I would like to see major investment East of Broadway, from about 4th to 12th to the tracks and set up as quiet zone…there’s a good start happening now but with extra Maps money…there could be so much more.

The train whistles aren’t so bad, it’s the engines that they park along there that chug that droning diesel sound for hours on end at night. When they park the trains there at 1am, I can hear the engine all night in Heritage Hills.

Well, I grew up two blocks from a rail yard and I wasn’t permanently injured by the noise. I like the train horns actually. Also, rebuilding all those grade crossings would cost quite a bit of money and the city would probably be responsible for most of the cost.

Anyway, just my $0.02. I’m sure I am in the minority and will hear about it in later comments!

I’ve worked on many residential projects in the area- site selection for Deep Deuce Apartments, sale of Block 42 and Centennial Condos, and pending development. The 56 or so trains a day and related noise were an issue to lenders, developers and residents. The Candy Factory was renovated as office not housing for this reason. Many vacant buildings and lots line the route which would be suitable for housing if the issue were resolved by a quiet zone. We need more residents to support quality retail downtown. A quiet zone would have tangible positive impact. FHA requires a decibel level test as part of the underwriting. This type of loan is necessary to provide rents at workforce levels. Many properties would not pass without very costly soundproofing measures. This issue appears in all cities as they mature, it is now our turn.

I believe that the Deep Deuce/Auto Alley area would greatly benefit from a quiet zone. With the residential areas that are already near the train tracks, I’m sure that prospective buyers are being turned off by the train horns blaring at all hours in that area. Also, visitors staying in the soon-to-be-built Aloft hotel can’t be left with a good impression of the downtown area if they can’t sleep. If the quiet zone helps spur development, Core to Shore won’t be far behind.

Very important. I didn’t know how bad the trains would be until I moved to the area- I’m on the eastern edge of Heritage Hills. Sometimes it isn’t bad, but certain conductors will blast their horn nonstop all the way from 7th to 23rd. Sometimes several will go through in a row. It interrupts conversations, movie-watching, and sleep. With so many crossings within a mile, it’s really obnoxious. At least for anyone who is not in a thick-walled mansion. 2 or 3 times a day, it would be quaint and fun, but 5 times an hour is not ok.

And here is why I ask: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-delays-on-creating-railroad-quiet-zone-blamed-for-death-of-38-million-development/article/3626883

If they are going to spend the money on something other than a park then I would prefer they spend it on something cultural or educational or interactive. Quiet Zone in downtown? Really?

This situation is not at all comparable to living near any other train, and we can learn nothing about residential by the train from Deep Deuce. The whistle blows at 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, Park Pl, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 16th. At low speeds this can mean 2-3 minutes or more of whistle blowing. The train often comes many times in an hour, and sometimes several trains come through back to back. Honestly, Midtown is thriving in spite of the train right now. And it’s not that no one has been saying anything:

http://twitter.com/#!/shopgoodokc/status/127201825333051392
http://twitter.com/#!/JDMerryweather/status/115407865291878401
http://twitter.com/#!/JDMerryweather/status/115409964360667136
http://twitter.com/#!/shanehamp/status/114202967103643648

However, according to Meg Salyer, BNSF is the only one to blame:

http://twitter.com/#!/MegForWard6/status/122315324824625152

How much does a Jersey barrier cost? Let’s just block up everything but 10, 13, and 16. Give me a forklift and I’ll do it tomorrow.

The last line in the article says it all. With limited funds some things rise to the to and others fall to the bottom. Simple facts of life.

really sounds like a lame excuse from the City. Thought it was for things like this that the “Alliance” was created? Why is the City spending for it? It is supposed to be able to pull all of that creative financing from various sources together. The City has something like 40 different funds (some are restricted use but only technically as we all know, they routinely use multi-millions from the Public Safety tax to the General Fund on a regular, yearly basis).Then there are all the other funding sources available to accomplish it.

They were waiting on the paper tiger Meg Salyer to get it done? Please. She’s worthless, unable to move even the bums, I mean occupiers, out of her district, despite one death already.

Meg Salyer has to go. She stands in the way of even greater downtown progress.

Steve

I appreciate your coverage very much. Some will say I am whining but this is something a number of us have worked on for over 4 years. Comparing OKC to Chicago or even Austin or Houston is hardly helpful, as these markets have much higher population densities and mature downtowns.

What is most disappointing is getting sandbagged.

Brent Bryant forgot to say “rich and powerful” when he said we needed cheerleader.

I am very concerned that City Staff is not just making policy but is picking winners and losers based on flawed urban land planning thinking, and, sometimes even less objective criteria. Developing Downtown, according to the City’s own recent housing study consultant, costs almost 42% more than developing on the City’s edges.

What Steve Mason has done near the tracks is terrific, but restaurant customers only stay around about an hour at a time, not overnight or 8 hours a day like an office worker. Until have a committed timetable in place for a safe RR corridor, we will not and cannot expect any significant large projects to occur between 4th and 23rd or between Broadway and I235.

Thanks again

Bert

By the city using extra funds to invest in Core To Shore area, shows a testament that the City is more focused on developing Core To Shore area which I am in support.

Don’t get me wrong, Automobile Alley is undergoing a renaissance, but Bert’s Class A development would be more welcomed if developed in Downtown, Bricktown, or even Deep Deuce. Let’s face it, that area near Campbell Park is not very eye candy and needs more beautification and pedestrian friendly development.

Moreover, I know the city was seeking federal funds to acquire land south of the new proposed downtown elementary school between SW 2ndst And California, this would be a great area for Berlanger and the Bomasada Group to develop their coined Enclave apartment complexes. Let’s hope Bert doesn’t turn is back on Oklahoma City, and considers developing somewhere else in the downtown core, there are plenty of undeveloped areas.

My wife and I just recently bought a condo in deep deuce. While we were in the process of looking for a place we ruled out the ones near the train tracks almost instantly. I am very much in favor of core to shore and was very much in favor of maps 3. That doesn’t mean that we should turn our backs on the rest of the downtown area.

Our downtown has made quite the comeback in the last decade but we are not done. I fully believe that to make another big step forward that the train should be a quiet zone through downtown. You can just look at the value of condos near the tracks and away from the tracks if you need evidence.

I live in deep deuce and I walk to automobile alley for dinner and drinks just as often as I walk to bricktown. This loss of the residential project is a HUGE HUGE loss that should sting for anyone who has bought in to downtown OKC.

It’s the age old chicken and egg argument. What comes first, commercial or residential, and I believe we are at a point where for more commercial to appear, we need to continue to add residential, especially considering that as of a decade ago there was none, and the majority of the current residencies are designed for wealthy middle aged folk and there is a dramatic lack of residencies designed for mid to late 20 year olds, who like myself, are the ones who want to live downtown anyway.

Also, wasn’t there a study that just came out saying that downtown has a shortage of apartments. The fact of the matter is it makes absolutely no sense to blatently ignore someone who wants to invest close to 40 million dollars in downtown, and justify it by the opinions of a few, not even the city council or the public, and put this money towards something no one will see for another 5-7 years. I am very much a believer in downtown OKC, but this chain of events is very upsetting and discouraging.

I agree with Carl, this is a really huge loss. Anytime you can make a 4.2 million dollar investment to get a 38 million dollar return? Who doesn’t jump on that? This sounds like someone in the city doesn’t like working with Bert or John Gilbert. Seems like they should have taken some people out on the town get people excited about the quiet zone.