Steve Lackmeyer posted this on his blog earlier today...

"I'm Stunned

Downtown is about to undergo changes that could arguably rival the original MAPS program. Developing …."

I'm Stunned (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/10/31/im-stunned/#comments)

For him to be "stunned", you would think it would have to be "new" news that hasn't previously been reported.

Ooooh.

Exciting.

Those tags are very interesting...

maybe Flatiron starting up?????!!!!!!!

maybe Flatiron starting up?????!!!!!!!

That doesn't seem "bigger than MAPS" to me.

me neither, but something bigger than MAPS better mean something BIG......or could just be something to get us to follow along and suck us in with false hope.....

It's gotta be core to shore/canal stuff. And Devon must be doing something too... Maybe the canal will extend to the new Devon tower?

Another nba team!

;)

me neither, but something bigger than MAPS better mean something BIG......or could just be something to get us to follow along and suck us in with false hope.....

Steve has always been a pretty straight shooter. I hope this is as big as his post would lead us to believe.

He's promised more information at 3 pm.

Categories: Central Business District , Downtown Retail , Urban Renewal Authority , Downtown housing , Architecture , Arts District , Automobile Alley , urban design , downtown hotels , Devon Energy , Bricktown

It's like he checked "select all."

Whatever this is is definitely huge.

Oh now, here comes the pressure....

F5

f5

f5

or could just be something to get us to follow along and suck us in with false hope.....

Steve isn't one to do that. His articles and blog posts about the Cotton Exchange always expressed caution.

I don't think he would tease this if it wasn't a pretty solid thing (and something he could elaborate on very soon).

you got all of our hopes up on this longgggg friday afternoon

Oh now, here comes the pressure....

Hey, remember what we talked about underpromising and overdelivering?

;)

Okay so it involves retail, residential, hotel(s) and Devon Energy. And it encompasses the CBD, Bricktown, Arts District, and A-Alley.


That's HUGE.

And what details I can't fit into the paper, I promise I'll add on to the blog over the weekend.

Devon buys bricktown

Okay, looking at the categories...

Categories: Central Business District , Downtown Retail , Urban Renewal Authority , Downtown housing , Architecture , Arts District , Automobile Alley , urban design , downtown hotels , Devon Energy , Bricktown

I can first throw out the fairly generic tags which will inevitably be related to nearly every project downtown, highlighted above.

I'm then left with a list of districts:

Central Business District
Arts District
Automobile Alley
Bricktown

A list of development categories:

Downtown Retail
Downtown housing
downtown hotels

And finally, two entitiies:

Urban Renewal Authority
Devon Energy

I could come up with a hypothesis explaining the relationship between the actors in each of the 'categories' above, e.g., for development categories, I could easily say whatever this is will be mixed use and for the entities, if Devon is going to acquire another parcel of land, they might be doing it through the Urban Renewal Authority (but it'd have to be for public use, so that's complicated), etc.

What I can't explain or even guess at is that this one announcement affects all of these districts except for one possibility:

That this is something which will affect all of downtown OKC in some way and will include mixed use and will be for a public purpose (since Urban Renewal is involved).

But what it is, I have no clue. Guess I'll wait 30 minutes and find out.

OK, now I remember a thread here with a diagram of a block of buildings that had been purchased in the CBD. ANd it's right next door to devon's tower.

But, bricktown? Automobile Alley?

Yeah, it must be big.

The only thing that seems to fit for me would be some sort of public transportation designed to serve downtown housing, hotels, Devon, etc.

In fact, that's one of the only ways I can explain urban renewal being involved. The thing about their involvement is that for them to acquire property, the property either has to be acquired for a public use (it's use in Oklahoma, not the Kelo cases' public purpose test) or it has to be blighted property.

Since I don't know of any blighted property downtown, public use is all I can see... and public transportation is that, and it can touch all of those other subjects.

Also, an extension of the canal is a possibility.. to Devon... and that could touch all of those districts while touching everything else as well.

That doesn't seem "bigger than MAPS" to me.


me neither, but something bigger than MAPS better mean something BIG......or could just be something to get us to follow along and suck us in with false hope.....

Wait a second guys. He never says "bigger than MAPS." He says "could arguably rival the original MAPS." Obviously it's something big, but let's not blow into more than it is just yet. The title sounds promising though.

Maybe OKC will annex Tulsa???

The only thing that seems to fit for me would be some sort of public transportation designed to serve downtown housing, hotels, Devon, etc.

Interesting...

Yeah, I'm now thinking canal extension.

That'd fit even better.

The public trans option was iffy on the "architecture" category, but the canal thing fits everything.

The only thing that seems to fit for me would be some sort of public transportation designed to serve downtown housing, hotels, Devon, etc.

