The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Thank you! Several of the projects you've listed are new to me.

Is that Brady Village project the same one mentioned in a different thread?

Saturday night downtown was insane. There were crowds at the Driller's game, at the BOK and the new Tiki Bar: the Saturn Room was packed.

I have a rendering of this floating around somewhere - just can't seem to find it tonight. This is the Wil Wilkens project, I believe it has been talked about on here before. It has been a very long planning period for this project though, but I'm hopeful it will happen.

I didn't see First Street Lofts on the list?

The article mentions 200 residential units on Archer across from the ballpark that will break ground later this year. What is that project? I hadn't heard of anything.

The article mentions 200 residential units on Archer across from the ballpark that will break ground later this year. What is that project? I hadn't heard of anything.

Another planned hotel announced - on parking lot east of YMCA.  A lot of hotels are planned, but it will be interesting to see how many get built as long as oil price stays below $50.

Yet another new downtown Tulsa hotel planned, this time near Mayo Hotel

Posted: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 12:00 am | Updated: 9:35 am, Tue Apr 14, 2015.

By ROBERT EVATT World Business Writer | 6 comments


Future travelers may not lack for places to stay in downtown Tulsa, as six hotels are now under development.

The sixth entrant is a Residence Inn by Marriott. Tulsa County construction permits indicate that construction has been approved at 202 W. Fifth Street, which is now a parking lot behind the old YMCA building. The location is diagonally across the Fifth and Cheyenne Avenue intersection from the Mayo Hotel.


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/downtown/yet-another-new-downtown-tulsa-hotel-planned-this-time-near/article_bfcef537-a412-54a2-b211-7a0255d0efe8.html

The lady in yellow dancing by herself will definitely add to the ambience!

The street presence of this hotel in the proposal is stunning. I hope it looks this good.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/538/AfCDik.jpg)

Is that the other Green Arch?

That would have to be American Residential's next project. They said some time ago that after Hartford Commons got going (which it has) they would then work next on property they own by Oneok with a planned start date of summer 2015.

I don't think so, the article said right across the street from the Oneok playground.
I hope so. That would be fantastic for the Brady. I would have thought that we'd have seen renderings by now, however, and heard more about it.

The second, to be located on the southeast corner of Elgin and Archer near ONEOK Field, would be a new building with between 160 and 220 units. Plans for that development have not yet been finalized, though Ganzkow said they hope to start construction in the middle of next year.
American Residential currently has the land for that development under contract from the Stadium Trust.

But POP Museum is. Very telling.

* Updated the original post - I found the renderings of the Brady Village Project, and higher quality 8:10 building renderings.

LandArchPoke, you have the 120 Brady Village project listed at the NWC 1st and Greenwood but isn't this going in across from the Ball Park in front of the Rusty Crane at NWC Archer and Elgin? Then the ARG project 2 will be on the SEC of Archer and Elgin?

That Ball Park sure hasn't made any impact in this neighborhood has it?

Speaking of the NWC of 1st and Greenwood. I saw a team working on the roof of that empty building.

I hope this means development.

(https://cbks1.google.com/cbk?output=thumbnail&cb_client=maps_sv&thumb=2&thumbfov=120&ll=36.157704,-95.985202&yaw=242.5&thumbpegman=1&w=300&h=118)

And if that giant parking lot could be developed.

And if that giant parking lot could be developed.

And if that giant parking lot could be developed.

I'd love to see a soccer stadium take over the lot.

Bomasada or some such company will grab that before too long. It's too good a location.

I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

I'm not sure there's any way that could be done without ruining the feel of the district IMO. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a soccer stadium near downtown, but I think it would go better somewhere outside the IDL, though I don't know where. The east part of downtown is turning into Tulsa's first real urban neighborhood. A large stadium would ruin the "neighborhood feel" of the area.

I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

...I didn't include the Kanbar projects (Transok, 5th Street, & Adams) just because I don't trust Kanbar as much as I don't trust Sager to do a legitimate project... I will have to walk by Transok to see if they are under construction there... I would be very happy if they are!

Anyone know the status of this building on the corner of 1st & Elgin?  I think it would be perfect for a grocery store. 

Too bad they can't test out their urban concept store by building up to the sidewalk at 41st & Peoria.

Other store types I'd like to see converted to urban layouts for downtown, specifically that giant parking lot at 2nd & Elgin:

-A QuikTrip with the pumps behind the main store. Heck anything that sells cigarettes late at night. Which leads me too...

-Walgreens/CVS, or just a pharmacy.

-Bueno. Because why not.

I work near the TransOK and can happily report it is UNDER CONSTRUCTION. They have the door open most days and crews doing tear out. It appears they are taking pains to remove crap (aluminium studs, drywall, etc.) and save key elements (brass fixtures, elevators doors, etc.). At least so far.  It isn't gang busters or anything, but they have had a crew of 5-6 guys filing up haul-aways and recycling trucks (aluminium studs) at a steady place from what I can tell. The AC was running in the building the other day (or so it seemed from the cool air coming out of the open doors onto 6th).

Add it to the list!

Anyone know the status of this building on the corner of 1st & Elgin?  I think it would be perfect for a grocery store. 

(http://i.imgur.com/Rnd9gLv.jpg)

Does Fenway ruin Boston?

Rumor has it there is a large mixed-use project in talks to be built here. Office building (probably 200,000 sq. ft. or more) would go at the SWC of the parking lot @ 2nd/Elgin. Rest would be multi-family (ARG) and would build 600-700 units in phases with the first one being about 250 units. I personally haven't seen the renderings (I know people who have), but it wouldn't surprise me if this is further along than many people think. I've heard rumors the Laredo has been sniffing around for a new site downtown because they are extremely tired of dealing with Kanbar. I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

Does Fenway ruin Boston?

Rumor has it there is a large mixed-use project in talks to be built here. Office building (probably 200,000 sq. ft. or more) would go at the SWC of the parking lot @ 2nd/Elgin. Rest would be multi-family (ARG) and would build 600-700 units in phases with the first one being about 250 units. I personally haven't seen the renderings (I know people who have), but it wouldn't surprise me if this is further along than many people think. I've heard rumors the Laredo has been sniffing around for a new site downtown because they are extremely tired of dealing with Kanbar. I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

Rumor has it there is a large mixed-use project in talks to be built here. Office building (probably 200,000 sq. ft. or more) would go at the SWC of the parking lot @ 2nd/Elgin. Rest would be multi-family (ARG) and would build 600-700 units in phases with the first one being about 250 units. I personally haven't seen the renderings (I know people who have), but it wouldn't surprise me if this is further along than many people think. I've heard rumors the Laredo has been sniffing around for a new site downtown because they are extremely tired of dealing with Kanbar. I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

Anyone know the status of this building on the corner of 1st & Elgin?  I think it would be perfect for a grocery store. 

(http://i.imgur.com/Rnd9gLv.jpg)

You would think the property value is high enough now to entice the owner to sell or redevelop. 

Not really.  See - First Street Lofts as an example :(

I'd like to see a developer continue Frankfort through the block, but close it to cars. It would help connect the two sides of the district and could have a cool atmosphere with outdoor patios, seating, etc.

Fenway was not downtown when it was built.  Bad analogy.

Lol...Wut....Where do you come up with this $hit......

Rumor has it there is a large mixed-use project in talks to be built here. Office building (probably 200,000 sq. ft. or more) would go at the SWC of the parking lot @ 2nd/Elgin. Rest would be multi-family (ARG) and would build 600-700 units in phases with the first one being about 250 units. I personally haven't seen the renderings (I know people who have), but it wouldn't surprise me if this is further along than many people think. I've heard rumors the Laredo has been sniffing around for a new site downtown because they are extremely tired of dealing with Kanbar. I've also heard that Reasors is working on an urban concept store for either this site or for the Synder's Hartford building redevelopment.

Look something like this? ;)

(http://s1.postimg.org/okq9503ny/downtown2.jpg)

Look something like this? ;)

(http://s1.postimg.org/okq9503ny/downtown2.jpg)

That is pretty cool, too bad Frankfort doesn't cut through but overall a nice plan.  Hopefully the Elgin and 2nd frontage will have retail space in the office building.  Keep Elgin the focus for additional retail/restaurant/entertainment options as we see more infill in that area and towards 5th.

That rendering looks great.  I kind of like where you can look down a street and see a building at the end, aka Boston Ave, makes it feel more urban and big city like, but I also like that they have given you two pedestrian corridors to still go through to the street on the other side without having to go too far around.  Oh, and the fountain at the end of Frankfort to add a nice end of street view is a a nice touch. If that corner spot were up in the next year or two I might be fighting for it as a place to expand DECOPOLIS.  

"Additional projects on the horizon include the 40,000-square-foot Bacon and Son building at 1st Street and Lansing Avenue, recently purchased by local developer Michael Sager..."

http://gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa-reporter/13447/area-districts-see-development

"Additional projects on the horizon include the 40,000-square-foot Bacon and Son building at 1st Street and Lansing Avenue, recently purchased by local developer Michael Sager..."

http://gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa-reporter/13447/area-districts-see-development

He's not going to do anything with this building...he is just going to sit on it until the price doubles.

Also, the Enterprise building did sell recently - Rivercity Development bought it. So Artist, I think you said you saw people cleaning out the property - and it might be under construction soon. Supposedly it will be turned into lofts along with 400 S. Boston which is slated to become 48 units (which is owned by Rivercity too).

I'll update the front page shortly with the Davenport Lofts project too.

I really want to talk to them before they get too far along with any plans on that ground floor space in the Enterprise Building.

I thought the Bacon and Son building was torn down? Some building in that area was within the last year or so.

So...about that gravel parking lot east of McNellies/Albert G's and the building towards the east end of that same block.

Anyone have any ideas on if/how that may get developed?

Sorry to breakup the Sager hatefest

So...about that gravel parking lot east of McNellies/Albert G's and the building towards the east end of that same block.

Anyone have any ideas on if/how that may get developed?

Sorry to breakup the Sager hatefest

So...about that gravel parking lot east of McNellies/Albert G's and the building towards the east end of that same block.

Anyone have any ideas on if/how that may get developed?

At the 11th hour of the legislative session, Senate President Pro-Tem Brian Bingman  of Sapulpa is considering legislation that would create an Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa. It would be built in the Brady Arts District.

Bingman's plan would use revenue from the Oklahoma History Center bonds, once the center is paid for, to finance bonds for OKPops.

Bingman says his plan has no connection to the half-finished Indian Cultural Center in Oklahoma City. It still lacks $40-million to finish construction.

Bingman says OKPops has a good business plan, would be self-sustaining and would not need on-going state funding.

"Hail Mary Pass" Attempt for OKPops

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/hail-mary-pass-attempt-okpops (http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/hail-mary-pass-attempt-okpops)

(http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kwgs/files/styles/card_280/public/201303/OKPOP-2.jpg)

if the ground up construction momentum continues these surface lots won't make economic sense for much longer. if Central and American parking want to be a part of the future in downtown they will jump on the bandwagon and build some structured parking (they won't).

I think it's also important for the city to ratify one of the many downtown development plans or to create and implement some amalgam of the best parts of them. We will need parking and we will need shuttles of some sort from that parking to the event centers at a minimum.

I went to both concerts at the BOK this weekend and it is clear that the current free for all drive and park process is not sustainable. So glad that I live walking distance away and know to use the shuttle from the Ambassador Hotel to the BOK.

I've been to plenty of shows and there is more than enough parking to accommodate BOK Center events.  The only people who complain either have some moral imperative that prevents them from paying to park and/or have a problem walking a few blocks.  The Central garage north of the BOK Tower never has more than a handful of spots taken and is only a few blocks walk.

I've been to plenty of shows and there is more than enough parking to accommodate BOK Center events.  The only people who complain either have some moral imperative that prevents them from paying to park and/or have a problem walking a few blocks.  The Central garage north of the BOK Tower never has more than a handful of spots taken and is only a few blocks walk.

Right, but everyone drives past the BOK to find parking which is what is causing the traffic craziness. We need to get them to park elsewhere and feel that they can safely get to their event and back again.

This is my experience as well.

Have you ever been to any event/concert in another town that wasn't surrounded by traffic craziness?   

I thought that was just the nature of the beast.   Crowds mean traffic.

They need to work on lighting and making that walk more inviting. It's short, but uncomfortable for those that don't come downtown often.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A proposal to issue $25 million in bonds to build the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa has passed its first legislative hurdle.

The Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted 27-13 Tuesday for legislation that would authorize funding for the museum, known as OKPOP. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman of Sapulpa introduced the legislation on Monday. He says the $25 million in bonds will be matched with private funds and the proposed museum will be built in Tulsa on donated land.

State lawmakers have rejected funding for the proposed pop culture museum in previous years.

The committee also voted 33-0 for a voluntary compliance initiative to collect past-due state taxes.

Look something like this? ;)

(http://s1.postimg.org/okq9503ny/downtown2.jpg)

Does this street improvement suggest this is coming or did the City put parking backwards on a one-way street
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/99359726/20150513_135602.jpg)

Remembering how closely people follow in cars, I really doubt that these new spaces will work out all that well :-/

It’s all great until you have to pull your car out from behind a crew cab dually and the oncoming traffic isn’t expecting your front bumper.  I can see some situations where this would create blind spots pulling out into traffic.

Really....How do you parallel park.....I think its a great idea....

It’s all great until you have to pull your car out from behind a crew cab dually and the oncoming traffic isn’t expecting your front bumper.  I can see some situations where this would create blind spots pulling out into traffic.

It’s all great until you have to pull your car out from behind a crew cab dually and the oncoming traffic isn’t expecting your front bumper.  I can see some situations where this would create blind spots pulling out into traffic.

I can't see it being any worse than backing out from behind that dually into oncoming traffic surprising them with your rear bumper.

http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/reverse-parking-spaces-coming-downtown-tulsa/nmGJg/


New parking spaces are coming to downtown Tulsa.

However, not everyone loves the idea. They are all spaces that you must back into.

The city is not getting rid of parallel parking but it will put in more reverse spaces on downtown streets.

“Where we have parallel parking you’ve got to stop and back out and do it two or three times in and out. This is actually easier to hit,” said City Engineer Paul Zachary.

The Mayor’s Office and city manager are testing out the spots on 2nd Street in the Blue Dome District to see how residents respond to them. If all goes well, you’ll see even more of them in the coming years.

“Not only does it give you more parking but it also has a traffic calming effect on cars,” Zachary said.

“I think it’s great. I pull in with this big bad truck everywhere and it’s a very easy way to park,” said resident Ryan Hansen.
City officials said they don’t plan to install parking meters in the spaces for at least the next 60 days.

