Downtown Development Overview

[AngieB]

Nova Comics is gone? I thought it was open as recently as last week.

http://www.tulsaboxyard.com/stores-2

This is their latest updated version of shops.

http://www.tulsaboxyard.com/stores

Their old listings. Some that are gone, but I remember a Tulsa World article with Nelson or Stowe about how the Boxyard by design was not meant to permanently house locations. Sort of a retail incubator space. Whether that's spin or not, who knows.

Landella has moved out. (Or soon will be.)

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Nova Comics is gone? I thought it was open as recently as last week.

http://www.tulsaboxyard.com/stores-2

This is their latest updated version of shops.

http://www.tulsaboxyard.com/stores

Their old listings. Some that are gone, but I remember a Tulsa World article with Nelson or Stowe about how the Boxyard by design was not meant to permanently house locations. Sort of a retail incubator space. Whether that's spin or not, who knows.

I was wrong about the comic shop. I went by one time during typical retail hours and it was closed and looked mostly empty. Maybe they were changing things up or in process of restocking.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Landella has moved out. (Or soon will be.)

It says it was founded by Spexton founders. They list Spexton as opening soon.

Looks like 6 of those on list are closed/closing (East and West, Dwelling Spaces, Water Co., Abelina's Boutique, Landella, WirWar). Looks like it's tough to be in retail. Okie Dokie moved in.

[SXSW]

Renovations at the Reunion Center Building at 4th & Main are scheduled to start in April.  This will create 80 new apartments.  Same developers as the Adams Building which is under construction and will have 65 apartments.

http://www.newson6.com/story/39308350/developers-using-crowdfunding-to-help-%20finance-downtown-tulsa-projects

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Warehouse to be redeveloped as office space in Cathedral District


A group that bought a slice of downtown is converting a warehouse into office space in the Cathedral District.

CBRE represents Cathedral District Office Portfolio LLC, which, according to Tulsa County Assessor records, purchased a multiple building parcel for $8.4 million in July 2017. The limited liability company is spending about $600,000 on a shell renovation of about 9,800 square feet of warehouse space at 818 S. Detroit Ave., CBRE First Vice President Bob Pielsticker said.

Construction will be completed in about 120 days, he said.


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"They will build out a shell and wait for a tenant to surface," Pielsticker said. "You are going to get a similar look to some of the retail buildings downtown that have converted warehouse into creative warehouse. ... There will be several million spent on the entire portfolio to get it stabilized."

The 818 S. Detroit Ave. development is the former Standard Parts Warehouse from the 1940s, he said. It primarily has been used for storage in the decades since.

"It's going to be the clients who are looking for a collaborative, open space," Pielsticker said. "That was really very successful in the 8:10 Building (810 S. Cincinnati Ave.). That project is 100 percent leased."

CBRE also is looking for tenants at 220 E. Eighth St., a 20,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by Crafton Tull, an architecture, engineering and surveying firm that recently moved to the Executive Center at 201 W. Fifth St.

The other pieces of the Cathedral District Office Portfolio are the Cathedral District Business Center at 823 S. Detroit Ave., formerly the Bovaird Building; 801 S. Detroit Ave., which is occupied by Cash Finance; and 809 S. Detroit Ave., which is occupied by Gellco Clothing & Shoes.

The exterior and lobby of the Cathedral District Business Center has been renovated, and coding school Coding Dojo is its first tenant, Pielsticker said.

Named for the half-dozen historic churches in the area, the Cathedral District is bounded by Sixth Street to the north, the Inner Dispersal Loop to the south, Denver Avenue to the west and Detroit Avenue to the east. The district's stakeholders, who include Tulsa Community College and Public Service Company of Oklahoma, meet on regular basis.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/warehouse-to-be-redeveloped-as-office-space-in-cathedral-district/article_eb865e0a-99ee-5523-81f2-f32cc17ba93d.html

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Does anyone think the name "Cathedral District" will catch on?

To me it makes sense and is a decent name but sounds silly even having a name for south downtown when the area is pretty devoid of activity (except on Sundays). It's been the top urban parking lot crater in the US for decades now. I see no end in sight with TCC (and churches) in ownership of those lots. Horrible stewards of that part of the downtown.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Had to look that address up, that was the parts department building for Jim Norton Buick. I thought it was the building to the west, Crafton Tull, which was the service area and body shop for Norton.

[SXSW]

Does anyone think the name "Cathedral District" will catch on?

To me it makes sense and is a decent name but sounds silly even having a name for south downtown when the area is pretty devoid of activity (except on Sundays). It's been the top urban parking lot crater in the US for decades now. I see no end in sight with TCC (and churches) in ownership of those lots. Horrible stewards of that part of the downtown.

Someday it will be developed.  Maybe not for 5-10 years but it will happen as the other parts of downtown are redeveloped.  I just hope they can preserve a piece of the parking lot in front of Holy Family for a park space/fountain and develop the lots around it. 

[swake]

Someday it will be developed.  Maybe not for 5-10 years but it will happen as the other parts of downtown are redeveloped.  I just hope they can preserve a piece of the parking lot in front of Holy Family for a park space/fountain and develop the lots around it. 

The hard part is that all the parking lots are owned the churches and TCC and they don't want to give them up.

