TCC Downtown

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by swake

quote:Originally posted by SXSW

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by SXSW

I'd imagine if we can ever get the eyesore Federal Building moved from its location

you are obviously not serious.

I most certainly am.  There is no reason for the Federal Building to be in that location.  Especially once a new convention hotel is built just to the south.

Tulsa is on the list of cities due to get new federal buildings, but with our congressional delegation the way it is we probably won't see it for decades.

We were slated for one in the mid-1990s but them Timothy McVeigh forcibly rearranged the priority list, and then a few years later 9/11 caused an overhaul and they reprioritized the rebuilds based on security issues.  We got bumped down and never got bumped back up.  I think because the building is still not quite decrepit and because Tulsa is a low-threat security zone, it's going to be another decade.  But we're on the replacement list.

When I worked there some years back, some of the U.S. Marshalls were telling me they had been looking at plots of land across Denver, such as the old Towerview site as well as the block at 2nd and Cheyenne where BOK ended up putting that big parking garage.  I seriously doubt they will end up moving the new federal building (ten years from now) that far away from the rest of the government buildings.  

Hell, we ought to arrange a swap with the Federal Government for Old City Hall.  They could build the new Federal Courthouse closer to the other government buildings, and Tulsa could have an even larger parcel adjacent to the arena for hotel/commerce development.

/simcity fantasy

[SXSW]

If it's so important to be near the other govt. buildings then the parking lot across Denver (in between 4th and 5th) from the library would be a good location.  No need to tear down anything else and it would be close enough so that a move would be easy from the existing building.  Building density along Denver by the arena is a good thing.

[cannon_fodder]

I worked for a judge in the Federal Building.  It is poorly designed for it's current purpose.  Random corridors, rooms that can't really be used, security zones are awkward.  Not too mention it's butt ugly.

It's getting run down more and more.  I can't say it is bad enough to warrant the tens of millions needed to replace it, but when the federal government abandons it certainly no private enterprise will want it.  The fiscal side of me says deal with it, the desire for a pretty downtown wants to see it gone.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by SXSW


Rendering of the new building:

1953 photo from nearly the same vantage point as the rendering above, with the Sinclair Building under construction on the left (east side of Boston):

Source:  Beryl Ford Collection / Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library, Tulsa Historical Society

[carltonplace]

What a shame. This makes we want to find all of the people responsible for all of that demolition, from the one that spear-headed it, to the guy that signed the form and line them all up and kick 'em in the pants.

[booWorld]

Looking north on Boston in 1956, with the Sinclair Building (now TCC) on the right:

Source:  Beryl Ford Collection / Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library, Tulsa Historical Society

[TheArtist]

Ok, please, just stop. Thats so depressing.

[PonderInc]

Hey Artist, can we put "Parking Lot District" on our map?  Soooo appropriate!

[Townsend]

So, reviving an old thread because I find the event parking map at Metro campus disturbing...







That's a kick in the jewels.

[swake]

So, reviving an old thread because I find the event parking map at Metro campus disturbing...







That's a kick in the jewels.

TCC has not been good for downtown.

They should build a five story parking garage on lot one and sell the others off for development to help pay for the garage.

[Conan71]

Didn't they finally build a multi story garage to the west of the original building or at least part of it was for stacked parking?

I suspect that the plan all along has been to eventually have classroom buildings on what are surface lots now and eventually they will build a parking garage or by the time they've built up all around people will be using more public transit. I may be way off my rocker and they really think all that surface parking is a good use of space.  I've always assumed it was shrewd investing in future growth.

[swake]

Didn't they finally build a multi story garage to the west of the original building or at least part of it was for stacked parking?

I suspect that the plan all along has been to eventually have classroom buildings on what are surface lots now and eventually they will build a parking garage or by the time they've built up all around people will be using more public transit. I may be way off my rocker and they really think all that surface parking is a good use of space.  I've always assumed it was shrewd investing in future growth.

But is it better for Tulsa and better for downtown if that growth is at TCC or at OSU? These lots are killing are killing southern downtown and to me we want OSU to grow, not TCC.

[Conan71]

But is it better for Tulsa and better for downtown if that growth is at TCC or at OSU? These lots are killing are killing southern downtown and to me we want OSU to grow, not TCC.

Why does it matter which one grows?  TCC seems to serve a good purpose in the community.  We are always going to have the disjointed degree programs at OSU, other than the med school.

I'm no flak for TCC and I've said for at least the last 25 years since they built UCAT it was a major love up not to have combined UCAT and TCC into a four year school.  However, many people have benefitted from TCC over the years and continue to do so.

[SXSW]

I think it would serve a better purpose for OSU to build up a campus next to TCC at 10th & Boston.  Start by building one classroom building on the lot to the south.  Eventually begin to move more and more of the campus to the lots south of TCC with an agreement to share facilities and work together on degree programs.  For instance you could take lower level undergrad classes at TCC and then take upper level and graduate classes at OSU on the same campus.  That arrangment is already in place for a lot of degree programs due to OSU offering many of its lower level classes in Stillwater, which isn't likely to change.  What could change though are more upper level and graduate, even doctoral, focused classes being offered at OSU-Tulsa.  Even a few grad programs currently in Stillwater could move to Tulsa.  As more students, both undergrad and grad, start enrolling at OSU there will be a need for more buildings, including buildings for specific disciplines such as engineering, business, education, social sciences,  architecture, etc.  That could pretty quickly fill up the lots south of TCC and turn that whole area into a 24/7 campus environment with student housing on surface lots to the west (around 11th & Cheyenne) and east (around 9th & Detroit).  Imagine 15,000+ students (both OSU and TCC) going to school everyday and many living in downtown and what that would do for our city...

The existing OSU campus in Greenwood could then be the turned into a dedicated research campus, something OSU doesn't currently have and something that would be better suited at this location where they already have a research building (the Helmerich ATRC) with room to grow.  The south downtown location is just better for a growing university campus, especially with synergies created by being next to TCC and near a lot of existing apartments downtown and in nearby Uptown-Riverview and Cherry Street areas.

[sgrizzle]

Didn't they finally build a multi story garage to the west of the original building or at least part of it was for stacked parking?

I suspect that the plan all along has been to eventually have classroom buildings on what are surface lots now and eventually they will build a parking garage or by the time they've built up all around people will be using more public transit. I may be way off my rocker and they really think all that surface parking is a good use of space.  I've always assumed it was shrewd investing in future growth.

The plan is to eventually have a "quad" at 9th and Boston, a parking garage behind the center for creativity and eventually other lots. They aren't opposed to garages but currently the best bang for the buck is surface lots.