The back-in angled spaces have to be wider than the nose-in

Why does downtown need protected bike lanes? Traffic already travels pretty slowly for the most part. When I ride my bike downtown I can typically at least keep up with the cars.

What downtown does need is more places to park your bike.

The back-in angled spaces have to be wider than the nose-in...

Why?

From my perspective it's bike safety for our Downtown location that has bike delivery. All three major incidents the car driver was at fault and I personally feel like protected bike lanes not only add safety but they make the community more aware of cyclist. It also invites people to bring their bike Downtown. I live right off of 4th Street and you would be amazed at the amount of bike riders I see on such a random bike lane that doesn't connect anywhere.

Agree on bike parking. Someone actually stole the bike rack in front of our 5th and Boston location last summer.

Another new apartment development in downtown Tulsa means some Tulsans could now live within a home run of ONEOK Field.

American Residential Group, a developer of apartment properties that’s focused on downtown Tulsa, has announced The View, a 200-unit apartment development that could cost between $25 million and $30 million, immediately south of the downtown ballpark on the southeast corner of Archer Street and Elgin Avenue.

On top of that, The View will have 13,000 square feet of retail on its first floor, and an adjoining five-story parking garage for the use of residents and customers, said Steve Ganzkow, senior vice president at American Residential Group.

He said American Residential has had the site under contract since last summer for due diligence.

“We’re convinced there’s a strong demand for what we intend to do there.”

Ganzkow said the view will be new construction, and the existing buildings on the lot will be torn down.

In addition to the retail and parking components, Ganzkow said The View will stand out due to amenities including a pool, fitness center and clubhouse — all located on the roof.

“We intend to do some things with The View that hasn’t been done before in Tulsa,” he said.

American Residential has constructed multiple properties in downtown Tulsa, and has currently partnered with Nelson Stowe to build The Edge at East Village, a $26 million, 162-unit apartment development at 215 S. Greenwood. The Edge was previously known as Hartford Commons.

American Residential purchased the property to be used for The View for $3 million from the Tulsa Stadium Trust, which had purchased three properties near ONEOK Field during the ballpark’s development to help regulate the area’s development.

The property was the last owned by the trust. The trust had also sold the former Gates Hardware building at 216 North Elgin Avenue, which is being converted into a sports bar and brew pub collaboration between Elliot Nelson, head of the McNellie’s Group; and Eric Marshall, owner of Marshall Brewing Company.

Additionally, the trust sold the parcel at the southeast corner of Archer Street and Detroit Avenue to Promise Hotels, which will convert it into a 105-room Holiday Inn Express.

Money from the sale of the properties will go toward the continued maintenance and upkeep of ONEOK Field, said Stacy Kymes, chairman of the Tulsa Stadium Trust board of trustees.

Kymes said the trust’s strategy for the properties paid off.

“Obviously we wanted to control what would go in there and find suitable uses,” he said. “The projects absolutely fit within the master plan.”

Kymes said that, thanks to the collaboration of many individuals in the community, the ballpark itself as well as the area around it has surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Ganzkow said the retail component of The View was added at the urging of the trust.

“The trust was very interested on having some retail activity that would support their mission to have family-friendly atmosphere,” he said.

http://m.tulsaworld.com/news/local/apartment-units-parking-garage-retail-to-come-to-oneok-field/article_44428e51-cd76-5003-8b65-76867f4c88d5.html?mode=jqm

So the Hartford Commons is now called The Edge at East Village. ugh

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Separate $25 million bond proposals have been approved by Oklahoma legislative committees to complete the unfinished American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City and build the proposed Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa.

The Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted 26-16 Thursday for the plan to complete the American Indian museum. The incomplete structure is on 67 acres along the banks of the Oklahoma River near downtown Oklahoma City.

And the House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted 16-8 for a separate $25 million bond plan to build the popular culture museum.

State lawmakers have rejected funding for both proposals in past years. Both projects are contingent on matching dollars from the private sector.

From my perspective it's bike safety for our Downtown location that has bike delivery. All three major incidents the car driver was at fault and I personally feel like protected bike lanes not only add safety but they make the community more aware of cyclist. It also invites people to bring their bike Downtown. I live right off of 4th Street and you would be amazed at the amount of bike riders I see on such a random bike lane that doesn't connect anywhere.

Agree on bike parking. Someone actually stole the bike rack in front of our 5th and Boston location last summer.

What do you envision for protected bike lanes? 

The main problem I see with them is they give some riders a heightened sense of security they really don’t have, especially at intersections and turn-ins with parking lots or garages.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A $25 million bond proposal for a planned popular culture museum in Tulsa fell one vote short of passage after a state senator said he mistakenly pressed the wrong button on his desk.

Republican Sen. Bryce Marlatt of Woodward says he was attempting to summon a legislative page Monday but mistakenly voted "no" just as the gavel fell on the vote for the bond issue.

The author of the bill, Republican Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman of Sapulpa used a procedural motion that will allow him to reconsider the vote on Tuesday. Marlatt says he intends to vote to yes.

The proposal is a divisive one for many members of the Republican caucus who oppose further bond debt.

Too bad them The The is already taken
(http://www.johnny-marr.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/thethe_d-196x196.jpg)

The bill now heads to the House, where there is considerable opposition from members of the Republican majority.

From my perspective it's bike safety for our Downtown location that has bike delivery. All three major incidents the car driver was at fault and I personally feel like protected bike lanes not only add safety but they make the community more aware of cyclist. It also invites people to bring their bike Downtown. I live right off of 4th Street and you would be amazed at the amount of bike riders I see on such a random bike lane that doesn't connect anywhere.

Agree on bike parking. Someone actually stole the bike rack in front of our 5th and Boston location last summer.

What do you envision for protected bike lanes? 

The main problem I see with them is they give some riders a heightened sense of security they really don’t have, especially at intersections and turn-ins with parking lots or garages.

Well, guess the OK Pop museum failed to pass in the house.  Reason apparently....

Opponents say "the museum is not a core function of state government".

Well neither is fixing an old dilapidated building because it's historic and has art in it when it would have cost less to build a new, modern office building within which to "do the core functions of state government'.  Oh wait..... 

Tulsa doesn't get a museum to preserve and showcase its history and art, but if your arse is sitting in a building that does that, well it of course makes sense for the people of Tulsa and the rest of the state to spend a lot of their money to fix that.

Yeah.  It's disappointing but not surprising at all. 

I hate to always shrug my shoulders but Oklahoma has managed to elect a bunch of short sighted morons to be our leaders.

Honestly I'd rather have a really impressive science center downtown than a museum dedicated to Oklahoma pop culture.  Not that it wouldn't be a good addition but there are better options IMHO.

Decision reversed!
It will be funded!

http://m.newsok.com/article/5421558?utm_source=NewsOK.com&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=ShareBar-Twitter

(http://i.imgur.com/BP5Opfd.gif)

(http://media.giphy.com/media/BHIlhBLidJams/giphy.gif)

That's so creepy

Well, guess the OK Pop museum failed to pass in the house.  Reason apparently....

Opponents say "the museum is not a core function of state government".

Well neither is fixing an old dilapidated building because it's historic and has art in it when it would have cost less to build a new, modern office building within which to "do the core functions of state government'.  Oh wait..... 

Tulsa doesn't get a museum to preserve and showcase its history and art, but if your arse is sitting in a building that does that, well it of course makes sense for the people of Tulsa and the rest of the state to spend a lot of their money to fix that.

I was looking to see if the native american center had passed the house yet and couldn't find it.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday signed a bill to build a museum of popular culture in Tulsa.

Senate Bill 829 by Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, will provide $25 million in bonds to build the facility that will be called OKPOP.

“The OKPOP Museum will be a tourism destination and a source of economic growth and development for the city of Tulsa,” Fallin said. “It’s another addition to a beautiful city that continues to grow every day.”

Fallin’s signature comes after the measure first failed first in each legislative chamber before being reconsidered.

Bingman said OKPOP will be a one-of-a-kind attraction and source of pride for the state.

"I'm pleased we were able to seize this rare opportunity to build something lasting and unique that will contribute to our state for decades to come," Bingman said.

The facility is expected to open on Nov. 16, 2018, with exhibits coming from donations by Oklahoma musicians, artists, entertainers, writers and others.

Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Bob Blackburn worked on the project for seven years.

He said that he appreciates Fallin’s support and looks forward to working with her and her staff “to make sure we do this quickly, efficiently and to the best of our ability.”

Tulsa Regional Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal called Friday a great day for the state, and especially for Tulsans.

“For generations to come, Oklahomans and visitors around the world will be able to celebrate our state’s contributions to popular culture,” Neal said. “From music and movies to authors and performers, thousands of entertainers have been influenced by this beautiful state. We’re ecstatic their stories and work will live in downtown Tulsa in the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture.

“Today’s bill signing is the culmination of years of steadfast, relentless pursuit made by Dr. Bob Blackburn, in addition to George Kaiser and the many private donors who stepped to the plate years ago making significant financial pledges toward this project.”

Downtown Tulsa boosters make a move to bring the Tulsa Farmer’s Market to Sixth and Main streets in 2016.

The market has to leave Cherry Street next April through October while road work is completed. The Downtown Coordinating Council will offer marketing help and up to $5,000 for workers to close streets.

County Commissioner Karen Keith is on the council and proposed that offer.

"Oh, I think it's a perfect fit for downtown," Keith said about the market. "Easy to ride your bike up to the park, and I just think it's a great idea."

The proposed space is Chapman Green. Keith said the under-used park is an ideal spot.

"Any of our visitors in our nearby hotels, the Atlas and some of the others, and then, of course, the residential that's right around there, they can all take advantage of it," Keith said. "And I think you'll see the folks from Cherry Street, Brookside area and all around converge there."

Daniel Regan is vice president of Kanbar Properties, which owns several downtown buildings, including Park Centre right across the street from Chapman Green. He supports bringing the market downtown.

"Ultimately, we're trying to help support them and help support grocery security and food security for people in Tulsa," Regan said.

The farmer’s market board has yet to vote on next year’s location. They’re also considering 11th Street and Lewis Avenue.

What are they doing to Cherry Street that will take seven months to complete?  I live right by Cherry Street and I hadn't heard of anything that major and lengthy.  It's a half mile stretch, how can it take seven months?

Street widening, sidewalk removal and turn lanes.



just kidding.  no idea

And because of the increased traffic flow and higher speeds the widening will permit, they will have to remove the businesses alongside the street to create a safety zone and then put up large cement sound barrier walls.

Temporarily, fine. I also like using the Librarium area or the area around the old Bill White building. One would hope that this results in two farmers markets because the Cherry Street market gets lots of walk in traffic from the surrounding neighborhoods. Would hate to see it diminished or replaced.

11th and Lewis? Where exactly?

The abandoned used car lot next to the railroad tracks, maybe?

  The Renaissance Beer Brewery is scheduled to go in on the corner of 12th & Lewis.

Even with all the development going on in downtown Tulsa, the newest project announced by Nelson-Stowe stands out for two reasons.

First, The Boxyard is going to be retail-focused, rather than entertainment or restaurant-focused, said Casey Stowe, a partner with Nelson-Stowe along with Elliot Nelson.
And second, it'll be mostly composed of shipping containers. Specifically, the hulking metal boxes used to store cargo as it's shipped across the ocean.

"We very much wanted to use containers that have made trips across the ocean," Stowe said. "Some may have only gone once, and some may have gone 20 times or more."

The 30-odd containers will combine at the southeast corner of Third Street and Frankfort Avenue to provide space for dozens of small, local retailers, as well as a few small restaurants and service providers, Stowe said.

Inspiration for The Boxyard came from similar shipping container redevelopment projects in other cities. Stowe said the relatively small size of the undeveloped site of The Boxyard would make traditional development difficult, but he believes it's a perfect fit for shipping containers.

The majority of the containers will be pushed together to form a solid lower level, while the upper level will become a wooden boardwalk with space for communal gathering, live music and a few rooftop shipping container establishments.

“It’ll really create an interesting dynamic,” he said.

Tenants won't be doing business inside sweaty chambers of rust. Stowe said each of the 320-square-foot containers will be finished out and air-conditioned to create comfortable business spaces.

Nelson-Stowe is in the process of acquiring the land from the Tulsa Development Authority. The group submitted the winning RFP plan in the spring, and the final vote to transfer ownership will occur Thursday.

Stowe estimated The Boxyard will be open for business as soon as the first quarter of 2016.

Any word on how that’s coming along?

Any TN moles have insight on "Santa Fe Square"?

Any TN moles have insight on "Santa Fe Square"?

http://www.nelsonstowe.com/boxyard (http://www.nelsonstowe.com/boxyard)

The Boxyard to pack downtown restaurants, retail and live events into shipping containers

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/retail/the-boxyard-to-pack-downtown-restaurants-retail-and-live-events/article_b7cce83e-ea6e-508f-b68e-69ee32414d86.html

I wonder if it will be some kind of mixed-use area reminiscent of the Santa Fe plaza (but much smaller and less authentic). http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60958-d107439-Reviews-The_Plaza-Santa_Fe_New_Mexico.html (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60958-d107439-Reviews-The_Plaza-Santa_Fe_New_Mexico.html)

Looking at their website too... pulled these two photos.

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/908/W2KYKk.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/p8W2KYKkp)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/537/oRCfxA.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/exoRCfxAp)

Great map! But shouldn't 15 be between 14 and 19?

Also, did Nelson+Stowe remove the Santa Fe Sq. tease from their website? Guess they really weren't ready to talk about it.

Can we all take a moment to reflect on this fantastic time in downtown Tulsa development? I grew up in this city when all my friends wanted to leave town because it "wasn't cool" and downtown was an empty wasteland. I'm so excited for our future as a Midwest/Southwest/South/whatever leader. Remember when it seemed like every few months another major company pulled their offices out of Tulsa? I think we're about to see a new age of companies bringing their businesses back into Tulsa. Cheers!

Indeed.

I've been working downtown since 2000, and the transformation is really unbelievable.

My only regret is that all of this didn't start in the mid 1990s... but better late than never I guess.  :)

Meh, it gives us the opportunity to learn from OKC’s mistakes so we can talk about how much cooler our downtown is once it’s all said and done.  ;)

You mean our children's children will be able to talk about how much cooler our downtown is once it’s all said and done. 

Nice map, good work

Any plans for the Nordam site?

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/661/cfupE0.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/idcfupE0j)

Would Nordam ever want to move its HQ and engineering work downtown?  I realize a lot of their operation is manufacturing-based which is likely why they're currently located at the Cherokee Industrial Park.  A new corporate office spanning a couple of those blocks would really help anchor the south end of this district.

