(PROJECT) A Gathering Place For Tulsa

[DowntownDan]

I'm pretty sure for concerts and events you can drink your own beer the way I do at Guthrie Green.  Pour it discreetly into a Yeti cup and don't act like a drunken idiot. 

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Interesting quote from George Kaiser to Halliburton executives when they visited the Gathering Place about their $10 million donation:

Not sure if that was just tongue-in-cheek or if they actually have plans or land south of the park that they will turn into office space in Phase 2 to try to lure a big company to move there. Interesting idea if they did that, but not sure I like the idea of a big corporation using the Gathering Place as their headquarters.

http://www.newson6.com/story/37254913/10m-dollar-kings-post-bridge-donated-to-tulsas-gathering-place

It was always part of the plan to demolish the Sundance Apartments and those are included in the boundary of Phase 2 of the Gathering Place. http://agatheringplacefortulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Graphic_Plan_labeled_big_numbers_4.jpg

The land which previously included the Legacy Apartments are outside the Gathering Place Phase 2, but they have been demolished as you can see in this streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1152024,-95.9844502,3a,75y,24.19h,89.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQY3KQVCM6ZtFVtV71BWcTQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That land has been used as a storage are for trees and machinery: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1156547,-95.9822199,3a,61.3y,139.77h,92.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st1prvYcbI1UWg_xWXTwD5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

And what was the Legacy Apartments is now owned by "GKFF REAL ESTATE IV LLC". The Sundance land (Phase 2), is owned by "GKFF REAL ESTATE III LLC". So it is setup to be 14 acres of prime land just south of the Gathering Place, ripe for development. It makes sense that they're planning some sort of mixed-use or commercial development to land a big employer.


I'll cross my fingers and hope they have plans to build a mini-main-street development, something a bit like Carlton Landing but much more urban, like the Santa Fe Square renderings.

[AdamsHall]

It was always part of the plan to demolish the Sundance Apartments and those are included in the boundary of Phase 2 of the Gathering Place. http://agatheringplacefortulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Graphic_Plan_labeled_big_numbers_4.jpg

The land which previously included the Legacy Apartments are outside the Gathering Place Phase 2, but they have been demolished as you can see in this streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1152024,-95.9844502,3a,75y,24.19h,89.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQY3KQVCM6ZtFVtV71BWcTQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That land has been used as a storage are for trees and machinery: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1156547,-95.9822199,3a,61.3y,139.77h,92.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st1prvYcbI1UWg_xWXTwD5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

And what was the Legacy Apartments is now owned by "GKFF REAL ESTATE IV LLC". The Sundance land (Phase 2), is owned by "GKFF REAL ESTATE III LLC". So it is setup to be 14 acres of prime land just south of the Gathering Place, ripe for development. It makes sense that they're planning some sort of mixed-use or commercial development to land a big employer.


I'll cross my fingers and hope they have plans to build a mini-main-street development, something a bit like Carlton Landing but much more urban, like the Santa Fe Square renderings.

The mini-main street idea would be cool.  That said, I have decided I am going to trust the group behind this park/development (at least until I don't ;-) ).  They seem to do pretty good work with everything they touch. 

[Conan71]

They better at least let dogs go on the trails along the river and Midland Valley Trail. What are they going to turn away joggers with their  pets where those pass through the Gathering Place?

A few bad pet owners shouldn't ruin it for everyone with dogs. I've personally never had a problem with other peoples' dogs at any park in Tulsa and for a while I was using the riverside trails as much as anyone else in Tulsa. The vast majority of people keep their dogs under control and most clean up after them.

I can understand not allowing dogs in most areas (certainly shouldn't be in the playgrounds), but the trails should be an exception and maybe 1 or 2 areas where people with dogs can congregate like along the river.

Not quite believing there would be a ban on them in Gathering Place.  But, I've personally experienced bad pet owners both on the River Trails and Turkey Mountain.  It's even worse with small children at times.  As an endurance cyclist, bad and neglectful pet owners are all over the damn place.

It's not the animal or child that is the problem, it's those responsible for them.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Not quite believing there would be a ban on them in Gathering Place.  But, I've personally experienced bad pet owners both on the River Trails and Turkey Mountain.  It's even worse with small children at times.  As an endurance cyclist, bad and neglectful pet owners are all over the damn place.

