PAC Trust selects developer

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Nearly eight years ago, in October 2009, the Tulsa World published an early rendering for downtown's One Place development showing a bird's-eye view of a vibrant city block filled with shop-front windows, brick facades and roof-top gardens.

You can go to the corner of Second Street and Cheyenne Avenue to see what actually got built instead.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/michael-overall-tulsa-needs-to-avoid-another-bait-and-switch/article_0e97a2c9-5e99-59f9-acca-7b99142873ac.html

I am very glad Michael Overall posted that blog. People need to be aware so we can at least try to keep developers in check (especially the PAC board members in this case).

I wonder if he got some inspiration from the relative frequent complaints about One Place on this board. Very relevant to the latest string of posts lambasting it on here.

Take heart though, there are plenty of positive developments in downtown where the final result was as good or better than the proposals: Guthrie Green, Matthews Warehouse, Archer building, GreenArch (looks like phase 2 is coming soon), The Edge, Boxyard, Elgin Park Brewpub, Fox & Ford Buildings, East Village Lofts

And the latest that looks to be as advertised: First Street Lofts by the Ross Group (supposed to be finished any day now)

Of course none of those are near the scope of the PAC lot, but they are positive moves towards better development showing Tulsans can do it right and support those developments.

[SXSW]

I am very glad Michael Overall posted that blog. People need to be aware so we can at least try to keep developers in check (especially the PAC board members in this case).

I wonder if he got some inspiration from the relative frequent complaints about One Place on this board. Very relevant to the latest string of posts lambasting it on here.

Take heart though, there are plenty of positive developments in downtown where the final result was as good or better than the proposals: Guthrie Green, Matthews Warehouse, Archer building, GreenArch (looks like phase 2 is coming soon), The Edge, Boxyard, Elgin Park Brewpub, Fox & Ford Buildings, East Village Lofts

And the latest that looks to be as advertised: First Street Lofts by the Ross Group (supposed to be finished any day now)

Of course none of those are near the scope of the PAC lot, but they are positive moves towards better development showing Tulsans can do it right and support those developments.

None are as important to downtown as the PAC lot though.  That is the missing piece that ties together the CBD with Blue Dome, and the grocery component is absolutely necessary to support more residential downtown.  A close second is Santa Fe Square just because it is so large.  Fill those two holes with quality development and downtown is a different place.

[swake]

PAC trust gives final approval. Pending a TIF the project could start next summer.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/performing-arts-center-trust-agrees-to-sell-parking-lot-for/article_389b980a-5c3c-568f-9e55-656d3dd89395.html

[LeGenDz]

So who comes in if Reasor's bails?

[BKDotCom]

A lot of coulds

could feature downtown's first grocery store
could be Reasors (probably not)
construction could begin next summer
could hit a snag with the TIF

[TulsaBeMore]

Of the 3 proposals originally in the mix for this, the one that included the Theater Above Cincinnati, the TAC was my favorite.  This one looks OK, but it's fairly unimaginative and looks like  everything else being built - The Edge, GreenArch, etc.  They're nice, but something with some greater design appeal would be cool.  Remember all the look-a-like Hardesty apartment complexes all over town. They were nice, but... .  Go on the developer website and look at dozens of projects across the country. Kind of like Ford's Model T.  You can get any color you want as long as it's black.

That Cimarex building is horrific.  It looks like it should be in a generic hospital complex.  Hideous.  Cimarex is a good company and Miles Associates is a good firm. But that building is a visual misfire. 

I haven't read this thread over the years, so I don't know if anyone has said the OKPOP should be built next door to the PAC with a sky bridge between the two --- perfect for an OKPOP stage show. Or that modern TAC design proposal for the block. Include a parking garage, a hotel/housing mid-rise and even leave space for a grocery store and other retail.  Maybe a Tulsa POPS store/restaurant to play off OKPOP.  This development doesn't look impressive enough for one of, if not the, premier open blocks in downtown.  By making north of the tracks everything Arts, the PAC is isolated. The BOK Center seems a little different - it is its own galaxy.

       

[SXSW]

From the developer's website:

A green roof on top of Reasor's would be a nice touch, that roof is huge



Not a fan of the sky bridge, hopefully that get's VE'd out



Actually prefer the 2nd St frontage to 3rd St, too bad there can't be a couple floors of large open plan office space above Reasor's, it would lease up quickly in this location



Someone should Photoshop Santa Fe Square in there to see how this fits in with that project.  2nd St will be much improved once both are finished

[swake]

So who comes in if Reasor's bails?

So obviously Whole Foods will as Amazon builds out the campus downtown.

[BKDotCom]

So obviously Whole Foods will as Amazon builds out the campus downtown.

Amazon tower with whole-foods on the base floor. 
I like it.

[Townsend]

The kid in me wants to believe something good will come of this.

The adult in me reads things like

"its progress is still contingent on the developer's securing financing and receiving a tax increment financing incentive from the city of Tulsa."

and thinks..."they'll re-stripe it and it'll be a parking lot for quite some time.

[bluelake]

So obviously Whole Foods will as Amazon builds out the campus downtown.

At least with Amazon Prime the building materials will be here in 2 days.

[DTowner]

A lot of coulds

could feature downtown's first grocery store
could be Reasors (probably not)
construction could begin next summer
could hit a snag with the TIF

So much negativity when the news is good.  This project is not perfect, but it is so much better than what is there (and, in my opinion, much better than the other bids).  And it is the only seriously possible project in downtown to include a full-scale grocery store.  Yes, we are all wise to limit ourselves to cautious optimism until dirt starts turning (or even the project nears completion as something at least close to the renderings), but this is not the downtown of 15 years ago where grandiose mega projects get announced and then are never heard from again.  Cheer up folks, this is good news.

[DTowner]

From the developer's website:

A green roof on top of Reasor's would be a nice touch, that roof is huge



I agree.  I would love to see a big chunk of that roof used as a roof top garden to grow produce to sell below.

[rebound]

I agree.  I would love to see a big chunk of that roof used as a roof top garden to grow produce to sell below.

Roof Top Bocci!

[BKDotCom]

So much negativity when the news is good. 

I'm just quoting the article

Headline:  "Performing Arts Center Trust agrees to sell parking lot for development with potential downtown grocery store"

Opening sentence:  "The Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust has agreed to sell its parking lot for a downtown development that could include a grocery store."

The article is full of a lot of maybe.

I'm on the hope-it-happens boat.