Is something coming together in the East End?

So earlier this week, a developer who posts on Tulsa Now leaked a tiny bit of info about not one, but two housing projects planned for the same block at 3rd and S. Greenwood, which is adjacent to the planned park by Land Legacy. Here are the renderings for one of them:

(Keep in mind that these are early renderings and do not expect the final design to look exactly like this.)

The project shown in the renderings above could start as soon as this spring, and would consist of for sale tri-level row houses with rooftop patio space. The massing behind it is another project that has not had any information officially released, but would appear to be more of a multi-family apartment or condo building. If these two projects actually do come to fruition very soon, I believe we will see the East End really heat up. And if the park is built soon as well, we will have another fantastic enclave of downtown appear. So far most development in downtown has been confined to the Blue Dome and Brady districts, but I think if these projects get going soon, we sill see more development spread east and south, and hopefully begin to connect into making downtown a cohesive neighborhood, and not several little districts. This area will definitely be one to watch as the year progresses, and I look forward to hearing more about it.

Random Opinion

Recently I have been reading in TNF a discussion that brings to light the notion that there is nothing to draw people in to our downtown. That it is a nice little area, of which is developing into just another neighborhood. No, those aren't the poster's exact words, but it's what I got out of it.

And to add my opinion, I would have to say that I completely disagree that there is nothing downtown to draw people in, or that makes it unique from other cities. I know many people who make trips to downtown specifically for the amazing restaurants. I frequently hear people at school rave about how good Joe Mommas, McNellies, etc. are. I see the restaurants in downtown as the number one (aside from BOK and ONEOK) draw for people that would not normally go downtown to make a special trip there.

And aside from restaurants drawing people in, think about how many 5k's are held downtown every year. More than I can count, and they certainly draw people in. Thousands. And what about all the Brady and the Cains. They draw hundreds to a couple thousand people in nearly every weekend. If you include the BOK Center then you have several thousand people lured into downtown for every event. And you of course cannot deny that many people would not be in downtown on a regular basis if it weren't for ONEOK and the Drillers.

Now think about the museums being constructed on the Matthews Warehouse block. They will definitely be something that many people consider worth visiting. And along with the art museums, there are all the art festivals and Friday night Art Crawl held in the Brady throughout the spring and summer. Talk about unique and full of character.

So overall, I think that the fear that our downtown has nothing unique to bring people, as well as money, in is unwarranted. It is a neighborhood that is devleloping a distinct character and personality, and we should encourage that. So far downtown has developed very organically and I think that is why it is what it is today. Let's not hinder what it has going because we are afraid that it is not enough.

Downtown Update II

After reading the KRMG interview of Sager, with him once again proclaiming that his project is moving forward, I thought about what that project could mean for the area if it was ever completed. The article also talked about several other developments that are either nearly completed or close to breaking ground. I thought about now great downtown is going to be when all these projects are completed. And when those are completed, how many more projects will be planned or under construction.

First off, one of the projects that was mentioned in the article was Greenarch. A project that I was beginning to fear had died. From a design standpoint, it is my favorite project of the ones currently planned or under construction. It's modern design complements that of ONEOK Field, using similar materials, but separates itself by adding clean, square lines and fantastic colors. It really is a very good looking project if you ask me. The article stated (or maybe quoted) that Greenarch has overcome hurdles in its early stages and will be breaking ground very soon. If this project does in fact come to fruition, it will be the first major development within immediate proximity of the ballpark, and will hopefully encourage more activity around there.

Staying in the ballpark area, Blake Ewing's new grocery concept Archer Market is due to be open soon. The space is well under construction, so hopefully within a few weeks downtown has its own grocery store!

Another grocery, this time in the Blue Dome, Cam's Grocery, is set to be open this spring in their renovated building. The store's proprietor, Daniel Cameron, has been in the grocery business before in Oregon, so it sounds like we will be getting a solid new business with this development.

Jumping northwest a few blocks, the Brady is undergoing a true boom right now. I can't think of any other place in the city that has as many construction projects in such a concentrated area as the Brady.

The Metro is all but completed, and will bring 77 new lofts into downtown within a matter of weeks. Sit back for a minute and think about the economic impact that this is going to have on the area around it. The whole of downtown really. So many business owners would kill to have 77 residences within blocks of them. Along with that, it will bring even more pedestrians and life to the Brady during the day. Residents do more than bring an area nightlife, or weekend excitement. They make an area a living, breathing, 24/7 neighborhood.

