Brookside: Upscale Apartment Complex Proposal

[we vs us]

quote:Originally posted by spoonbill

Comes up at TAPC on the 4th.

There is talk that Bomasada is pulling out, but not ready to go public, until they have secured the site in one of their other markets.  They hit the TAPC on the 4th of April and don't want to jeopardize anything yet.

If you want some insight, talk to the fire marshall and find out what he thinks of the plan.  This is where the ball started to bounce sideways.

BE AWARE!, this monster (Bomasada) will not change their architectural plans for ANYONE!  It's too expensive for them.  If the fire marshall has suggestions or changes he would like to see made, you will need to put a gag on him if you want project to continue.  If however you respect his opinion, the project will move to another market, and we will have to attract another developer to the site.

Bomasada maintains a process budget for site adaptation.  Architectural changes that exceed the site adaptation budget, cause their business model to change direction.  It is a very effective system that works for them.  If we make this project expensive, the machine has to switch gears and move to another market.  That's just the way it is!

The ball is in our court.

[]

What's the fire marshal's problem with the project?

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by spoonbill

Comes up at TAPC on the 4th.

There is talk that Bomasada is pulling out, but not ready to go public, until they have secured the site in one of their other markets.  They hit the TAPC on the 4th of April and don't want to jeopardize anything yet.

If you want some insight, talk to the fire marshall and find out what he thinks of the plan.  This is where the ball started to bounce sideways.

BE AWARE!, this monster (Bomasada) will not change their architectural plans for ANYONE!  It's too expensive for them.  If the fire marshall has suggestions or changes he would like to see made, you will need to put a gag on him if you want project to continue.  If however you respect his opinion, the project will move to another market, and we will have to attract another developer to the site.

Bomasada maintains a process budget for site adaptation.  Architectural changes that exceed the site adaptation budget, cause their business model to change direction.  It is a very effective system that works for them.  If we make this project expensive, the machine has to switch gears and move to another market.  That's just the way it is!

The ball is in our court.

[]

"there is talk"  screams speculation.  Is there anything that is solid?

[PonderInc]

Remind me again why it is a good thing to drive away a developer who plans to replace Perry Properties slumlord housing with something more attractive that increases density within walking distance to shopping, dining and entertainment...and will increase Tulsa's slumping tax base?

[cannon_fodder]

Spoonbill, please tell us where this talk is coming from.  I went to the horses mouth to do the best I could to dispel this rumor and posted the best information I could (Gilbert is the #2 man in the company).  Is the talk from the fire marshal and if so, on what grounds?

Did Nashville, Little Rock, Charleston, Jacksonville and Albuquerque have to gag their fire marshal's too or just Tulsa?

I'm excited about this prospect, but if there is something really in the way out with it man!  I don't need my hope raised, dashed, renewed, and then set into doubt right away again.

[spoonbill]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Spoonbill, please tell us where this talk is coming from.  I went to the horses mouth to do the best I could to dispel this rumor and posted the best information I could (Gilbert is the #2 man in the company).  Is the talk from the fire marshal and if so, on what grounds?

Did Nashville, Little Rock, Charleston, Jacksonville and Albuquerque have to gag their fire marshal's too or just Tulsa?

I'm excited about this prospect, but if there is something really in the way out with it man!  I don't need my hope raised, dashed, renewed, and then set into doubt right away again.

When a developer is actively working a project there are a host of vendors, legal representatives and other hobos involved in the process.  They also have the difficult juggling act of being responsible to the project, the city, and to other clients.  

When a project sours we know it, and have to react to it long before there is any disclosure to the general public.  

Our first act is usually to attempt to resurrect the project under new leadership and/or financing, because, after all, we have a stake in it and most likely will end up footing the bill for much of the work that we forward to developers in an attempt to attract the project.

When I say talk, I don't mean rumor!  It's between Bamasada and the city.  If the city bends Bamasada MAY return to the table.  If Bamasada bends -- wait a minute, they don't bend!

Get my drift?

The fire marshall has an issue with the plan.  Bamasada is willing to walk unless that changes.  End of story!

Ball.  Our court. Their advantage.

[we vs us]

Bad news. According to UTW, the deal is now officially off.  

Bye, Bye Bomasada
Upscale apartments in Brookside were apparently not meant to be

BY BRIAN ERVIN

The much-hyped upscale apartment complex announced to be in the works for Brookside last month is no longer happening.

"We're terminating the contract," a Bomasada Group representative told UTW last week.

The plan was to build an upscale, $40 million, five-story, 240-unit apartment complex on Brookside near 41st St. and Peoria Ave. on the site currently occupied by the less-swanky Brookside Annex and Brookside Courtyard apartments.

While there were a few naysayers, the plan was received with mostly positive responses by neighborhood residents and business leaders in anticipation of the economic benefits it would bring to the area.

But, days after the announcement, UTW was told that it had been placed on the "backburner" due to "hiccups" from the city government.

Well, those "hiccups" proved to be fatal, the proverbial "backburner" has gone cold, and the deal is off. John Gilbert, senior vice president of the Bomasada Group, the Houston-based development firm that had planned to build the apartment complex, said the construction costs would be too prohibitive due to some peculiarities in the city's requirements.