I'm referring to these buildings east of "project 21"...isn't this the old Nordam?

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/661/cfupE0.jpg)

Is All Souls no longer planning a move to the 6th & Frankfort site just south of #21?  I hadn't heard anything about that proposal in awhile but it sounded great because it would occupy that vacant grassy lot and the parking lot across the street. 

I'm referring to these buildings east of "project 21"...isn't this the old Nordam?

Does Nordam not still occupy at least part of that site?  It's listed on their website as the location for Nordam Prism, whatever that is.

I keep seeing that "East End Village lofts" (#22) are "delayed by lawsuits" or something? I know for a fact that people are currently living there. I toured the lofts/apartments myself a couple weeks ago and there are about 10 units that are currently occupied by residents in my estimate. I don't think they're that great of an option - it feels kind of like a college dorm hall. I was quoted $1050 for a 2 bedroom unit with no outside facing windows (there were 2 nice but small skylights) that seemed nice but wasn't what I was looking for. They also seemed to have started construction on the 2nd of the 2 buildings on that lot, so why do I keep hearing about lawsuits?

They do, but they are willing sellers for a substantial amount. Not sure if they would consolidate what they do in the downtown site to other properties they have or if they would build a new building somewhere. I'm not entirely sure what they use the site now for either.

(http://www.tulsafrontier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Downtown-Topgolf-site.png)

http://www.tulsafrontier.com/hyperlocal-topgolf-looking-for-ace-location-in-tulsa/

Well here's one option on the drawing board for that Nordam site. Hello Topgolf, goodbye pedestrian lively.

They're also looking at the Mid-Continent Concrete plant site on the west bank of the river at 21st Street & Jackson. Expect zero interaction with the river—and not just because there won't be any water in it!

That site is completely ridiculous. Why is there no zoning downtown to prevent this type of development from happening? No one can go something build up to the street with minimal parking at 101st and memorial, so why is it perfectly legal for someone to build a huge suburban development with 4 acres of parking in downtown?

Unfortunately zoning wouldn't keep this from happening.

This goes back to an attempt that Blake Ewing tried to pass and was shot down - a moratorium on surface parking in the CBD (a.k.a. one of many thing's Denver did to turn their downtown around).

The only thing that would keep this from happening is an organized group of citizens who want to see smart growth in Downtown. Start a petition, get the word out. Write Top Golf and bombard them with emails about how you will never visit them if they are intent on destroying the downtown environment but would love to visit their site if they pick a better site or figure out a way to have no surface parking in the development (mixed-uses).

Also, I'm hoping some in the city will stand up to this and say no - this would require them to sell the ROW for Kenosha and 5th Street. This is such a HUGE mistake if it were to happen. I just can't see Blake being happy with this, and I commend him for trying to do things like the parking moratorium even when shot down. I think this is something that would be worth bringing up again Blake if you are reading. I think the environment in downtown is much different from when this was last proposed and I think it would see way more traction now than it did the first time.

It closes a street, it's got to have approval.

I keep seeing that "East End Village lofts" (#22) are "delayed by lawsuits" or something? I know for a fact that people are currently living there. I toured the lofts/apartments myself a couple weeks ago and there are about 10 units that are currently occupied by residents in my estimate. I don't think they're that great of an option - it feels kind of like a college dorm hall. I was quoted $1050 for a 2 bedroom unit with no outside facing windows (there were 2 nice but small skylights) that seemed nice but wasn't what I was looking for. They also seemed to have started construction on the 2nd of the 2 buildings on that lot, so why do I keep hearing about lawsuits?

It closes a street, it's got to have approval.

The streets within the boundaries of the site plan were closed years ago.

I'm curious to see what Top Golf's riverfront plan looks like.  I just don't see it happening in the East Village.

^ I'd rather see this on the river.  I've always envisioned the west bank concrete plant redeveloped as a riverfront sports park so this could fit in well with that.  Similar to what OKC has done with their riverfront south of downtown with the boathouses and zip line.

I wonder which site is the frontrunner?

Based on the $50 million the owners of that property would have gotten in the ’07 River Tax package I’d think the land cost would be a deal breaker for something like this, but again, I have no clue about Topgolf’s business model.

That is "Test Fit Plan #4".  The Nordam site was "Test Fit Plan #2".  I wonder what #1 and #3 are?   ???

Based on the $50 million the owners of that property would have gotten in the ’07 River Tax package I’d think the land cost would be a deal breaker for something like this, but again, I have no clue about Topgolf’s business model.

Why not "A Gathering place II" at this site and add living and retail?

They best put this in South Tulsa.....

Conan, this site plan shows south of 21st St which is COT owned land...I thinhk you are referring to the Midcontinent land which is north of 21st.

I don't want this downtown...but I still think this is a lazy, shortsighted, weak sauce project to place at the river where the view of downtown is best and where the impound keeps the river full(ish).

Why not "A Gathering place II" at this site and add living and retail?

Nope, look again.  That overlay is on the northernmost part of the concrete plant north of 23rd St., not the COT M & E compound.  Easy to pick out the overflow parking for Riverwest Festival Park on the west side of Jackson.  As well, the entrance to RWFP is aligned with 21st St, that is on the northern boundary of the map.  Pretty fresh image on Google, it shows the improvements underway at RWFP.

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q55/71conan/Screenshot%202015-07-07%2015.12.48_zps2rngit20.png)

Physical development on the planned Hampton Inn & Suites at the One Place development just east of the BOK Center will soon break ground.
The nine-story, 125-room hotel will be constructed by Promise Hotels at a cost of $17.3 million, and will be finished by the end of 2016.
The construction site at the northwest corner of Third and Cheyenne is now surrounded by fencing in preparation for construction.
Thursday’s construction announcement included speakers Mayor Dewey Bartlett; Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Chamber; and Ray Hoyt, President of VisitTulsa.
Promise Hotels is in the process of developing two other hotel projects in downtown Tulsa. One is a $15 million to $16 million, 105-room Holiday Inn Express planned for the southeast corner of Archer Street and Detroit Avenue.

That hotel is now set for 105 rooms and a mid to late-summer construction start date, said, Pete Patel, CEO of Promise Hotels. Because it’s a smaller project, construction will go somewhat faster than the Hampton Inn & Suites.
Promise Hotels also announced a $20 million, 134-room Hilton Garden Inn that will wrap around the Oil & Gas Journal building on the southeast corner of Second Street and Cheyenne Avenue.
Physical development on those two hotels has not yet begun.
One Place is a block-sized development that also includes the 17-story One Place Tower occupied by Cimarex Energy Co., and the adjacent, five-story Northwestern Mutual building. Both buildings have retail space on the bottom.
The Hampton Inn announcement follows several other recent announcements of developments in a revitalized Tulsa downtown.
A development dubbed "The Boxyard" was unveiled a month ago for construction at Third Street and Frankfort Avenue. The concept is to stack large cargo containers next to each other and create a retail-oriented environment, along with a few small restaurants and service providers.
Housing projects also are on the way:
The Edge at East Village, a $26 million 162-unit development at 215 S. Greenwood.
The View, a $25 million to $30 million 200-unit development on the southeast corner of Archer Street and Elgin Avenue.
Davenport Urban Lofts, a 24-unit development at 405 N. Main St.
Coliseum Apartments, a 36-unit development at 635 S. Elgin Ave.
Harrington Apartments, a 24-unit development at Eighth and Main Streets.
Additionally, John and Stuart Price of KPM Management have announced they intend to develop 183 units in the TransOK Building at 2 W. Sixth St., the 111 W. Fifth Building and the Adams Building at 403 S. Cheyenne Ave.
Several hotel projects also have focused on downtown.

It only goes over maybe half of the major planned developments. (Pop Museum, Route 66 museums & Urban 8 absent for example). It is the top story on TW right now so hopefully that will help draw even more interest downtown.

It is the top story on TW right now so hopefully that will help draw even more interest downtown.

But they included Sager!

And while I know crime downtown is often overblown, this week seems to be adding fuel to the flames.  Was reading where Co. Ewing was also hit.

I'm confused. Who was referencing crime downtown? What was counselor Ewing hit with? I need context.

Does this street improvement suggest this is coming or did the City put parking backwards on a one-way street
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/99359726/20150513_135602.jpg)

The City of Tulsa will expand its back-in angle parking program to other parts of downtown and the Brady District.
The city installed trial spaces on 2nd Street between Elgin and Greenwood downtown last May to see how drivers would react.

Tulsa City Engineer Paul Zachary said the city has not received a single complaint about the spaces since they were installed.

Now, the city hopes to install more on the east side of Cincinnati from 4th to 8th and in the Brady and Blue Dome Districts.
They want to have them available for use by the end of August.

Officials said the parking spot layout is safer for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Since the spaces will be permanent, Zachary said parking meters will be added to the spaces.

He said the spaces in the Blue Dome area were being offered free of charge so drivers would feel encouraged to try them out and get used to them.
It is unknown when the meters will be installed. Officials said there are other priorities for street crews that will take precedent.

There were a smattering of incidents posted on nextdoor.com

The City is adding more back-in angled parking in downtown by the end of August. Where? Along the east side of Cincinnati from 4th to 8th Streets, and in the Blue Dome and Brady Districts.

This is a smart move. It's adding more parking spaces, yes, but it's also putting our downtown streets on a much-needed road diet. Cincinnati is 55 feet wide and includes four lanes of one-way traffic and parking on both sides. The new parking scheme will remove a lane from that mix, reducing the crossing distance for people on foot by 30-40%, and slowing down traffic.

I hope the success of back-in parking means they will attempt other pilot projects in downtown, including adding protected bike lanes and protected intersections. All these things can make walking, biking and driving downtown safer and more pleasant.

If we could extend sidewalks to the edge of those new parking spaces and plant some more trees (and flowers), it would be even better.

Fox 23 article on Back-in Parking (http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/tulsa-expand-back-angled-parking/nmzXx/)

Bike lanes are a better option.

I keep seeing people complain about REI and strip malls and all that.  Am I the only one kind of annoyed that companies are starting to build their corporate headquarters downtown while we still have quite a few office buildings that sit empty?

Other than the Tulsa Club what decent sized office building downtown is empty that isn't in some stage of conversion to residential?

Bike lanes are a better option.

The Parker Drilling Building (61,000 sq ft) and you can get about 11 floors at an average of 5k sqft a floor
Corner of 6th and Boston could probably be purchased.
302 S Boston has 31,838 SF available
Midco building has 13,500 sqft available.
Williams tower has 36,000 sqft available

But other than that 142,000 sqft of empty space there is nothing.  Not including the Tulsa club obviously.


Just found out sharp sold the 522 S BOSTON AVE in January of this year.

That is not much as at all. If China's economy doesn't tank and oil recovers as expected, we will need a lot more office space downtown very soon.

The Parker Drilling Building (61,000 sq ft) and you can get about 11 floors at an average of 5k sqft a floor
Corner of 6th and Boston could probably be purchased.
302 S Boston has 31,838 SF available
Midco building has 13,500 sqft available.
Williams tower has 36,000 sqft available

But other than that 142,000 sqft of empty space there is nothing.  Not including the Tulsa club obviously.


Just found out sharp sold the 522 S BOSTON AVE in January of this year.

That is not much as at all. If China's economy doesn't tank and oil recovers as expected, we will need a lot more office space downtown very soon.

As I recall, most of the available space downtown is Class C space.  

You are right that it isn't the best space.  You would think renovating the space would be more efficient than building an entirely new building.  Now the rub on that is the tenants don't own the building.  So its on the owner to give reduced rates or pay for the renovations.  Things like the Cimarex building I'm all for.  Its just the office buildings over by blue dome getting built.  I think it would be nice to have some retail space over there in about 1-2 years.  But instead we are going to have office buildings on prime real estate in an entertainment district for decades.

You are right that it isn't the best space.  You would think renovating the space would be more efficient than building an entirely new building.  Now the rub on that is the tenants don't own the building.  So its on the owner to give reduced rates or pay for the renovations.  Things like the Cimarex building I'm all for.  Its just the office buildings over by blue dome getting built.  I think it would be nice to have some retail space over there in about 1-2 years.  But instead we are going to have office buildings on prime real estate in an entertainment district for decades.

You are right that it isn't the best space.  You would think renovating the space would be more efficient than building an entirely new building.  Now the rub on that is the tenants don't own the building.  So its on the owner to give reduced rates or pay for the renovations.  Things like the Cimarex building I'm all for.  Its just the office buildings over by blue dome getting built.  I think it would be nice to have some retail space over there in about 1-2 years.  But instead we are going to have office buildings on prime real estate in an entertainment district for decades.

The City is adding more back-in angled parking in downtown by the end of August. Where? Along the east side of Cincinnati from 4th to 8th Streets, and in the Blue Dome and Brady Districts.

This is a smart move.
Fox 23 article on Back-in Parking (http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/tulsa-expand-back-angled-parking/nmzXx/)

That may depend in part on the outcome of the Williams auction.

What companies are erecting new office buildings downtown?  The only ones I'm aware of in recent years are Cimarex, KOTV, and Hogan.  Did I miss some announcements?

That building is being renovated into office for the Ross Group.

Its going to do wonders for the blue dome restaurants during lunch.

Between them, Hogan, and the hundreds of residents who will be moving into the apartments, demand for food is going to increase pretty strongly, including dinner crowds.  Hopefully the new residents will make a grocery store viable too.

When is Boulder Ave going to be changed to two-way?

The RFP requires that the development contain 296 parking spaces currently on the lot and include additional parking required by the new development.  That really ignores the large surface lots adjacent to and near this spot.  

True, but can they count on that being there in the future?  Hopefully not.  They would have to purchase the lots if they don't already own them.

That would have to be American Residential's next project. They said some time ago that after Hartford Commons got going (which it has) they would then work next on property they own by Oneok with a planned start date of summer 2015.

I think one of the biggest things for downtown will be good transit.  A couple of downtown only circulator busses that have 10-15 minute arrival times that ran most days, plus bus rapid transit that connected to the Pearl, Brookside, Cherry Street and the Gathering Place, along with rail to OKC, would be part of a dream scenario.

With good transit Whole Foods, Reasors, and Trader Joes on Brookside would essentially become downtown grocery stores.  Not optimal, but very doable.  Until we do get a grocery store downtown I would love to be able to tell visitors that come into my store and ask where to get.... that all they have to do is hop on the BRT and they can be there in a few minutes, and also do a little shopping and dining there as well. 

