The "this has nothing to do with Tulsa" mega-post

[Laramie]

A Kansas City-based recreation and entertainment chain is planning a location in North Oklahoma City.

Indoor/outdoor complex to feature pickleball, restaurant and bar.




As part of the larger 9000 Broadway complex, Chicken N Pickle will join Flix Brewhouse as well as proposed restaurants, office and housing on property that was once owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company (OPUBCO).


View the News from OKCTalk.com:  https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=627-Indoor-outdoor-complex-to-feature-pickleball-restaurant-and-bar

[Laramie]

     TTEC to expand in Oklahoma City, create 350 jobs


         Staff reports, Oklahoman
         Published: Sat, July 13, 2019 5:00 AM

Denver-based insurance and technology company TTEC Holdings Inc. will open a Humanify Customer Engagement Center in Oklahoma City, where the company will employ up to 350 people, officials said Friday.

"Oklahoma City's talented labor force provided an excellent market opportunity to create a new Humanify Customer Engagement Center," Martin DeGhetto, TTEC's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "We look forward to hiring individuals who are compassionate and service-minded, including those from the many military families and veterans who call Oklahoma City home."

TTEC officials are looking to hire licensed property and casualty claims adjusters and support positions. The company also offers a College of Insurance training program to help people receive an insurance license and prepare to become an insurance adjuster.

TTEC officials credited the decision to expand in Oklahoma City in part because of a collaborative effort by the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Oklahoma Works.

"We are proud that another technology and services company has chosen Oklahoma for its latest operation," Sean Kouplen, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development, said in a statement. "Our business climate, skilled workforce, workforce training and collaborative environment continue to make an impact on companies looking to expand. We appreciate TTEC for choosing Oklahoma and look forward to seeing the company succeed in our state."



The facility will be at an existing technology park at 7725 W Reno Ave.

"We are very excited to welcome TTEC to Oklahoma City," Roy H. Williams, CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said in a statement. "They are recognized as a leader in their industry, and the outstanding talent pool we have in Oklahoma City was a big factor in their decision to expand here. They are a company that has a great reputation with community involvement, and we are excited to watch them grow in Oklahoma City."

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City proposals for MAPS 4 initiatives:  https://www.okc.gov/government/maps-4 includes selected presentations.


    Tuesday, July 9
        Palomar (Presentation |Video)
        Parks (Presentation | Video)
        Sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, streetlights (Presentation | Video)
        Freedom Center (Presentation | Video)

    Thursday, July 11
        Youth centers
        Beautification
        State Fair coliseum (Presentation | Video):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU8BtMFEM38&feature=youtu.be&t=8587
        Senior wellness centers
        Animal shelter

Upcoming events: 

    Wednesday, July 31
        Transit
        Homelessness
        Chesapeake Arena & NBA enhancements
        Diversion hub

    Tuesday, Aug. 6
        Mental health
        Multipurpose stadium
        Innovation District
        Other projects brought forward by Councilmembers
        Overview of format, timing, revenue estimates, sustainable design, 1% for art


Two large development projects on MAPS 4 initiatives:

MAPS 4 Stadium (Soccer & American football): $65 million - $80 million:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWHxr5sdu4k

MAPS 4 Coliseum (Replace current State Fair Arena): $92 million https://youtu.be/P4Dz3_K95Zo

[Laramie]

How One City Is Paying Cash for a Brand New Convention Center



Author: David McMillin      

When Oklahoma City opens the doors to a new convention center in 2020, the city's tourism officials will be free from a typical worry: debt. Thanks to a program called Metropolitan Area Projects — commonly known as MAPS — the tab for the venue will already be paid in full. In fact, it will be covered long before any attendees are inside the building. "We don't start construction on any of the projects until there is enough money to pay cash for the project," Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (OKC CVB), told PCMA in an interview. "It's a much easier way to do things. We don't have to worry about selling bonds or the normal issues that usually come up with building a new convention center."

