Downtown Development Overview

[shavethewhales]

I guess it just looks rough right now. Must be earlier in construction than I had thought. Or maybe they the site just got attacked by graffiti people recently. For some reason I thought they were closer to being done with it by now. It had been a long time since I had been down that street. The Atlas side of the street sure looks good though and there were lots of people hanging out - definitely makes that little corner of downtown more lively.

[shavethewhales]

So that new building next to the blue dome is going to be a liquor store... https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/business/new-building-with-liquor-store-other-possible-tenants-coming-to-downtown-tulsa/article_acd01880-5044-11ef-a471-4bf184e71872.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest

However, I didn't even realize it's owned by the people that own Arnie's, so that makes more sense. Hearing that the bathrooms in Arnie's have been remodeled is good news too.

From the outside looking in, it doesn't look like much has been done with the old Rose Pawn building that was supposed to be renovated into offices.

[Red Arrow]

So that new building next to the blue dome is going to be a liquor store... https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/business/new-building-with-liquor-store-other-possible-tenants-coming-to-downtown-tulsa/article_acd01880-5044-11ef-a471-4bf184e71872.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest

Tulsa World wants $ to read that.

[SXSW]

Tulsa World wants $ to read that.

The horror of a business wanting money for content that costs money to produce!

[Jeff P]

The horror of a business wanting money for content that costs money to produce!

Right?!

For like the entire history of newspapers, people expected to pay something for them, but now people are all, "how dare you charge me for the content you produce!"

[Red Arrow]

The horror of a business wanting money for content that costs money to produce!

I didn't see an option for no advertisements if I paid up.  They can choose to charge.  I can choose to say no thanks, I don't care enough for your product to pay for it.  My comment was that they wanted money to see the article and I didn't think it was worth paying to see it.

I used to subscribe to the hard copy of the Tulsa World.  Then, a few years ago, they raised the price to more than I thought is it was worth.  On top of that, they said they would send various extras throughout the year they thought were interesting and shorten my subscription to pay for them.  I believe there was no option to not get the extras.  I cancelled my subscription.

Spelling/grammar correction.

[patric]

I didn't see an option for no advertisements if I paid up.  They can choose to charge.  I can choose to say no thanks, I don't care enough for your product to pay for it.  My comment was that they wanted money to see the article and I didn't think it was worth paying to see it.

I used to subscribe to the hard copy of the Tulsa World.  Then, a few years ago, they raised the price to more than I thought it was worth.  On top of that, they said they would send various extras throughout the year they thought were interesting and shorten my subscription to pay for them.  I believe there was no option to not get the extras.  I cancelled my subscription.

There are many successful print media models that dont immediately drive you into a paywall.
Gannett papers, for example, offer a lot of sample content before asking for a subscription to other content, not unlike a test drive to see if its a good product.
Especially irksome is when you do subscribe to follow a Whirled story, you are given a link to The Daily Oklahoman which requires yet another subscription.

The Tulsa World is definitely a good product, but driving away prospective subscribers is penny-wise but pound foolish.

[ComeOnBenjals]

Another downtown apartment conversion.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/25-million-being-spent-to-convert-beacon-building-downtown-into-apartments/article_89c7bae2-4ea9-11ef-acd3-639c3c95a6dc.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Tulsa is really doing a good job with these. The downtown population is set to see a huge spike in the next year.

[SXSW]

Between recently-completed ARCO along with Philcade, IBM, Sinclair, Holiday Inn and Beacon that’s over 800 new apartment units delivering in the next 1-2 years.  All existing buildings.  I’ve heard the ONG Building at 7th & Boston is also being targeted for conversion into 80-90 apartments.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Another downtown apartment conversion.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/25-million-being-spent-to-convert-beacon-building-downtown-into-apartments/article_89c7bae2-4ea9-11ef-acd3-639c3c95a6dc.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Tulsa is really doing a good job with these. The downtown population is set to see a huge spike in the next year.

I thought that building sounded familiar. There was a good size transformer fire there in 1983 that contaminated parts of the building with PCB oil and smoke. The smoke got into some of the underground tunnel network and got into the Williams/BOk tower. Coney I-Lander was right next door and had to move after the fire and they moved into the Downtown Motor Inn that was on the NE corner of 4th and Cheyenne.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1983/12/30/electrical-malfunctions-empty-tulsa-buildings/62819217007/

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/10/23/tenants-exposed-to-pcb-complain-of-sicknesses/62786312007/

[AdamsHall]

The Hodges Bend/Lowood fire is really sad. I drove by today and the exterior seems to be okay, although I read that the roof collapsed. Looked far less damaging than Burnco. Hope they can salvage the building and rebuild.

Drove by former Burnco (18th & Boston) this morning.  Didn't realize they had taken the remainder of that building to dirt.  Anyone know if that means a replacement structure is moving forward?

[shavethewhales]

There was a plan for the Burnco property a few years ago that included a swanky new 2 story restaurant space, but construction costs were skyrocketing at the time, so it apparently got shelved.

I am guessing at this point that they simply had so many complaints that the city forced them to demolish the remainder. It stood as a ruin for far too long considering the prime location.

Maybe next year when interest rates come down a smidge, that will spur something back to life.

[SXSW]

There was a plan for the Burnco property a few years ago that included a swanky new 2 story restaurant space, but construction costs were skyrocketing at the time, so it apparently got shelved.

I am guessing at this point that they simply had so many complaints that the city forced them to demolish the remainder. It stood as a ruin for far too long considering the prime location.

Maybe next year when interest rates come down a smidge, that will spur something back to life.

That and the owners are not developers..

I would love to see a strip of retail buildings there and then have the city finally do the streetscape project they have been discussing for years that adds new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping to both sides of Boston.

[tulsamatt]

I'm curious if anyone has heard any new rumblings on the convention hotel?

[Hoss]

I thought that building sounded familiar. There was a good size transformer fire there in 1983 that contaminated parts of the building with PCB oil and smoke. The smoke got into some of the underground tunnel network and got into the Williams/BOk tower. Coney I-Lander was right next door and had to move after the fire and they moved into the Downtown Motor Inn that was on the NE corner of 4th and Cheyenne.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1983/12/30/electrical-malfunctions-empty-tulsa-buildings/62819217007/

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1984/10/23/tenants-exposed-to-pcb-complain-of-sicknesses/62786312007/

I can sure remember when the Coney-I-Lander was under that motel.  It's a parking garage now I believe, and the I-lander moved over next door to one of the TexMex restaurants downtown (name escapes me) next door to Sisserou's.