http://www.globaldevelopmentpartners.com/EastEnd.html
Washington, D.C. developer has big plans for Tulsa.

My reactions are far and numerous to this proposal, so I'll even number my reactions in no particular order to spur discussion on this one.

1) I thought the plans on the table were for a soccer/baseball hybrid sort of stadium.

2) My understanding is that this has been around since May, and the news broke just yesterday?

3) This will go great with the 6th Street infill plan.

4) Based on the maps in the PDF there will be very little demolition. They're going to try and restore as much heritage as they can, while infilling all vacant or dilapidated lots with newer structures.

5) I think a TIF and incentives are obvious.

6)

Elgin and south of Greenwood has been called "The East Village." The new developers on the scene are calling it "The East End" currently.

I remeber them saying that they were building a movie theater and Wal-mart was going to build there... I have the file somewhere...

Building more hotels is crazy... 1 more but not 3...

I think 4 new hotels for downtown is great. The Hotel Savoy, Hotel Ambassador have been good projects, I think some new construction is about due in this sector.

I don't think Wal Mart really fits with these developer's plans.

History of the project and what lies ahead...

The East Village, a 115-acre site, drew interest in 2002 from a St. Louis group that contracted with Tulsa Development Authority to provide a pedestrian-oriented district that would include a movie theater. But after two years of failing to attract retailers to the site, the group did not renew its contract.

The East Village sits within the Inner Dispersal Loop from Seventh Street to the Burlington Northern rail line between U.S. 75 and Detroit Avenue.


The St Louis group backed out the next year and ever after that no news of the project...

I like the idea of the New Downtown Ball Park--- That is a neat idea and would fit well with the new BOK Arena...

The thing I want the Mayor to focus on is the area near the Arena... Let’s fix that first then move on...

I have no doubt the St. Louis group would attract retailers now. Anyway, there's a Washington, D.C.-based group behind this. Is this new, or is everything to do with this old news?

The St Louis part is old ( it was called East Village and that was in 2003)



The NEW ( new name better plans)

EAST END

D.C Based firm--- You guys need to watch the video The Video--- Click on play

The video is impressing... Very cool high-rise next to the stadium...

My browser is not picking up a video...

Tulsa Drillers: Downtown Move Under Discussion: County officials give team support
By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
8/31/2006

View in Print (PDF) Format



Commissioners say they will back the baseball team even if it moves to the proposed East End development.
Tulsa County officials said Wednesday that they would support a move by the Tulsa Drillers from the team's present location at Expo Square to a proposed mixed-use development downtown.

"If it will bring economic development to Tulsa County, I support it," County Commissioner Randi Miller said.

An 8,000-seat baseball stadium would be the centerpiece of a proposed development called the East End, which is being spearheaded by Global Development Partners of Washington, D.C.

Drillers President Chuck Lamson said Tuesday that he has talked with Global Development about a possible move but that no deal has been made.

The East End plan calls for building retail, residential, hotel and entertainment venues on 34 acres within the Inner Dispersal Loop from Eighth to Second streets between U.S 75 and Elgin Avenue.

In a statement Wednesday, Global Development said it will announce a joint partnership with local investors soon.

No timetable for construction has been announced.

However, Kevin Justh, senior vice president of finance for Global Development, said earlier this week that

the stadium would be part of the first phase of construction, which is expected to take a few years to complete.

The Drillers' lease with the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority runs through 2009, Miller said.

It calls for the baseball team to pay the authority $18,000 annually.

Miller said losing that revenue -- and a good tenant -- is not something she would ever wish for but that Expo Square and the county would be able to withstand the loss.

If the Drillers "wanted to get out of their lease -- not that I want them to leave, by any means -- but if they thought that was in their best interests, I would support that," she said. "We can find something compatible with the fairgrounds" to offset the loss.

County Commissioner Bob Dick said speculation about a possible move downtown by the Drillers is nothing new, adding that he will back the team regardless of where it plays.

"If they stay at the fairgrounds, wonderful," he said, "If they go, they'll have my support."

Expo Square President and CEO Rick Bjorklund said he is not aware of a plan to deal with an empty stadium.

"The master plan documents that I've read through hadn't contemplated that," he said.

Replacing the Drillers -- or any tenant -- is something that must be considered with the community in mind, Bjorklund said.

"It's about being responsible and responsive to the neighborhood," he said. "We want to be a good neighbor."

County Commissioner Wilbert Collins, the chairman of the Public Facilities Authority, said he had not given any thought to what would happen to the stadium but that discussions on the topic could begin soon.

