Downtown Development Overview

[carltonplace]

Here are a couple renderings of the renovated Midland on 4th St

Very cool - I love those buildings

[heironymouspasparagus]

The Acorn lights compliment the cracked pavement.

Ambience.   Only way to be better would be to go back to the original brick road...!!   And they should.!

[SXSW]

It would be really cool if this is just the first phase of a larger redevelopment of NORDAM.  I know Brickhugger was once involved in that project but haven't heard anything recently.  At one time they had discussed extending 5th Street through from Frankfort to Kenosha and turning the old fire station into a park space surrounded by new buildings.  If the East Village is going to have a park space that would be a good location since there are several large trees already surrounding the station.

[AdamsHall]

It would be really cool if this is just the first phase of a larger redevelopment of NORDAM.  I know Brickhugger was once involved in that project but haven't heard anything recently.  At one time they had discussed extending 5th Street through from Frankfort to Kenosha and turning the old fire station into a park space surrounded by new buildings.  If the East Village is going to have a park space that would be a good location since there are several large trees already surrounding the station.

Agreed.  It appears BrickHugger is working a redevelopment of the former Cheairs Furniture building near 6th street, so they appear to have retained some of the development.  The former Nordam space has a large footprint, so I am not surprised to see multiple developers involved.

[swake]

Agreed.  It appears BrickHugger is working a redevelopment of the former Cheairs Furniture building near 6th street, so they appear to have retained some of the development.  The former Nordam space has a large footprint, so I am not surprised to see multiple developers involved.

Multiple developers is better to me so the site doesn't look like a single generic project like all those "lifestyle centers".

[patric]

I laughed a little reading that. Really grasping for straws...

As far as the alley still being an alley, it really needs to remain an alley also. Make it aesthetically pleasing as possible, but trash must have a place also. They should build nice little enclosures or mini-fences/walls to break the view of unsightly dumpsters from the street.

A 2012 study in Birmingham, Alabama, and a 2015 study in Los Angeles concluded that pedestrians and vehicles can safely coexist, even in narrow spaces. It just takes careful design, clearly marked lanes, slow speeds and plenty of lighting after dark.
https://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/michael-overall-tulsa-could-begin-turning-alleys-into-pedestrian-walkways/article_f6807457-dd1a-50e9-963e-1801ff046f63.html

All you have to do is add lots of vision-robbing acorn lights until the glare creates the illusion of safety... Who needs good lighting when you can have "plenty?"  Thats science, isnt it?

[MostSeriousness]

This should be good

http://www.tulsaworld.com/weekend/foodreview/james-beard-award-winning-chef-to-open-seafood-restaurant-in/article_6906381d-7c32-5aae-a5f2-1cbe742da477.html

Opened this week. Lots of good reviews from downtowners that I've seen

[DTowner]

Final meeting tonight on the Arena District plan per the Tulsa World.  Entire article at the link.


Final public meeting on Arena District Master Plan set for Wednesday
•   By Kevin Canfield Tulsa World

The city of Tulsa will present a draft proposal of the Arena District Master Plan at its third and final visioning workshop Wednesday.
The event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. at the Tulsa Central Library's Pocahontas Greadington Learning and Creativity Center, 400 Civic Center.
Nick Doctor, chief of community development and policy for the city, said the draft plan reflects the public input the city received at its first two public workshops.

"The public comments led to exactly what this plan calls for: a vibrant, 18-hour neighborhood with a mix of residents, entertainment venues and services that build upon and contribute to an excellent experience for visitors to our iconic venues: BOK Center and Cox Business Center," Doctor said.
The draft version of the plan includes short-, intermediate- and long-term recommendations for implementing the proposal. It also lists 10 public projects totaling approximately $100 million the city should consider undertaking to achieve its goals for the district.
The projects include adding amenities to encourage pedestrian traffic and development of retail businesses along Denver and Boulder avenues; constructing a welcoming linear park along Civic Center Drive outside of Cox Business Center's new east entrance; and the reconstruction of the Plazas of the Americas.
Possible funding sources for the public projects include, but are not limited to, a Tax Increment Financing District; Tulsa Stadium Improvement District assessments; and a municipal bond package akin to Improve Our Tulsa or Vision 2025.
The draft plan also suggests transforming the Page Belcher Federal Building block into a mixed-use center, constructing a full-service hotel on the existing Municipal Courts Building site, and improving the downtown transit station property so that it integrates better into the district.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/final-public-meeting-on-arena-district-master-plan-set-for/article_bc40eb80-3859-5eb2-bddd-03cb9e2f1e7e.html

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Final meeting tonight on the Arena District plan per the Tulsa World.  Entire article at the link.