[Dspike]

"Horrible stewards of that part of the downtown."

To be fair, some of the churches have also preserved buildings that would likely have been torn down otherwise. First Presbyterian* owns the old masonic temple ("Bernsen Building") and purchased/renovated the 8:10 Building (i.e. Cyntergy). Or as the Tulsa World put it in 2016, "First Presbyterian gives old building new life." https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/first-presbyterian-s-building-in-demand-in-downtown-tulsa/article_fbe1e41f-efcf-5f4b-b5ce-4ffb86cee907.html. I don't recall many folks ready to spend a couple million to renovate that building well outside of the downtown renaissance at the time.

As someone involved in the Cathedral District efforts, I think many stakeholders would love to have a urban environment that meshes well with the many churches (i.e. probably not another night life / bar scene). But the parking demand is real and the area is still a few blocks away from any redeveloped parts of town right now. So I doubt anyone is up for a $50M parking garage right now, which is probably what it would take to free up the "parking crater." Although if the next Vision package included a city structured parking facility it could jump start development in that area.

As for the original question, I think having a name for the area will help efforts to develop it. And it is helping the few, large stakeholders talk to one another about what they would like the area to look like in the future.

*Full Disclosure: I am a member at First Pres.

[SXSW]

As for the original question, I think having a name for the area will help efforts to develop it. And it is helping the few, large stakeholders talk to one another about what they would like the area to look like in the future.

I think this is the key to developing this area, similar to efforts being done with the Arena District.  You have four major stakeholders in South Downtown: First Presbyterian Church, Holy Family Cathedral, First Christian Church and TCC Metro.  I'll commend First Presbyterian for renovating surrounding buildings and expanding/enhancing their facility.  The area lends itself to being more residential with a shared parking component.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

"Horrible stewards of that part of the downtown."

To be fair, some of the churches have also preserved buildings that would likely have been torn down otherwise. First Presbyterian* owns the old masonic temple ("Bernsen Building") and purchased/renovated the 8:10 Building (i.e. Cyntergy). Or as the Tulsa World put it in 2016, "First Presbyterian gives old building new life." https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/first-presbyterian-s-building-in-demand-in-downtown-tulsa/article_fbe1e41f-efcf-5f4b-b5ce-4ffb86cee907.html. I don't recall many folks ready to spend a couple million to renovate that building well outside of the downtown renaissance at the time.

As someone involved in the Cathedral District efforts, I think many stakeholders would love to have a urban environment that meshes well with the many churches (i.e. probably not another night life / bar scene). But the parking demand is real and the area is still a few blocks away from any redeveloped parts of town right now. So I doubt anyone is up for a $50M parking garage right now, which is probably what it would take to free up the "parking crater." Although if the next Vision package included a city structured parking facility it could jump start development in that area.

As for the original question, I think having a name for the area will help efforts to develop it. And it is helping the few, large stakeholders talk to one another about what they would like the area to look like in the future.

*Full Disclosure: I am a member at First Pres.

I guess this is kind of Cunningham's law at work that the best way to get the right answer is to post incorrect info. First Pres should obviously be excluded and I understand churches need parking but it is still excessive in many parts of that area, even on Sundays. I should've said TCC (and more specifically old TJC president from decades ago) was a horrible steward of many blocks of old buildings and TCC has kept those tracts under their control. The churches are the best thing about the area but have inherent limitations on liveliness and so much parking built for 1 day usage.

As for TCC lots, why not open up 1 or 2 lots or at least send out a Request for Proposals? Typros did this way back in 2013/2014 and the winning project was basically ignored (not announced and hardly spoken of again). It was a mixed-use development with elevated sports field. There were a bunch of interesting proposals. Supposedly the TCC president/board said if the winning design team can get the funding, we will move forward, but nothing came of it.

[SXSW]

As for TCC lots, why not open up 1 or 2 lots or at least send out a Request for Proposals? Typros did this way back in 2013/2014 and the winning project was basically ignored (not announced and hardly spoken of again). It was a mixed-use development with elevated sports field. There were a bunch of interesting proposals. Supposedly the TCC president/board said if the winning design team can get the funding, we will move forward, but nothing came of it.

Here is the stadium proposal.  I wasn't a fan because an elevated structure would kill the street life.


I would prefer something mixed-use there like this:


If we're thinking decades into the future and building a soccer stadium downtown I like the Home Depot site (along with a rebuilt boulevard along Hwy 75)

[BKDotCom]

If we're thinking decades into the future and building a soccer stadium downtown I like the Home Depot site (along with a rebuilt boulevard along Hwy 75)

Hilarious

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Here is the stadium proposal.  I wasn't a fan because an elevated structure would kill the street life.


I would prefer something mixed-use there like this:

Nice find! The description of the soccer field said (IIRC) that the street frontage around the block could be either parking lot or store fronts. It was the baseline ~$25-$30 million version shown. Still way better than parking lots as it stands today. Not sure if a soccer field is best use of that space or would be used much at all but interesting idea and neat way to place it above/across the street.

I also prefer the mixed use idea, but would be happy with anything above a parking lot. Even a chic fil a would be an improvement. That's a core necessity for any real downtown! (Not really though)