The Convention Center Debate Continues
Mayor Mick Cornett instructed the MAPS oversight board at their first meeting in May that only one site – the one he favors south of Ford Center and across from the planned central park – will have $280 million budgeted, that all others will be funded at $250 million.
He also indicated the group has just two good sites to consider – the one south of Ford Center and the one south of Lower Bricktown where the Southwestern Producers Coop is now being listed by Gary Gregory for $121 million (Gregory came up with the price based on major land sales in Dallas and Nashville prior to the 2008 economic crash).
Today we see the mayor’s instructions may or may not hold (read here).
On June 29, I compiled the following history of this topic – a timeline I intend to maintain as developments merrit:
The Core to Shore task force NEVER voted or agreed on any favored sites.
- Core to Shore planners situated the convention center south of Ford Center on maps and renderings at the direction of the mayor (I was at the meeting), who at the time indicated they were not to reflect any chosen site, but rather to serve as a placeholder.
- During the MAPS 3 campaign, the mayor told residents the south of Ford Center site had been picked as the best location for the proposed convention center.
- The only experts to look at the convention center – HOK and the Urban Land Institute – advised that the site south of Ford Center is least viable for such a facility. The mayor did not attend the presentation of the Urban Land Institute report.
- The same experts gave high marks to two sites – the lumberyard south of Bricktown and a site north of Bricktown along Main Street – that the mayor has consistently indicated are not going to be considered.
- The mayor told the MAPS 3 oversight board at their first meeting on May 27 that regardless of where they locate a convention center, $30 million of the money reserved for the convention center must go toward buying out the OG&E substation and property on the south of Ford Center convention center site.
- The council has held no vote on allocating $30 million for the OG&E property.
- The council has held no vote on limiting consideration of convention center locations to the two sites listed by the mayor – the south of Ford Center site and the Southwestern Producers Coop site (for which owners are seeking to sell it for $121 million)
- On June 22, City Manager Jim Couch said “no due diligence” had occurred in regard to choosing a site for the proposed convention center. During the same conversation the mayor reiterated there are just two sites being considered for a new convention center.
- On July 22, members of the MAPS 3 citizens oversight board indicated they will not limit their site selection to the two sites presented by the mayor. Councilman Larry McAtee, also a member of the group, said $280 million will be available for whatever site is chosen for a convention center. McAtee said the city council never voted or agreed to reserve $30 million of the $280 million for buying out OG&E property on the south of Ford Center.
So, once more, let’s go back to where this discussion started with a video and quote from Mayor Mick Cornett at an Oct. 21, 2009 “Breaking Through” luncheon:
We have a really good site picked out in Core to Shore planning. Put it on the boulevard, right next to the park. We’re going to continue to revisit the site because this is a pretty big decision. I want to make sure we have a strong concensus in the community that this is the best site. But the things to keep in mind is where are the hotels, where is bricktown? Do not get too far away from either of those two entities. I think the current site addresses that adequately. But there are other sites we can consider and we’ll do that on the other side of the vote if it’s successful.
See video below:
Mayor Cornett on the MAPS 3 Convention Center from imagiNATIVEamerica on Vimeo.
History
Things to consider about the MAPS 3 convention center:
- The Core to Shore task force NEVER voted or agreed on any favored sites.
- Core to Shore planners situated the convention center south of Ford Center on maps and renderings at the direction of the mayor (I was at the meeting), who at the time indicated they were not to reflect any chosen site, but rather to serve as a placeholder.
- During the MAPS 3 campaign, the mayor told residents the south of Ford Center site had been picked as the best location for the proposed convention center.
- The only experts to look at the convention center – HOK and the Urban Land Institute – advised that the site south of Ford Center is least viable for such a facility. The mayor did not attend the presentation of the Urban Land Institute report.
- The same experts gave high marks to two sites – the lumberyard south of Bricktown and a site north of Bricktown along Main Street – that the mayor has consistently indicated are not going to be considered.