Carrier doesn't have to worry about how local residents will feel about the new venue, either. He already knows. Taxpayers voted to support the convention center in 2009, and they've been paying for it ever since in some very tiny increments. MAPS uses a one-cent, limited-term sales tax to cover the costs of public projects. "As a community, we decide on a few transformational projects that matter to us, and we work together to make them happen," Carrier said. "We know when the tax will start and when it will end, and most importantly, we know that there won't be any mortgage to worry about."

As plenty of convention destinations worry about budget cuts and public perceptions of funding plans, the MAPS program seems to be a strong example of demonstrating the value of a convention center to people who may never actually attend a conference or trade show inside it. Oklahoma City residents didn't just have a say in green lighting the project; city officials are also inviting them to contribute their own ideas to naming a new public park that will be adjacent to the new center.

It's an impressive approach to building local support for the value of the convention industry. Plenty of outside visitors will come to Oklahoma City for conferences and business events, but the venue will also play a crucial role in the community as a host for events like the Mayor's State of the City Address and the Inaugural Ball for the Governor. Carrier summed up the center's role with a comparison that more cities should embrace: "We like to think of the main ballroom as the living room of our community."

PCMA link:  https://www.pcma.org/how-one-city-is-paying-cash-for-a-brand-new-convention-center/


Progress on the $288 million OKC Convention Center (glass installation) & 10th floor of the 17 story $232 million Omni Hotel--taken July 19, 2019
Join the discussion:  https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=26179&page=186

The Oklahoma City Convention Center Complex will encompass more than $578 million in new construction that includes the convention center, Omni hotel, convention center garage & the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites.

[Laramie]

    Oklahoma State capitol building renovations:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOEDFkdYaCY

[Laramie]

Three large, "transformative" projects, still in planning, nonetheless made progress the first half of the year.

             Oklahoman, Business section, July 27, 2019

                  Transformation

Chisholm Creek's next phase south of Memorial between Pennsylvania and Western, will include two large, mixed-use buildings with ground-floor retail, office above, a courtyard, hotel, and dinner-and-a movie concept, according to renderings released by the developers.

Penn Central — recently renamed "Oak" — the "ambitious" high-end retailoffice-residential project at Pennsylvania and Northwest Expressway got Planning Commission approval.

The Cotton Mill project marketed by Sooner Development, just southeast of downtown, is waiting to see if a soccer/multiuse stadium will be included in MAPS 4; it could anchor the retail-entertainment project.

"None of these projects have broken ground," Price Edwards said, but all "would take Oklahoma City retail to a new level."

Pics, various sources...

[Laramie]

          Arena figures in MAPS 4 plans

                      By William Crum
                      Staff writer wcrum@oklahoman.com

Selected pics via OKCTalk.com https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=633-135M-improvements-proposed-for-arena-Thunder

MAPS 4 could direct $120 million to $135 million toward upgrades and expansion of Chesapeake Energy Arena and improvements of the cityowned Oklahoma City Thunder practice facility.

Keeping the city's arena competitive among NBA teams and on the concert circuit was the focus of one of four MAPS 4 presentations reviewed by the city council Tuesday.

The eight-hour meeting included presentations on transit, homelessness and affordable housing, and a center for diverting individuals facing incarceration in the county jail to alternatives.

The meeting was the third of four on MAPS 4 ideas.

Like the first two in mid July, it drew hundreds of advocates to City Hall, with several dozen making remarks, mostly in favor of proposed projects.

The series of review sessions wraps up on Tuesday.

The council will then settle on a budget and slate of projects to promise to residents. Voters ultimately decide whether to extend the 1-cent MAPS sales tax for MAPS 4.

Tom Anderson, special projects manager in the city manager's office, told the council the arena is the engine behind $90 million in direct spending annually in the local economy. It is the home of the NBA's Thunder and, he said, an increasingly busy concert venue.

The arena was an original MAPS project and opened in 2002.

