Bert Belanger kept to his word and bulldozed a series of flop houses on Broadway Drive that have been an annoyance to downtowners for the past 20 years. There is something seriously wrong with a property when the arrival of sex offenders is considered an improvement over the previous tenants. The sex offenders were forced to move out earlier this year after neighbors complained they were to close to the Oklahoma School and Science and Math. It was then that Bert bought the properties from Hand Up Ministries.
Bert is to appear at Downtown Design Review Committee this week on plans to tear down the neighboring former nursing home, which has been empty for several years and is also a less than flattering image for passersby driving into Automobile Alley.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:50 am
So…sex offenders are moving in or what? I don’t understand..
July 16th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Is this going to be developed?
If not, it sounds like an Urban Renewal project.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I personally thought the houses had character and could have been remodeled into some upscale residential very easily. They seemed structurally sound and asthetically pleasing to me. I live/work/play and own property downtown. It seems like Belanger is doing it more for “psychological reasons” since some people had a bad taste in their mouth of this location because of the former tenants. Hopefully Belanger steps up to the plate soon with a quality development. Lord knows this area of downtown needs it and could support it. I know Belanger is a good guy so hopefully he won’t turn this into another poorly developed Urban Renewal project.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
This project has no ties to the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I’ve been reading for several months about sex offenders being kicked out all over town. Where are these people to go or supposed to do? I realize they shouldn’t live directly across the street from a daycare and that they made horrible mistakes… but we can’t just continue to throw these people on the streets and then give them no place to go because it’s too close to this or that.