Appears the start date has arrived as ArcWrecking is out there doing their thing.

I just looked out there.  Are you talking about something in addition or the buildings that were just removed?

Traffic and parking a hassle downtown?

I assume you avoid Brookside, Cherry Street, 71st, a Riverside, well... Anywhere with stuff to do. Plus Norman, Stillwater and 11th on game day. Basically, stick to Skiatook and you'll have no problems.

Or... Park 6 blocks away and no issues pretty much anywhere (game day exception in college towns).

You seem to kinda make it sound like dealing with hassles are a virtue...??  Badge of Courage thing....
. . .
You go right to an interesting phenomenon on this site - there is a huge focus here on all the new stuff that is going on downtown and all the venues you mention - and almost a trivial amount of focus on the movement of all the people who are going to be using that new stuff.  Traffic getting worse is NOT inevitable. . .we should be building the infrastructure FASTER than the new restaurants, housing, entertainment venues!  And our City Council takes an even more trivial approach to the idea!  Maybe we could get them to paint some "bike lanes" on the side of the streets...
. . .
And Skiatook is getting too busy...gonna have to move to Nelagoney....drove through over the weekend on the way to the Tallgrass Prairie, and it was fairly quiet.

Critical need!!

We have gone downtown more and more over the last 5 - 6 years and enjoy it a lot!  Until this year....more people are having the same thoughts, so traffic and parking has become such a hassle that I bet we haven't been there more than 8 or 10 times this year...way down from previous.

And China is building a high speed rail for ONE event - the winter Olympics!!  For crying out loud, they are essentially building this to go from "New York" to "Coweta"!!  For a few weeks worth of use!!  Why the blue blazes can't we get decent transit for full time use for decades??  The psychosis in this state is mind numbing!!

You raise great points. I was merely trying to point out that the congestion isn't THAT bad. If you are willing to walk a bit, you can get in and out with minimal problems.

But you are absolutely correct, it will inevitably get worse unless better planning is implemented. As it becomes more of a hassle, the self feeding growth will grind to a halt and become self defeating growth --- unless better transit options are available.

Very well put.

Besides the demolition at Archer and Elgin on the site of the future ARG project there is a construction fence at 5th and Cheyenne for the Marriott Residence Inn. I think the entrance will be on 5th St which is going to make that interection look really cool with two handsome hotels catty-corner from each other.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/538/AfCDik.jpg)

(http://www.tulsahotels.com/hotels_images/PrimaryImages/102_Mayo%20Exterior.jpg)

All I can say is this is a very real project. A group was at ICSC promoting the development to retailers and ARG will be the apartment developer and will have around 300 units. Office building will be around 150,000 sq. ft. which is sorely needed. Likely this will be staged to where the Edge will deliver and give an 8 month lease up window and stabilization period, then the Ballpark development would likely deliver with a similar 8 month to 1 year lease up and stabilization period, then the Santa Fe Station apartments will come online.

It's likely that the surface parking lot by the PAC will be under development too around the same time with a retail component but not sure whether it will have office or multifamily at the moment.

Downtown will quickly be changing.

I might be more excited about this than Santa Fe Station - this is AWESOME!!

I wanted to do something very similar here after seeing this: http://www.boxpark.co.uk
It's such a cool concept and shipping containers are very easy to convert for pop-up shops, small food places, and other longer-term small retailers. I hope they bring in some national brands to help test the waters for downtown retail.

Dwelling Spaces and Joebot’s Coffee Bar, along with Masa restaurant, will be the anchor tenants for The Boxyard development, it was announced Tuesday.
The Boxyard is named for shipping containers that will be retrofitted with an urban chic design to house each retail and restaurant space. It will be located on the southeast corner of Third Street and Frankfort Avenue, and is scheduled to open in spring 2016.
Dwelling Spaces and Joebot’s Coffee Bar will occupy five shipping containers totaling 1,600 square feet. They will relocate to The Boxyard from their existing space at Second Street and Detroit Avenue, which opened in 2006.
Masa, which will expand from its current food truck operation to a permanent site at The Boxyard, also will occupy five of the 8-foot-by-30-foot containers.
Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Dwelling Spaces, will serve as the property’s programming manager. She will plan a variety of events, such as live entertainment, book launches, arts and crafts workshops and movie screenings.
“Our goal with The Boxyard is to bring together quality local businesses in a unique space to create a retail experience that you can’t find anywhere else in Tulsa,” developer Casey Stowe said in a release.
“Taking time to curate prospective tenants and working with Mary Beth to bring interesting programming to The Boxyard allows us to create something truly transformative for downtown.”
Dwelling Spaces is a gift shop with a heavy emphasis on Oklahoma styles and products. Joebot’s Coffee Bar is a high-end espresso bar located inside Dwelling Spaces.
“It’s a dream to work with such talented entrepreneurs on a visionary, creative project like The Boxyard,” Babcock said. “I’ve been playing retail ever since I was 8 years old, and I’ve always looked for ways to be different and give the customer a unique experience.”
Masa, owned by Robert Carnoske and Chad Wilcox, specializes in South American cuisine with dishes such as empanadas, Cuban sandwiches and arepa (corn bread).
Masa recently added inside dining space at its kitchen at 7996 S. Sheridan Road.
“We are very excited about opening a location at The Boxyard as part of our expansion from our food truck to permanent locations,” Carnoske said.”The Tulsa community is eager for new and different culinary options, and we enjoy helping people experience the South American cuisine we love so much.”

So far our downtown has a notable lack of corporate retail/restaurant and it's the local folks that are driving the growth and filling the needs.
In downtown we have three subways, a dominos, arbys, supercuts and a bunch of chain hotels
Everything else that I can think of is either a Tulsa original or a local owned franchise.

Not a single starbucks, but tons of coffee choices. I don't believe that any other comparable downtown can make this claim.

That is because the demographics when pulled by real estate folks don't fit the minimum standards of the national chains.  The per-capita income of the residents within the downtown census blocks needs to increase along with traffic counts and you'll see some of the chains start moving in.  This is typical of "gentrification", the local groups have the vision and invest their capital, drive the demographics and traffic counts up and the national money seeking an less risky investment follows suit driving the prices up and the local groups out, local groups then move on to the next spot and you rinse and repeat. 

I wonder what will go in to the current Dwelling Spaces.  It's a large space and good location, especially if they develop the PAC lot.

I wonder what will go in to the current Dwelling Spaces.  It's a large space and good location, especially if they develop the PAC lot.

So far our downtown has a notable lack of corporate retail/restaurant and it's the local folks that are driving the growth and filling the needs.
In downtown we have three subways, a dominos, arbys, supercuts and a bunch of chain hotels
Everything else that I can think of is either a Tulsa original or a local owned franchise.

Not a single starbucks, but tons of coffee choices. I don't believe that any other comparable downtown can make this claim.

Starbucks is coming to the Central Library in downtown Tulsa. Central Library is undergoing an extensive renovation project and is scheduled to reopen in summer 2016.

According to a news release, the Starbucks will be located on the ground floor at the southeast corner of the building, near South Denver Avenue and East Fifth Street. The 1,483 square-foot store will have its own entrance and will include indoor seating as well as a patio.

“We look forward to partnering with Starbucks, which has strong brand recognition, a large customer-base, successful operational record, and an extensive training process,” said Tulsa City-County Library Chief Executive Officer Gary Shaffer.

The Starbucks' hours aren't final yet, but will be probably be consistent with other Starbucks locations in the area, the release says. The coffee shop will be able to operate even when the library is closed.

The shop is expected to employee 18 people who will work for Starbucks and not the library system.

Well that didn't last long....

http://www.newson6.com/story/29846249/starbucks-coming-to-downtown-tulsa-library

Well that didn't last long....

http://www.newson6.com/story/29846249/starbucks-coming-to-downtown-tulsa-library

What an odd location choice.

They know things that are in the works that we don't know.

Coffee subsidies for the homeless

What is the timeline for selection and starting construction?  If one of these proposals and the Santa Fe Square project go as planned that would be absolutely huge for this end of downtown.

This is gonna be pretty awesome.

The site for the 22nd project, The View at Greenwood, just finished demo work and should start very soon. These 22 projects have a total 869 residential units, 230 hotel rooms, 50,000 sq ft of retail and 325,000 sq ft of office space.

Have I missed anything?

Some additional pictures I pulled from the Newson6 story:

Not terribly impressed with the Milhaus proposal - they essentially have placed a giant parking garage next to the PAC. The other two seem to be very interesting and a decent use of this parking lot. My only comments would be on the Flaherty and Collins one to get rid of the skybridge and the G4 LLC one needs to engage the street level a bit better. At the end of the day these are just concepts though so let's hope the PAC trust hold whichever developer they select to a high standard and don't let them scale anything down.

Early pitch for developing Performing Arts Center parking lot includes grocery store
An early concept for developing a downtown parking lot includes a long-sought grocery store.
A developer’s pitch for the parking lot next to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center would bring 12 stories of apartments, various retail sites and a new Reasor’s grocery store to downtown.
The pitch was one of three recently reviewed by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust Authority.
The parking lot eyed for development, between Cincinnati and Detroit avenues south of Second Street, is controlled by the Performing Arts Center Trust Authority, which is in the early stages of seeking ideas and proposals to possibly develop the land.
The authority reviewed conceptual plans from three firms seeking to be considered for future development.
The board is now awaiting full formal proposals, which will be revealed and evaluated in October, said trust chairman Stanton Doyle.
Doyle said all proposals are being considered until the next stage, when a proposal could be accepted or get eliminated all together.
Three concepts for the property were reviewed by Doyle and other trust members before they decided to move into the phase of formally accepting proposals.
The grocery store concept was in only one of the proposals.
Brent Edstrom, spokesman for Reasor’s, said the Oklahoma grocery store chain lent its name to the concept and has become “familiar” with the developers.
Edstrom said a downtown Tulsa grocery has been a long-time interest for Reasor’s.
The other two proposals were also for multi-use developments that involved retail and residential housing, but included other features like an additional theater for the Performing Arts Center.
The developers are Indianapolis-based Flaherty and Collins Properties, who pitched the idea that included a Reasor’s, Indianapolis-based Milhaus Development and local company G4 Llc.
G4 pitched an attached theater that would straddle Cincinnati Avenue and a hotel, Scott said.
John Scott, Performing Arts Center director, said officials have been looking to add a particular size theater for years.
The gap between the PAC’s largest theater and the next size down precludes Tulsa from hosting some performances, Scott said.
“There’s been this issue with us all along that we don’t have any theater that’s between those sizes,” he said.
Scott said another issue is parking. Putting a development in the area without parking would cost the center a great deal of easily accessed spaces.
“Obviously, if there is a development there we would lose the 300 spaces there for us and our events,” Scott said.

In reading the tea leaves of the article, it looks like the proposal with the Reasor’s faces an uphill battle because it is the only one without any new theater space for the PAC.  That would be too bad because this location really is most central location for the bulk of the current and planned downtown housing.

In reading the tea leaves of the article, it looks like the proposal with the Reasor’s faces an uphill battle because it is the only one without any new theater space for the PAC.

Actually maybe not.  In this interview with Studio Tulsa, Stanton Doyle, the same guy evaluating the proposals, explains that they held onto the lot east of the PAC for years because they were considering building that midsize theater there. Now they want to build the new theater on the west side, expanding into the Williams Green.

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/vision-funding-appeal-expand-and-refurbish-tulsa-performing-arts-center

And here's his presentation to the city council asking for vision money to do just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNsieaG5AcQ

So it does seem we may get our theater and our grocery store—just on opposite sides of the PAC.

To me that is worse than adding a theatre on the empty lot. Why destroy most of the Williams Green? That was recently renovated nicely and is a nice park space which is sort of a center piece of downtown and great for Mayfest. It looks like there's room on the empty lot for a mid-sized theatre and retail, especially if the parking garage is setup to be mostly on 2nd floors and up.

To me that is worse than adding a theatre on the empty lot. Why destroy most of the Williams Green? That was recently renovated nicely and is a nice park space which is sort of a center piece of downtown and great for Mayfest. It looks like there's room on the empty lot for a mid-sized theatre and retail, especially if the parking garage is setup to be mostly on 2nd floors and up.

Actually it would only encroach on the Green by about 50 feet, which I don't think "destroys most of it." And the artists' renderings and discussion make imply that it won't be a giant concrete wall (like the east side) that fronts the Green, but a glass atrium, an inviting "lantern" that would interact with the Green.  At least that's what the say...

And yeah it's good for mayfest but that's one weekend a year.  Many of events and activities that would make use of a downtown outdoor space have shifted to another "Green" a few blocks north.

To me that is worse than adding a theatre on the empty lot. Why destroy most of the Williams Green? That was recently renovated nicely and is a nice park space which is sort of a center piece of downtown and great for Mayfest. It looks like there's room on the empty lot for a mid-sized theatre and retail, especially if the parking garage is setup to be mostly on 2nd floors and up.

My office looks out at the Williams Green.  If they take another 50 feet of it for the PAC, it will reduce the green space by at least 1/3, maybe closer to 1/2.  This park gets a lot of use throughout the day, but even more so during the noon hour.  It would be a shame to build over a park with all the surface parking lots within one block of the PAC.

Actually it would only encroach on the Green by about 50 feet, which I don't think "destroys most of it." And the artists' renderings and discussion make imply that it won't be a giant concrete wall (like the east side) that fronts the Green, but a glass atrium, an inviting "lantern" that would interact with the Green.  At least that's what the say...

And yeah it's good for mayfest but that's one weekend a year.  Many of events and activities that would make use of a downtown outdoor space have shifted to another "Green" a few blocks north.

So Guthrie Green is a good excuse to let them nearly destroy other parks downtown?

I'll just appeal to the good sense of the other readers here. Is that what I said?

And yeah it's good for mayfest but that's one weekend a year.  Many of events and activities that would make use of a downtown outdoor space have shifted to another "Green" a few blocks north.

Food truck court
Park in the Pearl
What: Opening weekend
Where: 418 S. Peoria Ave
When: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday
For information, www.theparkinthepearl.com or the park's Facebook page.

Combined with what they previously took to build the Westby Pavilion addition, it appears we will be left with about 1/2 of the original Williams Green.

Vision 2025 sparked $921 million in downtown Tulsa real estate development, report says

There’s no way around it. Vision 2025 is responsible for the surge in downtown development projects.

Approximately $254 million of Vision 2025 funds went to downtown Tulsa. That was in September 2003.

Since the BOK Center arena and other projects were finished in 2008, they have been joined by an additional $921 million in planned or completed private real estate developments that are bringing living options, shops, restaurants, bars and other attractions to the area, according to a new report from CB Richard Ellis.

