writerranger
04-08-2006, 11:59 AM
You know, I haven't browsed this thread in a while, and having read essentially every message here, there are a few interesting observations that come along:
* It's been suggested that Bricktown needs something to make it a draw other than movies, sporting events, and special events. I think that overlooks an important point: Most such cities with "urban centers" either already have a core central population, or the distance between the "outskirts" of that population base and the center is fairly short. Downtown OKC doesn't have either quality. As a result, you inevitbaly must provide either a) marquee events unique to downtown that make it an attraction unto itself, or b) provide "mundane" things in a way superior to those "five minutes away" from most suburban areas.
The Harkins is a very nice theater, and it is MORE than superior to anything in my vicinity. That makes it easy to justify the trip downtown. It would have even been better had Hogan not broken his promise to give us an IMAX.
If we don't want to rely on special events, then that means we have to get high-profile, recurring retail centers in Bricktown, and that's not getting done. A mall project I heard some time ago would have been glorious, but I also fear it would have failed due to (here's that horrible word again) parking. I wouldn't even want to think of navigating around Bricktown with a mall around Thanksgiving.
* Moshe Tal is perceived as having gotten the raw end of the deal on Bricktown development. I don't know enough to say whether that's true. However, I do remember that there were more than a few people who had legitimate questions about the nature of his financiers that he seemed unwilling (or, at best, reluctant) to answer. In that vein, it seems Tal has no one to blame but himself. We would have found ourselves in even a more lamentable position had Tal been handed the keys to the kingdom and then been unable to deliver *anything*.
* There's a sense that there's a proliferation of big-time chain restaurants in BT, and someone (as an example) named Earl's BBQ among them. Unless I'm mistaken, Earl's is locally owned and operated. Isn't that precisely the kind of establishment we want in Bricktown?
* There's a whole potential for development no one seems to be talking about in what I would (probably wrongly) call "East Bricktown," or perhaps the "East End." There are still older buildings here that capture the spirit of what Bricktown means architecturally, but also what looks to be some areas with development potential. Wouldn't it be cool to capture retail development in a double-decked "horseshoe" around the east end of Bricktown, passing over Sheridan, complete with a walking plaza and even a footbridge back to Bass Pro? but I digress...
* There seems to be a perception that Bricktown is a failure, and I just don't agree with that. When I was growing up, downtown OKC was a desolate place after 5pm, a ghost town on the weekends, and no place for anyone east of the tracks. That's not true anymore. I remember hearing my mom lament the destruction of the classic buildings during the 70's, and how the Myriad Gardens retail mall within the Gardens failed to materialize, but now we've got a pro-caliber sports arena, eating destinations, and least some (if admittedly not enough) shopping. While there's no doubt we could do better in areas, and Hogan will never be hailed as a development genius, we could have done decidedly worse.
What's great to me is that my kids now view Downtown as a fun place to go for a special night at the movies, or a ballgame, and that's something I never had growing up. I think that's nothing less than wonderful.
Sometimes, I think we need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and compare what we have to what we had ten, twenty, or more years ago, and all the true failures that have befallen downtown, like the Century Center, the Pei Plan, and the Myriad Galleria shopping center. Surely Bricktown - while imperfect - cannot be counted among them.
-SoonerDave
Dave, I just wanted to take a minute and tell you how much I enjoyed reading your post. Seriously. I think much, if not maybe all, of what you wrote is true. While I have a few memories of the "old" downtown with John A. Brown, the old theaters, etc., I mostly remember downtown after 6PM as a desolate place. Your points were well made and I agree with your analysis.
The one thing that concerns me is the "resting on our laurels" threat, especially from those of us who see the vast improvement and are tempted to think, "Oh, that's better," and wipe our hands and move on. Your mix of appreciation for the new developments, while at the same time offering new ideas for the future, is exactly the right approach. I think much of the constant carping over lower Bricktown, how much brick is on the buildings, etc. are younger people who don't have the appreciation of what is downtown today compared to the desolation. I don't mean that in a negative way at all...I only mean that perspectives are obviously going to be different.
