't know the name of it but it's just begging to be a nice sit down restaurant, maybe even with private event space in back.  Another is the red warehouse juts catty corner at the same intersection (Elgin and 1st), which could be a most excellent multi-level dining space.  Or a monster sports bar.   

I think Juniper will function as a bit of a test case for more upscale fare in downtown.  If it sees even medium success/buzz, I bet you'll see at a couple of copycats within a year.

I've always pictured that as being an ideal brew pub, no idea why, that's what the structure says to me.