Of that $921 million, $400 million are completed projects, $321 million are projects that have been announced or are currently under construction and $200 million are in the conceptual stages.

The report stated these unannounced projects are “large mixed-use projects in conceptual stages, not yet announced publicly, that will dramatically alter the landscape of downtown.”
Cody Brandt, author of the report, said Vision 2025 was largely responsible for all these new developments.

“I think it would have been a lot more difficult for many of these projects to get off the ground,” he said. “They were a changing point for Tulsa and put the focus back downtown.”
The report noted there are 30 different projects currently under construction or announced. These run the gamut of offices, hotels, multi-tenant dwellings, retail or combinations of the four.

The biggest of these by far is the recently announced Santa Fe Square, which Brandt called the largest construction project for downtown since the Williams Tower in the 1970s. That $180 million development in the Blue Dome District would bring 600,000 square feet of retail, office and apartments, along with a 105-room hotel.

Other especially large projects include the $25 million Edge at East Village, a collection of 162 apartments; the $20 million Hartford Building redevelopment, which is set to include 90 apartment units and 20,000 square feet of retail in the East Village; and the $25 million The View, which includes 200 apartment units and 13,000 square feet of retail by ONEOK Field.

All told, there have been 450 apartment units created in downtown Tulsa since 2008, with 1,100 more under construction or announced.

Brandt said the units under development won’t have any problem finding tenants.

“Demand for living downtown has been extraordinary,” he said. “Nearly all the places downtown have long waiting lists.”

Most of the development has been focused on residential or retail, but there’s even been a smattering of office development. Hogan Assessments is building new headquarters in the East Village, Ross Group is converting an old car dealership into its headquarters and KSQ Architects is building its new home office by ONEOK Field.

Other than the renovation of the 810 Building in the south of downtown and the office space at Santa Fe Square, there hasn’t been any speculative office creation in the area, Brandt said.

All the new development has made it more expensive to rent space in the area, as the average rates have gone up from $12 per square foot to $22 per square foot over the past six years, said Ben Ganzkow, a commercial retail property specialist with CB Richard Ellis. The increases have been especially high in the Brady District and Blue Dome areas.

Even with all the development that’s come out of Vision 2025, Brandt said real estate professionals and developers are hoping voters have the opportunity to approve a new Vision 2025 package with even more civic development in the area.

“I would hope that we’d continue to see these big civic investments to help drive development into different parts of downtown,” he said. “If we could do something in the south part of downtown, that would help drive development there.”

I hear old people are still being allowed to frequent, purchase and even live in the Brady District, though. Got to stop that nonsense.

Sounds sort Trump-ish. "It going to be big, and great and we're going to be impressed!"

I hear old people are still being allowed to frequent, purchase and even live in the Brady District, though. Got to stop that nonsense.

I hear old people are still being allowed to frequent, purchase and even live in the Brady District, though. Got to stop that nonsense.

The STEMcell will be a hands-on scientific store located in a repurposed shipping container in The Boxyard in downtown Tulsa, OK.
Part store, part laboratory, The STEMcell will provide a unique shopping/learning experience–the first of its kind in the region.

Why Crowdfunding?
We want to know what you think. When opening an entirely new type of business in an area it’s important to determine if the business is even wanted in the area. By contributing and sharing this campaign, not only are you voting in favor of The STEMcell, but also in favor of:

• A more educated Tulsa.
• Keeping scientific dollars local.
• Establishing Tulsa as a regional pillar in the STEM community.

Keep in mind, we aren’t asking for a hand-out. Your money is not a donation. Rather, you’ll be purchasing quality products–the same products which you can expect to find at The STEMcell–at a one-time discounted rate.

Another addition to The Boxyard -
http://www.stemcelltulsa.com/
They've currently got an indiegogo campaign (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-stemcell-more-than-a-science-store) up to help raise some of the initial funds

What exactly is a scientific store?  Will they sell beakers or body parts?

What exactly is a scientific store?  Will they sell beakers or body parts?

Beakers, of course! A scientific store is where anyone can get professional research and experimentation equipment–from beakers to telescopes. While technically it will be a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) store, that acronym still isn't universally known, so I went with the more familiar descriptor.

Opening a store like this has been something I've wanted to do for years now, and The BoxYard provided the perfect opportunity.

Beakers, of course! A scientific store is where anyone can get professional research and experimentation equipment–from beakers to telescopes. While technically it will be a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) store, that acronym still isn't universally known, so I went with the more familiar descriptor.

Opening a store like this has been something I've wanted to do for years now, and The BoxYard provided the perfect opportunity.

Beakers, of course! A scientific store is where anyone can get professional research and experimentation equipment–from beakers to telescopes. While technically it will be a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) store, that acronym still isn't universally known, so I went with the more familiar descriptor.

Opening a store like this has been something I've wanted to do for years now, and The BoxYard provided the perfect opportunity.

I like the play on words,  but am not sure how that name will go over with the general public. If you're aiming for the demographic who will appreciate the pun/science name without being offended, that may not matter. Just a thought.

My son goes to Riverfield (Sophomore) and is addicted to science and engineering (technology and math are just tools he has to learn to get to the science and engineering).  We are looking forward to your store for easy gift ideas for him!

Beakers, of course! A scientific store is where anyone can get professional research and experimentation equipment–from beakers to telescopes. While technically it will be a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) store, that acronym still isn't universally known, so I went with the more familiar descriptor.

Opening a store like this has been something I've wanted to do for years now, and The BoxYard provided the perfect opportunity.

Ya gonna have one of these??  And will it be something I can rent, like equipment at Home Depot...??

Anyone know right off who owns the Thompson Building?

Anyone know right off who owns the Thompson Building?

Michael H. Vaughn I think

When historic downtown Tulsa buildings are repurposed, owners frequently mold their designs around the original shape of the building.
That's definitely the case with the former downtown YMCA, which is being transformed into 82 apartments by Brickhugger LLC. Shelby Snyder, president of Brickhugger, said the redevelopment has taken longer than anticipated as the company sought historic tax credits and worked to most effectively use areas such as a basketball court and a racquetball court.
“With historical buildings, you’re given a daunting task but a unique opportunity to make some unique spaces,” she said.
Brickhugger's definitely on its way to that goal. When the YMCA building at Sixth Street and Denver Avenue is ready in May, its first residents will have a variety of apartments to choose from. Now, the 82 units will range from 450-square-foot studio units to 2,200-square-foot units.
Snyder said every unit will be unique in some way — some will have patios, some will be tucked into cozy corners and some will sprawl over three floors of the seven-story building.
Although the design was a challenge, she said the varying units should offer a little something for everyone and go beyond the downtown-dweller stereotype.
“It’s not just empty-nesters or young professionals," Snyder said. "We have a wide array of people who want to live downtown. You have to have something for everybody.”
The former YMCA will also feature an underground parking garage with 91 spaces — nine more than the number of units.
The current plan is to have the first three floors ready by May, while the others will follow shortly after, Snyder said. She estimated the rooms will rent for $1 to $1.40 per square foot.
The Snyder family and a number of other investors originally bought the vacated YMCA building in 2011 for $625,000. Shelby Snyder said Brickhugger LLC is now the sole owner of the building, having bought out the other partners' shares as development progressed.
Since Brickhugger plans to use historic tax credits, the renovation will keep the exterior of the 62-year-old building looking exactly the same, from the terra-cotta tiles to the colorful YMCA mural on the east side, Snyder said.
The interior will integrate plenty of features from the building's old days as an athletic center.
"We're keeping all the existing basketball goals, signs and wood floors from basketball court," Snyder said.
Brickhugger, either through a partnership or sole ownership, has rehabilitated a growing number of downtown buildings, including the Mayo Hotel, the Aloft Hotel that once served as City Hall, the Best Western Plus that was previously a city government office and the Vandever Lofts.
Brickhugger and its partners are still looking to redo the vacant Hartford building at 110 S. Hartford Ave. Although the group is exploring a number of options, it will likely have a residential component.
“We’re excited for that property," Snyder said. "It’s in an up and coming area with a lot of residential development around it.”

He is the registered agent of the owner, FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR L L C, which lists its address as the Thompson building and may or may not be controlled by Vaughn.  He has been interviewed in the past concerning the building and listed as being with KWB Oil Property Management, which manages the building and has been in that building for like 50 years.  Vaughn is an attorney and runs his own small practice out of the building.

https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-35038013/tulsa-s-vandever-building-project-faces-lawsuit
http://www.assessor.tulsacounty.org/assessor-property.php?account=R00500920139700

I was going by this.. 

http://www.perfectleads.com/company/17289395/Fifth-Street-Corridor-Llc

He is the registered agent of the owner, FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR L L C, which lists its address as the Thompson building and may or may not be controlled by Vaughn.  He has been interviewed in the past concerning the building and listed as being with KWB Oil Property Management, which manages the building and has been in that building for like 50 years.  Vaughn is an attorney and runs his own small practice out of the building.

https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-35038013/tulsa-s-vandever-building-project-faces-lawsuit
http://www.assessor.tulsacounty.org/assessor-property.php?account=R00500920139700

I haven't seen it mentioned here but Mcnellies Group is deveolping the old BRIX office supply building on 3rd St to house their coporate offices. I got a peak at the work going on inside and it is very cool, including a beautiful cast iron stairway.

Hogan Assessments faced a happy problem — its business in personality-based assessments had been going so well, the company had outgrown its longtime office in a multi-tenant building near 21st Street and Lewis Avenue.
Blake Loepp, a spokesman for the company, said there was plenty of office space available across the city that Hogan Assessments could have used.
But then they saw the empty plot of land at Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street in downtown.
“We just couldn’t pass it up,” he said.
Hogan Assessments used that land at 11 S. Greenwood Ave. to construct a $15 million, two-story office building with numerous details that not only provide a more productive environment for employees but also create a striking greeting to those entering downtown from the northeast, said Aaron Tracy, chief operating officer of Hogan Assessments.
“This building introduces you to the architecture of Tulsa,” he said.
Hogan Assessments began moving into the 35,000-square-foot building in November and is marking its grand opening Thursday.
The building, designed with the assistance of Selser Schaefer Architects, combines many elements of downtown’s past and future, said Hank Spieker of Selser Schaefer. For example, the exterior walls feature glass as a reflection of City Hall, charcoal panels that celebrate the area’s manufacturing, and classic brick that honors the historic buildings along Greenwood and elsewhere downtown.
One feature won’t be finished for some time: A metal grid fence along the eastern edge of the property will be the framework for a “living green fence” as plantlife grows within it, Spieker said. It will also seclude the parking lot in the back.
The company’s new headquarters also features art commissioned just for the company. Visible from Greenwood within the public entrance is Cristallum, a creation by local artists Chris Wollard, Andrew Harmon and R.C. Morrison, Tracy said.
This mostly transparent work is teardrop-shaped with a solid circular hemisphere near the top. At night, it shifts through more than a million colors and often causes cars to slow down as the drivers stare at it, Tracy said.
But employees have taken to calling it “The Iceberg.”
“The iceberg is a strong analogy for our business,” Tracy said. “I might see the surface of you, but beneath the surface there’s many more aspects of you I might not be aware of at first glance.”
Within the building are multiple white walls decorated by Shantell Martin, an English artist known for her stream-of-consciousness drawing. Spieker said some of these walls, arranged in broken right angles, separate the kitchen and lounge area from the rest of the office.
“Beyond being great art pieces, they’re a dividing space between work and play,” he said.
As currently configured, the office areas on the first and second floors completely lack cubicles. Instead, the extended desktops feature padded surfaces to encourage co-workers to sit down and talk.
But the desks don’t have trash cans. Employees are encouraged to use a central trash area designed to almost look like another desk.
Tracy said the entire design encourages collaboration.
“We find ways to have random collisions between employees throughout the day,” he said.
Though the outer areas of the office follow the lines of the walls, the interior takes these right angles and rotates them a few degrees. Spieker said that’s to represent the true directions of north, south, east and west — the roads of downtown are all oriented a few degrees off in order to follow the railroad.
Some areas are more enclosed, such as a number of “phone booths” where one or more employees can go for privacy. There’s also numerous conferences that now allow the company to hold its training events and partner seminars on-site.
The Hogan Assessments headquarters has a number of unusual features in order to make it more energy-efficient. Seventy geothermal wells wrap around the north of the building, and all the lighting are on banks of sensors — rather than turn off all the lights when the sun’s out, banks of them dim just enough to provide uniform light through the office.
And unlike nearly all modern construction, the air conditioning is blown in through vents on the floor, not the ceiling, Spieker said.
“This type of air distribution is the most efficient way to cool an area with a high ceiling, rather than trying to force air down,” he said.
Perhaps the most striking area of the building is the rooftop. In addition to restrooms and a catering kitchen for the large patio area, the roof also has a rock garden with waving stripes of three types of rock, which is itself surrounded by sedum plants, Spieker said.
“These plants are active year-round, and bloom in different colors as the months go by,” he said.

The OKPOP Museum is another step closer to reality as architects will receive requests for development proposals for the $40 million museum planned for Tulsa's Brady District.
It’s being called a huge step forward for the long-term project that will be not only an economic boost but a way to highlight Tulsa's past and where it is going.

Tulsan Ken Busby said, “It really shows everyone that concrete progress is being made, that this is reality, this is going to happen.”

For years, Busby and others have been part of the OKPOP Museum discussions.

“Tulsa matters and has a big story to tell,” he said.

This week, architecture firms from around the state will receive an official request for design ideas for the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture - set to be built in the Brady Arts District.

OKPOP Executive Director, Jeff Moore, said, “We’re hoping that they will lend their creativity to the creativity of the topic of pop culture and make something that is uniquely Oklahoma and very special.”

Aside from that, the sky is the limit for what designs could be submitted for the blank canvas.

It’s an exciting time for everyone who has been involved in the concept over the last eight years, and they are ready to get the collections on display.

Moore said, “There is not a single topic in pop culture that there is not an Oklahoman directly involved with.”

The design process is expected to take about a year - with ground broken on the lot in 2017 and an opening date of fall 2019.

"Hopefully, people from all over the world will come to attend and see what amazing stories Oklahoma has to offer,” Moore said.

Busby said, "Right here in the heart of the Brady, an OKPOP statement could be spectacular. I can't wait to see what they come up with.”

The $25 million for construction itself is secured through bonds and private donations; the $15 million left for the displays will come from fundraisers and other private contributions.

One thing you might learn see in the museum is that the original comic books for the Star Wars series - published in 1977 - were written by Tulsan Archie Goodwin while an editor at marvel.

