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

[TheArtist]

Midtown, Oklahoma City

Eight-story condo project planned for Midtown:  http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=550-8-story-condo-project-planned-for-Midtown

(clockwise from top left) Uptown 23rd has become a bustling business district. // Steve Mason, Meg Salyer, and Mickey Clagg. // The Heart of Midtown // The Plaza District


A District Discussion   
The Pieces of Placemaking
By George Lang
Photos by Shannon Cornman:  https://www.405magazine.com/October-2016/A-District-Discussion/

Are there many people up in arms about how un-pedestrian/transit friendly that condo complex is in OKC?

[Laramie]

IMO, there will always be some dislike to any development you build; if it's more bike lanes--they interfere with traffic, if it's sidewalks people don't use the ones we have.  OKC has moved more toward walk-ability and pedestrian friendly with most developments especially inside the core (Downtown, Bricktown & Midtown) where OKC has had an enormous upswing in building apartments, condominiums & residential housing:

West Village Apartments: https://www.apartments.com/west-village-oklahoma-city-ok/kpjdgj9/
The Edge at Midtown: https://www.apartments.com/the-edge-at-midtown-oklahoma-city-ok/nqt3d3n/
The Hill in Bricktown: https://www.highrises.com/oklahoma-city/the-hill-at-bricktown/
The Lift:  https://www.apartments.com/lift-oklahoma-city-ok/qbds4gz/
The Metropolitan: https://metropolitanok.prospectportal.com/
The Steelyard: https://tour.steelyardokc.net/oklahoma-city-apartments-for-rent?gclid=Cj0KCQiA28nfBRCDARIsANc5BFC3H22OeKoSSbLHkZCRG488VAPFL54Rg-A6PQuva9qchBUVIK5kPVkaAq9aEALw_wcB

The above is the bulk of the core's residential housing boom.  Now, it's very difficult to gauge how residents will take on the core flavor living until the street & infrastructure construction is complete.  Many of these dwellings are 80-90% leased or purchased before they're built.  

We do see the positive side of developments--it has clean up areas that were an eyesore and potential blight on the city.  The challenge will be how these developments are maintained in the next 5-15 years from now.   My brother retired; he loves the downtown living.  Midtown, St. Anthony Hospital (Saints) and the OU Health Science Centers areas are developing more connectivity with a high profile police presence.  

Big plans to attract, keep & maintain young professionals and retirees.

.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

B 21 RAIDER: WHY RUSSIA & CHINA SHOULD FEAR IT?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9OGaLxU7Ds&t=324s

Got to keep our opposition in check.  Hope we never have to use these planes to bomb any country; however if it keeps us safe--it accomplishes it purpose.

More importantly it spends hundreds of billions we don't have so that we can continue to add to that $22 trillion in debt and ensure our grandchildrens' children will be enslaved to insurmountable debt via endless war. Genius way to make the Republican party the party of big spending and massive increases behind the guise of "national security" as we foot the defense bill for the rest of the First World.

You're delusional if you think we need these B21s to be "safe"...

[Laramie]

Some state was going to get those B-21s.

Whether or not they raised the debt by increases in the military defense budget of which this money Tinker received could have gone to any AFB in the country was decided by a Republican controlled Congress along with a President who signed off on it.   I agree with you 100%; the fact is it was done--just glad Oklahoma was allotted some of these funds.

You do realize that much of the money the Federal Government budgets goes to stimulate the economy.  Oklahoma for the longest was a contribution state; we are now a recipient state in highway and military defense funds; meaning we are getting what we paid in and then some back.  The impact Oklahoma military bases have on the state's economy is tangible as well as intangible.

We're told of what a great economy we live in today; also the economy is fragile.  Debts continue to rise; therefore how sustainable is the economy or will it fizzle out into a recession.

You mentioned the debts that will be passed on to our grandchildren's childrens isn't anything to be ignored.  Some future administration will be burdened with getting controls on spending--the cuts within the next 20 years will come--our economy can't continue to consume this amount of debt and be sustainable without future consequences.  

[PhiAlpha]

More importantly it spends hundreds of billions we don't have so that we can continue to add to that $22 trillion in debt and ensure our grandchildrens' children will be enslaved to insurmountable debt via endless war. Genius way to make the Republican party the party of big spending and massive increases behind the guise of "national security" as we foot the defense bill for the rest of the First World.