Many of the ideas for MAPS 4 investments are geared toward enhancing amenities for basketball fans, such as wider concourses and new eating and drinking options, expanding the building's footprint by 70,000 square feet.

Locker rooms would get a makeover, in part to accommodate the increasing number of women being hired in roles, including NBA coaches.

A new scoreboard and larger video screens offering higher definition and greater clarity would replace current technology; seats and elevators would be replaced.

The Thunder's initial 15-year lease expires about the time the arena hits 20 years of age.

Oklahoma City is the NBA's third-smallest market.

Ward 6 Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon asked whether the city would "lose them if we don't keep up, keep competitive."

City Manager Craig Freeman said there was no threat from the Thunder, which has five threeyear options once the initial lease expires.

"With this, it is a matter of taking care of what we have," said Freeman. "We need to continue to invest in the building to be able to keep the team and for it to be a good fan experience."

Mayor David Holt said he imagined "we're going to have a pretty substantive conversation in the next three years as that first 15-year term ends."

"We all are going to be on one side of the table and the Thunder are going to be on the other," he said.

"I have no reason to think that's a contentious negotiation but every time you come to the table with a facility that's not up to speed and doesn't have the promise of being brought up to current standards, then your hand is weaker."

Hamon said team owners could put more toward keeping the arena competitive.

"When a lot of the money that the organization is paying for is for people who make millions and millions of dollars, I just have a hard time saying, 'Let's cut animal shelter or let's cut transit,' when we have people who spoke today that transit is a vital thing for them to be able to participate in society,' she said.

"It feels like something on the scales was not balanced. I'd be really interested in finding a way to say maybe this is a thing we can trim from.

"The people who own them have a lot of money already, they've already gotten a leg up," Hamon said. "When we're talking about how to make this fit in what our projections are, I just want to think about how can we maybe ask them to take a little bit more of a hit than, say, the single mom who's trying to."

[Laramie]

          
         Funding the future

         Plan looks to Innovation District as economic engine for Oklahoma City

                 By Steve Lackmeyer
                 Business writer slackmeyer@oklahoman.com


                             

A planned transformation of the Oklahoma Health Center into an innovation district includes a proposal to widen the NE 10 Street bridge over Interstate 235 to allow for a park-like pedestrian crossing on both sides of the span. The proposal also includes building structured parking to allow for more dense development. [RENDERING BY PERKINS & WILL]

                                       

The Beacon of Hope, currently surrounded by vacant land, would be the center of an innovation district lined with a hotel (shown to the right) and a mix of offices and retail (shown to the left). [RENDERING BY PERKINS & WILL]

                           

A development plan to create an innovation district east of downtown includes building structured parking and using surface parking to build a mix of housing, a hotel, offices and retail. A new passage would be created between Stiles Circle and the Beacon of Hope leading to the OU Research Park. [RENDERING BY PERKINS & WILL]

                         
                       

A study by Perkins & Will looked an area that includes the Oklahoma Health Center, the state Capitol, surrounding neighborhoods and how they can be transformed into an Innovation District that connects to nearby Automobile Alley. The study suggests focusing redevelopment in a "core" area between NE 8, NE 10, Lincoln Boulevard and I-235.

The Oklahoma Health Center, home to the OU Research Park, OU Medical School, the Baker Hughes/ GE research center, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, and an array of hospitals, research institutions and biotech companies, has a workforce totaling 18,000. But it has very little mixed-use development or connection to the surrounding historically black neighborhoods or downtown.

Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, sees that lack of vitality as holding the district back from realizing its full potential in generating outside investment, creating new jobs and sparking creation of new businesses.