- The mayor told the MAPS 3 oversight board that regardless of where they locate a convention center, $30 million of the money reserved for the convention center must go toward buying out the OG&E substation and property on the south of Ford Center convention center site.
- The council has held no vote on allocating $30 million for the OG&E property.
- The council has held no vote on limiting consideration of convention center locations to the two sites listed by the mayor – the south of Ford Center site and the Southwestern Producers Coop site (for which owners are seeking to sell it for $121 million)
- On Tuesday City Manager Jim Couch said “no due diligence” had occurred in regard to choosing a site for the proposed convention center. During the same conversation the mayor reiterated there are just two sites being considered for a new convention center.
With the exception of Tuesday’s developments, I’m reporting to you what’s been in the public record for weeks if not months.
Nick Roberts Goes to Bat
You’ve got to give Nick Roberts credit – he’s got guts. He took on the mayor and council today over what he feels is a “railroading” of the convention center site.
What’s most interesting is that City Manager Jim Couch, Mayor Mick Cornett and Councilman Larry McAtee say there has been NO site selected, no due diligence done. YET – the mayor once again said the convention center site selection is down to TWO sites. (The mayor also dismissed concerns about the convention center selection process as “conspiracy talk”).
Couch, meanwhile, told Nick city staff made a mistake describing this as a link between the park and the proposed convention center. He added this improvement is needed with or without the convention center – thus possibly eliminating the possibility that this expenditure will be cited as cause to move forward with Cornett’s favored site at a future date.
I don’t have a phone number for Nick – though I’m a reader of his blog, www.downtownontherange.blogspot.com. I look forward to catching up with him soon….
Will the City Council Approve $1.1 Million to Ensure Connection Between Central Park and “Proposed Convention Center”?
That’s the question Tuesday morning on agenda item VI.AT.1 as city staff notes that the new I-40, previously promoted as being below grade will now be simply depressed or at grade. They are asking to tap unused bond funds to build some sort of box that would somehow prevent the new highway ramp from cutting off the MAPS 3 central park from the “proposed convention center.”
Maybe, just maybe, I was asked today by one reader, there should be a re-evaluation of Core to Shore all together? Can the Core to Shore concept work if it has a highway going through it “at grade?” Are any of the assumptions of the Core to Shore study valid anymore with this new highway design? And is anyone asking why so much money is being spent for a “proposed convention center site” that has been deemed LEAST VIABLE by HOK consultants and the Urban Land Institute?
The mayor has said repeatedly that there will a fair consideration given to all potential convention center sites. But at what point will the city have committed so much money to this site favored by Mayor Mick Cornett (I’ve heard no other elected official favor this site) that residents will be told “it’s too late – we’ve spent too much money on this one site to consider any other?”
The city council meets at 8:30 a.m. on the third floor of City Hall. Anyone wishing to speak on this item should show up in advance and fill out a notice indicating your intent.
David Holt Reports on Structure of a MAPS 3 Ballot
Many people might forget that the original MAPS ballot – a list of items to be paid by the tax but with just a “yes for all” or “no for all” vote might be difficult to exactly duplicate today due to a court ruling that came out against such ballots a few years ago.
David Holt, assistant to Mayor Mick Cornett, reports the following regarding a potential MAPS 3 ballot:
“Legal interpretations of what an Oklahoma ballot should look like have evolved since the original MAPS vote in 1993. Should the Mayor and Council move forward with a MAPS 3 proposal, the process will certainly conform to the operative law, and the City’s legal office will be exploring those issues as appropriate. It would be our intention to stay close to the basic model the voters have shown themselves to be comfortable with.”
Downtown Oklahoma City 2020
For months now we’ve had discussions on OKC Central in which we’ve scrutinized different plans for a potential MAPS 3, asked difficult questions and discussed differing visions on what downtown should look like in the future.
Today this blog takes a different direction.
I’ll still be delving into the daily events, happenings and items of interest involving downtown and the urban core. But when it comes to MAPS 3 and the future, I’m going to be silent. From here on out, this blog will instead feature guest posts from people of different backgrounds. And I’m going to ask each person to write on the same topic: What should downtown Oklahoma City look like in 2020, and how can this vision be best achieved?
