OKC Boulevard

[catch22]

We use eminent domain for projects that are controversial uses of the tool, but we can't use it here?

[David]

I've been in that area a lot recently on account of certain legendary birds, and I had a feeling this was what was developing.

What a shame, but also not a surprise. At least there'll be an immediate entrance into the parking behind Harkins.

[Pete]

I simply don't understand how the City allowed this to happen.

They participated in the plans for the boulevard and could have requested the intersection be built at the old Compress crossing just to the west of the U-Haul.

Yet, it was decided to do it at Oklahoma and the City had YEARS to deal with this. They could have easily used eminent domain or swapped for land/parking on the other side of U-Haul or something.

How on earth do you get to the point the boulevard is finished for a year and you still don't have one exit off it and then decide to create this crazy work around just so the darn intersection has some value? And spend money on something you hope becomes a temporary solution?

If this happened at the state level you'd have an army of reporters on the steps of the capitol demanding answers and heads. But with the city, the local press is so in bed with them all they do is act as their PR arm instead of holding anyone accountable.

[Anonymous.]

I was wondering why they didn't try to do a land swap also, give them the compress street for parking. But they likely have loading areas on the current lot site and it would require entire structure redesign, which would only further hinder getting this building to be repurposed in the future.

I feel this is going to create chaos on Oklahoma Ave. and the Harkins lot.

[gopokes88]

We use eminent domain for projects that are controversial uses of the tool, but we can't use it here?

No joke. Time to get nasty with Uhual

[dcsooner]

I simply don't understand how the City allowed this to happen.

They participated in the plans for the boulevard and could have requested the intersection be built at the old Compress crossing just to the west of the U-Haul.

Yet, it was decided to do it at Oklahoma and the City had YEARS to deal with this. They could have easily used eminent domain or swapped for land/parking on the other side of U-Haul or something.

How on earth do you get to the point the boulevard is finished for a year and you still don't have one exit off it and then decide to create this crazy work around just so the darn intersection has some value? And spend money on something you hope becomes a temporary solution?

If this happened at the state level you'd have an army of reporters on the steps of the capitol demanding answers and heads. But with the city, the local press is so in bed with them all they do is act as their PR arm instead of holding anyone accountable.

+111 and 1

[Rover]

You cannot FORCE someone to make a deal. It appears the city has now approved using eminant domain to resolve this. We tend to criticize when government doesn't do everything they can to resolve private property issues through negotiations and traditional business procedures. If the other side doesn't want to deal in good faith, then use alternate tools as last resort. Seems like the city is doing that now. Uhaul doesn't seem to be concerned. If people are upset with them, then quit renting there and make them pay economically.

[LakeEffect]

IIRC, the ownership of UHaul and its land is fragmented across maybe dozens of family members. During eminent domain, they all have to participate in the process. I could be remembering wrong, but if my memory is right, it's definitely not an easy way to work the issue.

[Urban Pioneer]

The only way to know if the city is solely to blame would involve obtaining correspondence from ODOT to the city making the request for them to obtain the property. The original environmental documents had the Compress connection. After the new environmental review FBB forced, the public process demonstrated that a direct connection was desired on Oklahoma.

U-Haul told FBB that their issue was that they simply wanted to remain operational and that they would have to be compensated and helped reorient the entrances to their building from the east side to the west side. This would involve renovating the ground floor of the building to flip things from the east to the west.

Obtaining documents related to this issue would be the only way to determine who is at blame here. I can't personally blame a business for being resistant to their entire facility being disrupted without a solution to keep them operational. If people can't get in and out of the building to move stuff in and out of storage, that seems like a significant reason for them to demand comprehensive solutions and compensation.

[Pete]

^

The issue is why this was not resolved years ago as all involved knew about this need for quite some time.

[Pete]

The only way to know if the city is solely to blame would involve obtaining correspondence from ODOT to the city making the request for them to obtain the property. The original environmental documents had the Compress connection. After the new environmental review FBB forced, the public process demonstrated that a direct connection was desired on Oklahoma.

U-Haul told FBB that their issue was that they simply wanted to remain operational and that they would have to be compensated and helped reorient the entrances to their building from the east side to the west side. This would involve renovating the ground floor of the building to flip things from the east to the west.

