Arena District Master Plan

[Oil Capital]

This older story explains the issue:

https://tulsaworld.com/news/a-big-development-problem-in-the-middle-of-downtown-why-the-federal-building-might-stay/article_a8a0a2fd-1035-5a13-bea3-d0fe3814acf7.html

Thanks

[Oil Capital]

Related to the Arena District Master Plan:

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/city-begins-planning-for-new-public-safety-complex/article_85f9ce4e-9c93-11eb-937f-b3374e43e778.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Typical City of Tulsa story:  We didn't maintain this building, so now we need a new one.

[LandArchPoke]

Related to the Arena District Master Plan:

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/city-begins-planning-for-new-public-safety-complex/article_85f9ce4e-9c93-11eb-937f-b3374e43e778.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Typical City of Tulsa story:  We didn't maintain this building, so now we need a new one.

I think it's a pretty done deal at this point that the city is going to buy the old State Farm building, unless there's some sort of public backlash against it. That particular building next to the convention center makes so much more sense as a site of a convention center hotel. Especially given the Page Belcher Federal building won't be replaced anytime soon most likely, unfortunately.

The odd part is creating a 60 cell jail as well in the State Farm building. I've heard that GKFF wants to see the county jail downtown moved at some point too, so maybe this is part of a larger effort behind the scenes to ultimately get to that point. I wonder how this will impact splitting the municipal courts/city jail and the county courthouse/county jail to opposite sides of the city and having the police center not near the county jail either. The county courthouse needs to be replaced too sooner or later, it's way too small - I could see it being converted to a smaller hotel (similar to Aloft renovation to the old city hall). You'd have a pretty strong cluster of hotels around the convention center at that point. Just need some entertainment stuff closer by to win more events. Right now that part of downtown feels like a silo still and could use some more evening type of retail/uses to create a better connection to Blue Dome and Arts District. Right now if you want to grab lunch or an early afternoon drink from the convention center you've got a pretty good walk ahead of you to get anywhere with a decent cluster of options.

In the long run I think this will be beneficial to the city to move, rather than them putting lipstick on these buildings and keeping the entire area around the convention center as a civic cluster - there's probably a better space for it given the size and age of these buildings being fairly obsolete at this point and just allow this area to turn more into a entertainment district around the arena/convention center.

This older story explains the issue:

https://tulsaworld.com/news/a-big-development-problem-in-the-middle-of-downtown-why-the-federal-building-might-stay/article_a8a0a2fd-1035-5a13-bea3-d0fe3814acf7.html

I do wonder why that transaction never happened (buying it for $10 million and leasing it back for a few years) - there's a large chunk of space in this building that's just sat vacant for years. I'm really shocked the postal service wants to hold on to this building. Seems like a land swap or something would entice the postal service to move into a more modern facility that is right sized - then build a new federal building for the courts. Maybe when the county courthouse is up for replacement they could just build a single federal/county courthouse somewhere. Not sure if I've seen any city do that, usually the federal courts are off by themselves.

[SXSW]

It seems like this move would certainly be in line with what they proposed in the Master Plan which shows a convention hotel replacing the police building.  I find it odd they show replacing the Aloft/Old City Hall, it seems like it would make sense to keep that as a hotel?  



I really like this plan for a new park space fronting Denver between 3rd and 4th with mixed-use development replacing the Federal Building.  If the Federal Building is goes away though where does its replacement get built?  

[brettakins]

 Any updates to the purchase of the Page Belcher Federal Building?

[LandArchPoke]

Any updates to the purchase of the Page Belcher Federal Building?

Likely isn't happening for a long time. I think for a little bit there was hope Inhofe would be able to get money for a new one and then they would name it after him but I think that time has passed.

The city is fully focused on the Family Safety Center or whatever that is called between the courthouse and the convention center. That is where the expansion + full service hotel is noted in the renderings. Frankly, I could see a new county courthouse built probably before a new federal building is and then you could turn the old courthouse into something similar to the Aloft conversion. The county courthouse is going to need to be replaced in the next 10-20 years, it's been pretty small and outdated for the last 10-15 years already. I could see that being in a future Vision package.

Frankly, what the city should do is get rid of the tenants in the City Hall building and then move the Post Office and Courtrooms in the federal building into the City Hall building and essentially do a land swap. Say we'll give you floors X, X, X, and X in exchange for the Page Belcher site. I don't think City Hall is built to federal standards though, but also not sure if that only applies to new construction or not. Obviously Page Belcher isn't to the post OKC building standards either.

[DTowner]

The McGirt decision may revive some momentum to replace the Page Belcher building (the US Supreme Court held that the Indian reservations covering most of the eastern half of Oklahoma were not disestablished at statehood and still exist).  The McGirt decision has resulted in a huge increase in caseloads in the federal courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts.  Recently, the court system recommended adding up to five judges just in Tulsa.  While that total number may not happen, it seems realistic that some new judges will be added and there is not space for them in Page Belcher.  Adding judges requires federal legislation, so it could be paired with funding for a new courthouse.

[DowntownDan]

The McGirt decision may revive some momentum to replace the Page Belcher building (the US Supreme Court held that the Indian reservations covering most of the eastern half of Oklahoma were not disestablished at statehood and still exist).  The McGirt decision has resulted in a huge increase in caseloads in the federal courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts.  Recently, the court system recommended adding up to five judges just in Tulsa.  While that total number may not happen, it seems realistic that some new judges will be added and there is not space for them in Page Belcher.  Adding judges requires federal legislation, so it could be paired with funding for a new courthouse.

I think it was 2 judges for Tulsa, and 3 for Muscogee. Tulsa has added at least one magistrate and probably will get a few more. Your point stands though, I'm for anything that gets us a decent replacement. I'd kind of like to see the old federal building (current bankruptcy court) expanded to house the entire federal judiciary and related entities which are kind of spread around downtown currently. I assume it can't be built upwards and would present a lot of historic preservation issues.