You're delusional if you think we need these B21s to be "safe"...

You're delusional if you don't think we need to continue upgrading our stealth bomber fleet to keep our advantage over the rest of the world.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

You're delusional if you don't think we need to continue upgrading our stealth bomber fleet to keep our advantage over the rest of the world.

We are outspending the next 8 or 9 top military spenders in the world combined! You're delusional if you think we need that much spending for security. The existential threat of "bad guys" around the world won't matter if those countries own our debt and hold major bargaining power over us (hint: many of them do, e.g. China). If the B21 is necessary, they should cut billions off of something else to make up for it. Instead congress just raises spending by billions.

With the economy being as good as it has been the last few years, the government should have had surpluses that we use to pay off some of that debt. It's the opposite. We are spending more than ever and assuring we will never get out of it.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

You do realize that much of the money the Federal Government budgets goes to stimulate the economy.  Oklahoma for the longest was a contribution state; we are now a recipient state in highway and military defense funds; meaning we are getting what we paid in and then some back.  The impact Oklahoma military bases have on the state's economy is tangible as well as intangible.

Good for Oklahoma to be a beneficiary of this and you're right they'll build it somewhere so better here than other places, but bad for the US to borrow money we don't have to pay for something we don't need.

That has always been a big argument of big-government Republicans, that the federal government needs to overspend to stimulate the economy...  That is true during a down economy, but if the last few years weren't a good economy that should be paying back debt, then we will never have a good economy. Yes government spending is an important part of the overall economy, but there are limits to how large it can affordably be and you cannot borrow forever without consequences. Debt and war should be temporary, not founding ideologies like with neo-cons and apparently neo-libs also (https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/how-perpetual-war-became-us-ideology/238600/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/09/america-dropped-26171-bombs-2016-obama-legacy).

Social Security is paying out more than it receives already and is on track to runout by 2034. Then the federal government will have to pay those pensions in cash or maybe open up volunteer stations to start turning baby boomers into Soylent. The politicians should volunteer first for marching us into this smile show.
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/report-shows-social-security-will-pay-more-than-it-collects-this-year-060718.html

So congrats to Tinker for being the beneficiary of this, but hard for me to get excited about more federal government expansion.

I don't think big-government Republicans or most Democrats understand how truly dire the situation is. We have a $1 trillion annual deficit and within a decade, more than $900 billion in interest payments will be due annually, easily outpacing spending on most all other programs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/business/economy/us-government-debt-interest.html

So we will be borrowing a trillion a year just to pay interest, stuck in a perpetual debt loop. Trump promised to fix the debt but he's made it much worse. Either we are intentionally being marched to an alarming financial crisis or politicians have no idea how economics work (current and previous admins).

[Laramie]

You've preached to the choir & a former Alter Boy.  I'll genuflect to those comments anytime & anyplace.

Those of us who have paid into Social Security expect it to be solvent and available when we apply.  It's not like social security is some kind of welfare program.  Congress continues to pass tax breaks that benefit those making annual salaries of $200,000 or more annually and for the wealthiest of Americans and corporate America; then want to trim the budget on the backs of hardest working individuals & family.

Well anyway, gotta go so we may get back-on-topic.

[BKDotCom]

Well anyway, gotta go so we may get back-on-topic.

IKEA rumor?

[Laramie]

IKEA rumor?

Predict IKEA will revisit & negotiate with the OKC market.   The nearest stores are Dallas, Kansas City & Memphis more than 200-300-400 miles away respectively.  IKEA have penetrated all markets with 2 million+ MSA population or more.  They are now looking at markets below 1.5 million; Memphis has a store, their MSA is slightly smaller than OKC's.  OKC MSA has a faster growth rate than Memphis by +8.67.  

Just a matter of time...

