OKC Urban Land Institute Chapter to start!!

[metro]

This is something OKC has needed for a long time. Glad to see some big names behind it.

Group planning for city's future
Urban Land Institute forum set

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Saying Oklahoma City needs to have a more thoughtful approach to land use and development, civic and business leaders are hosting an Urban Land Institute forum next week as the first step to organizing a local district council of the non-profit think tank.
Founded in 1936, the institute has more than 34,000 members worldwide representing interests ranging from land use to real estate in both private and public sectors. Its members are called in as experts when cities face critical challenges.

Past work includes recovery of north downtown Oklahoma City after the 1995 federal building bombing and, more recently, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

"I think there is a need in Oklahoma City to really bring everybody together and create a forum where we can talk about what's going on, what's next,” said Blair Humphreys, who started organizing a local council in early 2006. "We want to make sure the decisions we make now produce the Oklahoma City we want in the future. And as I looked to get tied into something like that, I couldn't find anything that played that role in Oklahoma City.”

The kickoff meeting, at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Petroleum Club at downtown's Chase Tower, will feature a perspective on Oklahoma City's development by Tom Murphy, an Urban Land Institute senior resident fellow.

As mayor of Pittsburgh between 1994 and 2005, Murphy oversaw an inner-city revitalization program that included redevelopment of 1,000 acres of blighted industrial property into commercial and residential use, and construction of a new convention center and arena.

Both Humphreys and fellow organizer Leslie Batchelor have historic family ties to Oklahoma City development. Humphreys' father, Kirk, is a developer who oversaw completion of the Metropolitan Area Projects program as mayor between 1998 and 2003. Batchelor's father, Dan, has spent the past 40 years as an attorney advising the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority on redevelopment of downtown and the Oklahoma Health Center.

"For so long, we felt so desperate to have anything happen that we were afraid to ask for very much, and for developers to just do certain things, we were just so grateful,” Batchelor said. "Now that we've had progress, we can see what it means to make a really good investment in having a good environment. MAPS taught us if you put a good plan in place, it will reap rewards for years to come.”

Other organizers include Kirk Humphreys, real estate broker Chuck Wiggins, retail specialist Carl Edwards, developers David Yost, Mark Beffort and Nicholas Preftakes, architect Hanz Butzer, city planner Russell Claus, engineer Tim Johnson, Plaza District volunteer Susan Hogan, and Valerie Thompson, president of the Urban League.

Humphreys and Batchelor said the list is intended to reflect the community, and they welcome public participation in the forum.

"We don't want to be all about downtown,” Batchelor said. "We think some of the most critical issues are throughout the metro. We would like to see a good representation from Edmond, Midwest City and Norman as well. Issues like transportation, housing and retail patterns all affect the larger area.”

Humphreys said a local Urban Land Institute council can delve into development issues before they become the next hot topic at a city council meeting.

He envisions a more thoughtful approach to city growth that would help elevate Oklahoma City to a higher national profile.

[AFCM]

Great news! Thanks for the post metro.

[metro]

No problem AFCM, I encourage everyone that is usually critical and has high expectations for this city to attend this meeting next Tuesday if you can make it. This is our chance to put "our money where our mouth is" so to speak as many often say.

[AFCM]

I'll be in attendance. I hope to see a good turnout.

[jbrown84]

The public can attend the meeting at the Petroleum Club?

[AFCM]

We're not the public, we're OKCTalk members. Didn't you get that memo?

[Spartan]

The public can attend the meeting at the Petroleum Club?

Yes.

[okclee]

What is the cost to attend this meeting at the Petroleum Club?

[jbrown84]

What is the cost to attend this meeting at the Petroleum Club?

Yeah, there must be a catch. I've been there, and it's not a large place.

[metro]

There is no catch. Geez people, there are public meetings and forums held there all the time. Sometimes they aren't advertised well or you have to dig for the information. Come on and enjoy the Petroleum Club and more importantly come speak out on these important issues.

[jbrown84]

Sometimes they aren't advertised well or you have to dig for the information.

Hence why we didn't know that such things are possible. My impression was that it was a members only place unless someone was renting it out for an event like a banquet or dance.

[AFCM]

I just came back from the meeting and there was an excellent turnout tonight. I was actually pretty lucky enough to grab a seat before the place became too crowded. After everyone was seated, there were probably 30 people left standing near the bar area, if that gives you any indication of how many people showed up.

The introduction speech was given Kirk Humphries, who introduced Mick Cornett. Now, after being away for so many years, I vaguely remember seeing Mick Cornett's reports on television. Well, tonight I was very impressed with his charisma and ability to capture an audience. He left me, as Kirk Humphries put it, with "a desire to charge hell with a water pistol". The current mayor's speech on the direction of Oklahoma City was very motivating and enthusiastic. Cornett talked about the great leadership of Humphries, then introduced the guest speaker for the evening, Former Mayor of Pittsburgh Tom Murphy. Now, this guy seemed like he had a little too much coffee before his speech. He went 100 miles per hour and bounce back and forth between topics. Before I knew it, it was Q & A time.