Obtaining documents related to this issue would be the only way to determine who is at blame here. I can't personally blame a business for being resistant to their entire facility being disrupted without a solution to keep them operational. If people can't get in and out of the building to move stuff in and out of storage, that seems like a significant reason for them to demand comprehensive solutions and compensation.

BTW, in an email yesterday, a rep for ODOT said it was always the City's responsibility to obtain anything beyond the intersection.

[Pete]

IIRC, the ownership of UHaul and its land is fragmented across maybe dozens of family members. During eminent domain, they all have to participate in the process. I could be remembering wrong, but if my memory is right, it's definitely not an easy way to work the issue.

We specifically asked the City about eminent domain yesterday and they said they did not want to go that route.

After our story comes out, Wenger told the Oklahoman it had been approved by City Council.

Reading between the lines, I would say the City still doesn't want to go down that road (so to speak) and merely mentioned that to the Oklahoman to deflect criticism and/or as a bargaining chip with U-Haul.

Even if this gets worked out, the City will have spent taxpayer money on a temporary solution for a problem they should have handled years ago. And of course, the work-around is completely silly and likely to be a big mess.

[Urban Pioneer]

It looks like you have exposed some major incompetence. The Compress idea was incompetent to begin with. The fact they are suggesting that it will actually be installed is quite ridiculous. That adds three unnecessary vehicular turns to get in and out of Bricktown.

[shawnw]

Who is doing the actual work right now? The city or ODOT? Just wondering. I'm presuming city.

[Pete]

Who is doing the actual work right now? The city or ODOT? Just wondering. I'm presuming city.

It's all on the City now because ODOT was supposed to connect the intersection but couldn't because the City had not done their part.

[Pete]

BTW, after pressing the City for clarification today on this eminent domain issue, here is the response, which is very different than what they told us yesterday when they were directly asked about this:

"We are proceeding with land acquisition and have submitted our final offer. We have worked diligently to negotiate the purchase, but so far, have not been able to reach an agreement. We expect to have a response in the next couple of weeks on the final offer, and if no agreement, we will most likely proceed with condemnation of the property."

[jn1780]

BTW, after pressing the City for clarification today on this eminent domain issue, here is the response, which is very different than what they told us yesterday when they were directly asked about this:

"We are proceeding with land acquisition and have submitted our final offer. We have worked diligently to negotiate the purchase, but so far, have not been able to reach an agreement. We expect to have a response in the next couple of weeks on the final offer, and if no agreement, we will most likely proceed with condemnation of the property."

Why not just wait a little bit longer at this point and hold off on building the temporary road. They waited this long.

[David]

Hmn. Does condemnation of the property mean just the needed parking lot, or the entire site?

It would be interesting if this ended up pushing U-Haul out of the building entirely.

[Pete]

Hmn. Does condemnation of the property mean just the needed parking lot, or the entire site?

It would be interesting if this ended up pushing U-Haul out of the building entirely.

Just the parking lot.

[shawnw]

From this week's city council notes:

The Council voted Tuesday to approve about $43 million in tax increment finance (TIF) district fund allocations -- $40 million for the First National Center redevelopment project, $2.6 million for Oklahoma City Boulevard land acquisition and $165,000 for a housing project at 631 W California Ave. The First National Center project funds come from TIF No. 10, and the funds for the other two projects come from TIF No. 2.

[Pete]

From today.

They are almost ready to open this intersection.

[Mott]

That's another great picture! Switched railcars on the elevation for a career, I hope there's a reason for the 4 track bridge as I don't think the unconnected tracks ( they where 602 and 603 and they were out of service before the bridge was built) will be used again. The switch north of the bridge was the old Dawson track were pullman cars were swapped between ATSF passenger trains.

[dankrutka]

Is there more landscaping, trees, etc going in? That looks awful. Just a de facto highway for cars passing through OKC.

[Urbanized]

Temporary solution. Still working on a solution through the U-Haul parking lot on the original Oklahoma Ave alignment. Some new information I learned on this a couple of weeks ago is that Hogan apparently approached the city and offered temporary use of their property to facilitate this solution.

[Zuplar]

If you are coming from say Yukon going eastbound on 40 is it possible to loop back around and end up on this end of the boulevard since it's not connected to the other section currently?