Comments on: Get Ready for More Questions. But First, a Look Back

By: steverob

steverob — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:09:59 +0000

I would really like to see it built at the COOP site. But $120 mil is a pretty penny. I just think that would help all of the Bricktown area and add a lot opportunities for Lower Bricktown to expand towards that site… and it will get rid of an eyesore DT. Also leaves, like you said steve, the park frontage available for development which could really be amazing! personally I think it’s a no brainer

By: okclee

okclee — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:03:52 +0000

I am hoping that any site that is mentioned other than the COOP site is just negotiating ploys.

In other words the city can talk about other locations in order to get a better deal for the COOP site.

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:57:47 +0000

Chad, that field south of Wedge isn’t even remotely near big enough for a Tier II convention center.

Roy Williams must be on crack, why on earth would Deep Deuce be a good fit for a convention center? To destroy our only decent urban neighborhood that is starting to resemble one?

By: Keith Anderson

Keith Anderson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:03:13 +0000

Put it on “the hill.”

By: Mark Wheatley

Mark Wheatley — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:10:20 +0000

Again thank you very much for asking these questions!

By: Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:57:36 +0000

As a side note, it’s so exciting that we are even able to have these ambitious discussions about our city. The next ten years are going to be exhilarating with plenty for us to talk about along the way.

By: don

don — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:56:10 +0000

My thoughts on this have long leaned to the coop site with easy access to bricktown the primary consideration. South of the ford center would be the worst possible spot as it would severely limit retail/housing at one of our most important intersections. A spot that has been unmentioned, at least to me, is the area east of Stiles and west of Lincoln. It should be enough area for the convention center footprint. Easy access out to the east. An easy walk west to hotels west of bricktown. And finally, a viable alternative to the coop site to use as leverage, if need be.

By: Chad Reynolds

Chad Reynolds — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:20:23 +0000

I kinda like the idea of putting it north of Bricktown. What if you put it just behind the Walnut Street Bridge, just south of the new Wedge and west of the Police Station in that big field that is (unfortunately) becoming (another!) surface parking lot? I mean, this is already a dense, walkable, urban, hip, happening area sandwiched between Deep Deuce and Bricktown, and visitors would love it. Could be cool. Especially if there’s a big transit hub put just west of it like I’ve heard some talk of. Or even if the put the transit hub in Santa Fe Station, it would still keep everything close. That would also free up the new park for development and keep all four sides free of a “superblock.”

By: david ball

david ball — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:04:36 +0000

120 million for the coop is obviously not going to happen, and people seem to keep acting like this is a deal breaker. i don’t know what the appraisal on this would be, but say it comes in at 13 million for the sake of discussion (read today’s oklahoman for a piece that has some quotes from kirk humphries on this very issue). you aren’t going to have to pay for relocation, because they are vacating the property and marketing it already. with eminent domain proceedings, you could expect to have the deal done for under 15 million, leaving you 105 million towards the building of the convention center.

to me, the big question we should be demanding is, WHERE is the BEST place to put it? then, and only then, do you start arguing about the cost. assuming that the city builds a new convention center every 50 years (as the mayor mentions), we are looking at living with this decision for half a century (if not longer). it had better be a good one, and not merely a political one.

By: Casey Cornett

Casey Cornett — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:06:50 +0000

ahhhhh ok, good. I’m almost finished with your Second Time Around book; I’ll probably finish it this weekend.