Downtown development recap

[TheArtist]

  Any word on the new hotel down in the Brady Arts District?  Go through there on occasion when I am downtown to make sure everything is moving along properly.  You know someone has to over see all these various projects and make sure everything is turning out ok and all  .   But, it seems as thought the hotel project has been stuck in slo-mo for a while?  

[jacobi]

Any word on the new hotel down in the Brady Arts District?  Go through there on occasion when I am downtown to make sure everything is moving along properly.  You know someone has to over see all these various projects and make sure everything is turning out ok and all  .   But, it seems as thought the hotel project has been stuck in slo-mo for a while? 

I've noticed the same.  I wonder if has anythign to do with the utilities work they were doing below the street...

[BKDotCom]

 Any word on the new hotel down in the Brady Arts District?  Go through there on occasion when I am downtown to make sure everything is moving along properly.  You know someone has to over see all these various projects and make sure everything is turning out ok and all  .   But, it seems as thought the hotel project has been stuck in slo-mo for a while?  

They began framing the 2nd floor today.   It should fly up in no time now.

Slo Mo:   Brady Park & Cam's Grocery

[Conan71]

They were talking to Cameron on the news this morning or yesterday can’t remember, I believe he said Cam’s is looking like late summer.

[Weatherdemon]

Tulsa World article in Suday's paper gives a nice overview of all the downtown projects underway or announced.  It is interesting for what is not listed - 310 Lofts.


14. Greenwood Lofts

The mixed-use development on the southwest corner of Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street is expected to begin in the next few months. A similar project is planned for the southeast corner of Greenwood and Archer.

Looking out my window this morning it appears they are beginning work on this.
They are moving soil on the south and east sides of Ryder.

[DowntownDan]

Looking out my window this morning it appears they are beginning work on this.
They are moving soil on the south and east sides of Ryder.

I see this too.  For some reason I had thought it was going to be the southeast corner of that intersection.  It looks like the development will actually surround the U-Haul.  I'm just excited to see some dirt moving.

[zstyles]

Any word on Kanbar Unloading quite a few of its properties? I see them listed with new ones it seems each week...

[Weatherdemon]

It appears they are drilling holes for the piers today for the Greenwood Lofts.

[Teatownclown]

1) special historic district that through some wrangling and paper work has the district declared a non-industrial zone and force the city to purchase those properties.

2) TPA and COT build a garage across from the Brady that serves as buffer to the trains. A second lot closer to the ballpark. Privately funded parking garages would work too. The district needs to have an events coordinator to understand the demand for surface parking after all this new density has been added. The Brady District is in serious transition and parking should have been better planned.

These are the items in a new tax package that should be considered. Simple calibration to 2025 under 100 million needed....yesterday.

[jacobi]

It appears they are drilling holes for the piers today for the Greenwood Lofts.

I saw that.

The district needs to have an events coordinator to understand the demand for surface parking after all this new density has been added.

How does a surface lot service density?  Ideally, there will be no more open lots.  That's what density is.  Parking garage is the way to go.  But a strong residential population and a strong mass trans system in the final answer.

[TheArtist]

  Aren't there already a lot of parking garages, parking lots and street parking spaces around the Arena/Brady/Greenwood area?

Just this last week they had the Great Steak Cook Off in the Deco District between 5th and 6th streets on Boston and Cincinnatti.  I was there working on the shop in the ground floor of the parking garage building right on the S E corner of 6th and Boston.  I had a ringside seat of the goings on.  People were parking down the street south on Boston and walking past my shop.  Loved that aspect for it made me think that next year when we are open this will definitely be a good day for sales lol.  

But what I also noticed was that the parking garage, right over my head and RIGHT next to the event with $2 parking and the parking attendant sitting out there in his little chair, had max, 4 cars parked in it.  And there were people who were still walking by complaining about parking while I was there with 5 floors of empty parking right over my head!  But we need another parking garage? Within 1 or 2 blocks of the area of the event there are at least 3 other parking garages that I can think of.  Don't know if people were using them either, or if they were open or not, but the opportunity is there.  But then of course there are people who I have heard say they don't like parking garages for they are "scary".  And there are people who don't like busses because they are "nasty".  But there are people who don't like downtown either, but what can ya do?  I am not going to let them turn downtown into suburbia with a smattering of tall buildings surrounded by parking lots,,,, Oh, wait, lol.

  So, whenever people say they want more parking garages my first instinct is "Why aren't we using the ones we already have and if we aren't using them, why would people use these new ones any more?

  Same thing for the Arena.  I see people parking waaay out and walking PAST half empty or almost totally empty parking garages.  Same with the PAC as well, lots of parking garages nearby and people using parking lots or on street parking and walking past the parking garages.