Agreed.  Tulsa needs infill, not high rises.  Also, we know how this works.  OKC gets this

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/1e/88/62/1e8862fde86586b671af97452809b2b7.jpg)


We get this

(http://www.bourncompanies.com/wp-content/uploads/1-View-from-NE-LARGE1-460x310.jpg)

OKC kept more of that downtown than Tulsa did.

(http://www.talonatoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/5599125_G.jpg)
OG&E possible one tower headquarter development.        The original four planned towers (Clayco development) has been put on hold.

Depressing oil prices has put on hold 4 towers (25-26 stories) proposed by OKC OG&E corporation who planned a development on the demolished Stage Center site  (included in the above link video).  OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric) will probably have to settle for one tower instead of 4 (2 office towers/2 residential towers); those will probably be scrapped.

This entire project has been scrapped. OG&E is taking possession of the land and isn't building anything right now.

This entire project has been scrapped. OG&E is taking possession of the land and isn't building anything right now.

Tulsa has managed to maintain many of its iconic historic structures

Tulsa has managed to maintain many of its iconic historic structures...

Mayo Hotel would be considered historic & iconic.  Love the art decor & facade of that building, a true landmark.

Mayo Hotel would be considered historic & iconic.  Love the art decor & facade of that building, a true landmark.

It's not Art Deco (or art decor)  it's Beaux Arts, kind of an "imperial Rome" touch to its features.

Tulsa does have many fantastic buildings left. Unfortunately, we hold the distinction of destroying the most art deco buildings in the world and for having the worst surface parking lot deserts downtown.  Seriously, we won an award for that.

Focus on the positives!  We have many neat buildings left and some of those surface lots are turning into new condos, hotels, and office buildings!

The biggest downtown Tulsa speculative office renovation project in years didn’t come from a traditional developer or a real estate investment trust. It came from a church.

Bob Pielsticker, a broker with CB Richard Ellis in Tulsa, said First Presbyterian’s transformation of the Avanti building at 810 S. Cincinnati Ave. into the 8:10 Building turned out better than anyone expected, since it’s already 80 percent occupied. “We’re a year and a half ahead of where we thought we’d be,” Pielsticker said.

Today, the six-story building is now full aside from a 2,401-square-foot suite on the first floor and the 14,364-square-foot fourth floor, which is still being completed. Architecture, engineering and construction management firm Cyntergy was the first to move in late last year, followed by accounting firm Eide Bailly.
Pielsticker said a 5,290-square-foot suite on the first floor was just leased this month, although the tenant isn’t ready to be identified.
Steve Caldwell, director of operations for First Presbyterian, said the strong interest required the church to put more resources into the $6 million renovation faster than anticipated.
“Our leasing went so well, it outpaced our funding,” he said. “We needed to pursue improvements for tenants.”
The 8:10 Building, named after the Bible verse Nehemiah 8:10, is now the fourth major property owned by the church. Beyond the original church building at 709 S. Boston Ave., the church purchased the Bernsen Community Life Center immediately to the west in 2002 and the Powerhouse building east of the church in 2006.
Although First Presbyterian’s previous acquisitions helped the church expand its own services — and in the case of Bernsen Community Life Center, provide affordable office space for nonprofit agencies — the 8:10 Building is different in that it’s purely an investment, Caldwell said.
“It’s a mission endowment for the church,” he said.
Caldwell said that when First Presbyterian purchased the vacant building in February 2013 for $2.1 million from Kanbar Properties, church officials retained Cyntergy to help develop a new direction for the building.
One year later, the project wasn’t speculative any longer, as Cyntergy signed up to be the first tenant, said Ken Hirshey, senior principal and chairman of Cyntergy.
Hirshey said the firm found plenty of good potential options when its lease at the 320 S. Boston Ave. Building came up, but the potential perks of 8:10 were too good to pass up.
“We were able to design our own space, and the fact that the profits from the rent goes to good causes was a factor,” he said.
Tom Goekeler, a partner with Eide Bailly, said the 8:10 Building was a happy find when Eidge Bailly merged with Sartain Fischbein & Co., and the combined 70 employees needed a bigger footprint.
“Even though we needed more space, the idea of this building was perfect,” he said.
Inspired by the building’s past as a Studebaker dealership, Cyntergy and the church decided to gut the building and give it an open, warehouse feel that tenants could fill in as they wished.
But removing decades of paint wasn’t easy, Pielsticker said.
“We had to use a pecan shell water blast to remove it,” he said.
The exterior now features large banks of open windows throughout, including on the lower levels. Cyntergy took one of the suites to use as a common gathering area, complete with a kitchenette, televisions, couches and banks of tables with troughs that can hold beer bottles, Pielsticker said.
“Sometimes people drive by and wonder if this is a sports bar,” he said.
While Eide Bailly designed their space with a clean, traditional look, Cyntergy went with exposed ductwork and clusters of wires in metal frames, open common areas and exposed raw concrete support pillars.
Even with the recent additional expenses needed to accommodate the influx of tenants, Caldwell said he expects the building will generate money for the church this year.

When I mentioned that OKC got it worse than Tulsa, I should have elaborated a bit more. OKC core (center of downtown) got it WAY worse than Tulsa did. The Pei plan literally flattened several blocks in the center of town (where Devon tower is now) that for the better part of two decades were parking lots (and the Myriad Gardens so not a total loss). The center of Tulsa was generally spared this destruction. However, the periphery of the core in Tulsa was devastated. Hence the parking crater contest win. I would dare to say that not near as much history was lost as with the Pei plan debacle, but still it was significant in that it literally cut the vein and made Tulsa more disconnected. Only now is that starting to heal (not south of downtown unfortunately). OKC was able to maintain a large amount of building stock in the areas immediately surrounding the downtown core.

So in short, Tulsa snipped it's veins, OKC blew up its heart.

Downtown officials and business owners discussed a concern Wednesday that could lead to parking enforcement past 5 p.m. in some parts of downtown.
Currently, metered spots are free and clear after 5 p.m. as downtown workers head home.
The concern is that in several years, as a number of housing developments fill up, people coming home to downtown will anchor spots in front of businesses from 5 p.m. through the next morning.
The discussion came at a Downtown Coordinating Council meeting, where future issues facing downtown such as parking are frequently a topic.
The solution — although it wouldn’t be necessary for several years — may be to extend parking enforcement in certain areas past 5 p.m., said Libby Billings, vice chairwoman of the Downtown Coordinating Council.
“I’m not advocating that we extend it past 5 o’clock yet,” Billings said. “It’s just that I think that as the Deco District is so densely populated with homes … that we will get to a point where people who don’t work downtown but do live downtown figure out the system.”
William Franklin, a DCC member who owns Decopolis at 502 S. Boston Ave., said parking issues such as this have evolved over the past decade.
“Ten years ago, you could go down Boston Avenue in the evening and there was hardly any cars,” he said. “Now, there’s more and more, and we’re noticing that they’re moving less and less.”
Billings, who owns Elote Cafe and Catering at 514 S. Boston Ave., said the issue would, at first, only be a problem on blocks like hers where residents and nighttime businesses coexist.
City Councilor Blake Ewing said he envisions the potential problem growing along with downtown, but only a few blocks would be affected for years to come.
“The anticipated problem is that as more people move downtown and have to find a place to keep their car overnight that they end up parking curbside on the street,” Ewing said. “Then the businesses and retailers who do business after 5 p.m. don’t have ample parking for customers.”
Ewing said districts such as Blue Dome and Brady shouldn’t ever run into that issue, so would likely not be affected.
“The real hope is to drive people — the long-term parkers — to the parking garages,” Ewing said. “The on-street parking system is generally designed to support come-and-go business.”

Downtown business owners contemplating future parking enforcement past 5 p.m.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/downtown-business-owners-contemplating-future-parking-enforcement-past-p-m/article_9c9b8fd0-6763-5ed7-93b2-0b6260800e3f.html (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/downtown-business-owners-contemplating-future-parking-enforcement-past-p-m/article_9c9b8fd0-6763-5ed7-93b2-0b6260800e3f.html)

This type of discussion has come up on these boards before. Night parking meters seems like an inevitability in the denser parts of downtown. Personally I have never had issues parking within a block of Decopolis, Elote, Mods, etc. Even during big events downtown, it seems easy to find street parking at night within a few blocks (Mayfest, parade, etc).

I wish they could come up with a way to distinguish the resident cars from the occasional customers. Or just have much lower parking meter rates with a 3-4 hour limit at night to discourage overnight parking but not discourage customers.

Downtown business owners contemplating future parking enforcement past 5 p.m.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/downtown-business-owners-contemplating-future-parking-enforcement-past-p-m/article_9c9b8fd0-6763-5ed7-93b2-0b6260800e3f.html (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/downtown-business-owners-contemplating-future-parking-enforcement-past-p-m/article_9c9b8fd0-6763-5ed7-93b2-0b6260800e3f.html)

This type of discussion has come up on these boards before. Night parking meters seems like an inevitability in the denser parts of downtown. Personally I have never had issues parking within a block of Decopolis, Elote, Mods, etc. Even during big events downtown, it seems easy to find street parking at night within a few blocks (Mayfest, parade, etc).

I wish they could come up with a way to distinguish the resident cars from the occasional customers. Or just have much lower parking meter rates with a 3-4 hour limit at night to discourage overnight parking but not discourage customers.

That's probably a nationwide trend especially in many large city central core parking.  There are parking garages going up in OKC faster than you can blink.  Some of these structures aren't very pretty.
 
In Bricktown, one of the largest surface parking lots is set to be developed as a 7-story parking structure with ground level retail.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CX-jmnPUEAArl7N.jpg)
Could this be the new trend in Tulsa & OKC for design approval.

Personally, I've never been a fan of parking garages.  Have had to get adjusted to parking garages because of the time spent at the OU Medical Center research area.  Citizens want more sleek exterior decor with the garages.

If you're going to build a parking garage making it look like that or wrapping it with offices/apartments is the way to go.  Downtown Tulsa could use something similar near Blue Dome to free up development of the remaining surface lots.  The block between Detroit/Elgin and 4th/5th is a good location for such a garage with retail on all sides especially Elgin.

Massive building renovations in Brady District near completion

Photo gallery: 19 downtown development projects you should know about

All told, it’s taken three years of careful planning and hard construction to get the Hotel Fox and Universal Ford buildings back into shape, said Anne Pollard James, property manager for the buildings.

But now, those efforts are paying off.

“It’s been exciting to see this building spring up and get populated,” James said.

The new entrepreneurial incubator 36 Degrees North is about to mark its grand opening Monday, although it’s just one component among restaurants, apartments and other office space.

The George Kaiser Family Foundation acquired the buildings along Main Street between M.B. Brady and Cameron streets, and the $16 million conversion began January of last year.

Although traditional businesses make up much of the conversion, some of it has been set aside to support the area’s artistic and young entrepreneur communities, James said.

The most visible portion of that is the 11,500-square-foot, sprawling business hub of 36 Degrees North, which takes up much of the Universal Ford building’s first floor. Dustin Curzon, executive director of the program, said it’s quickly reached its initial goals even before it opened.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “We wanted 100 members, and I think we’ll hit that number on Monday.”

Open to all workers looking for advice, work space or both, 36 Degrees North features flexible spaces for workers to occasionally drop in, hold a specific desk or occupy a small office in exchange for a monthly fee, Curzon said.

Among the first companies now operating out of 36 Degrees North are four local employees of Mozilla, a developer of software including the Firefox web browser; Mother Road Travel, a new shuttle bus service that takes people between Tulsa and Oklahoma City; Shipzen, a Tulsa and Los Angeles-based maker of warehouse logistics software; and Resolute PR.

Curzon said the space was designed to provide private spaces, including a Skype room and space for breastfeeding, as well as collaboration in its lounge areas and conference rooms — one of which was carved out of a former freight elevator.

“A lot of the people here have worked out of coffee shops, and they’ve been telling me they appreciate being around other people,” he said. “They had no idea there were people doing these kinds of work in Tulsa.”

The space will also host regular workshops on various aspects of running a business, and various professionals from outside areas, including Silicon Valley, have offered to become mentors, Curzon said.

“We want to connect Tulsa to the greater economic community around the world,” he said.

Both buildings also have apartments built above them — 23 above the Ford building and eight above the Fox. James said some of these have been reserved for the Kaiser Foundation’s Teach for America and Tulsa Artists Fellowship programs, but all of them have been rented out.

“We’ve got some people living here who work downstairs,” she said. “That’s a short commute.”

One of the tenants is Nathan Young, a multimedia artist who focuses on Native American imagery. Although the Tulsa Artists Fellowship gave him the option to fulfill his residency in his hometown of Tahlequah, he said he gladly moved into a studio apartment in the Ford Building.

“I wanted to be here with all the other artists,” he said. “The art studios nearby are amazing.”

The apartments range from 500 to 900 square feet, and rent for between $1.15 and $1.20 per square foot. James said the goal was to make the spaces affordable.

The Ford apartments retain the wide banks of windows from the original construction, along with exposed wires and the original raw concrete columns. By contrast, the Fox apartments have more discrete windows and wood trim for a more traditional feel.

Of the three restaurants, Antoinette Baking Co. became the first tenant of the development in October when the bakery moved from its Brookside location.

Molly Martin, co-founder of the bakery, said the move allowed them to triple the size of their kitchen and include more mixers and a walk-in kitchen. They’ve also been able to increase Antoinette’s already-considerable following.

“There’s been a great energy, and we’ve gotten a lot of new customers,” she said.

Upscale eatery The Tavern, part of the McNellie’s Group of restaurants, was a tenant before the conversion and temporarily moved to 305 E. Archer St. as renovations progressed.

While much of the new Tavern will be familiar to long-time diners, it now has an additional 5,000 square feet for an expanded kitchen, private dining rooms and a wine cellar.

And although McNellie’s Group employees decline to publicly acknowledge it, rumors persist of a new speakeasy-style lounge with a piano in the space behind Antoinette.

The last of the three restaurants, the Prairie Artisan Ales brew pub, is still slated to open in February, James said. The pub is the brainchild of R Bar developers Paul Sorrentino, Josh Royal and Bill Grant.

The beer taps, which will include 20 different kinds of beer made in-house and five guest taps for local beers, will circle around a giant wine barrel. The space will retain the white floor tile from when the building was originally constructed 110 years ago.

