OneOK Feild: two years later

[jacobi]

I thought it might be helpful to talk about what has been delivered by the ballpark and what hasn't.  The Drillers are entering their third season this year and the new feild and it's time to take stock of what has happened, what still is in the works and what seems to have fallen apart.

One a busy spring game day, I see people streaming from the blue dome and (to a lesser extent) the brady towards the ballpark.  Restaurants can be packed.  I don't know if any of you have been down there on a day where the cains brady PAC BOK and oneOK all have events, but it is NUTS!  It gives people a good impression and certainly makes a lot of restaurant and bar owners happy (albeit exhausted).

As for events in the works, The Greenarch project seems to (finally) be getting some traction.   It would be interesting to see if the TU/OU med school project chose the property that they did based on the areas ammenities, including the ballpark.  I'm a big baseball fan, so if I live at the Greenarch or went to school at the new med school, I would be there all the time during the season.  Are there any other projects in the works that people have heard about?

Ok, as for the stuff that we were told would happen and we have seen no movement on, its time to find out what the hell is the hold up.  Now I know that the TDA is the awful, ineffective gatekeeper on some of the properties.  Others, however, seem to not have the TDA virus, but still nothing happens.  I realize that things take time (and things in downtown seem to take more time than that), but we should at least have heard of some efforts in the works.

I think the park has been worthwhile and will continue to be so.  But it will pay off more for everyone involved if we can establish a denser Residential retail and entertainment core that connects Brady, Blue Dome and Greenwood.  I know that peoplehave been saying this for awhile, but now it's time to see some results.

Thoughts?

[jacobi]

One of these days I will begin proofreading what I post on the interwebs...

Today is not that day

[Teatownclown]

Thoughts?


Be more concerned about retaining our city's aerospace positioning....

[jacobi]

You trolled first.  I'm proud of you.

[we vs us]

I'm frankly surprised that there hasn't been more of a real estate boom near the stadium.  There're some empty(?) warehouses on the west side of the field that would be prime restaurant or the beginning of a condo rehab project.  There's also that gravel lot across the street from the stadium to the west.  Talk about ready to go. 

It's one of those things that, sure there's some uncertainty in the market, but there's enough momentum in that part of town that surely you wouldn't -- as a developer -- have TOO hard a time getting financing, right?  The only other reason I can see for the delay would be property holders that are holding out waiting for prices to rise. 

[Red Arrow]

The only other reason I can see for the delay would be property holders that are holding out waiting for prices to rise. 

Ding, ding, ding, give that man a cigar.

There are people that think the world is ready to pay $150,000. for a "Chevy Impala".  Unfortunately, there are people willing to buy because they can pass along the cost as part of the cost of living.  That leads to unaffordable housing.  They all need to lose their shirts.  It causes housing bubbles and we all know where that leads.

[jacobi]

The only other reason I can see for the delay would be property holders that are holding out waiting for prices to rise.

I get the feeling that we will have to wait for some of those people to die before they sell.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Downtown development seems to be proceeding at a brisk pace.  There is lot's of stuff going on very steadily.  Even back in early '70s with urban renewal, it the only thing that went faster was the pace of tearing down old buildings.  Took quite a few years to build up to where it "started" in this cycle.

I could see it going to an "overbuilt" situation very quickly if everyone started doing everything all at once.

[Conan71]

I'm frankly surprised that there hasn't been more of a real estate boom near the stadium.  There're some empty(?) warehouses on the west side of the field that would be prime restaurant or the beginning of a condo rehab project.  There's also that gravel lot across the street from the stadium to the west.  Talk about ready to go. 

It's one of those things that, sure there's some uncertainty in the market, but there's enough momentum in that part of town that surely you wouldn't -- as a developer -- have TOO hard a time getting financing, right?  The only other reason I can see for the delay would be property holders that are holding out waiting for prices to rise. 

Owning a condo directly adjacent to a public stadium isn't necessarily a hot prospect for most people.  Honestly, given all the existing and current development going on in Blue Dome and further to the west of the stadium in the Brady, it's probably good to be a little cautious right now.