Then there is all that parking right across the tracks from the Brady Arts district.  But oh,  I suppose those are a block too far or something?  What you really want is that for every part of downtown that has a couple new developments go in,  you suddenly need more parking, so we will spend millions and millions and millions on parking garages that people will then walk past while complaining about there not being enough parking downtown.  OOOOR do we want to work on signage and perhaps a downtown circulator going past, or nearby the underutilized abundant parking we already have?


A while back I read one of Bates old articles about parking and transit.  The article had some some very insightful thoughts imho.  He spoke of the importance of "small grain" development downtown and the importance, of all things, Alleys.  As a, less government more free enterprise solution, type person he was obviously against spending tax dollars on transit and was for letting free enterprise take care of any needs.  Needs = opportunity in capitalism.  Notice how as downtown becomes more busy you see the pedicabs more as well?  He also mentions that as the need arises you will likely see small private shuttles or jitneys move into the picture.  At first I was not buying the whole scheme, but the more I think about it, and the more I am downtown and visit other cities with the thought in mind,,, I do not see the need for us to be using our tax dollars to spend money on parking garages, or even mass transit downtown.  But I do proffer a "Compromise" solution, for people seem heck bent on spending some money on something lol, of doing a downtown circulator starting off using small, distinctly painted shuttle busses. Put in dedicated stops with arrival times and maps. Coordinate with and have better signage for, the parking garages we already have.  Advertise the whole effort to start getting people to understand it.  Make some zoning/design changes downtown to encourage pedestrian friendly streets along/nearby the path of the circulator.  I think that would be cheaper and better in the long run to get this underway now, than building more parking garages, and or putting in rail transit.  It would be a great way to take the next step and build more, top notch, very attractive, pedestrian friendly density.
  

[carltonplace]

There is a ton of surface parking in the Brady. Look at how much is unused and held hostage in front of Spagetti Warehouse. New on street slanted parking spots are going in on Brady St from the Ball Park down to Guthrie Green. The Main Street Parking Garage is never anywhere close to utilized and its only $2 to park there.

[Conan71]

Speaking of Guthrie Green, anyone else see this last week?

All chef Matthew Kelley can say for certain about his latest culinary endeavor is that it's going to be different from what he produces regularly at his fine-dining restaurant on Cherry Street, Lucky's.

Even if the name of the place sounds very familiar.

Kelley will operate the new restaurant space on The Dock of the Guthrie Green. It will be called - not too surprisingly, perhaps - Lucky's on the Green. And that's where any similarity between the two establishments ends.

"Something like this hasn't been done before around here, so there's no template to follow," Kelley said. "But what we're going to be doing is what I would call 'international park fare.'

"That includes things like empanadas, bahn mi sandwiches, homemade gelato and cotton candy, local beers, and organic wines," he said. "Basically, food you wouldn't think you would find in a park setting."

What attracted Kelley to the idea was the challenge of it - creating high-quality food out of a relatively small kitchen space in an outdoor setting - as well as the chance to be a part of what has become the city's most dynamic region.

"What people like the George Kaiser Family Foundation and others are doing in the Brady District is really exciting," he said. "And to be able to be a part that - it should be fun."

Kelley said Lucky's on the Green plans to be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

"We'll always do our best to be available when an event is going on," he said.


Original Print Headline: Lucky's to open eatery at new park


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=272&articleid=20120819_272_D1_CUTLIN222687

[Red Arrow]

The Main Street Parking Garage is never anywhere close to utilized and its only $2 to park there.

Which is $2 more than it costs anywhere (that I know) in Suburbia. I support the parking garage concept to eliminate surface parking lots.  That doesn't mean I am jumping at the bit to pay for parking.  If there is something I want to see or do enough to consider pay parking just part of the cost, I will be there.  I don't intend to come to downtown just for the privilege of paying to park.

[Townsend]

Which is $2 more than it costs anywhere (that I know) in Suburbia. I support the parking garage concept to eliminate surface parking lots.  That doesn't mean I am jumping at the bit to pay for parking.  If there is something I want to see or do enough to consider pay parking just part of the cost, I will be there.  I don't intend to come to downtown just for the privilege of paying to park.

Yours is not the patronage they desire.  That's not meant to be mean.  That is to point out that many people will pay to park for the extras the area provides.

I went to bar 46 the other night and walked around Brady to Valkyrie.  There's going to be so much more to do in the area.

If I was still someone who does that 5 days a week, then I'd be the one the Brady business owners are looking for.

$2 to park so I can walk around an area made to be walked around in is a small price.  Hell, I tip that for a 1st round of HH beers.


Ooo, and there's sidewalks.  So much nicer than not having sidewalks.