       2017 Population estimates:
                                                               2017             2010
       41    Oklahoma City, OK MSA       1,383,737    1,252,987    +10.44%    
       42    Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA    1,348,260    1,324,829    +1.77%    

[Laramie]

Governor: Aerospace firm to create 350 jobs in Oklahoma: https://www.koco.com/article/aerospace-company-to-bring-aircraft-manufacturing-at-least-352-jobs-to-oklahoma/22725642

VSA working to create high-tech jobs and partnerships with area universities.  Valkyrie Systems Aerospace (VSA), a cutting-edge developer of manned/unmanned aerial platforms, is proud to announce an exciting partnership with the State of Oklahoma.

An aerospace manufacturer that produces unmanned aircraft plans to locate its operations center in Oklahoma City and create more than 350 jobs over the next five years...

"Our talented workforce and low cost of doing business along with a good quality of life makes Oklahoma very attractive for growing companies like Valkyrie," Fallin said.

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce worked with Valkyrie for nine months to secure the project. Commerce officials said the company has been awarded a 21st Century Quality Jobs Program incentive contract, which is issued to qualifying businesses with a highly skilled, high-paid, knowledge-based workforce.

OKC continues to attract jobs to its metropolitan area. 

[BKDotCom]

All bow before skynet

[Laramie]

From the Oklahoma Gazette (November 18, 2018):

Banking on education
Oklahoma City Public Schools will renovate Central National Bank building for its new administration headquarters.
BY MIGUEL RIOS




Oklahoma City Public Schools will move their administration office to a building better-suited for its needs and services.

The school district is going forward with plans to renovate the old Central National Bank building on 615 N. Classen Ave. into its new headquarters.

"The past nine to 12 months, we've been working on plans to make sure it can house the 180 employees we need to move in there and still accommodate our needs as far as a board meeting space," said Scott Randall, OKCPS chief operations officer.

The project's bid will open late November or early December. It will then present it to the Board of Education Dec. 10 and make a recommendation on who should receive the construction contract, Randall said.

"From there, we're looking at about a 12-month construction period, so our goal is to be in the building in the winter of 2019," he said. "Ideally by December 2019, but maybe more like January 2020."

The three-story office will be called The Clara Luper Center for Educational Services, named after the civic leader who conducted sit-in protests that helped end segregation laws and policies in Oklahoma.

It will mark the first time the school district will have a building designed as an office space for its administrative services. Its previous building was a former school that was modified but never went through a full-scale renovation.

"For us to actually go into a building designed as an office building and is built for those purposes will make us more efficient and create a more collaborative environment for our team to work together," Randall said. "We're really excited for that."

The district also plans to build an addition to the north of the office to better serve the city.

"The new building will have a large auditorium that will serve our board for board meetings and will have a couple of conference rooms in it," Randall said. "We hope to be able to use that for not just board meetings but for professional development trainings in the district or other events where we need to bring together a large group."

The former bank's drive-thru structure still stands south of the building, across NW Fifth Street. It has gained some architectural acclaim for its mid-century design and unique wavy roof. The district hopes to avoid demolition, so Randall said it's looking for interested parties to acquire the structure or move the roof.

"We would like to see it preserved, but we also realize we can't have that as an ongoing maintenance issue and we do need the area for parking," he said. "We'll have to make a decision on that in the next four to six months. We'll need to bring that to some sort of conclusion, but a final decision has not been made about that."

The school district is also working with Oklahoma City Redevelopment Authority to find new use for their old office on 900 N. Klein Ave. The organization has conducted community meetings on the future of the building.

"They're working to put together packages so firms can begin to bid on that particular building, so we hope in the very near future the sale of the building will be completed and it begins to be used in a way that becomes a vital part of that community," he said.

The 96-year-old building was a former middle school. It served as the district's offices since 1955.

The Dec. 10 board meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Northeast Academy, 3100 N. Kelley Ave.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Asian District & Markets





Oklahoma City Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help


New Years 2018 - Lion Dance OKC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70LzeX3XKw

[Laramie]

IKEA rumor?

As Ikea eliminates a huge number of jobs, it also plans on opening up even more positions than it eliminates. The reorganization could lead to the creation of 11,500 new jobs as it expands into 30 new smaller-format stores in cities around the world, Ikea said. Ingka currently owns 367 Ikea stores and employs 160,000 people of Ikea's 208,000 global workforce.

Ikea's major reorganization: Smaller stores and 7,500 job cuts:  https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/21/business/ikea-layoffs/index.html