KTUL: Drillers moving downtown?

[bassfisher74133]

LOL... down town

View of dead buildings all around , Trash and not to mention all the bums.
Seriously every time I go down town at night I have a bum hit me up for money... something I get to avoid when going to Jenks at night.

It would be different if Tulsa had the train now but the train is (by the way the city of Tulsa moves) 15-20 years away so I like the idea of Jenks having the drillers... and some day a theme park close to it.

[waterboy]

Aox is right. The Drillers are like a freshly divorced woman in a small town. Entertaining all offers, committing to none, till the best deal surfaces.

I can't imagine anything more sterile, more boring than the Drillers in suburbia but that is the model for a lot of minor league teams. Move to where the Lexus, Mercedes and Toyota SUV's are parked. Jenks bent over backwards to facilitate the Aquarium even using city employees to do work on it when it was still a private entity. They have shown they will do what is necessary to get the job done.

Let them build their own low water dam.

[Renaissance]

This may, just may, wake up the City of Tulsa.

Or else it's already too late.  

Disgusting.

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

"Sources close to the Drillers tell The News On 6 the team has signed a letter of intent with developers to possibly move to Jenks. The News On 6 has also learned that the letter is non-binding, meaning the Drillers can continue to look at other options." - well that sure isn't a press release.  
OK, let them move to Jenks, but I say they can't use the name "Tulsa" Drillers.

First off, I would prefer the Drillers downtown.

Second, this is not the city of Jenks, this is a private development. They aren't even asking for a TIFF. Any TIFF would likely be to complete the dam if the river plan fails. The phrase I have heard is the biggest private development in the history of Oklahoma.

Last, The Tulsa Drillers have never, ever, played a single baseball game inside the city of Tulsa. The old Tulsa Oilers may have played inside the city way back in the day, but it's been decades since there was a team in the city of Tulsa.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Rico

quote:Originally posted by Kenosha

Originally posted by Breadburner

Originally posted by Kenosha

One question...?

What portion of these developers monies are going to be able to build the infrastructure, train the law enforcement, build a jail,increase the size of everything needed to house this sort of development...?

What portion? None. Their intention is the same as Tulsa's. Get the flash-bang first, worry about the underlying support and maintenance later. The taxpayers (maybe even Tulsa taxpayers) will understand as soon as they see what great stuff we've done and they will gladly endure the discomfort to be able to shop, drink, eat and buy Jenks Drillers t-shirts right near home.

[swake]

This should be the final piece of the pie that gets Tulsa to back the river plan. This is happening, and the 106th St dam is doable now even without the plan, a TIFF on The River District would easily build the dam.

It's Tulsa that needs the river plan and Jenks does back that. A Tulsa Landing does not happen without the river plan, water in the majority of the river in Tulsa does not happen without the plan, fixing the Zink dam doesn't either unless Inhofe come through, which does not seem likely, and 1/3 of the Inhofe money would go to the 106th St dam anyway.

The River District, with or without the Drillers, is coming and if Tulsa does not act now, river development will never happen in Tulsa, it will move further and further south into Bixby and Broken Arrow leaving Tulsa far behind.

Are you still against the Kaiser river plan?

[waterboy]

We may be watching the re-organization of government in Tulsa county without a single public vote cast. If what you say is true, this river district using TIF's granted by suburban towns and controlled by the county, regardless of the outcome of the river project vote, would be a bald faced power grab by the burbs.

Do you really want County control of the river development process utilizing a hand picked, rubber stamp oversight committee? Three elected officials that resemble, I'm sorry, the 3 Stooges?  I can change my mind on the Kaiser plan. But I don't relish a small, historically corrupt county organization passing out pieces of the river development. No river corridor zoning in place, no underlying infrastructure, policing issues resolved. Just sign off on the deal and move along doesn't feel good to me.

rufnex, couched in Swake's terms, this isn't leverage, this is extortion.

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd


Wow.  I mean . . . why???  Why are they stealing our ****, and who is letting them do it?  What the **** is the problem with this city!!!!!

+1

[aoxamaxoa]

Lynn Mitchell must have never taken real estate development 101....
there's not enough demand for 800,000 sf retail and 600,000 sf office. Transportation out there sux.

I suggest they call themselves the Jenks Stink.

And dye the river green on St. Paddy's day...

And have gay pride tickertape parades...