The next couple of months may very well be a critical turning point for downtown. I look forward to seeing how this new discussion evolves.
The Truth Comes Out About MAPS 3
Mayor Mick Cornett came right out and said what a lot of people behind the scenes have known for weeks if not months – that a MAPS 3 ballot may be set for December and that in his words ”we” are looking at it including a new convention center Core to Shore and transit.
Oh really? What the KWTV report doesn’t mention, nor does the mayor, is who this famous “we” is. And there’s a reason for this – this we does not include a unanimous city council. It doesn’t include a unanimous civic and business leadership. And it certainly doesn’t involve any vote by any group or body.
To be honest, my numerous, numerous sources indicate that when it comes to what will be on a MAPS 3 ballot, the only concensus involves Mick Cornett and his assistant David Holt, who is dividing his time between city affairs and running for state senate.
A lof of downtown dreams, plans and ideas are in the balance here. And while Mayor Mick Cornett is a likable guy, someone who most agree has done a great job as a spokesman for the city, his vote at City Hall is one of nine. That’s it.
Get ready for some big discussions ahead. We’ve seen to date big pitches by advocates for a State Fair exhibition hall, a transit system, a convention center and tomorrow Bricktown begins to make its case for a canal extension. Still ahead – the river and the mayor’s own pitch for a central park and Core to Shore, a project that has plenty of people questioning whether it could do more harm than good to downtown.
In the old days these decisions were made behind closed doors and voters were simply told vote yes or else. Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a different process emerged that involved concensus building and public discussions on how best to advance this city’s development. This process was credited for what we’ve seen to date – successful citywide bond issues upgrading infrastructure, parks and public safety; and the MAPS, Fix MAPS Right and MAPS for Kids ballots.
What process will see emerge with a MAPS 3? I’ll be asking tomorrow who this “we” is that has already decided on the basic MAPS 3 ballot and I’ll be interested in hearing from you, the readers, whether we’re following the pre-MAPS way of getting things done.
UPDATE: Mayor says the MAPS 3 ballot is not a done deal.
The Bikers Invade Bricktown
Thanks to Leslie Spears, queen of all media at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, we’re getting a good idea of the number of Harley Davison enthusiasts who attended the national Harley Owners Group rally in Bricktown Saturday night.
Her one observation: Jim Cowan didn’t sweat at all. He literally kept his cool during what was one of the hottest, busiest days ever in the entertainment district.
One more week to go, Jim, and then maybe you can take a couple days off!
Will You Have Your Say?
Last night while speaking at MidTown Rotary I was asked what will be on a MAPS 3 ballot. I will tell you what I told them: if you want the items on this ballot to be decided by this city’s top business and civic leaders, then stay quiet. If you want the council and mayor to reflect your wishes, then NOW is the time to let them know what they are.
To date we’ve heard the following items pushed for a MAPS 3 ballot:
- $450 million to $600 million for a new convention center (this one is almost a certainty being pushed by Mayor Cornett and the chamber).
- $79 million for a new State Fair Park exhibit hall (question: why can’t this be funded by the permanent hotel room tax?)
- Unspecified amount for river improvements (this one has strong momentum among the city’s civic leadership).
- Unspecified amount for a central park (which many say is Mayor Cornett’s desire for a “legacy”).
- Unspecified amount for an extension of the Bricktown Canal which would connect Bricktown with a new convention center, Ford Center and the Myriad Gardens. This one has been supported by Urban Neighbors, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the All Sports Association. But it has not gained a lot of visible support by the mayor or civic leaders.
- Transit. Many say a poor presentation by COTPA’s Rick Cain seriously hurt this proposal, but Cornett insists there will likely be a transit “component” on a MAPS 3 ballot. But what does this mean? Supporters are suspicious.
You can email Mayor Mick Cornett at mayor@okc.gov or call his office at 297-2424. Other council members’ contact info can be found at www.okc.gov.
You’ve been advised.
