The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I've seen this on other city forums, and thought it would be fun to look at the Arts District from above... the area is definitely going to look different here in a few years! I wasn't able to fit in the Vast Bank headquarters or the planned Edge apartments... they're too the east of the picture.

(https://i.imgur.com/8wicI6w.jpg)

This was my office view from 2008 to 2017. The baseball stadium had just broken ground and Guthrie Green was still an abandoned truck yard. The transformation was incredible to watch. I've since moved to the east side of the building overlooking the Blue Dome district. I can't want to watch Santa Fe Square go up, hopefully sometime rather soon.

This is awesome, thanks for doing it.

Looks like dirt is moving on WPX already? Or at least site prep/geo tech borings. Are they scheduled to do a formal groundbreaking?

The past five years have been all about the Brady/Arts District.  I think we’ll see continued growth there but that Blue Dome will be an even larger transformation over the next decade.

Curious at what point the property values will encourage companies like the dairy distribution and last few manufacturer reps and machining operations with warehouses to sell off and move elsewhere.

They might leave if they had to pay for on-street parking like the rest of us.

Incredible transformation. Do we know what the GKFF development is going to be yet? I've only heard speculation.

Any way you could expand the picture to show the east end around ONEOK Field?  I know that's considered Greenwood but there's a nice cluster of new and planned development over there.  Vast Bank, The View apartments and GreenArch II. 

There is also the planned developments at Main & Cameron including the TDA property (https://journalrecord.com/2019/09/24/developers-sought-for-1-acre-site-in-downtown-tulsa/) and the LA King property the Hanson Bros are planning to develop into a mixed-use project.

Whatever happened to this project at Main & Brady?  https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/historic-building-in-tulsa-arts-district-likely-will-face-demolition/article_69d063ce-2531-5154-9b2a-15e53aa921b7.html

^The Baird property got denied rezoning permission. They could still tear down the old station anytime they want. https://www.news9.com/story/38989726/caffey

Interesting, this would make for a really cool bar/restaurant space with an outdoor patio that kill it in this location

(https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/tulsaworld.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/d9/0d911919-1da6-5f09-9cb7-68431587d05b/5b847d81e52b7.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C758)

Agreed.  I would like to see a patio like the Mont in Norman.

Or it could subdivide into a really swanky T-Mobile and California Nails development.  ;D

That’s always been my dream for the Blue Dome building.  Add a bunch of trees/landscaping and wrought iron fence around it and it would be one of the best patios in town.  You could definitely do something similar here too.

I'll try expanding it here soon.. I can definitely take a picture of that side, not sure if in one continuous shot though!

Panorama?  It would be cool to see the same shot in 6 months and again in a year from now when Davenport Lofts is topped out, WPX is nearly topped out, Vast Bank is finished and Bob Dylan, GKFF and The View are well underway.  Hopefully some movement on the sites at Main & Cameron as well, which are some of the biggest holes left.  Those and the big surface lots on Archer between Boston and Detroit.  

Sapulpa has a refurbished retro gas station just off of its downtown that looks really sweet. It didn't look like much before the historical society got ahold of it and remodeled it to historic appearance. A bit of paint, stucco and some signage and you'd be surprised how much that corner could come alive. I still say I wouldn't have minded Baird's plans for it, but either way as long as it eventually comes back into being a public space someday.

Just drove through the area after lunch, WPX is indeed starting already. Lots of piers and foundations going in as we speak.

Davenport has jumped another level and has started on the next. Really starting to be noticeable now.

The GKFF project is just a dirt pit with no construction equipment on site at the moment. Maybe waiting for the next contractor to start?

SXSW asks, and I provide  ;D. Expanded to include the area around ONEOK Field. Think it'll be fun to look at progress pictures every 3 months or so!

(https://i.imgur.com/yMp2O37.jpg)

Awesome. Love seeing those surface parking lots go away!

Still some big ones left notably on Archer between Boston and Detroit, and the one on Main next to Coney Islander.

Are there any plans for the cool brick buildings next to The Gypsy at Cameron & Detroit?  I’ve always thought that would be a good spot for OSU to renovate and expand more into the Arts District.  Maybe something tech or research-related.  Its value definitely will increase once WPX is finished.

Thought this deserved a place in this thread

Proposals for the TDA lot at Cameron & Main (NW Corner).  Does anyone have additional info on the applicants?  I prefer the first one but would be fine with either, I can't stand that eyesore of a block.

(https://scontent.fapa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/103105940_718584032228909_303666024837070663_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=7X3uF7eQz6oAX-bajcH&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-2.fna&oh=2f646a926325958db3a8b0c710487e9b&oe=5F056601)

(https://scontent.fapa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/103067070_718584285562217_6847351982991044625_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=A70XWyJ7CK0AX9R3kK9&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-2.fna&oh=1f49e86679b2819786ead202c01e4f41&oe=5F0633B9)

First design looks nice. Modern+brick with big windows is a pretty timeless combo.

Second design looks heavily inspired by the late 60's... and not in a good way. The street level is good, and I like the abundance of parking decks, but the upper floors look like an old budget motel.

Either way, it's super exciting to finally see this space filled. With the other developments, this is now a huge area of continuous street life and development.

The first one looks pretty great. I kinda hate the second one.

I think you guys are crazy! That second one looks phenomenal, especially the building on the right with casement windows and a bit of streamline Art Deco style. That's the kind of bold architecture we need to make the Arts District have an even more unique flavor. That first photo looks about like any other downtown development anywhere in the country. Nice, but nothing memorable.

My favorite parts of OKC's downtown/midtown are in areas which have a bit of mid-century modern flair in the buildings, and that second design is a bit reminiscent of some of those. But it is probably the more expensive option and probably won't be built.

The building on the right isn't the problem. The main building is stacked on a parking garage and has all the beauty of the of Cimarex building, but with brick!. It's terrible.

https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/full-block-of-parking-property-sold-in-tulsa-arts-district-with-eye-for-redevelopment/article_bd758750-8ba2-11ed-a245-138165b30825.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Tulsa_World (https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/full-block-of-parking-property-sold-in-tulsa-arts-district-with-eye-for-redevelopment/article_bd758750-8ba2-11ed-a245-138165b30825.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Tulsa_World)

Interesting, they seem to be more of a land bank developer so I doubt there’s any redevelopment of this lot for awhile.  But when they have developed they are quality mixed-use projects.

In other Arts District news, I’ve heard the Safeway building behind Gypsy may finally be renovated into new office/retail space later this year.  that’s one of the last empty buildings in the district.

I heard something similar a few months back, but recently heard it was off.  Maybe it's back on again.

There was a plan to add apartments above the building that has been shelved.  The current plan is to rehab the building into boutique office and retail space.  Getting that whole block cleaned up will be a major improvement.