The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Aiming for a classic

SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Monday, January 24, 2011
1/24/2011 5:32:33 AM

BROKEN ARROW - The City of Broken Arrow has awarded the first in a series of economic development incentives it plans to offer entrepreneurs who set up shop on Main Street.

Jason Scarpa is receiving $20,000 through the Broken Arrow Economic Development Authority to help offset costs to construct "a classic American neighborhood tavern."

Scarpa will call his place Main Street Tavern and hopes to open at the end of March at 200 S. Main St.

"I want to co-brand it with the arts and entertainment district," Scarpa said of the name of the tavern located in Broken Arrow's burgeoning arts and entertainment district that officials hope to title soon. "I'm just really excited about the potential for Main Street."

Scarpa said the city's willingness to work with him was a great incentive.

"For me, the cost of turning this 107-year-old building into a modern-day restaurant was prohibitive," he said.

Scarpa said his 100-seat tavern will have a full bar offering 28 beers on tap, a large selection of wines and craft beers along with high-quality food served at lunch, dinner and late nights seven days a week.

Scarpa left the corporate world to do something he always wanted to do: own his own business.

Moving to Oklahoma came in a roundabout way.

He's originally from Philadelphia and met his wife in Atlanta where he worked for IBM in sales, information technology and computer programming.

His wife, Kat Scarpa, has Oklahoma roots, hailing from a farm north of Enid and attending Claremore High School.

When talk came up of moving back to Oklahoma to raise two small children, Scarpa said he would do it if he could pursue his business dreams.

"I figured I better do it now or I might not get the chance (again)," Scarpa said.

As a result, it's been a joint effort. Scarpa is putting his business background to work and his wife is doing the architectural and interior design of the corner space that is one of Main Street's original and most striking buildings.

Originally, it was a bank. Later, it became Quigg Drug then Ross Drug Store. Most recently, it was a dress shop.

Realtor Larry Pennington said a yoga studio is going to move in on the second floor, which some may remember used to be where the Masonic Lodge met. Glamour Gowns and More will be in the space adjacent to the tavern.

Scarpa is leasing from Roy Sturgeon, who has renovated the brick structure, leaving its large, arched windows intact.

Construction work inside is under way, but the basic form is there: lots of dark woodwork, brick walls, high tin ceilings and exposed ductwork.

Scarpa said the 30-foot bar will be the focal point of the tavern, surrounded by high-top tables and large, cozy booths.

"I just want this place to have a neighborhood feel to it," Scarpa said.

Feedback from other Main Street merchants has been positive.

Scarpa introduced himself Friday to chocolatier Christine Joseph, whose shop Nouveau - Atelier de Chocolat is across the street.

"I'm personally very excited you're doing this. It will be nice to have more people around," Joseph said.

The city will have about $6 million through a tax-increment financing district approved last year to put into infrastructure, recruitment and incentives, and updates to the downtown landscape.

A TIF is a public financing method that diverts new property tax dollars created within the TIF district to pay for public improvements over a specific period of time.

Officials expect that to spur $3 million to $8 million in private investment, which would help revitalize the area.

"We believe this will be a tremendous addition to the city," Broken Arrow City Manager David Wooden said last week.

Broken Arrow's Main St. has a number of shops and restaurants, but  there's no night life.  City's leaders envision the area looking something like Tulsa's Blue Dome District.

Main Street Tavern is the first to buy into the dream.  It will be the only place in Downtown Broken Arrow that will stay open until 2am, but  BA's banking on others to follow. "We want it to be an arts and entertainment district," Jill Norman told News Channel 8.  She's the chair Broken Arrow's Downtown Advisory Board.  She says district would be destination spot after catching a show at the performing arts center or to hang out with friends.

Right now, BA's downtown mainly catering to the lunch crowd.  The owners of Back Creek Deli and Gifts say it's the only thing that's worked for them.  "We have tried in the past to do evening hours and it did not work for us. It cost us more to stay open that time than we were making," Becky Roller said.  The creation of a tax district will funnel money toward businesses like the tavern in hopes of increasing foot traffic.  The downtown advisory board also wants to increase parking and improve infrastructure.  "The people here are going to spend the money. So whether they spend it in Tulsa or BA is really up to what business we offer here," explained longtime resident Mark Shell.

Norman says the project could take two years to realize.

The Hub Gym opens.  This is a nice use for an old building on Main!

