(PROJECT) A Gathering Place For Tulsa

[TheArtist]

It's Oklahoma.

Think about it though.  It'd bring Glenpool to your front door.  Glenpool!

OMG the fantasy burns bright!

[Conan71]

I expect the BA and HWY 75 will get much more crowded.  Thankfully the NB 75/244 bridge over the Arkansas is scheduled to be finished on August 4th.

Where did you hear that?

That's less than two weeks.

I drove past and rode near there last night, sure looks like more than two weeks worth of work left.  What I looked at on ODOT's web site says "closed through spring 2015."

[DTowner]

August 4 sounds more like the opening date for the Lewis bridge over I44.

[Conan71]

August 4 sounds more like the opening date for the Lewis bridge over I44.

Channel 6 was reporting this morning it will be closed through summer.  Not sure if they mean as until Sept. 21 or another interpretation.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Channel 6 was reporting this morning it will be closed through summer.  Not sure if they mean as until Sept. 21 or another interpretation.

Which summer?

[Conan71]

Which summer?

Damn you.  *wiping spit up water off computer screen and keyboard*

[AquaMan]

That type of predicting is known as "Sager-casting". I'm sure you get my drift.

[rdj]

Where did you hear that?

That's less than two weeks.

I drove past and rode near there last night, sure looks like more than two weeks worth of work left.  What I looked at on ODOT's web site says "closed through spring 2015."

Key word being scheduled.  They are pouring approaches right now.  The side barriers are nearly complete.

[brettakins]

George Kaiser Foundation to make record donation to River Parks for A Gathering Place

The River Parks Board of Trustees this morning voted unanimously to accept what is believed to be the largest gift to a public park in the history of the United States.

"It will make a huge and wonderful difference to Tulsa," Board Chairwoman Robin Ballenger said before the vote.

The city of Tulsa and Tulsa County on Thursday will receive what is believed

In the small boardroom of River Parks Authority, officials from the George Kaiser Family Foundation will donate A Gathering Place for Tulsa to the authority.

The gift is estimated at $350 million, including approximately $50 million for operations and maintenance.

The previous largest gift to a public park was $100 million to the Central Park Conservancy in New York, according to the foundation.

Jeff Stava, project manager for A Gathering Place, said the foundation is simply keeping its promise.

"We have always told the community that this is a gift to the community," Stava said. "This is the way for us to express that gift by donating it to River Parks — which is a Title 60 authority — and the beneficiaries are the city of Tulsa and Tulsa County."

The complicated legal transaction will leave River Parks as the owner of 58.37 acres of new park land on which Phase 1 of A Gathering Place will be constructed. Operation and maintenance of the park will be handled by the GKFF Parks Conservancy LLC.

The properties on which Phase 1 of A Gathering Place will be built include the Blair mansion site; land along the Midland Valley Trail; the River Parks trail from approximately 27th to 34th streets; and the parking lot on the northeast corner of 31st Street and Riverside Drive.

The River Parks Authority will oversee the construction of the public park, Stava said.

"They will own them (the park properties), and we will be managing, operating, securing and programming the park," Stava said. "And by partnering with River Parks we are ensuring that it will continue in the same fine legacy that they have had as custodians of our River Parks trail system. This park will fall into that same line of excellence."

River Parks was established in 1974. The trail system includes 26 miles of asphalt trails that run from 11th Street to 101st Street on the east bank of the Arkansas River and 11th Street to 71st Street on the west bank of the river. The trail system also includes the Katy Trail, which runs from downtown Tulsa to Adams Road in Sand Springs.

Stava said users of the River Parks trails won't notice the difference when A Gathering Place becomes part of River Parks.

"We will have a seamless and coordinated transition between the adjacent River Parks owned-and-operated properties and the property that is managed by the foundation," he said.

The official ground-breaking for the park is scheduled for Sept. 20. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the ground-breaking scheduled for noon.

Stava said there will be live music, 30 food trucks and more at the event.

"We are encouraging families to bring a picnic lunch or to enjoy the food trucks," Stava said. "QuikTrip will be there with drinks."

Once the party is over, the work begins.