Really, the main thing I wanted to write is that I laud your post and look forward to more of your participation here.
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* It's been suggested that Bricktown needs something to make it a draw other than movies, sporting events, and special events. I think that overlooks an important point: Most such cities with "urban centers" either already have a core central population, or the distance between the "outskirts" of that population base and the center is fairly short. Downtown OKC doesn't have either quality. As a result, you inevitbaly must provide either a) marquee events unique to downtown that make it an attraction unto itself, or b) provide "mundane" things in a way superior to those "five minutes away" from most suburban areas.
The Harkins is a very nice theater, and it is MORE than superior to anything in my vicinity. That makes it easy to justify the trip downtown. It would have even been better had Hogan not broken his promise to give us an IMAX.
If we don't want to rely on special events, then that means we have to get high-profile, recurring retail centers in Bricktown, and that's not getting done. A mall project I heard some time ago would have been glorious, but I also fear it would have failed due to (here's that horrible word again) parking. I wouldn't even want to think of navigating around Bricktown with a mall around Thanksgiving.
* Moshe Tal is perceived as having gotten the raw end of the deal on Bricktown development. I don't know enough to say whether that's true. However, I do remember that there were more than a few people who had legitimate questions about the nature of his financiers that he seemed unwilling (or, at best, reluctant) to answer. In that vein, it seems Tal has no one to blame but himself. We would have found ourselves in even a more lamentable position had Tal been handed the keys to the kingdom and then been unable to deliver *anything*.
* There's a sense that there's a proliferation of big-time chain restaurants in BT, and someone (as an example) named Earl's BBQ among them. Unless I'm mistaken, Earl's is locally owned and operated. Isn't that precisely the kind of establishment we want in Bricktown?
* There's a whole potential for development no one seems to be talking about in what I would (probably wrongly) call "East Bricktown," or perhaps the "East End." There are still older buildings here that capture the spirit of what Bricktown means architecturally, but also what looks to be some areas with development potential. Wouldn't it be cool to capture retail development in a double-decked "horseshoe" around the east end of Bricktown, passing over Sheridan, complete with a walking plaza and even a footbridge back to Bass Pro? but I digress...
* There seems to be a perception that Bricktown is a failure, and I just don't agree with that. When I was growing up, downtown OKC was a desolate place after 5pm, a ghost town on the weekends, and no place for anyone east of the tracks. That's not true anymore. I remember hearing my mom lament the destruction of the classic buildings during the 70's, and how the Myriad Gardens retail mall within the Gardens failed to materialize, but now we've got a pro-caliber sports arena, eating destinations, and least some (if admittedly not enough) shopping. While there's no doubt we could do better in areas, and Hogan will never be hailed as a development genius, we could have done decidedly worse.
What's great to me is that my kids now view Downtown as a fun place to go for a special night at the movies, or a ballgame, and that's something I never had growing up. I think that's nothing less than wonderful.
Sometimes, I think we need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and compare what we have to what we had ten, twenty, or more years ago, and all the true failures that have befallen downtown, like the Century Center, the Pei Plan, and the Myriad Galleria shopping center. Surely Bricktown - while imperfect - cannot be counted among them.
-SoonerDave
Dave, I just wanted to take a minute and tell you how much I enjoyed reading your post. Seriously. I think much, if not maybe all, of what you wrote is true. While I have a few memories of the "old" downtown with John A. Brown, the old theaters, etc., I mostly remember downtown after 6PM as a desolate place. Your points were well made and I agree with your analysis.
The one thing that concerns me is the "resting on our laurels" threat, especially from those of us who see the vast improvement and are tempted to think, "Oh, that's better," and wipe our hands and move on. Your mix of appreciation for the new developments, while at the same time offering new ideas for the future, is exactly the right approach. I think much of the constant carping over lower Bricktown, how much brick is on the buildings, etc. are younger people who don't have the appreciation of what is downtown today compared to the desolation. I don't mean that in a negative way at all...I only mean that perspectives are obviously going to be different.
Really, the main thing I wanted to write is that I laud your post and look forward to more of your participation here.
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