It's not the animal or child that is the problem, it's those responsible for them.

True.  Neglectful parents are all over the place. Should they ban children? 

[Conan71]

True.  Neglectful parents are all over the place. Should they ban children? 

But of course!

I'm wrinkling my nose at the idea there would be a restriction in this park there does not seem to be in any other park.

[SXSW]

New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/arts/design/tulsa-park-gathering-place.html

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of national press covering this over the next few months.  Hopefully there is water in Zink Lake when they take pictures.   

[DTowner]

New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/arts/design/tulsa-park-gathering-place.html

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of national press covering this over the next few months.  Hopefully there is water in Zink Lake when they take pictures.   

Nice coverage of the Park, but it beats up on Tulsa pretty hard in the process.

[AngieB]

Nice coverage of the Park, but it beats up on Tulsa pretty hard in the process.

Yeah, initially I thought I might share the article with my Chicago co-workers, but decided against it.

[Conan71]

Nice coverage of the Park, but it beats up on Tulsa pretty hard in the process.

No kidding.  It makes Tulsa sound like a complete racist shite hole and seems to ignore all the progress made in the urban core over the last 20 years.

[SXSW]

No kidding.  It makes Tulsa sound like a complete racist shite hole and seems to ignore all the progress made in the urban core over the last 20 years.

I think they took the whole gathering place as a way for a segregated city to heal bent too literally.  It should be a part of the story but not THE story.  Friends from other cities who have seen the article (it's been shared nationwide) didn't mention that just that they thought it was incredible for a billionaire to undertake this project and how jealous they are their city didn't get one.  I've told them this is just the first phase..

[heironymouspasparagus]

No kidding.  It makes Tulsa sound like a complete racist shite hole and seems to ignore all the progress made in the urban core over the last 20 years.

This goes to one of the topics I have gone on about since about 15... We are the ones projecting that 'picture' to the outside world.  No one from outside came here and said, "Hey, you all need to do some stuff to make race relations - relations between different groups - bad..."  It existed here from the git-go fostering attitudes that led to people like David Duke being born here - luckily he was moved away soon enough that we aren't stuck with that particular embarrassment.  But too many like that didn't move away.  It has been a long road and we are no where near the end.

Along with all our statewide projection of just pure "ignorant sh$t" to the world.  We are the ones creating and feeding the outside attitudes about us.


Beyond all the past dredging, I see this more as a statement of, "Huh, imagine that...given this history of Tulsa <insert her comments here>, see what they have been able to envision for the future with the help of progressive thought and people, in spite of where they happen to be in the overall process of learning and trying to be a better place - visible forward progress!"

Let's hope it sticks.



Having said that, the author says, "This technical derring-do also involved an ecological mitzvah:"....   seems like a reach to try to work the word 'mitzvah' into the conversation - religious imperative seems maybe a little bit intense for moving piles of dirt...??   Purple Prose moment.  (see Paul Clifford).

[heironymouspasparagus]

Yeah, initially I thought I might share the article with my Chicago co-workers, but decided against it.

They know.   There is a glimmer there - share it with them.  Don't they already have a mindset about us??   Opportunity to offset some of it.

[Townsend]

Would you ride a shuttle if it had no driver? Tulsans may soon have that option

They would travel from Gathering Place to Philbrook Museum

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/gatheringplace/would-you-ride-a-shuttle-if-it-had-no-driver/article_17086d77-0f75-5eac-887e-bfd5fc1534f9.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=_Morning%20HeadlinesActive%20Subscribers&utm_campaign=Morning%20Headlines

City officials are exploring the possibility of operating a driverless shuttle from Gathering Place to Philbrook Museum, with a very important stop in between.

The stop would be near the intersection of 31st Street and Peoria Avenue, providing a transfer point for riders hopping off the new Bus Rapid Transit buses that are scheduled to begin service in the summer of 2019.

The driverless, or "autonomous," electric shuttle would be the first vehicle of its kind in the state.