Finally, an array of established businesses will have offices with a shared common space above the Fox building, including Art Alliance Tulsa, Lilly Architecture — the architecture firm behind the Ford and Fox renovation, and James’ own office, Pollard & Associates Realtors.

robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/realestate/massive-building-renovations-in-brady-district-near-completion/article_77b063ab-2108-5b39-abaa-0129c266336d.html?mode=story

And although McNellie’s Group employees decline to publicly acknowledge it, rumors persist of a new speakeasy-style lounge with a piano in the space behind Antoinette.

Upscale eatery The Tavern, part of the McNellie’s Group of restaurants, was a tenant before the conversion and temporarily moved to 305 E. Archer St. as renovations progressed.

While much of the new Tavern will be familiar to long-time diners, it now has an additional 5,000 square feet for an expanded kitchen, private dining rooms and a wine cellar.

I've dined there once and had dessert & drinks at "The Lounge" on a couple occasions.  It is a fantastic addition to downtown Tulsa.  The staff told me when I called to make a reservation opening weekend there would be no website, no social media, no marketing of any kind.  They want it truly word of mouth.  There isn't a real sign in the alley, just a bronze bull hanging above the door.  It's a pricey meal, but if you can scrape together $100 a plate it is worth it. 

If the $20 fish & chip FAIL I had at The Tavern the other night is any indication, I think I’ll pass on $100 a plate in the speakeasy.

McNellie’s Group has cool spaces, great drinks, and usually really good service.  But their food is consistently very pedestrian no matter the concept.

Their burgers and fries are awesome. I also love the deviled egg trio. I think this bad experience was an exception. I've always had great food there and have only heard good things from there. The Lounge was also very good even though it was somewhat pricy.

Maybe they did have an off night in the kitchen, this is the exact reason you need to hit your marks every night.  You get one chance to impress a first time visitor and there’s a ton of competition in the Tulsa market.  Most people won’t say anything, they simply won’t return.

You get one chance to impress a first time visitor and there’s a ton of competition in the Tulsa market. 

Maybe they did have an off night in the kitchen, this is the exact reason you need to hit your marks every night.  You get one chance to impress a first time visitor and there’s a ton of competition in the Tulsa market.  Most people won’t say anything, they simply won’t return.

I feel like a lot of people think things are good because they are expensive. 

Its the same thing with beer and wine.

The Tavern isn't expensive depending on what you get, especially after 10pm (burger and friess is $6.50). Last couple times I went, the total for 2 was $30-$40 including drinks and a meal. Nowhere near places like Juniper or the Chalkboard.

It is priced about right for the quality which is a bit better than most places.


You cannot seriously believe Bud/Miller/Coors are anywhere even close to the quality of craft breweries like Prairie, Marshall, COOP or Left Hand! Most of those aren't even expensive ($8-$10/6-pack). The worst craft beers are still far better than the rice-brews Bud puts out.

If you don't like craft beer, that is one thing, but don't falsely claim that a $0.50/can of mass-produced beer is anywhere close to as good as the $1+ brews.

I'm not really a miller guy.  But Bud and Coors make good lagers.  There is a reason why they have been around for 140+ years. It is just declining in popularity vs other craft styles.  Maybe sometime we can have a beer and you can tell me about craft beer.

TULSA, Oklahoma - Downtown Tulsa's many different districts have a lot to offer people who live there and a lot for those who visit.
But many of those areas are spread too far apart, especially for pedestrians; but there is a new plan to better connect the Brady and Greenwood districts.

There is no arguing the Brady and Greenwood districts are booming, unfortunately, a lack of walkability has caused some to miss hidden gems, like the John Hope Franklin Park, but that’s about to change.

Program Officer with the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Aaron Miller, said, “Streetscaping has really built up this neighborhood. It has made it feel warm and inviting and welcoming.”

The view of Guthrie Green from Cincinnati and Cameron is top notch, but that stops once you try to venture across Cincinnati.

Traffic whizzes by and crosswalks are all but absent, so the area will get a brand new streetscape, paid for by portions of property and sales taxes in the Brady District.

It will bring pedestrians directly and safely to John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park and the front door of the Greenwood District.

John Hope Franklin Executive Director, Jocelyn Lee Payne said, “Tulsa is becoming a walking city, and we appreciate that and we are happy to be on one of the most busy connecting places and busy thoroughfares of the city.”

The sidewalks along Cameron will be widened with dozens of streetlights and trees; angled parking spots will also be included.

Payne said, “So, if we get them down this pretty lighted street and to the intersection of Cameron and Detroit, then they get to play dodge car.”

But not anymore. With the plan, there will be street lighting on the corner and brand new crosswalks, making it easier and safer for people to get to the park.

“It is a shame people don’t realize when they're visiting the Guthrie Green, that they are only one block away from this treasure,” Miller said.

There are plans for similar streetscaping all the way down Brady and along Cheyenne, eventually connecting to the BOK Center, but the details are still being ironed out.

“In order to attract more tourists and new residents downtown, walkability is the key factor,” Miller said.

The park has a number of events and performances scheduled for the months ahead.

Construction on the connector is set to begin around January and be wrapped up by the end of April.

I did not see this posted on here and wanted to share especially since the construction is set to begin soon and some might want to know about the road construction in the Brady District:

New Plan Aims To Better Connect Downtown Tulsa Districts

http://www.newson6.com/story/30591367/new-plan-aims-to-better-connect-downtown-tulsa-districts (http://www.newson6.com/story/30591367/new-plan-aims-to-better-connect-downtown-tulsa-districts)

Sounds like good changes! I agree that Cameron in front of the Gypsy could use a facelift and better connect the 2 parks. The future plans to connect Brady and the BOK center with a walkable streetscape will be great (Could encourage more bicycling/walking and pedicabs to bring more BOK Center patrons to Brady).

This is awesome. Walking around the Brady can be dicey sometimes, especially when workers from the BOK tower leave. I imagine soon there will be new crosswalk signs like there are in Brookside now, since pretty much no one yields to pedestrians in the crosswalks. 

And I'm glad to see Cheyenne is being spruced up too! It will make walking to the BOK a much more pleasant experience.

I hope they don't pull up the bricks on Cheyenne Ave.

They should restore the bricks in Brady and Greenwood where ever possible.

Elgin and Greenwood also could use some good creative street scaping to connect OneOk Field with the Blue Dome District.  I say "creative" because crossing train tracks seems awkward, but pretty it up and add better lighting and it'll create a more walkable environment between two big districts.

I thought there was a plan in place for that at some point, once all the development has been completed in the area. 

They worked on the intersection at 1st and Elgin last year and I think widened the sidewalk going north.  The apartments will take up a large part of that and I'm hoping will provide streetscaping from the tracks to the ballpark.  Then its just the dirt parking lot behind McNellies and the white building that looks like it houses some city vehicles or something.  I think the biggest thing is to ease the senses while crossing the tracks.

Any chance a bridge is ever built at Elgin? 

No.

First, it would have to start at Archer on the north, and 1st on the south, cutting a good number of properties off from access to any road. Second, it would be expensive. And third, it would utterly disrupt the urban landscape with a block long stretch of nothingness.

A pedestrian bridge wouldn’t require that much of a run-up though.  I’m envisioning something similar to ones crossing I-244 east of downtown and 56th & Harvard.

Anyone have a billion $?

I'd love if they could go vertical and add a couple of floors to the bankruptcy court with consistent architecture.  It's and awesome building.

Pedestrian bridges tend to look ghetto (IMO).
There's usually either chain-link or graffiti involved

Ideally the railway would be sunk / cut into the ground (like the south leg of the IDL)..   the crossing roads/bridges wouldn't need the huge elevation changes / runs.. which essentially kill road/sidewalk access from those streets  (the parking garages use the bridges as ramps to get to their 2nd levels).    Would also help with noise abatement.
Anyone have a billion $?

which bldg is this?

They don't have to
(http://www.veritassteel.com/images/DesMoines-IA-44th-bridge.jpg)

They don't have to
(http://www.veritassteel.com/images/DesMoines-IA-44th-bridge.jpg)

Michael Overall: 3 things downtown Tulsa still needs

Watching downtown revitalization is kind of like finding gray hairs in the mirror. If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be seeing so much of it, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I knew, of course, it was bound to happen. Eventually. But not so soon. Not so fast.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m very happy about it. The revitalization, I mean. But it takes some getting used to, after putting so much time and energy into complaining about downtown. It was virtually a hobby of mine — a day just didn’t feel complete without some snide remark about tumbleweeds outnumbering pedestrians on Main Street, or passing a vacant Art Deco masterpiece and mentioning what a great parking lot it was going to make someday.

I miss that thrill of self-righteous indignation. So for old time’s sake, let me suggest a few things that, despite all the progress, downtown still doesn’t have.

I won’t mention a brew pub, because we have not one but two set to open soon in the Brady District. And a grocery store appears to be on the horizon. I’m talking about things that still seem hopelessly far off. Although who knows what Tulsa will see when it looks in the mirror 10 years from now.

1. A third convention-sized hotel: The Tulsa World recently counted no fewer than five hotel projects under construction or in the advanced stages of planning. But we’ll still be left with only two that have more than 400 rooms, the magic number for attracting business conventions. Tourism officials believe we could support a third one and that it would make Tulsa an attractive option for bigger events.

2. Affordable family housing: Downtown Tulsa will have more than 2,100 housing units by the end of this year, according to a recent estimate from the Downtown Coordinating Council. But the vast majority of apartments are either too small or too expensive for the average family. The age demographic pretty much skips straight from young and single to retired empty-nesters. It’s time to share downtown with the rest of us.

3. Retail shopping: Yes, there is some shopping already, and more on the way — most notably at the upcoming Boxyard development at Third Street and Frankfort Avenue. But most of these retailers are hoping to capture foot traffic from people who have come downtown for something else — maybe for work or for dinner or for a concert. Downtown is a long way from competing with Utica Square or Brookside as a destination for shoppers.

It will happen. Eventually. I just hope I’m not totally gray by then.

michael.overall@tulsaworld.com

We've been saying these same things true...but he missed our need for a real transportation option in downtown. The ridiculous weekend MTTA party bus does not fulfill our need. If we can create a park and ride solution then the surface parking lots can become a thing of the past.

SantaFe Square should bring a lot of retail options right?
I'd like to see some basic retail needs filled with an urban Target or other home store for downtown dwellers.

We've been saying these same things true...but he missed our need for a real transportation option in downtown. The ridiculous weekend MTTA party bus does not fulfill our need. If we can create a park and ride solution then the surface parking lots can become a thing of the past.

Santa Fe Square should add more retail to make it more of a destination/retail hub if they succeed. However, didn't the BOK tower used to be somewhat of a mall back when they had the ice skating rink and it all declined and went under after the 80's oil bust and now is still mostly empty? If there is a demand to put a lot of retail downtown (enough to justify the $200+ million Santa Fe Square development), why wouldn't the BOK tower work? Tons of empty retail/office space downtown as-is. Existing parking garage which is under-utilized during weekends and within a few blocks of many of the new apartments going in.

I can understand the Boxyard (Cheaper and more versatile to allow for unique startups, similar to the "Made"/pop-up stores at 5th and Boston) and on a scale which fits the area right now. Santa Fe Square looks great and would definitely improve the walkability of the area. I wonder if it is too much for the near future.

I was told the old skating rink and mall area was turned into office/tech space.  No idea if that is correct or not.  The rink managed to hang on into the 1990’s, I don’t recall though when it finally closed.

Downtown was pretty much at the pit of its decline in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s when the Williams Forum opened.  Seems like they also had a movie theater there.

It was a great idea which was either 35 years after or before it’s time.

Can confirm that the former BOK tower mall and ice-skating) were converted to office space aprox 20 years ago.
It's been remodeled a handful of times since the the mall.

The former food court and ice-rink is now a cafeteria/dining, fitness center, and a credit union.   This area flooded a few years ago from a water main break..  which also knocked out power to a good chunk of downtown

Two retail stores remain from the mall days.   A Halmark store, and a Florist.

It's all somewhat "public" space.  Connected to the hotel via a sky bridge...   which connects to 302 S Boston via parking garage and tunnel...   which connects to the MidCon tower via tunnel..

Thanks for the history and info! I guess it won't really be a great option for converting back to a mall, but it still would be cheaper than a brand new $200+ million development if the owners ever wanted to diversify again. If I were them I would at least talk to some retail experts and potentially Nelson about creating destination retail downtown.

There is so much wasted potential downtown and then a lot of developments get thrown out because they are cost-prohibitive (I could see Santa Fe being scaled back substantially, especially the parking garage). Meanwhile there is still plenty of unused building space and empty lots owned by people wanting to cash in years down the line.

Santa Fe Square should add more retail to make it more of a destination/retail hub if they succeed. However, didn't the BOK tower used to be somewhat of a mall back when they had the ice skating rink and it all declined and went under after the 80's oil bust and now is still mostly empty? If there is a demand to put a lot of retail downtown (enough to justify the $200+ million Santa Fe Square development), why wouldn't the BOK tower work? Tons of empty retail/office space downtown as-is. Existing parking garage which is under-utilized during weekends and within a few blocks of many of the new apartments going in.

I can understand the Boxyard (Cheaper and more versatile to allow for unique startups, similar to the "Made"/pop-up stores at 5th and Boston) and on a scale which fits the area right now. Santa Fe Square looks great and would definitely improve the walkability of the area. I wonder if it is too much for the near future.

Also worth noting - The Boxcars is NOT a cheaper development. From what I have heard, they will be the most expensive retail spaces downtown, and rivaling the most expensive retail spaces in town.

One of the main reasons there is a renaissance in people moving back to downtown and a lot of us new shops and restaurants opening is because we want to live in and help create enjoyable, walkable, pedestrian friendly urban spaces, on the streets and sidewalks like you can see everywhere else on the planet.  An indoor, suburban style shopping mall disconnected from any street life is the antithesis of that and what we want to get away from.  70's and 80s downtown buildings and developments were a bomb for a reason imho.  The fad was to "turn your back back to and hide away inside from the scary old city/world outside" ala Logans Run.  That's NOT what people want in a downtown anymore.  What they do want are real cities that look like and work like real cities.

I agree, but Woodland Hills Mall and Utica Square are suburban style malls that are filled with cars and shoppers while many downtown retail places remain somewhat sparse. There is still a big market for a suburban style malls in Tulsa and based on the downsizing/purchase of Williams and talk of a brand new $200 million investment (even if it focuses on outside), making that space into a premium mall could siphon some of those dollars from other malls around the area and create a unique experience that those couldn't compete with. It could bring in a different demographic and boost downtown a bit more. There are only so many people in Tulsa who want a real vibrant/walkable downtown. Most just want certain stores and easy parking (which the BOK Tower has, especially on weekends). With the BOK center, many more of those people make it to downtown and a mall would give them an excuse to stick around.

