Crescent Market Coming to Downtown?
Crescent Market's location at 205 W Main can be seen in this 1913 photo, courtesy of www.retrometrookc.com.
Ah, wouldn’t it be nice for the city’s oldest grocery (started in 1889) to return to its roots? The rumor is out there. And it wasn’t without some basis. But after doing some digging, I’m not convinced it’s going to happen. But I can share that the odds of downtown getting a grocery store are better than they’ve been so far. Don’t be surprised if we see something announced later this year.
False Google Alert on SandRidge
Those of you who receive Google news alerts might have been alarmed to read about 200 layoffs at SandRidge Energy. I just talked to Marsha Wooden, vice president of administration, and did some digging. Wooden reports this alert is false and appears to a rehash of layoffs that occurred two years ago. Some brief investigation shows that indeed, KOTV 6 in Tulsa “updated” their 2009 story today and that it got picked up by an obscure site (seems to be one of those ‘bot sites for advertising), and thus you have the Google alert.
I hope this clears up any confusion. It is true, meanwhile, that oil is racing up to $100 a barrel – a far cry from what we were seeing in 2009.
This and That
This photo is from the newest collection posted at www.retrometrookc.org. Who can identify the most prominent buildings shown that are still standing today?
Also… the spam filter is getting besieged this week. If you lose a comment or don’t see it posting, feel free to email me and let me know.
Answers … Sort of …
Marsha Slaughter, who heads up the city’s water/waste water division, has finally responded to questions about this sidewalk barricade. Sort of. She answered three of the questions left unanswered. So let’s get into the questions she answered first:
1. What is the risk of lowering the grate (an inch or so) so that it is flush with the sidewalk and doesn’t impede pedestrian traffic? Is it really a life or death situation if the grate is lowered?
A: It is a life or death situation. Our employees enter the vault and have to be able to safely maneuver heavy water meters and fittings safely while they are in the vault.
The box is about five inches tall on the downhill side. There is not a different thin lid that will create the same walk-ability concrete does on a slope. A metal plate, for example, is slippery when wet regardless of how nicely it’s finished and in this location would be slippery on a slope.
2. How big of a deal would it be to move the water meter if lowering the grate is unacceptable?
A: About $100,000 and a high annoyance factor during construction. The water line under the street’s pavement would have to be lowered, the pipe from the water line to the meter box dug up and lowered, the meter box would have to be rebuilt to be flush with the sidewalk, then the sidewalk would have to be reconstructed and the pavement patched because it would be torn out during the construction. It would always look patched.
3. Regardless of expense, would this sort of sidewalk impediment be accepted in front of a (prominent home)? Would you really tell them, “tough, it’s too expensive to move?”
Yes. Builders purchase and install the water meter according to our standards. Meters get installed in a consistent manner so they accurately and reliably measure the amount of water customers use, are safe for our employees to work in, and can be found to shut off when broken plumbing floods a building.
I understand the suggestion is the City reinstalls the meter box at our expense. It’s our ratepayers money and we use it carefully. The sidewalk is useable by all.
Marsha Slaughter, Utilities Director
Now, for the questions she chose not to answer:
- Would it be acceptable to have a fenced grate in the middle of a street? If not, and if pedestrian access is now to be given equal (or better) footing with vehicular access, than why is this an acceptable sidewalk?
- What does this sort of sidewalk arrangement say about Oklahoma City’s engineering standards? What does it say about the Oklahoma City Water/Waste Water Utilities Department? What does it say about its responsibility to provide residents with sidewalks that are as safe and free of barriers as streets are for cars? Or are we back to treating pedestrian access as an afterthought to vehicular access?
I’ve also added a couple follow-up questions….
Birds Chirping…
As some of you know, I’ve been trying to find out the story behind this sidewalk blockade along NE 2 in Deep Deuce. What’s interesting is when city officials first claimed it was a utility that was responsible, the named utility was immediately responsive, sent folks out to the site and determined that this one was owned by the city’s water/waste water division headed up by Marsha Slaughter.
Debbie Ragan, representing this matter, responded that the sidewalk was built this way due to a water meter placement.