A year from now, Tulsa will not only be home to the greatest city park gift in American history, but we will also be one of the first dozen cities in the nation with Bus Rapid Transit service," Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "Connecting these two world-class assets presents some exciting opportunities, and we are exploring a range of options, including the potential use of autonomous vehicle shuttles."

Planning is in the preliminary stages, officials stressed, with public safety and public input to be key considerations in whatever program is implemented — if a program is implemented at all.

"I think we need to engage the neighborhoods, the people in the area, so they are aware of this potential and get their reaction," said Ted Rieck, general manager of Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority.

The Mayor's Office last year initiated an Urban Mobility Innovation Team that explored, among other things, the potential impact of autonomous vehicles on the city and what Tulsa should do to prepare for the technology. The driverless shuttle idea grew out of those conversations.

Adriane Jaynes, energy programs coordinator with Indian Nations Council of Governments, said only a handful of companies, including EasyMile and Navya, make autonomous electric vehicles. A shuttle costs approximately $250,000 to $300,000, and fuel costs — to charge the vehicle's battery — are less than $2 a day.

The city has yet to determine how many shuttles would be needed. Rieck said he expects that transportation funds from the Vision Tulsa sales tax package could be used to pay for the vehicles.

The shuttles would operate within existing car lanes, travel no faster than 20 mph and hold eight to 15 people. There would be no steering wheel, no pedals, and no driver's seat. Instead, the vehicles rely on a combination of GPS mapping, cameras and LiDAR imaging to direct them.

"There are cameras and sensors all over the outside of this thing as well as on the inside for the safety of passengers," Jaynes said. "It sees everything. ... They never blink. They never check for texts. They're a computer. They are always paying attention."

Still, the plan is to have an attendant on the shuttle for at least the first three to six months of operations to greet customers and explain how the vehicles work.

The exact route is another piece of the puzzle yet to be determined. However, officials do not expect the shuttle to run along Peoria Avenue.

Philbrook Director Scott Stulen called the autonomous shuttle "a promising option" for connecting the museum, park and BRT system.

"We hope this is just the beginning of attractive and widely used public transportation options that greatly relieve parking limitations in midtown and help us serve more people comfortably," Stulen said.

Autonomous shuttles are being used worldwide. In the United States, they can be found in Arlington, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Arlington just completed a yearlong pilot program called Milo, which used an EasyRide shuttle to move people along trails in the city's entertainment district.

"We were just using it to connect from remote parking lots up to the (sports) stadiums," said Ann Foss, principal planner with the city of Arlington. "I think a little circulator loop around a series of different destinations ... is something these vehicles are well-suited for."

[Conan71]

This goes to one of the topics I have gone on about since about 15... We are the ones projecting that 'picture' to the outside world.  No one from outside came here and said, "Hey, you all need to do some stuff to make race relations - relations between different groups - bad..."  It existed here from the git-go fostering attitudes that led to people like David Duke being born here - luckily he was moved away soon enough that we aren't stuck with that particular embarrassment.  But too many like that didn't move away.  It has been a long road and we are no where near the end.

Along with all our statewide projection of just pure "ignorant sh$t" to the world.  We are the ones creating and feeding the outside attitudes about us.


Beyond all the past dredging, I see this more as a statement of, "Huh, imagine that...given this history of Tulsa <insert her comments here>, see what they have been able to envision for the future with the help of progressive thought and people, in spite of where they happen to be in the overall process of learning and trying to be a better place - visible forward progress!"

Let's hope it sticks.



Having said that, the author says, "This technical derring-do also involved an ecological mitzvah:"....   seems like a reach to try to work the word 'mitzvah' into the conversation - religious imperative seems maybe a little bit intense for moving piles of dirt...??   Purple Prose moment.  (see Paul Clifford).

I don't ignore the past, but how necessary is it really to keep dredging up things like the Race Riot as if it just happened? To me that is the antithesis of healing and progressing.  I feel fortunate to have grown up in a post CRA era where attitudes were changing towards other races.  I believe that was important.  However, to keep picking at scabs like the race riot, Tate Brady, etc. seems really counter-productive.  As you said we are projecting it.  I already know how bad and ignorant racial attitudes were 100 years ago, I don't need a daily refresher course to feel whole.