Santa Fe Square on the big surface parking lot in the Blue Dome...

[ComeOnBenjals]

Looks nice! A bit surprised there aren't more balconies overlooking the street. If I was a resident I think that'd be something I'd want.

[SXSW]

Looks nice! A bit surprised there aren't more balconies overlooking the street. If I was a resident I think that'd be something I'd want.

There are balconies overlooking the plaza and also in the courtyards. 

[shavethewhales]

On the other side of this they are already starting to put up siding/cladding materials. Probably be awhile before actual brickwork starts, but this is coming together fast.

[ComeOnBenjals]

Walked by yesterday, they've already started to place brick on the SE corner. Looks pretty good so far, I think the color is going to be very nice.

[brettakins]

[patric]

I cant emphasize enough what a monumentally bad idea this is:


Elliot Nelson is not known for muddling along. He thinks big.
So why not put a giant LED screen downtown where people could watch the OU/Texas football game, be bedazzled by digital art, and enjoy a good meal and the company of friends along the way?

Nelson’s even picked out the perfect spot for it — the plaza at Santa Fe Square, the $100 million-plus mixed-use development he and his partners are building.

“The idea is we are going to anchor the east end of downtown with this project,” Nelson said. “I think that is why I have kind of gotten around this idea of making that plaza as dynamic as we can and as active as we can, and trying to make it a real kind of focal point for public gathering over there.”

It was a couple of people on Nelson’s development team who came up with the idea as they kicked around concepts for providing screening between the plaza and an adjacent parking garage.

Rather than plaza diners looking up at the parking garage that will occupy the lower levels of Santa Fe Square’s 12-story office building on the east end of the development, they’ll look up to see digital art, sporting events and other displays on a 30-foot by 50-foot digital screen.

Nelson knows there will be questions about how late the digital screen will stay lit at night, and whether it could create a dangerous distraction for motorists along Second Street.

The latter question isn’t a huge concern to him, he said, because the area — with its angled parking on both sides of the Second Street and other planned traffic-calming measures — should induce a slower pace of traffic.

When it comes to the big screen’s hours of operation, Nelson said a lot will depend on the people living in the apartments.

“Since those apartment tenants will be ours, as well, that’s obviously going to be of utmost concern, keeping our residents happy,” he said. “So we are going to manage it in a way that those people are happy with the way it is on and off. I think most nights we’ll be turning it off fairly early.”

Can he envision an occasional exception to that statement? Perhaps.

“I would think the only time we would have something on really late is if there were a game that garnered a lot of local interest that was on later,” Nelson said. “You would probably push it a little bit, but other than that, I think the priority is going to be keeping the tenants happy in those apartments and making sure that they are not unnecessarily harmed by the light being on.”

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/massive-led-screen-planned-at-santa-fe-square-a-focal-point-for-public-gathering-developer/article_ecbe582a-bb37-11ec-bf35-13c912e9f016.html

Thats a lot of evasive developer-speak to pack into one article, imho.

[SXSW]

I think the screen opens up the plaza to more types of activities.  There is nothing else like it downtown or anywhere in Tulsa.

[patric]

I think the screen opens up the plaza to more types of activities.  There is nothing else like it downtown or anywhere in Tulsa.

If you dont count billboards. The TV-on-a-stick video displays like the one at 41st & Yale comes to mind, or casinos.

[LandArchPoke]

I think the screen opens up the plaza to more types of activities.  There is nothing else like it downtown or anywhere in Tulsa.

I think it's a cool idea for downtown, but not sure if this makes the best location for it given how many apartment units will have windows toward the screen. I don't think they're going to be able to utilize it as much as they think without having issues with keeping those units occupied. The reason the AT&T plaza and even the screens around AA Center in Dallas work is because there's not residential looking directly at the screens. Same with Power & Light in KC.

Will be better than looking at an exposed parking garage though, just hopefully they spend the money to be able to dim the screen substantially at night when they aren't having an event. AT&T plaza was done really well so if they invest the design of the plaza to be similar that space should turn out well, hopefully they don't cheap out on the plaza and just make it a massive open area of pavers. It needs to have some substantial landscaping, shade, etc. or that plaza will not be usable for most of the year.  

Anyone heard who the other tenants are that have leased space? Supposedly it's 90%+ preleased now which would mean another company beside Hall Estill has signed on for space.

[patric]

I think it's a cool idea for downtown, but not sure if this makes the best location for it given how many apartment units will have windows toward the screen. I don't think they're going to be able to utilize it as much as they think without having issues with keeping those units occupied. The reason the AT&T plaza and even the screens around AA Center in Dallas work is because there's not residential looking directly at the screens.

The developer comes across with a "If you dont like it get out of my building" attitude but that wont help other residents dazzled by the giant TV outside.

[shavethewhales]

It's interesting how many units downtown are going to be right in the mix of so many things going on. The Davenport is right smack next to Soundpony and overlooking Cain's/inner circle, the View obviously is right over the ballpark with all their fireworks, and now this. I'm kind of intrigued, but at the same time I'll bet it gets old when you need to get some sleep and there's always a party going on outside for something or other.

I think this screen sounds interesting though. I like the idea of the plaza being activated rather than just being an empty space most of the time.

[D-TownTulsan]

Personally I think having a big LED board sounds pretty awesome. The discovery center down here is really cool, but I think a better comparison is the screen put on the side of the AA center. Would be a great place to watch sporting events. Really animates area and sort of gives a block party-vibe. Will be interesting to see if it's going to be used for future Tulsa Tough's!

[tulsabug]

Maybe Elliott has been watching Blade Runner too much...

[shavethewhales]

This thing is almost ready to top off it seems.

[ComeOnBenjals]

I think it has one more floor to go (above the halfway complete one?) Very close either way. Its height has a bigger impact on downtown than I would have initially guessed.