I asked the following questions. So far, weeks have passed with no response. Why the silence? I sent out a follow up email today:
We’re approaching a month since I started asking these questions. When can I expect answers?
1. What is the risk of lowering the grate (an inch or so) so that it is flush with the sidewalk and doesn’t impede pedestrian traffic? Is it really a life or death situation if the grate is lowered?
2. How big of a deal would it be to move the water meter if lowering the grate is unacceptable?
3. Regardless of expense, would this sort of sidewalk impediment be accepted in front of Devon tower? The Skirvin hotel? City Hall? The mayor’s house? The homes of Larry Nichols, Aubrey McClendon, Tom Ward or other prominent city leaders? Would you really tell them, “tough, it’s too expensive to move?”
4 Would it be acceptable to have a fenced grate in the middle of a street? If not, and if pedestrian access is now to be given equal (or better) footing with vehicular access, than why is this an acceptable sidewalk?
5. What does this sort of sidewalk arrangement say about Oklahoma City’s engineering standards? What does it say about the Oklahoma City Water/Waste Water Utilities Department? What does it say about its responsibility to provide residents with sidewalks that are as safe and free of barriers as streets are for cars? Or are we back to treating pedestrian access as an afterthought to vehicular access?
More Thoughts on the Convention Center
A couple years ago, before voters approved MAPS 3, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber hired consultants to look at potential sites and talk to meeting planners, visitors. Their preference for a new convention center? They liked the Cox Center’s proximity to Bricktown and they wanted to see a new one with similar proximity. They liked having Bricktown as an amenity.
Now locals are chiming in, via a poll conducted in this week’s Gazette. Their preference? You probably guessed it… they want to see a new convention center near Bricktown. they’re also not too keen about the potential of the city paying for a new conference hotel.
Baker Street
Windin’ your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You’ll drink the night away
And forget about everything
The now late great Gerry Rafferty didn’t just create one heck of a classic song – he also highlighted a wonderful urban street in London. And thanks to You Tube, we can see that this street remains a vibrant place shared by pedestrians and vehicles. As downtown Oklahoma City undergoes Project 180, it’s not a bad thing to watch this following video carefully and consider what we like and dislike most about Baker Street (the song, of course, can only be loved!).
Effie and Bill Simmons
It looks like a popular ESPN columnist stayed at the Skirvin recently and he says he had an encounter with Effie.
“I woke up at 4:30 with my heart pounding. I swear on Tom Brady’s ACLs that the following happened: At first, I heard a baby crying and realized that was why I woke up. I thought it was one of my own kids before remembering that my kids weren’t babies anymore, then remembering that I was in Oklahoma City and not Los Angeles. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I wasn’t alone. I had an overpowering sensation that someone else was in the room. Until you’ve experienced that feeling, you can’t understand what it’s like. Your blood is swishing through your veins at 200 miles an hour, only you don’t understand why — your body reacts a few seconds before your brain does.”
To read his entire account, go here.
Now here’s the thing; Jack Money and I did exhaustive research on the hotel for our book “Skirvin.” We wrote a section on the ghost stories. W.B. Skirvin was a womanizer. He was quite the likable scoundrel. He had fights with his family. There were loose women, beer parties, fixed roulette wheels and shootings on the 10th floor that is supposedly haunted. We know the name of the hotel employee who Skirvin had a long-time affair with. Her name wasn’t Effie. And there was no tragic death or a scandal involving a crying baby.
The Effie fable is just that – a fable. Now, have I seen a couple of things that could be interpreted as proof of the hotel being haunted? Maybe. But there are likely sane explanations. And for what it’s worth, there are just as many variations of the Effie tale that involve a more sensual, erotic if not odd haunting involving Effie compared to the one relayed by Mr. Simmons.
Mr. Simmons, I’m calling you out. You’re dabbling in fiction writing with your latest BS report.
Best regards, Steve Lackmeyer
Opportunity?
Attention downtown brokers, leasing agents, building owners and managers; if you’re looking for an established restaurant tenant with long track record of success, the Interurban, I hear, is looking for a new home after closing last week at City Place Tower.
Vision
This old wooden building - once likely a grocery - has been boarded up and empty for decades.
But what if…..
It could look like this?