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/broken-arrow%27s-chamber-hopes-to-revamp-main-street-by-giving-shops-tax-incentives

A developer has plans to open In The Raw Sushi in The Rose District.  He also hopes to add an additional restaurant. 

Main Street Tavern has been such a success.  It doesn't surprise me to see this announcement. 

With a Phat Phillies and a White River coming as well, Broken Arrow is looking up.

Like a flock of turkeys looking up during a rainstorm...then drowning.

The city mostly has done a lot of good stuff.  An outdoor ice rink in Oklahoma??   Geez....they have fallen into the trap of believing their own press.  That has got to be right up there with removing the mountain base where the water towers sit at Kenosha and Lynn Lane - making pad spaces to get "business" in there.  Already, the retaining wall holding the remaining mountain in place has failed, requiring a rebuild.  Such stupid.  Ya just can't fix it.

Public workshop to frame Rose District residential development in Broken Arrow

The city will seek the public’s input this week on how to complement Rose District retail, commercial and office components with residential development and redevelopment.

Discussions will be held at a community workshop from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Central on Main, 201 N. Main Street.

“We want to engage the community to determine what they feel is the appropriateness of setting some standards for residential development within the area,” City Manager Michael Spurgeon said in a telephone interview.

“If you look at the Rose District and what we have created for retail and commercial, our goal is to work together to find that same strong sense of uniqueness for housing.”

A dozen years ago, the city established a master plan for downtown to revitalize the commercial area around Main Street and the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Those efforts have paid off.

In the past five years, sales tax collections from the downtown area have gone from roughly $20,000 annually to $350,000, Spurgeon said. Moreover, in the past five to seven years, the city has pumped about $20 million in streetscape and other improvements downtown, which has received close to $30 million in private investment, he said.

Today, the Rose District is anchored by eateries and hangouts such as Main Street Tavern, In the Raw, Andolini’s Pizzeria and The Rooftop, as well as artist studios, and bike and dress shops. In adjacent residential areas, particularly older neighborhoods west of Main Street, dilapidated homes have been razed, with some new residences going up in their place.

“We have a combination of vacant land in that area, and we have property that’s for sale where there could be some redevelopment,” Spurgeon said. “It’s going to happen, potentially, just organically, by someone selling a property or two, combining the lots and then somebody building a home. We feel like it would better for the community to come together for residential, just we did for the retail and commercial, to have a plan to promote that.”

Earlier this year, the city paid Oklahoma City-based ADG Inc. $95,000 to assist in the development of an overlay district in the Rose District, Spurgeon said.

The study area encompasses one square mile south of Kenosha Street, north of Houston Street, east of Elm Place and west of Ninth Street, City Council documents show.
Among the goals of the overlay is to increase project feasibility by removing development barriers in the zoning code, he explained.

“I’m a firm believer that you set the rules, make them clear and make sure that they are fair and reasonable,” Spurgeon said. “Then it’s the city’s responsibility to help guide and enforce those rules. We hold people to the standard, but we also want to help them bring those investments out of the ground.”

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/retail/public-workshop-to-frame-rose-district-residential-development-in-broken/article_ec65d57d-cac7-5eb5-8907-3abc474db05c.html

The outdoor rink actually does pretty well during Winterfest.  Just sayin'...

The outdoor rink actually does pretty well during Winterfest.  Just sayin'...

Last year was pretty trash for the actual rink surface :(

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/million-development-announced-for-broken-arrow-s-rose-district/article_4785b5fe-62bc-5ecd-877d-191cb8666708.html

$18 million dollar mixed-use development coming to the Rose District.

They still aren't saying who is paying for what and who is gonna end up owning what.  Cowen is a builder.  Are they gonna keep the place and run it?  Or building on 'spec'..??  Milestone Capital gonna be the owner?

City admits to another $1.5 million plus $150,000.  Up to about $2.5 million to get $150,000 a year back in sales tax.  How much property tax deferral/break is gonna go to the eventual owners??  Big place like that should generate some serious coinage.  Did they give it all away?

Broken Arrow has always had problems with math (Bass Pro) but in the meantime everything seems to be working out.   I would much rather see more development like this one than empty shells of old churches.   

(Besides, after seeing the good that came out of the fiasco that was the BOK center and the 2025 taxes, I will just enjoy the ride.)

Does an empty church shell generate less tax revenue than an open-on-Sundays church?

Does an empty church shell generate less tax revenue than an open-on-Sundays church?