Downtown Tulsa blog; Joel Kotkin on downtown revitalization
Via OKC's Downtown Guy, I learn of a blog devoted to downtown Tulsa. Not too many entries so far, but it looks like the blogger (who chooses to remain anonymous) has begun posting in earnest again since mid-July. Perhaps some traffic and positive comments will encourage him or her to post more frequently. I've added the blog to my list of Tulsa news links.
Also, Downtown Guy has an article by urban critic Joel Kotkin, who has his doubts that loft living will ever be as popular as some anticipate, but writes, "the right policy and reasonable expectations could transform parts of downtown [Los Angeles] into an exciting, slightly offbeat alternative community amid L.A.'s vast suburban archipelago."
Just before that sentence is an interesting observation: "Even so, don't count on downtown L.A. becoming another Soho. It may never fully compete with the Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Pasadena or the beach as an urban lure. These areas have fewer dead spots created by freeway ramps, parking lots and government buildings. They offer more attractive pedestrian streetscapes and more places to go." Think how that applies to Tulsa. Tulsa's leaders ringed downtown with freeways (I heard someone today liken the Inner Dispersal Loop to a noose), leveled buildings for entire blocks of surface parking, and replaced market-driven diversity with superblocks of government-imposed sameness. The interesting streetscapes are in areas that government largely neglected -- places like Cherry Street and Brookside.
Subscribe to this blog's feed:
Mike, I believe Bill Pitcock (the one on t.v. you were referring to actually played in my father's band many years ago! It's also very natural if your father was a musician since kids are exposed to music very early in life to develop those musical skills and abilities in future children and grandchildren.
DOWNTOWN TULSA -- ARENA -- TULSA WORLD CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS ARENA TO BE BUILT! If you owned the Tulsa World building downtown, wouldn't you want the arena built as quickly as possible to boost the value of your land/area too? Think of all the old stuff they tore down the Tulsa World was surrounded by! NOW FOR ALL THE OLD TIMERS,
REMEMBER WHEN DOWNTOWN WAS HOPPING? That was a long time ago! As of August 19, 2005 the Tulsa World has reported that another restaurant downtown has closed at 514 South Boston. The old timers will remember this restaurant (under a different name) to be a favorite for the downtown lunch crowd. Where have all the workers gone is what TULSA WORLD should be reporting on instead of the "excitement" of the
arena. They did a study to see if it would operate in the black. Chris Medlock would like to see a business plan which should be in place.
The study that assumes it will operate in the black so the Tulsa taxpayers won't be burdened with building this expensive building and having it operate in the red -- do you think Tulsa World will put that constantly on the front page of the Tulsa World news when the arena operates in the red? I doubt it. The study by only one company also assumes
we will get groups to perform that will sell many tickets to crowds of people that have the money that want to come. Now has anything been booked with popular groups when the building is to be finished? PAC since 2001 has steadily been having lower ticket sales and unless they get a lot of businesses to start in Tulsa since we lost many great companies since 2001. Downtown Tulsa compared to what it used to be many years ago looks like a ghost town. I worked for Cities Service and I also worked for P.D. that moved to Houston. The building that was occupied is left vacant. Did you see John Erling (former KRMG radio talk host) made the front page (of course) of the business section announcing his new job. Do you think his wife had anything to do with that? A little Public Relations going on with the Tulsa World Business front page section? The Tulsa World must be biased and favor John Erling as I don't see them putting other Tulsa people that are starting new jobs on the front page of the Tulsa World business section that don't seem to have any formal specialized higher education. Has anyone seen John Erling's resume to see what education background he has past high school? According to the Tulsa World John Erling joined an advertising firm as Executive Vice President. He was hired (as stated in the Tulsa World) to take FULL ADVANTAGE of the developing (hey are they talking about the arena and other things he promoted and it has been suggested in on-air radio news John Erling's wife benefitted in making thousands of dollars from what John Erling promoted on KRMG). I happened to be listening to the Michael D. morning talk radio and Michael D. (the same radio channel Batesline is on) was
naming all the conflicts of interests that KRMG
radio station as allowing John Erling to promote
different things that John Erling's wife considering her role in her job made a lot of money from John Erling using KRMG as a platform to promote things. John Erling said the opportunity "was, quite frankly, too good to pass up."
Going back to the study that was done to support the Arena to be built, Chris Medlock and another on the Tulsa City Council should question the business plan before it is built to let the people that will be paying a LOT of money in tax paying dollars what they should expect to receive for all hard working Tulsa taxpayers. When you see your check at the end of each pay period and see all the tax taken out, will we look at the Arena as a plus? Remember the ice skating arena and restaurants and many shops that ended up a complete loss that their management team also assumed would be a great success. Well, it was not a great success and now those are out of business. Remember the ORU
City of Faith? They built it without the proper "need" in place. The City of Faith was never a successful hospital because of poor business planning and operated in the red. Chris
Medlock should definitely ask and other Tulsa
Councilors should ask what's the business plan for the expensive new downtown Arena
even if they have not chosen a manager that may
or may not be successful in developing a successful plan for operating in the black. Will that new manager be connected in some way to the promotion of John Erling and his wife and her business contacts? I guess we'll leave that up to the radio stations to report on keep up with the latest news on that.
easter_susan@hotmail.com
To remind voters, they purposely put the arena vote which would have been voted 'NO' -- as many have complained, but the hitch was you get
the money to help with education in Oklahoma such as putting the leader at a Northeastern University campus in a huge picture of a front page of a Tulsa World full publicity shot once again
of one of the needs in education to complete that
building plan, it makes readers of the Tulsa World feel very sorry that we should suppose this
vote so that as one example the building that was built but never completed for real purpose use (that was smart huh?) will if we vote for the arena too finally get the money it needs to
finish this building which should have had enough money when it was built in the first place.