Comments on: No Longer Acting Out of Desperation….

By: Nick Roberts

Nick Roberts — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:49:21 +0000

Brian, I agree.. but it’s not so much about the lawmakers. The point is during the day, at any given time, there are thousands of people wanting to go to Bricktown. There are just under 13,000 people working at the Oklahoma Health Center. MidTown is becoming the next Bricktown. And in the evening there are thousands of people wanting to go to all the venues in the Arts District. The streetcar is about connecting areas where thousands of people want to go, and trying to get some of them to walk it on foot instead of getting in their car for a mile. The streetcar is an amenity that makes walking distances across downtown no burden at all.

By: steve lackmeyer

steve lackmeyer — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:46:04 +0000

Norm, at the end of the day politics behind the scenes killed the canal extension. I’ll leave to others to say whether Bricktown was as effective in playing that game as the other constituencies.

By: Norm

Norm — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:51:09 +0000

Steve, You’ve got to wonder if any value analysis was done for some of these projects. For instance, about half of the monies allocated for completing the bike paths or the cost of the white water facility would pay to extend the canal to the front door of the new convention center and the new entrance to the Ford Center. The pedistrian access alone would be worth the expense. When you throw in the ambience of the canal (most popular MAPS project) and the ability to move people by boat to Bricktown (the hottest entertainment area in the state) and that spells value.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:32:47 +0000

Steve, it’s mid-afternoon already! Post those slides!

Also, I find it interesting that they plan on the streetcar serving the Health Center area but not the state capitol. I think this is good. Make the lawmakers pay for an extension to their workplace! They will surely want the ability to hop on the streetcar to go eat lunch in Bricktown or to a meeting downtown.

I don’t know if city leaders have thought of this or care, but I think that is a good incentive. The city can say, “sure lawmakers, kick in $15 million and we’ll extend the line a mile up Lincoln.”

By: kent

kent — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:30:36 +0000

great comments Steve… Hmmmm a great teaser in here too.

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:20:17 +0000

Oh, I wanted to add, that competition among districts will only lead to a healthier downtown and a healthier, more vibrant city! No more free ride for Bricktown that they’ve been enjoying for the last 10 years or so.

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:19:31 +0000

Jim, it sounds like you’ll have your work cut out for you in Bricktown. You and the BA will have to become more creative (and it seems like that’s started) to be a viable district long-term. I’d like to challenge you and see you set a goal to clean up the older section of the canal and see if you can’t get rid of the dirt piles, etc. before the New Year as well as the boarded up windows in buildings such as the other one the Scaramucci’s (owners of Nonna’s) own on the corner Oklahoma and Reno.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:21:59 +0000

Brian:
You are right that Bricktown is not the only concern here, that’s why we are just hoping to maintain connection to whatever site is chosen for the Convention Center. Bricktown is excited about the streetcar and what a great asset it will be for all of downtown, BUT PLEASE understand that Bricktown is concerned about pedestrian connectivity. That’s the easiest way for thousands of people to get to lunch. Streetcars would only provide transportation 30 or 40 at a time.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:59:26 +0000

I’m not sure where you could place a convention center that would make it closer to both Bricktown and existing hotels. South of Lower Bricktown would be even further from existing hotels. Don’t forget all of this area will be connected via streetcar.

Let’s use the corner of California (the canal) and Oklahoma as the central point of Bricktown. Right now, it is 5 blocks from the the Skirvin Hilton, the furthest hotel. Of course, we do not know where the entrances to a new convention center south of the Ford Center would be, be if they put some on Shields, then from SW 3th and Shields, it is only 4 blocks to the central point of Bricktown.

I don’t see the problem. I am not saying we have to build it across the street south from the Ford Center, but I am not convinved that is a bad location or that there really is a better location for more that just Bricktown (they are not the only concern here).

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:48:15 +0000

Kris:
I think you are right on in what Bricktown’s Goal is with Maps 3, stay connected to what we currently have and establish connectivity to new venues.
I believe this would not just be good for Bricktown, but for the total downtown experience.