Final public meeting on Arena District Master Plan set for Wednesday
•   By Kevin Canfield Tulsa World

The city of Tulsa will present a draft proposal of the Arena District Master Plan at its third and final visioning workshop Wednesday.
The event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. at the Tulsa Central Library's Pocahontas Greadington Learning and Creativity Center, 400 Civic Center.
Nick Doctor, chief of community development and policy for the city, said the draft plan reflects the public input the city received at its first two public workshops.

"The public comments led to exactly what this plan calls for: a vibrant, 18-hour neighborhood with a mix of residents, entertainment venues and services that build upon and contribute to an excellent experience for visitors to our iconic venues: BOK Center and Cox Business Center," Doctor said.
The draft version of the plan includes short-, intermediate- and long-term recommendations for implementing the proposal. It also lists 10 public projects totaling approximately $100 million the city should consider undertaking to achieve its goals for the district.
The projects include adding amenities to encourage pedestrian traffic and development of retail businesses along Denver and Boulder avenues; constructing a welcoming linear park along Civic Center Drive outside of Cox Business Center's new east entrance; and the reconstruction of the Plazas of the Americas.
Possible funding sources for the public projects include, but are not limited to, a Tax Increment Financing District; Tulsa Stadium Improvement District assessments; and a municipal bond package akin to Improve Our Tulsa or Vision 2025.
The draft plan also suggests transforming the Page Belcher Federal Building block into a mixed-use center, constructing a full-service hotel on the existing Municipal Courts Building site, and improving the downtown transit station property so that it integrates better into the district.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/final-public-meeting-on-arena-district-master-plan-set-for/article_bc40eb80-3859-5eb2-bddd-03cb9e2f1e7e.html

Update after meeting (highlights of article):

The proposed plan includes three eye-catching recommendations for spurring development in the district: razing the Page Belcher Federal Building to create a mixed-use development and park; building a 600-room, full-service hotel where the Municipal Courts Building now stands; and recreating the downtown bus station on Denver Avenue to include parking and a mixed-use development above it.

...

The 152-page document proposes 10 public investments to help accomplish that goal. The total cost of those projects is estimated to be approximately $100 million in 2018 dollars. They include improved streetscaping; additional amenities and green space outside of the Cox Business Center and BOK Center; a re-imagined Civic Center plaza; and the reconstruction of Plaza of the Americas.

Hermann noted that the district is currently 3 percent green space.

"We need to change that," he said.

One way to do that, according to the master plan, is to enhance and add to the green space around the BOK Center to create a public gathering spot people could enjoy anytime.

"Let's start thinking of the BOK Center as the BOK Center in the park," Hermann said.

The overarching goal of the plan is to make the Arena District a gateway to downtown, Hermann said. To accomplish that, the area must grow in a way that is welcoming, gets people out on the streets, offers residential options, and connects easily to other downtown districts.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/downtown/trying-to-paint-a-vision-plan-to-transform--block/article_690d6df3-0a9b-50de-9614-5e28e8be67fc.html

[SXSW]

The proposed plan includes three eye-catching recommendations for spurring development in the district: razing the Page Belcher Federal Building to create a mixed-use development and park; building a 600-room, full-service hotel where the Municipal Courts Building now stands; and recreating the downtown bus station on Denver Avenue to include parking and a mixed-use development above it.

I'm all for razing the federal building but why build a 600 room hotel where the municipal courts building is when you could build it on the Page Belcher site?  Seems like that would be a better location in between the BOK Center and convention center with green space on the rest of the block fronting Denver.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Why not just remodel the inside of the Page Belcher building into a hotel? You could call it "The Cold War Castle" or "Iron Curtain Inn".

[SXSW]

Some pretty pictures:



So we're tearing down the Aloft Hotel and the 5th Street improvements the city paid for several years ago?




This where the hotel should be located IMO

[BKDotCom]

holy crap
This seems to have come out of nowhere
is there any developer attached to any of this, or is it just pie in the sky wishful dreaming?
is uncle sam willing to depart with the Page Belcher bldg?

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Reunion Building to be revamped in mixed-use project that includes about 80 apartments


Rose Rock Development Partners and downtown attorney and proprietor Ken Brune are heading the roughly $9 million project.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/reunion-building-to-be-revamped-in-mixed-use-project-that/article_f2a778b5-f124-50cd-9c5b-6371cc2d126f.html

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Requested amendment to downtown project could be 'deal-breaking' for Tulsa Development Authority



Developers want to eliminate a proposed ground-floor food hall at 111 S. Greenwood Ave. and shrink the building from five stories to four, retaining the planned 55 apartments.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/requested-amendment-to-downtown-project-gives-tulsa-development-authority-pause/article_0db31e59-255c-5854-82a2-74810c22e0c4.html

Interesting predicament by TDA. Do they hold to their guns and try to force developer to include retail on ground floor? They haven't always required that for developments. They do lose quite a bit of control/say in the process if they aren't providing the subsidized development loan.