"The Pearl" an area that will go down in History as a turning point in Tulsa

[Tulsasaurus Rex]

Oh one more thing. Last week the City Council's Public Works Committee was set to consider naming the old Laura Dester shelter at 7th and Rockford as surplus property, which would allow transfer to the Tulsa Development Authority. Could be a big boost for the Pearl District! Anyone know how this turned out or have any other info?

http://www.newson6.com/story/33824951/possible-pearl-district-development-on-agenda-for-tulsa-public-works-committee

[johrasephoenix]

And when it comes to breaking up the connection between the Pearl/KW/11th and downtown, it has to be said that Oaklawn Cemetery is very inconveniently located. Talk about dead space! (I'm sorry.) But seriously, the raised IDL may created a great big barrier into downtown, but Tracy Park, Oaklawn, and Centennial Park sure don't help either. At least two of those could conceivably be replaced one day. You'll never see a cemetery get dug up and developed.

Incorporating old cemeteries back into the city in a respectful way is a big urban planning challenge....

But yeah, whoever thought it was a good idea to put Texas-sized elevated interstate exchanges at all four corners of downtown and surround it with an elevated ring road......... if they were an urban planner I hope they were taken out back like a rabid dog.

I'm still amazed that that the southern leg of the IDL was built in the 1980s?  The highway revolts that stopped urban interstate construction in most places had already happened (Boston's Inner Belt, NYC's Lower Manhattan Expressway, New Orleans' Riverfront Expressway).  I would give a significant portion of my left foot to have those Tulsa neighborhoods back.  

[Townsend]

And when it comes to breaking up the connection between the Pearl/KW/11th and downtown, it has to be said that Oaklawn Cemetery is very inconveniently located. Talk about dead space! (I'm sorry.) But seriously, the raised IDL may created a great big barrier into downtown, but Tracy Park, Oaklawn, and Centennial Park sure don't help either. At least two of those could conceivably be replaced one day. You'll never see a cemetery get dug up and developed.

[SXSW]

Apartments on the east side of Peoria overlooking the cemetery would be cool and you know your downtown view is safe.  I'm surprised there isn't already something there.

[Tulsasaurus Rex]

Apartments on the east side of Peoria overlooking the cemetery would be cool and you know your downtown view is safe.  I'm surprised there isn't already something there.

Wow that would be cool. It hasn't happened yet because 1) the Pearl District hasn't happened the way we all hoped and possibly 2) the BRT along Peoria will help.

[Conan71]

Apartments on the east side of Peoria overlooking the cemetery would be cool and you know your downtown view is safe.  I'm surprised there isn't already something there.

Especially with the popularity of Walking Dead. 

Sorry, couldn't help it!

[davideinstein]

Especially with the popularity of Walking Dead. 

Sorry, couldn't help it!

Ha, yeah...I'm not a fan of that view.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Especially with the popularity of Walking Dead. 

Sorry, couldn't help it!

They could just take the Energy Transfer Partners approach and put a pipeline through it - they are getting plenty of experience with that kind of development in North Dakota.  After they finished burying their pipe, the bulldozers would have cleared a space for further development!!

[Tulsasaurus Rex]

Oh one more thing. Last week the City Council's Public Works Committee was set to consider naming the old Laura Dester shelter at 7th and Rockford as surplus property, which would allow transfer to the Tulsa Development Authority. Could be a big boost for the Pearl District! Anyone know how this turned out or have any other info?

http://www.newson6.com/story/33824951/possible-pearl-district-development-on-agenda-for-tulsa-public-works-committee

This moved forward unanimously. TDA should be putting out a request for proposals for a mixed-use development that may include a flood mitigation component. Time to start fantasizing about what we'd like to see there.

http://councildocs.tulsacouncil.org/SuperContainer/RawData//Z1F2K411232016112347/16-902-1.pdf?a=1

[SXSW]

Wow that would be cool. It hasn't happened yet because 1) the Pearl District hasn't happened the way we all hoped and possibly 2) the BRT along Peoria will help.

It's been developing organically without the canal/streetscape.  If that happens and with the Peoria and 11th BRT then it should start to redevelop at a faster pace. 

[Tulsasaurus Rex]

It's been developing organically without the canal/streetscape.  If that happens and with the Peoria and 11th BRT then it should start to redevelop at a faster pace. 

I have a friend who closed his businesses in the Pearl and moved out of there. He said that when the neighborhood first hit everyone's radar a few years ago they thought it would be the next big thing, so they set up shop. But then nobody else joined them. I asked him what the problem was and he said everything had stalled out because the same property investor owns almost everything, isn't selling, isn't redeveloping, and it just holding on to everything and waiting. I have no ability to confirm this myself. Just repeating what I heard and passing along the requisite grain of salt.

[SXSW]

I have a friend who closed his businesses in the Pearl and moved out of there. He said that when the neighborhood first hit everyone's radar a few years ago they thought it would be the next big thing, so they set up shop. But then nobody else joined them. I asked him what the problem was and he said everything had stalled out because the same property investor owns almost everything, isn't selling, isn't redeveloping, and it just holding on to everything and waiting. I have no ability to confirm this myself. Just repeating what I heard and passing along the requisite grain of salt.

Interesting I'd like to know more and if true that's unfortunate.  Sounds like some of the greedy parking lot owners in downtown or the person/family that owns the brick warehouse at 1st & Elgin.

[MostSeriousness]

I've heard much the same about one of the owners in the Pearl. There was talk about him starting a wine bar development near The Phoenix, but there didn't seem to be any traction

[rebound]

I heard the same.  There is major frustration among some of the owners of other businesses that he is holding up investment in the area.

[cannon_fodder]

Go forth and look up who owns what!

http://www.assessor.tulsacounty.org/assessor-map-interactive.php