He said city ordinances would have required them to construct the complex in segments, and to install a commercial fire sprinkler system instead of a residential system.

Gilbert said the Bomasada Group tried to renegotiate the purchase price of the property to offset the higher-than-expected construction costs, but the seller was unwilling to budge.

"In regard to the contract termination, I was asked to reduce the contract price by the amount of their excess construction costs due to city requirements, which... were in excess of what is expected within the international building code," said Dan Perry of Perry Properties, who owns the two apartment complexes currently on the lot.

"Apparently, there is a procedure in place to resolve these types of differences, which they were not willing to pursue at this time," he added.

Concerning his unwillingness to renegotiate the price, Perry said, "The price had already been agreed upon, and I did not see any need to sell the property for less than fair market value. Midtown property value is increasing, especially in the Brookside and Cherry Street areas."

Perry said he doesn't currently have any other buyers lined up, and he isn't actively seeking any.

"I have never listed the property for sale, nor do I intend to... at this time. Should another opportunity present itself, I will make the best decision I can make at that time," he said.

"You will not find another parcel of land like this in Midtown Tulsa. If I had the money, I would redevelop the property myself. I will do the best I can with the property until presented a better opportunity. The reason I bought the property ten years ago was... its location. Buildings and improvements age and depreciate over time, but well-located land generally only appreciates in value," Perry continued.

Gilbert said the Bomasada Group doesn't currently have any other projects in mind for Tulsa, but said, "We're still snooping around" for a place to develop within the city.

[Breadburner]

That sprinkler thing is such scam.....Sprinklers have their place but good lord.....

[YoungTulsan]

Looks like the person CF contacted passed on the "official status" rather than the real one.

[dsjeffries]

Why would it have to be built in segments?
And why would it need to have commercial sprinklers instead of residential?

I don't see the reason for either of those stipulations.

[spoonbill]

Don't get too upset yet.  

There is still a project that will emerge from this.  Put your thinking caps on and lets interject some good ideas that can be passed on to the developer that is looking for a pick up game on this site.

Now it is more exciting because the ground work has been done and now someone is going to take over who will be open to your input!!!

And. . . This was your opportunity to see where, and how projects actually die in Tulsa, rather than your usual conjecture.  Bombasada is only one of several out of town developers that have been roaming our city looking for fodder (not you CF).  Now that they have been shafted, others are reluctant to engage.

We have plenty of local developers who are willing and able to play within our broken and retarded system to get things done.  We just have to tell them what we want, and this project did exactly that.  Now lets give them incentive to continue.

[booWorld]

^ NFPA 13 versus NFPA 13R versus something else?

Type of construction proposed?

[swake]

Rather than just a big apartment complex I would like to see something more along the lines of the various plans that have been floated for the East End area of downtown.

Something mixed use to make the south end of Brookside less of a strip along one street (Peoria) and more of a three dimensional district. It can be substantially residential but should have some retail and office to draw people other than just residents off of Peoria and back into the neighborhood.

And include some hotel space. Brookside badly needs some hotel rooms.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by swake

Rather than just a big apartment complex I would like to see something more along the lines of the various plans that have been floated for the East End area of downtown.

Something mixed use to make the south end of Brookside less of a strip along one street (Peoria) and more of a three dimensional district. It can be substantially residential but should have some retail and office to draw people other than just residents off of Peoria and back into the neighborhood.

And include some hotel space. Brookside badly needs some hotel rooms.

They also need parking garages, crow creek developed and to expand all the way to 31st, imho.

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by swake

Rather than just a big apartment complex I would like to see something more along the lines of the various plans that have been floated for the East End area of downtown.

Something mixed use to make the south end of Brookside less of a strip along one street (Peoria) and more of a three dimensional district. It can be substantially residential but should have some retail and office to draw people other than just residents off of Peoria and back into the neighborhood.

And include some hotel space. Brookside badly needs some hotel rooms.

I'm with ya!  This is the perfect spot for mixed use.  We'll have to do some creative zoning work, but it would be perfect.  

Needs to be permanent architecture too!  Brick and stone rather than EFIS or stucco.  I like the look of Bombasada's building in Little Rock.
 

They could do an internal parking garage where the building donuts around it.  Then as the development grows they could add another level to the garage without creating an eyesore!

[cannon_fodder]

quote: Looks like the person CF contacted passed on the "official status" rather than the real one.

John Gilbert was the person I contacted.  I got the word from Becky Perry who told me she "spoke to John [Gilbert] and he said the project is still moving forward."

Thanks for lying to me when I was trying to quell a "rumor" for you.
- - -

Aside from my angst at being lied to, this pisses me off.  If it is part of the "international building code" why did this exact same group build in a dozen other cities and not have the same issues?

Commercial sprinklers in a residential complex?

Building in segments?

What the hell are they talking about.

THIS is the lack of leadership we talk about when we complain that Tulsa is stuck.  A $40,000,000 unsolicited development walks in and knocks on your door.  We chase them away.  Don't worry, there is plenty of land in Bixby to build new apartments.

Sometimes I really hate this town.