More Convention Center Intrigue?
Convention center site chosen, but not everyone is happy. Thoughts?
So much happened at this meeting, I could only get so much into the story. Here’s what didn’t make the cut:
- MAPS 3 Program Manager is now referring to the disputed $30 million substation relocation in Core to Shore as a “separate project” – essentially giving it status equal to the convention center, park, streetcar system, etc.
-”At the last meeting I was somewhat concerned about how one project was pulled by this committee… it seemed unusual that somehting already eliminated was revived, I was hoping for the high road, that what was fixing to happen was we would discect that location to make sure it was the right decision. I think today we see less accurate information about the Core to Shore south site than we had at a previous time.” – Avis Scaramucci, chair of the Bricktown Association, convention center subcommittee member.
- “You’re looking at Core to Shore south through rose colored glasses,” – Kirk Humphreys to consultants with Populous after questioning what he deemed were generous rankings for the site’s proximity to hotels, restaurants and nightlife.
- “All we’re trying to give is an honest comparison of the real costs of the various projects, based on the real world and not on how someone wants to divide or subdivide the projects.” – Larry Nichols
-”What was put into promotional material was $280 million for a convention center. To quote the mayor, the $30 million (being redirected from the convention center budget to a substation relocation) was too small a detail to get anyone interested in. I’m suggesting we get interested in it here today.” – Kirk Humphreys
- Add Councilman Ed Shadid to the list of council members who say they gave no instructions to city staff concerning the scheduling of construction for the proposed Core to Shore central park. That’s a majority – I’ve not heard back from Larry McAtee, Skip Kelley or David Greenwell.
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Comments
I agree that a replacement might be a good idea. Hey, the Myriad Gardens was handled very well… why not someone who was in charge of P180??
But Mr. Wenger was picked by Mr. Couch because of his exceptional accomplishments directing MAPS for Kids and his “accomplishments” which weren’t factually correct on the projects he oversaw with the original MAPS.
I am not faulting him on this one, I agree it is obvious that he is following orders from someone above (either the City manager and/or the Mayor). If anyone needs to be replaced because of this it is these folks.
Glad to see some common sense coming into play. Cheers to Roy Williams for exposing the goofy numbers and hats off to Kirk Humphreys for pointing out that reality is always a moving target.
Time to move ahead to make our wonderful City even better.
There should be a public outcry on how this is being handled. Either the Mayor or City Manager has some hidden agendas, maybe both. They Mayor has lost ALL credibility on this issue. This has the potential to turn into one of the bigger scandals that we have seen in the MAPS era.
From the quotes, it would appear that Big Business and the Chamber have both turned on him. Without that support, it will hard for him to get much done anyway.
I find this whole story from Mayor Mick about mystery agreements and mystery conversations VERY disturbing. The former Ford site seems like a very good location to me and the Mayor-favored southern site is very unappealing to me every before you consider the $30M power station transfer costs. I say hurray for the MAPS Citizen Oversight board for being a voice of reason!
Jim, the Mayor lost his last shred of credibility long ago and Humphries never had any to begin with. For the idiot of a Mayor to state that the $30 million station movement was too small a detail to be bothered with????? Remember Cornett is cut from the same cloth at Humphries in that they are all about themselves first and higher political office.
This is looking like more corruption than Boss Tweed. I agree with Jim as this IS a SCANDAL in the making and we are all watching the train wreck occur.
MikeN,
I agree with you on Mayor Cornett and I was in agreement with you about Kirk Humphries at the beginning of his mayoral term but I think his views and opinions have evolved and I think he is a good advisor for OKC, now.
He has personally experienced this new economy with his businesses, an inner city resident and through his childrens education, expertise and efforts I believe he is well versed now in sustainability and urban land management systems.
These are just my observations I have only met him once but I have watched his comments evolve with interest.
This has turned into a huge debacle. Our city leaders should be ashamed. They’re killing their credibility and destroying the opportunities for future leaders to do something like MAPS in a respectable way.
Not sure if it is a debacle yet. I think the spiraling might be starting though, and I have stood up for Mick most of the time. I think his ego might have gotten a bit inflated though and because of that, it will hamper future MAPS projects, like you said Joe. I still think it can be saved if Cornett takes more of a backseat. He has his neck out there and city leaders are turning. You definitely don’t want the money in the city turning its back on you.
Firing Eric Wenger? I don’t understand why someone has to lose their job over this. Seems like this is more of a political situation than a personnel situation.
I hardly think that this $30 M is the biggest “scandal” regarding the convention center though. Let’s talk about the committee wanting all of downtown and MAPS3 planned around the convention center at the expense of other projects like the streetcar. Now that’s something worth getting angry over.
To be fair, and to add to what Nick is saying, it’s my impression that Wenger is following instructions from someone higher up in the chain of command. Grilling Eric, someone I respect and like, is something I neither enjoy or want to do (ditto for a similar conversation I had with Jim Couch, who I consider a friend).