Across the street, we have the Brady Fairfield Inn well under construction, with the beams already going up. Upon completion, this will add approximately 104 hotel rooms to the north side of downtown, as well as over 10,000 square feet of retail space, of which they hope to fill with restaurants. That is the only thing that gets me about. This project. We need STORES in downtown, more places to shop and do things, not eat. There are already plenty of places to eat right now, we need stores! Most likely the logic of the developers is that they need a restaurant in the bottom of their hotel for their guests to eat at, but in an urban area other places to eat are only blocks away, which in my opinion would seem to do away with the notion that a hotel must have a restaurant inside it. Even then, that should only be one restaurant. I wish that they would try to recruit some cool, interesting stores to locate there, instead of continuing the redundancy of restaurants. But oh well, I. Guess the stores will come soon enough.

Staying on the same block, it has been rumored that the Brady flats will begin construction shortly after the completion of the Metro. Whether or not this will happen, well my guess is as good as yours, so take it as you will.

Down the street a bit, there is the Matthews Warehouse, AHHA, and Brqdy Park under construction. I tule cannot wait to see the vibrancy that this will add to the heart of the Brady District. I'm sure I will be visiting the museums as well as the park on occasion, which will be an experience unlike any other n Tulsa. Also in this area is the new KOTV studios. These are well on track to Thor scheduled completion in 2013.

Now traveling south, the lot directly east of the BOK Center is alive with construction, as One Place begins to take shape. Cimarex Tower is beginning to rise from the ground, and the Northwestern Mutual headquarters are scheduled to be completed (I think) sometime in the first half of next year. Hopefully by the end of this year we now more about the hotel and residential portion of this project.

Well I guess that concludes this post. It's much longer than normal, as it's the first "real" post I've written on my iPad. I must say it is much easier to type on than an iPhone. :-)

As I always try to end my posts on a positive note, I'll do so again tonight. Downtown is alive. Naysayers that say it is dead or that "no one goes down there" no longer hold any ground. Tulsa is finally gaining quality, something that it has not had in a long, long time.

What's in store for Tulsa in 2012?

With the new year approaching, I thought I'd share some plausible hopes and goals for Tulsa this coming year.

I think the one of the biggest focuses of downtown in 2012, will be the Brady and Blue Dome districts. Already, we are seeing the north side of downtown fill in. This will be further amplified when many of the projects that are currently under construction, are completed sometime in the coming year. There is already a huge amount of synergy in these neighborhoods, and I think that developers will really play on that when they announce several new projects in 2012.

Another area that will see considerable new development, while not as much as the Blue Dome and Brady, will be the area including and between the CBD and the BOK Center. Already we are seeing this with the recent flurry of development, and I see no reason for this trend to change. I would have to say though, that my biggest hope for this area is that some of those pop up shops become permanent. It doesn't have to be the exact same stores, in fact I would love it if they were ne ventures, but I would like to see at least two or three of those pop up spaces filled.

Towards the end of 2012, it is my hope that the southern, as well as the east ends begin to relish in the same success that the north and central parts of downtown are currently experiencing. I would love to see TCC further develop its long range plans, and I would love to see a couple infill projects here and there throughout these areas.

All of this is simply my speculation though. I hope it happens, but who knows? Perhaps, we could be surprised with more than we expected. Yeah, there's my hopie for 2012. Let's be pleasantly surprised with more than we expected of our city.

Please tell me some of your hopes for Tulsa in the new year below. And of course, it does not have to include downtown. Any section of the metro is up for discussion.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone who reads this blog! I received a new iPad for Christmas so be expecting more blog entries than you,re used to. Have a wonderful day hopefully spent with family and those you love.

How far we've come...

Look at this picture. Stunning. Beautifully composed. Now think about how long it takes to create a picture like this. For all the photographers out there you know that this would have to be taken from a tripod, and that it would take a few shots of messing around with the settings and framing to get that perfect shot. To achieve results like this you can't just put the camera in "Auto" and click away.

Okay, so that's established. It takes a long time to take a good picture, but why is that relevant? Consider how empty the streets must have been. The photographer was obviously standing in the middle of the road, most likely for several minutes. Sadly, he or she was not in anyone's way. If this same person were to go back tomorrow and try to take the same picture, they would be honked at, blocking the way of many cars, and simply be causing problems.