Get the full story from the Oklahomans Steve Lackmeyer:  http://digital.newsok.com/Olive/ODN/Oklahoman/default.aspx

[Laramie]

   Transit projects seek $87.2M from MAPS4

              Published on 07-31-2019 12:45 AM

         

         
   1. 12-14 miles of high frequency (12-15 minute) Bus Rapid Transit connecting to larger system
   2.  Weekday bus service frequency of 30 minutes or better for all OKC bus routes
   3.  500 new ADA accessible covered bus shelters
   4.  Security and safety lighting at every bus stop
   5.  Multiple safe and secure park and ride facilities
   6.  Technology-based transportation and connectivity solutions

   Traffic Signal Priority (TSP) at half the signalized intersections on bus routes
   Integrate micro-transit mobility options into EMBARK family of services

[Laramie]

2 of 2

Transit projects seek $87.2M from MAPS4












Source:  Join the discussion @ OKCTalk.com:  https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=634-Transit-projects-seeks-87-2M-from-MAPS4

[Laramie]

  

Oklahoma City LGBT District
NW 39th Street Enclave

"The Strip", is a prominent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) district in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The area is located along NW 39th Street in the city's northwest quadrant, one block west of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Oklahoma Gazette

2019 OKC Pride Parade celebration before 82,000 onlookers.--above pic, Oklahoma City Free Press:  https://freepressokc.com/gallery-okc-pride-parade-2019/

Habana Inn will become Hotel Habana

 

The largest gay resort in the  U.S. Southwest has new owners. Los Angeles-based Alternatives Resorts has bought the 170-room Habana Inn in Oklahoma County. The property sold for $2.4 million.

 

   Harold E. Fulton Design & Consulting / provided Early Hotel Habana renderings show a completely redone facade and lobby.

Alternatives Resorts spokesman Arnold Greenspan says the hotel will be renamed as Hotel Habana and the first phase of renovations will start in the fall.

The self-proclaimed "largest gay resort in the Southwest" is under new ownership and ready for a complete makeover. Hotel Habana, 2200 NW 40th St., was known as Habana Inn until Los Angeles-based Alternative Resorts acquired the 170-room hotel in January.

Thomas Lagatta, director of the renovation project, said if all goes according to plan, the hotel will be fully renovated in 18 months. Room bookings will stay open, but not all rooms will be available while renovations are taking place in certain areas.

"Some things we're starting on now like the west pool, we're starting around there, and then quite a bit of our renovations we're putting off until fall," he said. "The exterior will be renovated, but that won't start until [October or November]."

The hotel is home to two courtyard pools, The Copa nightclub, Finish Line country bar and Jungle Reds gift shop. It sits in the city's "gayborhood" and has served as a major regional LGBTQ+ destination. Alternative Resorts saw inherent value on a general business basis, but Lagatta said it also saw its potential as a "huge, unique venue."

"Unique almost to the entire United States as far as what it can be, kind of an oasis for people ... who are not the mainstream and actually the entire 39th [Street] District here in Oklahoma City," he said. "We want to help it be what it can be. Even beyond that, we think that most people who come here don't realize what a wonderful, unique place this is. We intend to make it fulfill its potential."

Arnold Greenspan, marketing coordinator, said the hotel is Alternative Resorts' first major acquisition. Alternative is a holding company that Greenspan said intends to have several facilities like Hotel Habana throughout the country. Greenspan said the hotel's new owner actually owned several other properties in the state.

"He knows this area very, very well," he said. "He's frequented this hotel, and when the opportunity came up to buy it, thought, 'Why not?' And he bought it with the intention of upgrading everything. This place hasn't had much upgrades in a long time."

Fulfilling potential

The renovations will be all-inclusive. The hotel lobby will be completely redone, rooms will be redesigned and both pools will get several upgrades. Some of the smaller renovations, like the installation of four hot tubs around the west pool, are already taking place.

The hotel receives more guests during the warmer months, officials said, but renovation plans, some of which are being kept a secret, would make it more of a year-round destination.

"Depending on how much money we have to operate with in terms of construction, the first thing that we will do is something I can't tell you about," Greenspan said. "We will be gutting and renovating all the rooms around the east pool. We have extensive plans for the east pool. ... We're hoping, if we get the money that we're hoping we get, then we will renovate the entire east courtyard pool area. If not, there are some renovations that we will make that I am not at liberty to tell you at this point, and then we will renovate rooms as we can."