In fact, that's one of the only ways I can explain urban renewal being involved. The thing about their involvement is that for them to acquire property, the property either has to be acquired for a public use (it's use in Oklahoma, not the Kelo cases' public purpose test) or it has to be blighted property.

Since I don't know of any blighted property downtown, public use is all I can see... and public transportation is that, and it can touch all of those other subjects.


That was my guess too, Midtowner.

Maybe the announcement of a streetcar system?

I doubt its public transportation. Some type of new construction I guess. Another tower? Doubt it at this point in time. My guess is something from the core to shore about a new convention center or something.

I'm off the streetcar system bandwagon and onto the canal extension bandwagon.

Supersooner -- if you look at all of the districts implicated, a single-location entity just doesn't fit.

but is it something that extends to all the locations, or something centrally located that effects everything?? New Bancfirst building? I'm still on that it's going to be something built. The Canal extension doesn't fit to me with whats going on.

How about a canal extention that runs between the two arenas, and continuing down to the Devon tower area. It wouldn't explain Automobile Alley, unless the extension goes in two directions connecting that area as well, but that would be very cool.

high-rise hotel by skirvin.......

Another nba team!


Ha,ha.. let's go big.. the NFL!

lol, It's Disney!

There have been rumblings about the canal being extended to Devon Tower. Such an extension would start in Bricktown, maybe, arguably touch Automobile Alley.. (admittedly, that is the tough part with this guess, but it's my best one yet, imho).

It's Disney!

this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!shift+1shift+1

The latest clue...

“Mindboggling” - Ron Norick.

If it comes to pass, no major street will go untouched downtown. Education, culture, housing and retail could be boosted far more than most people may realize. Someone is playing for really big stakes, far bigger than discussed so far.

Oops. Beat me to it.

"“Mindboggling” - Ron Norick.

If it comes to pass, no major street will go untouched downtown. Education, culture, housing and retail could be boosted far more than most people may realize. Someone is playing for really big stakes, far bigger than discussed so far.
"

OKC Central — All about downtown OKC (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral)

Dang it! Mr. Norick was just here! I should have asked him...

(He offices next to ours.)

I think we both hit send at the same moment...lol.

An underground subway system?

Wow this is very interesting...I just had to attend a luncheon with the Landmen's Association this afternoon and Larry Nichols was the keynote speaker. There was no mention or sign of anything that was being announced today.

Could he have been giving a really good poker face?

the suspense is killing me.

Disney is buying downtown OKC.

Devon is buying Downtown

They are moving the Space Needle to OKC?

It can't just be a canal extension. That doesn't cover everything.

A monorail will be built on the leftover pillars when the crosstown is demolished.

Oklahoma City will now just be called, "The City"

could devon be buying, and relocating a company?

imploding kerr-mcgee in a way to heal that wound, then building something there.

Clay Bennett announces that he can't stop at the Sonics. He bought the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, too and will be moving them to the brand new Devon Stadium to be built in Downtown OKC!

I just really have no idea what could fit those descriptions.

Clay Bennett announces that he can't stop at the Sonics. He bought the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, too and will be moving them to the brand new Devon Stadium to be built in Downtown OKC!

Culture, hotels, residential...?


The public trans option was iffy on the "architecture" category, but the canal thing fits everything.

It would if it includes any kind of station.

Yea...I can't even speculate.

I doubt it is a public project, otherwise there would be no secrets.

And what details I can't fit into the paper, I promise I'll add on to the blog over the weekend.

This tells me something will be in the paper/on newsok tonight or tomorrow.

This tells me something will be in the paper/on newsok tonight or tomorrow.

Same here. Kept us entertained atleast for a bit this afternoon.......

Devon is buying Downtown
That's an interesting take on things....
Can a person or company take ownership of their neighborhood in some sense? And what does that mean?

I'm kinda getting excited.

This better not be an early April Fool's joke...

That's an interesting take on things....
Can a person or company take ownership of their neighborhood in some sense? And what does that mean?

Definitely. Historically Proven. Once you have taken over enough properties through invasion or thru purchasing, it becomes yours area.........*cough*cough*chesapeake*cough*cough*. .....
They got one building, a hotel, and hopefully another tower. Seems a logical next step.

No, no, no.... let's put that one to rest. Devon is not Chesapeake. That's not what I'm talking about. Can a person or company take ownership of their neighborhood through means other than buying up every property in sight?

When is the next update, oh great one?

No, no, no.... let's put that one to rest. Devon is not Chesapeake. That's not what I'm talking about. Can a person or company take ownership of their neighborhood through means other than buying up every property in sight?

Definintely... Eminent domain..... OKC is just taking over parts of downtown as their own now??
A person or company with the right people in power either thru office, word of mouth, or deep pocket books can take ownership and/or steer anything.

Oh, the agony!