Our little city has grown up so fast. With all the restaurants, businesses, stores, and the new hotel that are in this area now, along with the recent opening of Edward Delk's, Boston Avenue is no longer a pretty little ghost town. It is a vibrant, living, breathing part of the city. It has become a place where people want to be, not a place that scares you away because of its sheer emptiness.

This one picture is true for pretty much most of downtown for the time it was taken. You probably could have stood in the street anywhere you wanted and taken pictures. Heck, you could have layed down and taken a nap! It's nice to step back and think about all this and admire the progress that is being made.

Along with all of the tangible improvements downtown, I've noticed outsiders' perception of it is slowly changing as well. Maybe it's just me, but it seems as though we're hearing fewer and fewer people complain about how dangerous, boring, or waste of time downtown is.

Tulsa is back, and it's ready to fight.

I forgot to include the Tulsa Art Deco Museum in my list of new places along Boston Ave. yesterday. Thank you William and all others who have contributed to this fantastic project.

Rail Discussions STILL Being Held Up

I was reading an article today, that further frustrated me with our government. It is no secret that our government, be it city, state, or federal, is a slow worker. Think about all the projects that have been talked about over the years, but have either never happened, or are "still in the works." Get back to me with a list, will ya?

So, while I was not surprised, I was disappointed to hear that rail talks, which were scheduled to begin at the end of August, have still not begun. In fact, it is not even known if the committee has even been formed yet. The committee's job is to create a presentation over the prospect of developing a rail link between Tulsa and OKC. This presentation was to be complete by December of 2012. Hmmmm....wonder how that's coming along when the committee is not even formed yet.

Honestly, I am not a huge fan of this project, at this time anyway. What good is it going to do to for people to ride a train either to OKC or Tulsa and then have to attempt to navigate both cities' crappy bust systems? We need to first construct at least a basic rail system constructed here in Tulsa (something that OKC is preparing to do) before we make a connection to OKC. If we did this within the next five years (yeah right) then we could immediately start making plans for a connection to OKC. But first we need to spend our money in the cities themselves, not between them.

As a side note, does anyone have any pictures of the Metro at Brady apartments? If you do send me an email with them and I'll post them on here (unless you don't want me to). I'd also like to see some of the One Place development as construction continues there. I would give full credit to you of course.

Christmas in Downtown Tulsa 2011

These two pictures show a side of downtown Tulsa that I am so happy to see return. For years downtown was dead around the holidays except for the annual Parade of Lights. After that, nothing happenned. People went home. Now there's something to do throughout the holiday season downtown. You no longer have to just come to the parade and leave. There is ice skating, shopping, dozens of restaurants, shows at all the downtown venues, or you can just take a walk and enjoy all of the Christmas lights.

I haven't been downtown yet this winter at all, and I'm hoping that I can go sometime pretty soon. It's not hard to entertain me. I'm one of those people that just walking around for a while outside suits me just fine.

All of what is going on right now is what is needed in order to sustain a healthy, vibrant, and growing downtown. Now, we don't have to beg people to go downtown just for the sake of going downtown. There's actually stuff to do now. This sure is an exciting time to live in Tulsa.

Merry Christmas...errrrrr...happy holidays.....I mean, whatever. Have a great rest of whatever you prefer to call this season.

One Place is coming along...

I'm sure most of you have already seen this, but if you haven't here is the link to the construction camera for One Place. It's coming along pretty quickly, with much of the base already poured, and just today they raised the crane that will be used to construct the tower.

This building has recieved much criticism in its design. While I do sympathize with some of what the critics are saying, I really don't think it's all that bad. It sure isn't eye catching, but it isn't hard to look at, espescially at street level, which is where it really matters. And although the rendering doesn't seem to depict this, I've read somewhere that the building will include two retail/restaurant openings along 2nd Street and one along Cheyenne. If that is to be the case, then I see this building as a major win along 2nd Street, where currently there is hardly any activity. If these two retail spaces did actually happen, then they would help soften it up, espescially around the area where it is most important, the blocks near the BOK Center.

I guess we'll know for sure how everything is pretty soon, as I don't imagine it being very long before we get a good look at what the base is actually going to look like.

So here's my verdict.

If the two said retail spaces fronting 2nd come to fruition, major win for the area.

If they don't, I won't consider it a complete fail but it is a large missed oppurtunity.