I do think there are three very, very separate issues going on here: (1) the decision by city staff to redirect $30 million from the convention center budget to the substation under the sole direction of the mayor, and against council wishes and without any policy vote as usually required for such a large amount of money; (2) the decision by city staff to tell the convention center subcommittee that the city council had ordered that the park be done by 2014 when in fact, they had not and the order was coming only from the mayor; (3) the debate over whether to delay the park to allow work to start sooner on the convention center; (4) the debate over whether work should start first on the convention center or the streetcar system.
This fourth debate, it seems, has not given full consideration to the economic impact of a streetcar system. On the flip side, I’ve yet to hear any one explain why its critical to open the park by 2014 other than the mayor’s insistence that he really wants it to happen.
Fair points, Steve, with respect to Mr. Wenger. Still, there definitely appears to be something un-kosher going on.
Mike, the answer to that is “yes.” Mayor is up that year, so is 5th District Congress and the senate seat held by Jim Inhoffe. You are bringing up an issue I’ve not heard or considered. Are you suggesting there may be some political motivations to some of this?
But if they complete a controversial part of the plan by 2014 it backfires on them. Does “getting their way (or mayor Mick’s way) actually keep them from being re-elected?
Rover, I’m not sure that’s what Mike was getting at.
As an aside, a reader asked me to check out a conversation of this going on at a local community forum I used to frequent. I was pretty much shocked at direction of the discussion, and how much misunderstanding there is on what has happened, what is going on.
For what it’s worth, the decision made Tuesday represents the culmination of a year-long effort by academics and planners, starting with advice given by the Urban Land Institute, to convince community leaders that the Core to Shore south site was a very bad location for a convention center. The only “skewing” of information and actions seen as sneaky and under-handed (observation of those involved, not myself) involve the site south of the arena. Tuesday’s actions represent departure away from that by the business community, and toward options suggested by the academics and planners.
…… but in a way and manner that makes us long for the days in which we were angry about the park-side convention center prospect.
Now they’ve done it in a way to greatly endanger the streetcar project.
I think that could be a good compromise. However, I think they should stick with the timeline recommended by ADG. The only drawback would be the amount of time the convention center site would sit empty.
I am coming into these comments late and I don’t know Eric really well, but I have watched him close enough to know that he is very skilled at what he does. So long has he remains on the up and up, which I have zero reason to think he isn’t, I think he will make good management for the city on into the future. It is really hard to find such a detail oriented person.
All that being said, he needs to do what is right by himself as much as the project if he feels he is caught in any way in the politics of this project. I don’t like to see good people get knocked down by the politics.
Here is where I’ll readily admit I have had some intense conversations with Eric Wenger: Twice he has informed these MAPS 3 citizens committees that they were limited in what they could do because of “instructions” from the city council where I discovered upon follow-up that they deny any such instructions were given. And on both matters, we’re talking about pretty significant policy issues that in past years would be decided through a formal vote in a public meeting, which clearly has not happened. On this last meeting, Eric cited city council instructions but then said he could not recall which council members had given the instructions (not one council member is speaking up and saying they dictated an opening for the central park).
I’ve been around at City Hall long enough for folks there to know that I get pretty aggressive in my questioning when I sense someone is not being honest or forthright with me.
Steve keep up the pressure and intensity. As your post indicates to me that there is clearly a lot of double/underhanded dealing and that EW if not part and pacel involved at the very least is aware of and knows about it.
The light of day has yet to shine and I fear that unless it does trouble is here and festering.
I was just wondering if Cornett’s continued aggressiveness toward this site is in relation obtaining commitments and raising campaign money and support from appreciative private and commercial interests
for running for an upcoming higher elected office. He would not care who he upsets if those few with the money can enrich his campaign war chest.
mike that would not surprise me in the least. You may be on to something there. You would think if it was just a difference of opinion he would by now realize his boat for that location is sinking.
However I also would not be shocked to see his future political aspirations end up on the ash heep like his immediate predecessors rightfully did.
Money is the mothers milk of politics.
I think, just as some has said, this controversy has made us forget earlier things we were upset about. However, I would like to point out, for those lauding Williams, that just a few weeks ago the Chamber was being villified for their involvement in the Momentum PAC. We may be able to see, when the Council votes on the timeline, if that money was being used to effect such a change. I actually would like to see the substation moved for aesthetic reasons. Perhaps we can get a developer to pay for it or perhaps it will have to come out of the park budget. Regardless, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this controversy has anything to do with the mayor, except as it involves him being in the way of what the subcommitte wants. We heard several references to the voters and how they expect a $280 million convention center. Every voter I’ve ever talked to could care less about the convention center. It rode to victory on the coattails of the park, trails, sidewalks and the streetcar. The subcommittee is riding roughshod over the wishes of the voters in the same manner they are suggesting Mayor Cornett is doing.
Jill in my neighborhood the park and the convention center was the BIG draw and the streetcar project was met with the greatest derision. So your assessment about what projects are supported and which are not is more attuned to the neighborheed you live in and not a general city wide consensus.
I think it’s about time to replace (MAPS Program Manager) Wenger or figure out who is pulling his strings– he is wasting money, time and is now changing his story (once again) on why the substation is being relocated. Apparently, city staff has just taken it upon themselves to make this into a $30 million project.