Vision Extension - IDL Removal/Demolition

[LandArchPoke]

Good to know, I think Shane Hood is the one who made the comment.  It was also mentioned that the Boston Avenue appeared top be turned into park space. 

Just FYI, I am not sure how much traction you would get in moving the Home Depot.  I believe it is one of the highest grossing of their stores in the area and definitely the largest retail tax base generator in downtown. Just be careful in how you word all that. 

Big Box retailers are not easy to deal with in terms of negotiations. These are just concepts, and when thinking big - that location offers in my opinion the best site for a soccer stadium and is one of the few places downtown you could locate a stadium large enough for an MLS stadium without tearing down a bunch of properties and closing off streets. Now would Home Depot go along with it? No idea. It's worth exploring though. Likely the best chance would be to do a land swap with them. Have a developer who builds something like these in exchange for that land:





There would be 2 sites for something like this on the north and south side of 11th Street which would mean that could stay in the same location, but just going from a suburban style store to one of their mixed-use urban style stores next to a new stadium.



The Boston Ave. Church was never covered over with parks either - I even state on the website this:

[heironymouspasparagus]

There seems to be so much excitement about dams on the river - a canal system could provide enough dams (and locks) to satisfy anyone's desires!!

Water from Keystone could supplement to 'drive' the movement up and down around town.

[Conan71]

Interesting part of the Vision request process is you must address benefits to economic growth, health, education, etc.

With dams being the biggest outlay in the package thus far, I've never seen an estimate of the economic impact they would have.  Maybe I've simply over-looked this.  Feel free to correct me.

Based on Land Arch's concept, there appears to be a far better opportunity to improve ad valorem receipts and sales tax with his plan than what I can personally envision the dams would do.

[AquaMan]

There seems to be so much excitement about dams on the river - a canal system could provide enough dams (and locks) to satisfy anyone's desires!!

Water from Keystone could supplement to 'drive' the movement up and down around town.

The earliest posts I can find relating to my canal proposal was in March of 2005 under the name of Waterboy. Many later posts make references to it and the Elm creek discussions but not the original post. Have we lost posts prior to march 2005?

[carltonplace]

LAP's plan is much better than "water in the river" concepts. This plan actually creates land that can be developed that no one other than ODOT has any stake or claim on. Un-capping Elm creek would be a game changer for Tulsa.

Blake!!! Look here please.

[heironymouspasparagus]

The earliest posts I can find relating to my canal proposal was in March of 2005 under the name of Waterboy. Many later posts make references to it and the Elm creek discussions but not the original post. Have we lost posts prior to march 2005?

No telling.  I do know that some of my posts have been deleted in the past - not by me - I was censored.  Maybe someone doesn't like you..??

[AquaMan]

No telling.  I do know that some of my posts have been deleted in the past - not by me - I was censored.  Maybe someone doesn't like you..??

Not likely. My political views and charming disposition ensure huge support from friends and foe alike.
Anyway it's a fairly straightforward uncomplicated idea.

[TheArtist]

Have you pitched this to Blake yet? 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Not likely. My political views and charming disposition ensure huge support from friends and foe alike.
Anyway it's a fairly straightforward uncomplicated idea.

Yeah...me too!!  I am just a big ole' cuddly teddy bear....


I guess I'm not really all that sure I would want Tulsa to do this type of forward thinking, interesting, exciting BHAG*.... it might mean too big a change requirement in my life's paradigm - would have to find another windmill to tilt against!!

*BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  Collins and Porras.

[AquaMan]

Have you pitched this to Blake yet? 

I have to say no. I would be embarrassed by my lack of presentation skills and supporting economic analysis. In fact I am not even sure of the process without reading this whole thread. Which I better do or sneak back into the corner of the garage with all my other unfinished projects.
Like Heiro it would change my whole view of the community should any of these great ideas actually be taken seriously by established leadership.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Have you pitched this to Blake yet? 

Doesn't he spend some time here every once in a while?? 

He could get the whole set of comments by reading a couple of these threads....

[LandArchPoke]

Have you pitched this to Blake yet? 

Blake has been very generous in taking time out of his schedule to listen to me. I've submitted the proposal to the city for Vision funds - so it will at least be considered. I've been reaching out to other community stakeholders as well to get feedback and make them aware of the project as well. I've very hopefully it moves forward. In terms of having the right people in the right places to make something like this happen, we have it. Jim Inhofe is the Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Gary Stanislawski is the Transportation Chair for the State of Oklahoma Senate (District 35 - which encompasses the south section of the IDL).

[heironymouspasparagus]

Blake has been very generous in taking time out of his schedule to listen to me. I've submitted the proposal to the city for Vision funds - so it will at least be considered. I've been reaching out to other community stakeholders as well to get feedback and make them aware of the project as well. I've very hopefully it moves forward. In terms of having the right people in the right places to make something like this happen, we have it. Jim Inhofe is the Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Gary Stanislawski is the Transportation Chair for the State of Oklahoma Senate (District 35 - which encompasses the south section of the IDL).

Sounds like you have his ear, at least some - tell him to check out this thread....



Inhofe...Wow...how sad is that...?

[JoeMommaBlake]

I've been reading the thread.

I like this kind of thing and continue to be impressed with LAP's work.

B

[TheArtist]

Took me a while, but I have been convinced.  I like the idea as well.  We might want to work on a 3 sentence soundbite ( I think that is one of those speaking/writing rules)  that encapsulates the positives of the concept.



Lets get rid of part of the IDL.  

It will free up desirable developable land while increasing connectivity.

We can do this in a way that will both pay for itself and additional future transit, while still carrying the same amount of traffic.


Or something like that.