Overall, tonight was basically a recruiting assemblage where the city leaders pushed hard to enlist new members into the Urban Land Institute. I'm going to join ULI as a "young leader" and I'm considering becoming a sponsor. For more information, send a blank check or $50 money order to:

AFCM
PO Box 19820
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73122
(Sorry, no COD's)

Or, if you'd like to get information on ULI for free, visit ULI - the Urban Land Institute | Home. ULI is a great organization that can really help Oklahoma City develop into a unique and desirable place to live.

[Pete]

This group seems like a great alternative to OCURA... Or at least, has the opportunity to strongly influence their decisions.

What is the next step in their process now that there has been the first meeting? Are they just looking for people to join up then reconvene once that has happened?

[metro]

I agree. This may be the best outlet to influence OCURA since the local media and city leadership don't have the balls to do it like it needs to be done. I highly encourage more of us to get involved with this organization.

[metro]

A district council of the Urban Land Institute was recently started in Oklahoma City. Former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys has been selected to serve a three-year term as chairman. Started in 1936 by a Kansas City developer, the group has grown to more than 34,000 members in about 70 councils worldwide, but this is the first Oklahoma council.

Oklahoma Urban Land Institute council established
The Journal Record
November 30, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY – One of the early documents Kirk Humphreys received after becoming mayor of Oklahoma City in 1998 was a study from an international land planning group on how to revitalize Broadway Avenue. The study was completed after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

That was the first time Humphreys, now chairman of Humphreys Real Estate Investments, had heard of the Urban Land Institute. Now almost a decade later he is the chairman of the neoteric ULI Oklahoma district council.

Humphreys said cities hire the group, oftentimes after disasters such as the Oklahoma City bombing or Hurricane Katrina, to help evaluate and plan for a city’s recovery and future.

Started in 1936 by a Kansas City developer, the group has grown to more than 34,000 members in about 70 councils worldwide, but this is the first Oklahoma council.“It’s really quite an accomplishment for Oklahoma City to get a ULI district council,” Humphreys said. The city joins other cities such as New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, which also have district councils. The ULI is based in Washington, D.C. The goal of the group is to find solutions on land use and development issues to build better communities by bringing together a diverse group of professionals.

The Oklahoma City group first met in August 2006 and formed a steering committee to establish a local council. At the ULI’s annual meeting last month in Las Vegas the Oklahoma district council received approval to officially found the group.

Humphreys said there are currently 113 members in Oklahoma, most from the Oklahoma City area, and by the end of next year he hopes to have about 200 members. The Oklahoma council has targeted four specific areas of focus. The first area is suburban development.“The vast majority of new housing starts and new development is going to be suburban development in Oklahoma City,” Humphreys said. The other areas are urban development, transportation and infrastructure and finally development along the Oklahoma River south of downtown.

The membership includes real estate professionals, developers, city planners, architects and others with specific expertise and interest in urban land use. “We want people to be involved,” Humphreys said. “Our goal is for every member to have a place they can plug in”One main area where the group thrives is in bringing together some entities that often have adversarial relationships when it comes to development issues.“

There is a tension between suburban developers and city planners and urban mixed-use developers like me,” he said. “But I think it’s a healthy tension.” Humphreys said the council brings together people who might normally only meet to discuss development issues, concerns and disputes in front of a public body.“With ULI we can bring the hard-nosed developer together with the guy who’s a bit of a dreamer,” Humphreys said. “Bring those together and you’re not dealing with a specific development but our city as a whole.”

The council also has found support from businesses that have made a financial stake in the project. Humphreys said about 36 businesses have each given $1,000 to the local council. Members also pay dues, which return to the national office.

Leslie Batchelor, vice chairwoman for programs and an attorney by day, has been involved with the drive to establish the ULI chapter since talks first began here and is passionate about redevelopment projects and what she can do to make those projects happen.“Since my work as an attorney is on development and redevelopment projects my work is only worthwhile if it brings about high-quality development,” she said. “Any effort to help bring about better education and appreciation for the quality of our lives here makes our work better.”But Batchelor and Humphreys both credit Blair Humphreys, son of Kirk Humphreys, with getting the initiative going. Humphreys said his son was a member of the ULI while a student at the University of Oklahoma and wanted to see a district council established in Oklahoma.

Blair Humphreys is currently pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kirk Humphreys said he originally did not intend to be the chairman of the Oklahoma council, but a little coaxing by his son helped him make his decision.“It was my son asking, and I do believe in the mission, and so I said ‘OK I’ll do it,’” he said.

Humphreys will serve a three-year term as chairman and said the ULI has a list of goals for district councils as well as goals he has personally for the local branch. A major requirement for the first year is to become viable, which the Oklahoma group has achieved. Humphreys said the goal for the second year is for the group to become visible in the community and by the third year to become a valuable asset to the community.

Personally, Humphreys wants the group to become a trusted voice on planning and land use issues in the community.“I want to make ULI the most respected voice on issues relating to land use and development in Oklahoma,” he said.