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by aoxamaxoa

Lynn Mitchell must have never taken real estate development 101....
there's not enough demand for 800,000 sf retail and 600,000 sf office. Transportation out there sux.

I suggest they call themselves the Jenks Stink.

And dye the river green on St. Paddy's day...

And have gay pride tickertape parades...

The only reason I could see for Drillers moving to Smallville is if they intend to change the demographic of their fans. Currently, I doubt many of them live in Jenks.

The land is attractive at that site and the proximity to the river and a nearby creek (overflow ditch actually) is good. If there is the added attraction of new development around it that too is inviting. Didn't hurt the OKC minor league team to move into Bricktown. I guess that's their model. Frankly if Tulsa continues its decline, the fan base will move to Jenks.

[Renaissance]

The number of the Tulsa Drillers' front office is (918) 744-5998.  Call and express your displeasure with the prospect of the Drillers leaving Tulsa.  It's a small enough organization that you can complain to anyone who picks up the phone and Chuck will hear.  

Don't let them spin it any other way - an out-of-town developer is trying to steal our baseball team and we will not stand for it.  

While you're at it, the Mayor's Action Line is (918) 596-2100.  Let them know this is an issue.  

And if this goes through, the only river development I'm voting for is jack and ****.  Those moneygrubbers can have their cow pasture development but they're not getting my tax money for their dams to go with it.  **** them in the face.

[Wilbur]

Lets take a vote:

How many people on this forum who are opposed to the Drillers moving to Jenks actually have gone to a Driller's game this year?

If you haven't, you've got no right to complain because you are not the fan base the Drillers are trying to attract.  Having been to, maybe, five games in 20+ years, I doubt they care about my opinion.

And as someone mentioned earlier, the Drillers have never been in the actual city of Tulsa.  Their current location is considered country property, which means they are moving from Tulsa County to Tulsa County.  

WHO CARES?

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

Lets take a vote:

How many people on this forum who are opposed to the Drillers moving to Jenks actually have gone to a Driller's game this year?

If you haven't, you've got no right to complain because you are not the fan base the Drillers are trying to attract.  Having been to, maybe, five games in 20+ years, I doubt they care about my opinion.

And as someone mentioned earlier, the Drillers have never been in the actual city of Tulsa.  Their current location is considered country property, which means they are moving from Tulsa County to Tulsa County.  

WHO CARES?

Obviously, I'm a fan and am outraged.  I didn't miss an opener for about a seven year stretch, and I pitched peanuts there in high school and college.

And this nonsense about the Drillers never being in Tulsa is just that -- nonsense.  Just because it's county land, it's still in the city limits.  The Drillers have always played IN Tulsa, ON county land.  Don't get cute with jurisdictions.  

Jenks is trying to steal our baseball team, a franchise that would not exist if not for the core city of Tulsa.

[Rico]

Anyone feel like getting a little bit more involved........?Just received this email from the Mayor...




Tulsa wants the Drillers to move Downtown, and we need to let the Drillers know how much. Downtown ballparks are a proven sucess in city after city for economic vitality and vibrant city centers. Please contact Chuck Lamson to let him know how much Tulsans appreciate them, and that we want the Drillers in Downtown Tulsa!

Please forward this e-mail to friends and family.

Chuck Lamson
Owner
Tulsa Drillers
4802 E. 15th Street
Tulsa, OK 74112

Phone:(918) 877-3711
Fax:(918) 747-3267
chuck@tulsadrillers.com

Thank You,

Kathy Taylor
Mayor

[ttownclown]

How is Jenks trying to "steal" the team? Sounds to me that the Driller's have shown just as much interest in moving as Jenks as shown in attracting development. The current location of the stadium stinks. If the city of Tulsa or county for that matter wanted to keep them, they would have facilitated an environment that would keep them as an attraction. I would have preferred downtown location that Global had planned, before the Wal-mart announcement. But the development that is in the works south of the Aquarium is going to be a high end entertainment district. I have no problem with them moving there and having an excellent facility and environment. -- Let me see, keep the Drillers at the current location, and I can go to Wal-Greens before or after the game. Or we can move it downtown, where I can visit Wal-Mart...No, I think I would like to see it in a place that is going to be hopping with hustle and bustle before and after the game.

For all of you people out-raged, it's not like they are moving to Joplin. It's still the Tulsa area. And in reality, about 2 miles from the Tulsa city limits (or maybe closer).  Not a big deal whatsoever.