"The board will be doing some talking if that becomes a reality," Collins said.

Downtown: Development: East End project planned
By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
8/30/2006

View in Print (PDF) Format





It would mix retail, residential uses and include ballpark
A mixed-use, urban environment that includes a baseball stadium that would likely house the Tulsa Drillers is planned for an area of downtown to be called the East End.

Mayor Kathy Taylor said it is exciting that private developers with a proven record are investing in Tulsa.

The proposed development will encompass 14 blocks of what was once going to be called the East Village. The site is within the Inner Dispersal Loop from Eighth to Second streets between U.S. 75 and Elgin Avenue.

Global Development Partners of Washington, D.C., has been working with local officials for a few years on a plan to convert about 34 acres of downtown into a regional destination point, said Mitch Adwon, the president of Adwon Properties, which represents Global Development in downtown land acquisition and development.

Tulsa Partners I LLC, owned by Global Development, closed July 27 on its first tract, which is a little more than an acre. It has contracts on an additional 28 acres, which is enough property to make the development work, Adwon said.

Closing on the remaining tracts is set for mid- to late fall, he said.

Global Development initially

considered a soccer stadium for the development, but that fell through, Adwon said.

Kevin Justh, Global Development's senior vice president of finance, said the anchor would be an 8,000-seat, state-of-the-art baseball stadium. Also planned are retail, residential, hotel and entertainment venues, he said.

Chuck Lamson, the president of the Tulsa Drillers, confirmed Tuesday that he is having "substantial discussions" with the developers.

"We are interested but still working out leasing issues," he said. "Nothing has been finalized."

Justh said he thinks Global Development and the Drillers are very close to signing an agreement.

Lamson said a project of this nature would be great for Tulsa, even if a ballpark is not involved.

"But if we can come to an agreement, we would be excited about being an important part of an project like this," he said.

Justh said Global Development considers Tulsa to be a great market.

"When we looked at it, we really liked what we saw," he said.

Global Development is so confident about the project that is has already posted a marketing brochure on its Web site to attract retailers.

The brochure states that East End will consist of more than 1.9 million square feet of mixed-use development, including more than 450,000 square feet of retail and dining experiences, 800 urban living units, three high-quality hotels, 150,000 square feet of modern office space and the stadium.

Justh said Global Development planned to integrate the best mix of uses that will accommodate a large daytime population and nighttime residents.

Ideally, buildings will have commercial space on the ground floor and owner-occupied residential space above, he said.

Justh would not identify specific retail vendors or entertainment venues being sought for the development.

The brochure also states that by the spring of 2009, "the East End will deliver a live/work/play/stay environment to Tulsa and a destination of choice for its regional trade area."

Justh said the public would begin seeing the first phase of the development within a few years, once construction begins. The entire project is expected to take about five years, he said.

Although the marketing brochure is on the Internet, Justh said, "it wasn't intended to be the press announcement for the project. It's still a little premature."

Global Development also isn't prepared to release the expected cost of the project until it submits the financial structure to Taylor.

Justh did say that the group will ask the city for the creation of a tax-increment financing district.

In a TIF district, some of the property and sales tax revenues generated from a development can be used to fund infrastructure improvements that normally would be the responsibility of the developer.

The city has several TIF districts downtown. Its newest one is in southwestern Tulsa, where the Tulsa Hills shopping center is being built.

Justh said it is important to have a private-public partnership to make this project work. The firm doesn't plan to seek sales tax funding.

Taylor said she met with the developers to talk about Tulsa and their vision and about the possibilities for the Drillers.

She said one appealing aspect of the East End project is that Global is working with a local group that knows what the scene should be downtown.

"This is very exciting. This is a start to getting Tulsa on the radar screen," she said.

She added, however, that it is premature to know what the public funding role will be until she has seen the financial data and plans.

Taylor said having this type of investment in downtown provides a confidence level that is needed to help move downtown forward.

800 urban living units--- That number is quite large, that’s about half the amount of unit’s already available downtown...

If the Tulsa Drillers move, it will leave the Drillers Stadium empty at Expo Square... What would Expo Square do with that?

I think they want the Tulsa Drillers to move--- Maybe they well build the Baseball Stadium Downtown... But its only 8000 seats... They need to make it larger...

I won’t them to build a soccer stadium instead...

800 units... but only one building is shaded red for residential.

With 800 units though, it's like a combination of Bricktown and the Triangle.

I may have seen maybe 300 units in those renderings...

Thoses that mean High-rise living or a mix of ground floor...

Did you get to see the video yet?