...making that space into a premium mall could siphon some of those dollars from other malls around the area and create a unique experience that those couldn't compete with. It could bring in a different demographic and boost downtown a bit more. There are only so many people in Tulsa who want a real vibrant/walkable downtown. Most just want certain stores and easy parking (which the BOK Tower has, especially on weekends). With the BOK center, many more of those people make it to downtown and a mall would give them an excuse to stick around.

Another difference that's being overlooked, though, is that Santa Fe Square is not a mall. It's a 600,000 square foot mixed-use project with 80,000 square feet of retail space. Retail only makes up 13.3% of the development.

The remaining 86.6% is composed of: a) A 105-room hotel; b) 170,000 square feet of office space; c) 291 apartments; and d) a 1450-stall parking garage.

Another difference that's being overlooked, though, is that Santa Fe Square is not a mall. It's a 600,000 square foot mixed-use project with 80,000 square feet of retail space. Retail only makes up 13.3% of the development.

The remaining 86.6% is composed of: a) A 105-room hotel; b) 170,000 square feet of office space; c) 291 apartments; and d) a 1450-stall parking garage.

The retail might only make up 13.3% of the development, but if it is anything like urban centers around the country, often times the street-facing retail in dense urban areas pay the majority of the rent of 3-4 story buildings. In one place I stayed at in West Village, the upper 3 floors of a small 4-story corner building rented for about $4000/month while the bottom floor was over $20k/mo.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. What happens in Manhattan real estate generally doesn't translate to the rest of the continent.

I am talking about proportions, not just the dollar amount. I said " often times the street-facing retail in dense urban areas pay the majority of the rent of 3-4 story buildings." That is true in many cities. My apologies for listing West Village as an example, but the point was ground floor retail brought in more than the upper 3 stories for the same square footage. Obviously Tulsa is not at that density yet and will be far lower dollar amounts.

The BOK Tower is also not a mall. It is also mixed use.

There still remains plenty of vacant office and retail space downtown and although the demand for hotels remains high at peak times, there are 5+ planned. I am all for it and hope it gets built. I was just wondering why existing retail spaces won't work. I see plenty of vacant store fronts facing the streets all around downtown and plenty of listings for retail/office space.

For retail to work downtown you will need both a concentration of it and foot traffic.  
 

Balderdash!!!
All you need is a massive monolithic structure and acres and acres of surface parking which 75% goes un-used 99% of the year.

I would imagine it would nearly be inverse here. Rents downtown I would guess start around $1.50/sq/ft/month. $1,000 for about 700 sq ft sounds about right if not on the low. It obviously goes up from there. To equate to commercial space that is $18/sf. That's topping out in most cases for most buildings downtown I would think. I understand what you are saying, but the dynamics in Tulsa are no where near that scanario. In Bartlesville it's even more exacerbated. I remember several years ago they couldn't find takers for downtown commercial space @ $7/sf on the main street. At the same time residential space above those same spaces were going for over $12/sf. There seems to be a far greater demand for residential space downtown than commercial it would seem. Hopefully that bodes well for both communities.

I would imagine it would nearly be inverse here. Rents downtown I would guess start around $1.50/sq/ft/month. $1,000 for about 700 sq ft sounds about right if not on the low. It obviously goes up from there. To equate to commercial space that is $18/sf. That's topping out in most cases for most buildings downtown I would think. I understand what you are saying, but the dynamics in Tulsa are no where near that scanario. In Bartlesville it's even more exacerbated. I remember several years ago they couldn't find takers for downtown commercial space @ $7/sf on the main street. At the same time residential space above those same spaces were going for over $12/sf. There seems to be a far greater demand for residential space downtown than commercial it would seem. Hopefully that bodes well for both communities.

I hate to quote myself, but I just wanted to expand somewhat. The most recent development in downtown Bartlesville is the renovation of an old two store commercial building. It will include both commercial downstairs and residential up. BUT nearly 30% of the first floor will be residential as well. So in effect, the developers are trying to maximize residential space (higher returns) and making the commercial spaces much smaller, which also seems to be a vary desired trait in our area. Many businesses cannot afford to rent 2,000 + square feet, but they can handle 500 and it's really better for them anyway.

This is just a further illustration that residential is in higher demand downtown than commercial. Again, this can be a good thing. More rooftops downtown will lead to more demand for retail and services in the end.

And on the mall front. William (correctly) keeps pointing out that a slew of retail in a focused area is a necessity. Which is exactly what a mall is (minus acres of parking lots). If we could just divorce the two and make it a new age mall what is the problem with that. Think Southlake Square or any other modern mall. Or is that not something that could be worked into the framework of an existing downtown. I am being serious. Aside from the obvious issue of it being nearly impossible to acquire the amount of contiguous land to make something like that happen, what about this is bad for a truly urban area?

I will certainly agree that Tulsa seems to have a disjointed development pattern. Hopefully in the future it will all come together. Of course part of me likes having all the unique districts. New York has the same. There are stretches (even in Manhattan) that are more residential in nature and far less of a draw to the shopper in between the high impact shopping areas. It doesn't mean those areas are any less important. But for Tulsa (specifically inside the IDL) even the different districts seem to be sort of all over the place. There isn't a Cherry Street/Brookside going through any one of them, stuff is spread all over. Is this good or bad?

The most recent development in downtown Bartlesville is the renovation of an old two store commercial building. It will include both commercial downstairs and residential up. BUT nearly 30% of the first floor will be residential as well. So in effect, the developers are trying to maximize residential space (higher returns) and making the commercial spaces much smaller, which also seems to be a vary desired trait in our area.

They may also want residential on the ground floor due to ADA requirements.  Depending on how many units they have, putting residential on the ground floor allows you to provide accessible units without installing elevators, etc to make the upper units ADA compliant.  I'm not sure if the ADA requirement for % of accessible residential applies when you're converting an old building, but I'm pretty sure it applies when you're building new ones if you exceed a certain number of units.

You also seem to acknowledge that having a slew of retail in a focused area would be helpful for retail, but then wonder if having "stuff spread all over" is good or bad?  

Does anyone know what is going in the old Mason's place in the Brady? They're finally removing stuff after the bar sat closed for a couple months. The location has a nice patio but it's hard to sit there with the people puffing on their cigars next door.

Did they close? Not open very long.

They were there a couple years and I am surprised it lasted that long. They originally sold Masons as a sports bar. "Great!" I thought, "Just what downtown needs!" I gave it multiple shots, but the food was bad and the beer selection was awful and we thought they made lousy mixed drinks as well (the whole trifecta!). They served me cold wings and it took a long time. Furthermore, the atmosphere was lacking and it was always mostly empty. Lots of wasted space and most the TVs were not on sports, even during a big football game day. Then I went there about a year ago and they said they hadn't had food in a long time. How is it a sports bar if they don't have food? 

If they would've just had a mediocre sports bar, they would've done great. It was awful and everything they did, they did poorly or completely failed to do.

Now Leftys has been great every time I've been there. It is on the opposite end of the spectrum: Plenty of TVs with sports on, amazing atmosphere, really good food and their mixed drinks were good also.

Lefty's wasn't going to be a sports bar either but I think they are seeing the light.......

Did they close? Not open very long.

I must have hit Lefty’s on an off day.  Their breaded pork sandwich was really dreadful.

City plans major road rehab, will make Cheyenne and Boulder avenues downtown two-way
Projects will take place in phases over the coming years.

Posted: Friday, February 12, 2016 12:01 am | Updated: 1:18 am, Fri Feb 12, 2016.
By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer | 3 comments
Boulder and Cheyenne avenues downtown will change to two-way streets in coming years, city officials said Thursday.
The reconstruction and rehabilitation of both roadways will include work on sidewalks and infrastructure, incorporating aspects of the city’s Complete Streets policy, said Paul Zachary, the city’s director of engineering services.
Connectivity along the corridor from downtown to Veterans Park and the Arkansas River would be multimodal, including access for cars, bicycles, pedestrians and public transit.
The change to two-way traffic would help access between downtown and the Gathering Place for Tulsa park on Riverside Drive, Zachary said.
The Complete Streets design elements also include landscaping and lighting.
Zachary reported to Tulsa city councilors that the road construction and signs would be done in several phases.
The start date for downtown road construction will depend on getting final decisions on the approach to the project, but Zachary said work is slated to begin this year on Fifth Street, with additional phases taking at least several years to complete.
If approved as currently designed, Boulder Avenue and then Cheyenne Avenue would change to two-way configurations from First Street to 10th Street.
The plan came from traffic studies performed in 1997 that cited the need for Boulder Avenue to be two-way due to parking facilities and general downtown access, Zachary said.
“It specifically identified Boulder Avenue as a two-way, two-lane street in each direction,” he said.
Recent studies on traffic counts have backed up the nearly 20-year-old study, Zachary said.
Zachary said the funding comes substantially from the Improve Our Tulsa tax but would include other sources.

"The plan came from traffic studies performed in 1997 that cited the need for Boulder Avenue to be two-way due to parking facilities and general downtown access, Zachary said."

It took 20 years for them to implement a street repair?

Sadly, once they make the streets two way, it appears they leave the timing "one way."  Because if you drive on the new direction, you'll hit every red light on every block.  Why can't downtown just have sensors like other intersections in town, so if you're the only vehicle there at 10 PM on a Tuesday, you don't have to sit through all the lights?

It's so you can window-shop while you are stopped at the intersections.  It's a retailer conspiracy.

It also give one time to answer their text messages.

Sadly, once they make the streets two way, it appears they leave the timing "one way."  Because if you drive on the new direction, you'll hit every red light on every block.

 Why can't downtown just have sensors like other intersections in town, so if you're the only vehicle there at 10 PM on a Tuesday, you don't have to sit through all the lights?

How would you have them timed when there is traffic in both directions?  I don't believe it possible to keep both directions moving at the same time.

You use sensors (that respond to bikes, too).  That way, when there's lots of southbound traffic, the lights stay green longer in that direction.  When there's lots of northbound traffic, the lights stay green longer in that direction, etc, etc.  Typically downtown traffic has a primary flow at any given time.  People are either coming in or going out based on workday schedule, concerts, ballgames, etc.  Why not just respond to these natural ebbs and flows as they occur, rather than relying on timers?

For sheer entertainment value, they should just remove all of the controls like they do in many European intersections. A default rule ("priority of the right") is used to sort out responsibility for the damages. This has the advantage of being far more libertarian than Big Gubmint traffic control devices. Incidentally, we already have that as a default rule, but almost no one is aware of it. 47 OS Sec. 11-401(B) provides that "When two vehicles enter or approach an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, except as provided in subsection A of this section, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right." Subsection A establishes a hierarchy of different roads, with the highways having priority over county roads, etc. Since downtown streets look about the same, we don't need to fuss over such details. Just let 'er rip and sell tickets.

Merchants could provide sidewalk cafe tables so that customers could enjoy the demolition derby...

Seriously, the advantage to going 2-way on a street with one-way synchronization is that drivers at least have the option of going the other way if it is more convenient than going two or more blocks out of their way. They have to stop, but not for very long. Meanwhile, traffic flow is still facilitated by the synchronized lights, assuming that the city bothers to maintain them.

It took 20 years for Charles Hardt to retire.  Years ago, the quote I heard was that he said he would change downtown streets to two-way "over my dead body."  So, yay, he finally retired.  Now the constraint is $$.  Over the years, there's been some 3rd Penny sales tax money for this, but only enough to do a couple streets at a time.  As it turns out, installing signalized intersections and signage is ridiculously expensive, and you have to do this at every block.  

Sadly, once they make the streets two way, it appears they leave the timing "one way."  Because if you drive on the new direction, you'll hit every red light on every block.  Why can't downtown just have sensors like other intersections in town, so if you're the only vehicle there at 10 PM on a Tuesday, you don't have to sit through all the lights?

How would you have them timed when there is traffic in both directions?  I don't believe it possible to keep both directions moving at the same time.
Downtown does not  have a monopoly on waiting at a light with no traffic.  The traffic lights on Memorial between 101st and 111th often let scores of nonexistent cars out of shopping areas while traffic on Memorial waits.

I fear it will soon be like that all the way to 151st since someone in the City of Bixby seems hell bent on installing traffic lights every 150 feet along Memorial.

It also gives one time to answer their text messages.

How would you have them timed when there is traffic in both directions?  I don't believe it possible to keep both directions moving at the same time.

Isn't that supposed to be illegal now?   Guess not...I see just as many texting as before...

Between 91st & 111th on Memorial is bucking awful.  I feel sorry for people who have to drive that every day.

Between 91st & 111th on Memorial is bucking awful.  I feel sorry for people who have to drive that every day.

I'll never understand why they made Boulder a one way street, it makes no sense.

It reminds me of living in Houston in the early 90s.  Westheimer between 610 westbound to Gessner.  Every 200 feet a signal.  And this was on a (mainly) eight lane (yes, eight) arterial.

Team Soundpony posted the following on their Facebook page (http://"https://www.facebook.com/TeamSoundpony") yesterday:

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(https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/12742388_1153081404703429_7559651848541262366_n.png?oh=010ab6e3e50a7b4df9d91292ef0af788&oe=576C67B9)

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Here are a few photos, so cyclists can dream of other places to live...

(http://www.accidentalurbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/image2-e1456169489426-1024x742.jpg)

Just like how gun control laws in certain states have been so useful at curbing gun violence with those specific types of weapons.  ::)

Someone mentioned in the Meridia page wondering why the Hilton Garden Inn project was so far behind... I think I figured out why. It's grown significantly in scale, will now be 15 stories and include 50+ apartments.

(http://s7.postimg.org/gi0cuglkr/Screen_Shot_2016_03_22_at_6_01_10_PM.png)

From GH2's website:

HILTON GARDEN INN

Collaborating with our client, the Hilton brand and community stakeholders, we designed this iconic downtown urban development as an adaptive reuse of a prominent, busy corner in Downtown Tulsa.

When complete, this dynamic structure will house both a Hilton Garden Inn and 53 upper-scale apartments, within a total of 309,150 SF and 15 stories. The available amenities, including an indoor pool and spa, fitness center, bar and dining area, and meeting rooms, will be shared between the hotel and apartments.

The building's design is inspired by its context within the heart of Tulsa's Downtown, an engaging architectural blend of both Tulsa's historical past and the newer, more contemporary BOK Center. A sky bridge on the north side of the building spans 2nd Street, connecting the hotel to a parking garage. We recently completed the Conceptual Design phase, and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2017.