"On Monday, the 22nd, we will be putting up the fences along Riverside Drive, starting underground work and dirt work, and starting to get the site prepared for construction," Stava said.

Phase 1 of A Gathering Place will span from approximately 27th Street to 31st Street on the east side of Riverside Drive and from 26th Street to 33rd Place along the west side of the street.

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2017, with two more phases planned that would bring the total park space to nearly 100 acres.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepage3/george-kaiser-foundation-to-make-record-donation-to-river-parks/article_d1865fb1-003c-5414-9fb7-eaf86857f4ca.html

[Conan71]

I guess that puts the whiners in their place after the failure of the '07 River tax package.

See, Kaiser will end up donating $400 million or more to the Riverparks area before it's all said and done, without needing Tulsa voters to dig in their pockets for a matching fund.

I'd be really curious to know if the '07 tax package was Kaiser's idea in the first place or if Randi Miller thought she could get a smash and grab slush fund for the county out of the taxpayers.  He's been more than forthcoming with money for RP improvements ever since. 

[carltonplace]

When do we get to rename this project. AGPFT is kinda weak.

[rdj]

I guess that puts the whiners in their place after the failure of the '07 River tax package.

See, Kaiser will end up donating $400 million or more to the Riverparks area before it's all said and done, without needing Tulsa voters to dig in their pockets for a matching fund.

I'd be really curious to know if the '07 tax package was Kaiser's idea in the first place or if Randi Miller thought she could get a smash and grab slush fund for the county out of the taxpayers.  He's been more than forthcoming with money for RP improvements ever since. 

My recollection is the "powers the be" were beginning the process of putting together a package in a fashion similar to what GT has done in the last year.  The group that put forth "The Channels" pushed the timeline up and forced the city/county/chamber to do something immediately.  That led to the poorly marketed package that was placed on the ballot.

Seven years later I still hear people lament or express joy The Channels project/building condos in the river tax wasn't passed.  Amazing considering the project on the ballot had nothing to do with The Channels.

[AquaMan]

When do we get to rename this project. AGPFT is kinda weak.

Gawd. I thought it was just me. Isn't Tulsa more creative than that? Artist?

[saintnicster]

Gawd. I thought it was just me. Isn't Tulsa more creative than that? Artist?

How long was it before "The Park on Brady" was named Guthrie Green? https://www.google.com/maps/@36.158946,-95.991776,3a,75y,354.45h,61.35t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdWNt1TzWEia6HXeYs7THYQ!2e0

EDIT - Nevermind, found the article http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/guthrie-green-park-being-built-in-brady-district-to-host/article_9d0e58ad-97fe-5553-a0d0-b7d5ccf87d72.html

[Conan71]

My recollection is the "powers the be" were beginning the process of putting together a package in a fashion similar to what GT has done in the last year.  The group that put forth "The Channels" pushed the timeline up and forced the city/county/chamber to do something immediately.  That led to the poorly marketed package that was placed on the ballot.

Seven years later I still hear people lament or express joy The Channels project/building condos in the river tax wasn't passed.  Amazing considering the project on the ballot had nothing to do with The Channels.

The project was a moving target with more crap added weekly in order to buy votes.  It was also being proposed er pushed well in advance of studies by the Corps of Engineers as to what could or could not be done in terms of development and water impoundment.  It also proposed an egregious golden handshake to the owner of the concrete plant at the expense of taxpayers when we had an M & E facility which was supposed to be moved to the old Downtown Airpark as a part of the agreement on putting City Hall in the Borg Cube. 

One excuse I heard for the timing was there was some fear of an impending recession and if they waited much longer, it would never get passed.  History shows the financial apocalypse happened about nine months later.

It didn't help the image with voters that no V-2025 money had been spent on the river at that point and the subsequent spin to try and mitigate those sort of comments left many feeling lied to or talked down to.  That led many voters to believe this might be one more package of broken promises.

In retrospect, V-2025 has been a major bonanza for Tulsa County.  This coming from someone who voted against it.  I'd vote for an extension if it meant more of what we have gotten from the first package.  Well subtracting the the contribution to Michael Sager's First Street Lofts.