Sunday Flashback: “The 20-Year Vision”
In 1992 The Oklahoman invited readers to contribute guest columns in which they would look ahead 20 years. I found this one item by Bill Murphy of Bethany worth reading now that we are indeed almost 20 years later:
Having lived in the metro area since 1925, I have seen its best, and its worst of times.
The last two decades can only be described as “marking” time.
Not without cause. We were subjected to closed-meeting urban renewal that produced only urban destruction. These city officials proceeded to remove the last remnants of a central population, thereby, nullifying the need for central services, forcing total suburbia.
By day our city is a bustling activity of drones gleaning nectar dollars, only to return to their suburban hives at sundown, leaving a naked city.
To compound our dilemma, we continued to elect officials with delusions of further taxation being the prime motivator to rebuild our rubble to hide the scars. Gentlemen, we do not raze empty slums just to erect empty ivory towers. The panacea “Galleria” project failed because investors develop services where there is a readily available market, and we utterly destroyed our central market. This city will never again see a permanent downtown population.
The ineffective leadership was never more openly displayed than the current (Mayor Ron) Norick/(Oklahoma County Commissioner F.G. “Buck”) Buchanan-led task force planners who would earmark two-thirds of the $231 million project for cultural niceties – projects that are non-revenue producing and will require continuing tax support.
These are liabilities, not assets, and it is illogical to assume we are going to bundle the kids for a wild night at the freebie downtown library, or a branch museum when the real thing will be as near as Norman.
Enough of past nightmares, we must look to the future with just cause, we have lost faith in our city leaders’ ability to serve the needs of the people and their city. What can we do? We can identify the cause, determine the solution and mandate corrective action.
First, we are divided into two opposing factions. On the one hand we have the emotional element that has given up, typified by the comment of Doug Zavodny of Edmond, and I quote, “If a project beyond basic community/government services can’t attract private financing, then why should I as a taxpayer underwrite it? ” On the other hand, those thinkers with communal concern, say, “Wait a minute, that vacant land is my land, my tax money purchased and destroyed it, and I have a vested interest in making it productive. ” Both factions ring of truth. This is why we have marked time for two decades. We have become victims of our own stalemate.
For the first time we can speak in open forum; this media has invited we the people to detail our metro visions for tomorrow. We must respond by vocalizing our desire to shape our own future.
Those who embrace logic know that it pays dividends to repair, paint and present a neat landscape before marketing a piece of real estate. Therefore, presenting the barren waste of our inner-city to prospective developers indicates graphically that we are not capable of united community action, and don’t particularly care. We have neglected to prepare this property for market.
If we cannot produce a resident population, let us produce a transit population: tourism. How sweet the virgin manna of the tourist dollar. The influx is above and beyond the capacity of the local producing economy, and tends to relieve the burden of taxation.
We had a unique beginning, a unique heritage, and have a unique culture. We are “good old boys” clad in ropers and jeans. We love horses, horse racing and rodeos. We love to paddle canoes, toss bricks and cow chips, two-step to fiddles, eat barbecue and attend our many “cultural” festivals. We also have a Native American culture not found in any other state. This is precisely what tourism demands – entertainment. How?
Mr. Mayor, we the citizens do hereby mandate the inclusion of the entertainment portion of planning on the February ballot along with the defense facility, to be activated only if the defense facility is not awarded this city. Otherwise, the one-cent temporary sales tax, not to exceed three years, will automatically be activated upon completion of defense needs.
My vision for the five-year interval: we will have completed the canal and riverfront projects, built the new all-sports stadium and converted the Sheraton property to a conference and meeting center.
The 10-year vision reveals a tourist mecca, with a theme park, riding stable/trails along the river (lake) tourists riding canal barges, eating patio style along the extended Bricktown theme canal. And a wise investor has built a grand hotel on the “Galleria” site, with a 100-lane pro-bowling class alley in the basement filled to the wee hours. On the second floor (there will be) a grand ballroom with supper club-bar and an adjacent restaurant. The first floor? A mall to serve the needs of the populace.
The 20-year vision? The big league, of course. Should you fail to close ranks and mandate change, what you see is what you get.
It’s that simple.
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