71st & Riverside proposed development

[sgrizzle]

This is all just an idea so far, doesn't look near as nice as what the River Master Plan has for that area, but hey... who pays attention to plans?
/sarcasm

Plan #137 for this area involves a few restaurants, and building a permanent, nicer, volleyball area. This is all city property.


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130313_16_A1_CUTLIN818767

P.S. Favorite comments from the TW article:
vegan
Let the Creek Indians pay for all this, make them pay back some of the millions they've stolen from us since they opened up their crooked casino down the street.
Ogre
I can help with your gambling loses. I have a fool proof system. Wait for it. Stay out of the casino. Bam never lose a dime to the casino again.            
vegan
I have an addictive personality Ogre, it's not going to be that easy

[Conan71]

IIRC, this was the original vicinity proposed for the aquarium circa 1991 or 1992.  Instead we let Jenks have it and the surrounding development.  It really is a perfect parcel for development and could handle the traffic count with the existing infrastructure.

As per the comments on the Creeks, I understand talks are underway again for them to finally relocate the trail behind the casino complex.

[DTowner]

This is a nice plan and I will put it with all the other nice plans that get shelved and forgotten.

71st between Riverside and Lewis is looking pretty shabby.  Not sure this plan would be a catalyst to change that reality.

[Teatownclown]

This is a nice plan and I will put it with all the other nice plans that get shelved and forgotten.

71st between Riverside and Lewis is looking pretty shabby.  Not sure this plan would be a catalyst to change that reality.

Of course not. All development should be in the IDL. 

[davideinstein]

What type of restaraunts? Upscale?

[sgrizzle]

What type of restaraunts? Upscale?

Hopefully

[Ibanez]

I heard recently that St. John/Omni were looking at putting an Urgent Care and clinic somewhere around that area. Seems like I remember 76th being mentioned.

[carltonplace]

Of course not. All development should be in the IDL. 

oh jeez. colon colon close parenthesis indeed.

Smart development is wanted everywhere. Development that encourages you to park your car once and then spend time enjoying the area. 71st Street type development that you seem to prefer has its place, but putting Black Friday capacity parking lots in front of every business is just wasteful. Land should mean more to us then just use as a big blacktop heating element.

[patric]

This is a nice plan and I will put it with all the other nice plans that get shelved and forgotten.

71st between Riverside and Lewis is looking pretty shabby.  Not sure this plan would be a catalyst to change that reality.

The biggest problem for 71st & Riverside might be 61st & Peoria.

[Townsend]

The biggest problem for 71st & Riverside might be 61st & Peoria.

Luby's and the angry older clientele who can't get to the parking lot due to increased traffic.

[DTowner]

The biggest problem for 71st & Riverside might be 61st & Peoria.

There is a good reason that field at Peoria and Riverside is still a field (which, if memory serves, once had a plan to build a hotel).

[davideinstein]

Of course not. All development should be in the IDL. 

Better than an area that should be a public park.

[TheTed]

Look at the area adjacent to the Blue Rose and tell me we need more river development. If you want to see more greenspace turned into parking lots, more grass turned into dirt because employees park there, more dumpsters and food delivery trucks in the park, then why do we even need parks in the first place?

If we want our parks to look like the back end of a strip mall, just go for a jog behind a strip mall.

[Teatownclown]

If we want our parks to look like the back end of a strip mall power plant, just go for a jog in front of a strip mall freeway or dirty river.

Just so you do understand....there are two sides to this idea.

[DTowner]

This might undermine any hotel project at 71st & Riverside for a little while:

Creek Nation plans new 22-story hotel, other additions at River Spirit location

By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Published: 3/18/2013  3:49 PM
Last Modified: 3/18/2013  4:02 PM

Muscogee (Creek) Nation gaming officials are expanding their River Spirit Casino and entering a partnership with Margaritaville to open a 22-story hotel along the Arkansas River.

The 500-room hotel tower will finish in early 2015 and will accompany a new casino, restaurant, pool-bar area, theater and more — all bearing Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville brand, according to Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos officials.

"We wanted something that would really sizzle," said Pat Crofts, casino chief executive officer. "Simply building onto the casino is just cutting the pie more."

The announcement came weeks after River Parks trail officials announced Creek Nation officials would be moving the portion of trail that runs along Riverside Drive from in front of the casino, 8330 Riverside Parkway, to run along the Arkansas River to the west of it.

River Parks Executive Director Matt Meyer said the reroute of the trail — at the tribe's expense — is an appreciated improvement to the trail system that runs along the Arkansas River from 11th Street to 101st Street.

"It's all good," Meyer said. "We've been talking with the Creeks for several years about rerouting the trail."

The reroute will avoid traffic in the area caused in large part by the casino. Officials including Meyer said the trail's proximity to traffic was a safety concern.

"We just feel it will be safer for everyone," he said.

The new trail will at least meet the same design as the rest of the trail, but the designers will have room to improve on it if they want, Meyer said.

The $250 million total expansion is projected to add 800 new jobs and 1,800 construction jobs through 2014, according to a Creek Nation press release.

The combined, annual economic impact is projected to be about $135 million with an annual payroll of about $38 million, according a report prepared by the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130318_11_0_Muscog357506