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Talk About Tulsa => Development & New Businesses => Topic started by: fung shui on December 18, 2007, 08:06:42 AM

Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: fung shui on December 18, 2007, 08:06:42 AM
Word on the street is that there will be a new ED person in town. Don Himelfarb is leaving the City of Tulsa soon.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: sgrizzle on December 18, 2007, 08:20:12 AM
I'll try to hold back the tears.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: TulsaSooner on December 18, 2007, 08:37:19 AM
Has he not done a good job?  I was under the impression he had but I haven't exactly been following his career at the city all that closely.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: sgrizzle on December 18, 2007, 09:47:13 AM
Well Global had a great east end plan and apparently gold the cold shoulder while himelfarb was "ready to make an offer" to make the downtown walmart happen...

Seems like not much from him, and what he did go for, we didn't want.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: inteller on December 18, 2007, 09:48:43 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

Well Global had a great east end plan and apparently gold the cold shoulder while himelfarb was "ready to make an offer" to make the downtown walmart happen...

Seems like not much from him, and what he did go for, we didn't want.



You will hear about this joker getting fired right after the Drillers announce they are moving to Jenks.

This loser is toast.  That is what you get for piddling around.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Renaissance on December 18, 2007, 10:36:15 AM
I don't know how much was him and how much was circumstance, but let's be clear: Himmelfarb promised big things downtown, but under his watch, Tulsa has failed to land a flagship hotel for the arena, failed to capitalize on major investment by Kanbar/Kaufman, failed to embrace East End development, and failed to retain jobs downtown.

Vision 2025 was the work of the Taylor administration's predecessors.  When the Mayor's office should have been working to capitalize on downtown momentum, they were busy pushing river development plans that failed.  

The road to an empty downtown is paved with good intentions.  

Next?
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: TulsaSooner on December 18, 2007, 10:51:54 AM
So I wonder when we'll hear more about this "rumor"?
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: FOTD on December 18, 2007, 11:07:12 AM
What will come next for the COT Real Estate Department?
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Conan71 on December 18, 2007, 12:37:15 PM
Old news, by about two months.  He hadn't planned on being there for the full term in the first place.  Someone on here chastised me a year ago when I was critical of Himelfarb and asking what he'd done so far.  The comment from the other poster was something along the lines of "Rarely a day goes by you don't see him quoted in the paper."  

BFD- I can make a lot of noise and not accomplish much either if I really put my mind to it.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: sgrizzle on December 18, 2007, 01:39:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Floyd


The road to an empty downtown is paved with good intentions.  



I thought it was asphalt, with missing chunks.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Wrinkle on December 18, 2007, 01:40:52 PM
Clearly, this man is ill-suited for the job, irrespective of whatever percieved successes there may have been. Can't name one, unless One Tech is considered so for the short term. It'll eventually bite us hard, IMO.

I'm sure his talent(s) are much more applicable to non-public endevors.

But, anyone who considers his constituancy "idiots" has no place in public life.

Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: inteller on December 18, 2007, 02:13:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by Floyd


The road to an empty downtown is paved with good intentions.  



I thought it was asphalt, with missing chunks.



or if you are going down 2nd street, it is missing entire sections of road....but they are working on that [;)]
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: TulsaSooner on December 19, 2007, 08:47:34 AM
For what it's worth, I heard the same thing.  
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Chicken Little on December 19, 2007, 10:41:48 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Wrinkle

But, anyone who considers his constituancy "idiots" has no place in public life.
I thought that was Keating?
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Rico on December 19, 2007, 08:45:18 PM
Looks like this would be the time for certain people to point out just what a "Great Job" the Tulsa Metro Chamber has done for their ?million$$$.......
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: inteller on December 20, 2007, 09:34:49 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Rico

Looks like this would be the time for certain people to point out just what a "Great Job" the Tulsa Metro Chamber has done for their ?million$$$.......



well, for starters, they threw away hundreds of thousands for a river tax that didnt stand a snowball's chance in hell.

The "Metro" chamber needs to go away.  We need a Tulsa Chamber of commerce that doesn't hold hands with the county and other cities.  Hell, just look at the BA and bixby CoCs.  They are doing what CoCs SHOULD be doing, getting more people to shop in their cities.

TMC just provides internships and volunteer opportunities for its Hitlerjungen-esque TYPOs.
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Wrinkle on December 21, 2007, 11:04:31 AM
Seems a simple Resolution by any City Councilor for a "Tulsa Chamber" would result in proper discussion.

Then, 75% of the funding now provided the METRO Chamber could be repositioned.

Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: tulsascoot on December 22, 2007, 12:17:50 AM
I was so upset when I first read about this. But then I started thinking about it and I thought, "who the hell is Himelfarb, and furthermore, why am I so upset about him?!"
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Conan71 on December 22, 2007, 10:06:09 AM
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot

I was so upset when I first read about this. But then I started thinking about it and I thought, "who the hell is Himelfarb, and furthermore, why am I so upset about him?!"



Exactly.  And why do we need an ED czar?  Isn't that what Viagra and Cialis are for?
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: tulsascoot on December 25, 2007, 08:57:41 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71

quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot

I was so upset when I first read about this. But then I started thinking about it and I thought, "who the hell is Himelfarb, and furthermore, why am I so upset about him?!"



Exactly.  And why do we need an ED czar?  Isn't that what Viagra and Cialis are for?



No, for real, I have no idea what you are talking about. Is Himelfarb a new 4x4 SUV? The Himelfarb LX V8!!! Or it could be a sandwich. 1 Himelfarb, no mayo, extra cheese. Or maybe a religion? Sorry, but we're Himelfarb, and our God hates your god....
Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: TUalum0982 on December 30, 2007, 10:35:31 AM
quote:
Originally posted by fung shui

Word on the street is that there will be a new ED person in town. Don Himelfarb is leaving the City of Tulsa soon.



HOORAY!!!

here is the article (//%22http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071229_1_A13_spanc65213%22) in case anyone missed it.

Here is an excerpt:

Don Himelfarb has resigned as economic development director, saying his agreement with the mayor was never meant to be for a long period.

"Originally, when she asked me to come in and get some economic development momentum and set up some strategy, we didn't know how long it would take," he said.

Himelfarb said they discussed his staying six months to a year, and "now it's been 16 months."

He said a strategy is in place for economic development, "so it is time for someone to come in and execute the plan."

"On a personal note," he said, "this was never going to be a long-term situation for me; I was just trying to help the city and the mayor."

[:O][:O]

Title: Himelfarb out?
Post by: Oil Capital on December 31, 2007, 07:48:28 AM
quote:
Originally posted by TUalum0982

quote:
Originally posted by fung shui

Word on the street is that there will be a new ED person in town. Don Himelfarb is leaving the City of Tulsa soon.



HOORAY!!!

here is the article (//%22http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071229_1_A13_spanc65213%22) in case anyone missed it.

Here is an excerpt:

Don Himelfarb has resigned as economic development director, saying his agreement with the mayor was never meant to be for a long period.

"Originally, when she asked me to come in and get some economic development momentum and set up some strategy, we didn't know how long it would take," he said.

Himelfarb said they discussed his staying six months to a year, and "now it's been 16 months."

He said a strategy is in place for economic development, "so it is time for someone to come in and execute the plan."

"On a personal note," he said, "this was never going to be a long-term situation for me; I was just trying to help the city and the mayor."

[:O][:O]





Good news, but tempered by the fact that he is still going to be an "unpaid consultant".