Early renderings have been released of the building's facade and different room layouts, but Greenspan said they're still weighing whether or not they will commit to them. Room renderings have an Alice in Wonderland theme, with designs based on different characters.

"Some of those are pretty involved in terms of what you would have to uniquely construct for a room, and so we're looking at them like, 'They look really cool, but is that how we want to spend our money or do we want to spend it in some other manner?'" he said. "Are we going to fulfill that? We don't really know, but yeah, that's what we'd like to see."

Officials are also focusing on improving the hotel's banquet room and potentially adding another event space.

"We're going to have at least one banquet room, 2,500 square feet, so it's a pretty good-sized banquet room," Greenspan said. "We will have an event space that will be fairly unique to Oklahoma City, and that's the project that we are trying to keep as quiet as we can. ... But that will give us another event space."

The Copa and Finish Line have a different owner; Greenspan is unsure if those will be renovated. However, they are working on a way to make Habana nonsmoking, which could potentially create another club/lounge area.

"We're adding a sky lounge onto one of the roofs here, so that we will have an outdoor smoking area and club up on the roof as well," Greenspan. "We don't know how feasible that is — like would everybody kick up their heels and say, 'Forget it; we're not coming' — but we'd really like to make it nonsmoking if we could."

In planning the renovations, Lagatta said they also wanted to make sure Habana is not just "a party hotel."

"We want to accommodate business people that are passing through that need a place to work," he said. "We're putting in fiber optic Wi-Fi, so everybody will have free fiber optic Wi-Fi. ... We're fixing up some rooms in the quieter areas away from the clubs, so it's like any given night it's a good place to stay."

Giving back
click to enlarge Arnold Greenspan, Alternative Resorts spokesman, said Hotel Habana is the group's first major acquisition. - MIGUEL RIOS

   Miguel Rios
   Arnold Greenspan, Alternative Resorts spokesman, said Hotel Habana is the group's first major acquisition.

The two event spaces will help Habana give back to the community, something Greenspan said patrons don't currently expect from the hotel.

"The community that we serve ... is used to this facility not giving back, only making money from it," he said. "That's going to change in a big way; we're going to be philanthropic."

Officials have already met with various organizations in the city to discuss potential fundraising event ideas. Greenspan said one person in particular is interested in having a quarterly event to benefit local charities.

"It's my goal — I don't know how long it's going to take, but it's going to happen — that we have an event every weekend here. Obviously, they're not all going to be charitable, but a lot of them are going to be," he said. "We hope to do a lot of that, and we hope to make up for the long time that this facility has not been supportive."

Despite continuing the hotel's legacy as a major destination for the state's LGBTQ+ community, Greenspan said they don't like labels.

"When we use things like 'LGBTQ,' why are we dividing ourselves with that? It doesn't unite us. It might unite the people under those individual labels, but it doesn't unite us as a community," he said. "So from this facility from now on, you will not hear those labels. To us, it's just the community; it's our family. That's how we're going to treat it, and we hope everybody will join us."

Though it is not yet confirmed, the team is planning a big Fourth of July block party to celebrate the hotel's future. Additionally, once they complete a major renovation project, they plan to throw a grand opening celebration, which is likely to be a charitable event.

Oklahoma Gazette:  https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/hotel-potential/Content?oid=5790371

[Laramie]

Plans revised for proposed MAPS 4 Stadium

Published on 08-06-2019 02:05 PM OKCTalk.com https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=637-Plans-revised-for-proposed-MAPS-4-stadium//

         Full press release:



OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 6, 2019) – A group led by the Oklahoma City Energy FC today revealed new renderings for a multipurpose outdoor stadium at the Aug. 6 City Council meeting for MAPS 4. The proposal would create a permanent home for professional soccer and a centralized venue suitable for hosting high school football and soccer championships. It would also enable Oklahoma City, currently the only city of the top 50 largest cities lacking an outdoor stadium, to finally compete for major outdoor concerts, festivals and sporting events.

