Concourse renovation project moves forward
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
12/2/2004

Downtown OKC officials are making slow but steady progress on a $2.1 million concourse renovation project.
Thus far, the group has broken property owners in the Central Business District into three levels of assessment - those who are connected to the downtown underground concourse and whose concourse area will receive renovation, those who are connected via sky walks or whose basement of the building appears to those traversing to be part of the concourse and those who are not connected, but have property in the Business District.

The affected businesses will be assessed for 10 years.

While about half, or close to $1 million, of the renovations will be funded through the Business Improvement District, officials plan for the other half to be funded through a new Special Improvement District. With the SID, more than 51 percent of people affected must approve a petition.

"So what we're doing right now is going to each individual property owner and getting a verbal response before we actually go out with a petition," said Alison Oshel, vice president of operations for Downtown OKC.

Of the first and most expensive property tiers, the 75 percent of building owners Downtown OKC officials have contacted gave verbal approval to move forward with plans. Organization officials also have met with 30 percent of second-tier owners and 31 percent of third-tier owners - all of whom have shown a verbal thumbs up.

Oshel said she plans for petitions to be mailed to property owners in January and to make the city council agenda in February.

Many legal issues have tied up the progress of the concourse project, but Oshel said the various issues have been ironed out, she feels they are on the home stretch.

"The legal documents are in the hands of the city attorney to approve," she said. "And we're making preliminary steps to make sure that when we do send out our petition via mail that people aren't going to be surprised to get it and that we'll feel like we're going to have some willingness for them to put their name on the line."


Heidi R. Centrella reports on energy, health care, city government and social issues. You may reach her by phone at 278-2838 or by e-mail at heidi.centrella@journalrecord.com.