The Beat – Random Thoughts
I’m very fortunate that I get to cover what I enjoy. Of late, however, it seems like I’ve been too busy cranking out stories, blog posts and videos – all at the expense of hitting the streets and spending time learning what’s about to happen next.
That’s why Friday was so great. I didn’t have a single story to crank out this one day, and I was actually in a position where I’m relatively caught up on work.
So what did I learn?
I learned that John at Prairie Thunder Bakery in MidTown is working long hours, but he’s doing quite well. And if you like the pastries at Coffee Slingers on Broadway, well, they came from John.
The Neighbors family, meanwhile, are busy thinking up ways to continue downtown’s momentum within what Steve Mason would call the Neighbors’ “sphere of influence.”
By the way, Steve is celebrating completion of the tax credit applications and approval of work done at 1015 N Broadway. The building, home to Coffee Slingers, is fully leased. Steve is also continuing to develop NW 9th.
Bricktown was pretty busy on Friday as fans poured in early to catch the final home game for the Thunder. I was happy to run into an old college friend and roommate, Michael Hayes. He had an extra ticket and asked if I wanted to join him – but after working two nights this week, it was important I return home and spend some time with my kids.
I’ve got to wonder how things will progress with Jeff Speck’s recommendations. He has a lot of folks excited about the prospect of making downtown more walkable. But not everybody at City Hall is comfortable with what he has to say. Indeed, they are correct in pointing out he’s made some big mistakes – he called dismantling of city requirements for parking downtown. But the city doesn’t have parking requirements downtown. The city has also been pretty responsive to eliminating obstructions to mixed use development.
But those criticisms aside (I’m wondering if Speck is screening his presentations with trusted locals before his public talks), it’s difficult to simply dismiss Speck’s recommendations.
I’m beginning to look forward to this year’s deadCENTER Film Festival. With the chamber headquarters construction on hold, the triangle at NW 4 and Broadway remains available for screenings against the BNSF viaduct wall. With housing now just around the corner and construction around the area cleared, I can’t think of a better outdoor venue for this festival.
Now, if you’ve gotten this far with my random thoughts, here’s the pay-off: there’s a very, very good chance that Sage in Deep Deuce will be starting a soft opening this next week. Metro, please stay away and withhold your reviews until we know these folks have gotten things under control.
-Steve
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