"This is an opportunity to once again set our city on a global stage," said Bob Funk, Jr., co-owner of OKC Energy FC. "It will connect and unify Oklahoma City's diverse cross-section of cultures and provide a powerful economic boost to our urban core."

Donna Clark, co-owner of OKC Energy FC and a pioneer in bringing professional soccer to Oklahoma City said, "Soccer is a unifying sport across genders, ethnicities, cultures and religions. I attended the Women's World Cup final shown at Together Square and it was a deeply impactful experience to sit with more than 700 fellow Oklahomans aside OKC's newest public futsal court, while watching the U.S. women defend their title. Oklahoma City needs professional soccer deeply rooted within our community."

The presentation revealed two options to build the venue, each with new amenities and features. The first option represented a $37 million to $42 million investment for an 8,000-seat stadium that would accommodate soccer, high school football, rugby, lacrosse, concerts and festivals. It is estimated it would host more than 60 events each year resulting in an annual $60 million economic impact.

The second option presented was a $67 million to $72 million investment with 10,000 seats, shade structures, and other amenities to improve the fan experience. Additional restrooms would allow for crowds of up to 18,000. This option would include a larger stage sought by national music touring groups, and a secondary stage designed to seat 8,000. It is estimated it would host more than 80 events each year resulting in an annual impact of over $79 million.

"A centrally located multipurpose stadium will be a powerful catalyst for private development," said developer Chuck Wiggin, who backs the concept. "MAPS projects are city-owned, which will put the City in a position to manage and incentivize nearby development that is consistent with the needs of its residents as well as City planning objectives — dense, mixed-use, affordable, bike-friendly, walkable, and accessible by public transportation. It's an opportunity to connect and boost nearby districts and attractions and promote connections citywide."

The plan enjoys strong support from Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Executive Director David Jackson, Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel, Santa Fe South Schools Superintendent Chris Brewster and Millwood Schools Superintendent Cecilia Robinson-Woods. At the Council meeting, each emphasized the importance of youth participation in soccer and expressed gratitude for the extensive charitable contributions and programs to expand and improve the quality of youth athletics.

"I've witnessed the impact a new athletic facility can have on a community, and how it inspires young athletes and brings neighbors together through a common interest. MAPS 4 is Oklahoma City's chance to do this on a major scale," OKC Energy FC co-owner Tim McLaughlin said. McLaughlin founded nonprofit organization Fields and Futures.

Additional backers of the concept include the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League, deadCENTER Film Festival and Okla Cine Latino Film Festival, as well many other Oklahoma City community leaders.

Funk's portion of the presentation highlighted MAPS 4 as Oklahoma City's best opportunity to create an environment that empowers connection, inclusivity and community in a way that complements nearby districts accessible citywide. He highlighted the growing appeal of soccer and its accessibility as a sport to watch and play for families from all backgrounds and incomes.

The presentation identified soccer, rugby and lacrosse as the fastest-growing sports in America and pointed to a 2018 Nielsen study in which 51 percent of Oklahoma City's direct market area are interested in or follow professional soccer.

The presentation also covered missed tourism and sporting event opportunities due to Oklahoma City's lack of an outdoor venue capable of hosting large scale events, citing Big 12, NCAA, NAIA and junior college soccer, high school football and soccer, college and club lacrosse, international and club rugby, and e-sports events as examples of what would be possible if Oklahoma City included such a facility in the MAPS 4 initiative.

[patric]

Searchlights?  How inspired.

[Laramie]

  Page 2 of 2


Plans revised for proposed MAPS 4 Stadium

                   

                   

                   

                                                         MAPS 4 Stadium expansion potential:

                   

[Laramie]

Update on Carvana via OKCTalk:

Carvana Tower  has topped out...

Come on guys, patric, joiei, rebound & SXSW, got some mint juleps for ya, it's called the Carvana Mint--time for a good laugh.