Hurry Up Bell's!

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by LilMikey

I think Miller inadvertently tipped her hand this morning on KRMG.  If you listened closely enough, you heard her let it slip that what they were going to use Bell's spot for was VIP parking.

Translation:  Free parking for Miller, her family and business cronies.  

Am I suggesting that Miller and the rest of her staff would stoop so low as to remove a Tulsa landmark just for a better parking spot?  YOU BETCHA!  She has no care for Tulsa or for those for whom she works.  In her little mind, the rest of us actually work for her.

Ah yes, the corrupt wheels of Tulsa county politics is alive and well, and are freely spinning.

Why not build a parking garage there, charge for premium parking, provide free handicap access to the expo, and leave the rest free for old fashioned types who will resent a fee?
I want to hear some development plans.  If the Drillers head downtown (which I think would be great for Tulsa) whats a good fit for the new available real estate?  What's the long term plan for developing the fairgrounds into a long term central attraction and profit machine??  Without a plan, we'll just wind up with a year-round gun show.

[AMP]

Never said Bell's owned the property, however their are laws regarding real estate and lease agreements.  The renewal and signing of the recent contract between Bell's and the Expo, and this current evection action against Bell's is tantamount to an unconscionable act in most opinions of Real Estate Law.

These following items would lead most people n with basic common sense to believe the County and Expo Square were at one time either in favor of or were lying to Bell's regarding their commitment towarads the Amusement Park's future at Expo Square, and their terms of agreement.  

Item: Allowing Bell's to pursue the investment of the new roller coaster attraction.
Item: Allowing Bell's to install new modern rides.
Item: County District Court approving the construction of the new roller coaster at Bell's.  

One would believe that the Expo attornies are sweating and hoping that Bell's does not file a tort in County Court against the Expo and Fair Board for commiting unconscionable actions against him.  Would be interesting to see the findings of a jury regarding such a trial when all the memos, emails and other inside information were revealed.    

As reported, Bell's was paying much more for rent at the Expo than all the other renters listed in that report.  I also read a Tulsa World story regarding the Talons and the Arena Football team that discussed the agreement at the venue and with the City of a guaranteed payment based on the sales of concessions.  So there seem to be behind the scene deals made to retain sports teams and organizations that rent the public buildings here.    

A tenant renting office space, or a sports team that rents an arena that can move out in a few days time is not the same as a long term business such as a 56 year old Amusement Park with permanent structures and semi-permanent buildings, infrastructure and power supply.  Again before I submitted that an engineering firm should of been consulted with prior to setting any type of deadline for the removal of all the equipment and structures at Bell's.  

Hurry up!  Hurry up and create additional problems, mistakes and perhaps God forbid a fatality trying to get in a hurry to move those heavy high altitude structures.  Too much overtime can and typically does result in work related accidents.  

Let's all sit back and observe our government forcing a family business to handle a monumental task in a set time frame, while we allow our allies/enemies in Iraq additional time to continue fumbling around allowing the murder and loss of life there.  Good grief, what has this country come to?  

Next thing you know the vacant Bell's location may be used for a parking and pick up zone for day labor of illegal aliens, or to even house Illegal Aliens awaiting to pay their fines during their Amnesty time period.  

Most Cities that have a clue subsidize their Attraction businesses to help benefit the tourist dollars that are associated with events that attract dollars from outside the area.  

Tulsa seems to always be just the opposite and gets into the business of building and maintaining venues.  In Topeka, Kansas they have a clue and funded the racetrack there instead of building a competitive one and attempting to operate it as a stand alone deal.

The buzz at the County office downtown is that the City has decided to run the Expo.  Many County officials have washed their hands of the daily operations.  Word has it to watch for some major announcements regarding large long term events that have been held at the Expo that are making plans to leave Tulsa for other cities that are courting them and investing large amounts of money to build facilities for their events.  Sounds as if Bell's is not the only business operating at the Expo that is packing up and moving on.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by LilMikey

Ah yes, the corrupt wheels of Tulsa county politics is alive and well, and are freely spinning.

Sheesh, it's just as if Bob Dick never retired. []

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by AMP


Most Cities that have a clue subsidize their Attraction businesses to help benefit the tourist dollars that are associated with events that attract dollars from outside the area.

Bell's was becoming an UNattractive business.  I don't discount the power it had to draw business via a young'n tuggin on dads pant leg.  Sure is easy to drop the kids off at Bell's and spend the afternoon at the boat show, but thats no excuse for supporting a faultering business.

Have they not been building/updating the facilities to accommodate the horse shows??
Give him the 200 grand and tell him to put the damn thing back together and cut his losses.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by AMP

As reported, Bell's was paying much more for rent at the Expo than all the other renters listed in that report.  

Most Cities that have a clue subsidize their Attraction businesses to help benefit the tourist dollars that are associated with events that attract dollars from outside the area.  

Tulsa seems to always be just the opposite and gets into the business of building and maintaining venues.  In Topeka, Kansas they have a clue and funded the racetrack there instead of building a competetive one and attempting to operate it as a stand alone deal.

The buzz at the County office downtown is to watch for some major announcements regarding large long term events that have been held at the Expo that are leaving Tulsa for other cities that are courting them and investing laege amounts of money to build facilities for their events.  Sounds as if Bell's is not the only business operating at the Expo that is packing up and moving on.

Topeka's racetrack, Tulsa's Bell's.  Apples/oranges.

I bet the fair does the same reciepts w/o Bell's as it did before.  If they don't they will realize they effed up.  All it should do is create more congestion on the mid-way unless they are going to let Murphy park his rides up there.

Secondly, Bell's didn't have a reach much beyond the metro area and ostensibly, they were not collecting sales tax for the county.  It wasn't an amusement destination like Disney or even Six Flags which will generate tourism dollars in surrounding hotels and restaurants.  

Personally, I think they could have left Bell's alone and worked out a little better profit-sharing lease with provisions for re-investment in the park.  

I did find it ironic that Clark Brewster was quoted in the Whirled this morning saying it was the right thing to give them the money (loose paraphrase) considering he's been their nemesis going back to when he represented the family of the kid who was killed on the Wildcat.