Ford Center/NCAA Tournament

[floater]

Blue, gold, and white.Hmm...don't know. But I like the blue that was in the Ford Center on the court, tables, and seats.

[okcpulse]

Time to open a helluva nice wine store/food market in Bricktown!!! I have plenty of food retail experience and I am a wine and beer connoisseur! Only if I weren't moving to Texas this December. Upon my return to OKC, I may add that to the list of dreams I hope to accomplish for our city, if someone doesn't beat me to the wine store/food market concept.

[Karried]

No! Don't move to Texas!!! We need you here.

[Patrick]

Here's the article Nuclear 2525 mentioned. Obviously, several people did like OKC's downtown. I'll comment more later.

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"Basketball fans praise downtown


By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

Bart Kaltenbernd came to Oklahoma City expecting to see his Kansas Jayhawks prevail against Bucknell.
Basketball fans flood Bricktown

That didn’t happen, but Kaltenbernd said he’s leaving pleasantly surprised about the sightseeing he did in downtown Oklahoma City.

Kaltenbernd was among about 2,000 people who watched the St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday in Bricktown — a festivity that provided basketball fans with some distraction between Friday’s and today’s NCAA Tournament games at the Ford Center.

“The arena is beautiful,” Kaltenbernd said. “The baseball park is great.”

Kaltenbernd, an Overland Park, Kan., resident, said he was looking forward to seeing Bricktown because a similar entertainment district is desired in Kansas City.

Two fans of Saint Mary’s College spent the afternoon watching Texas Tech battle Gonzaga on a television inside Stumpy’s Burgers along the Bricktown Canal. Bucknell fans strolled Sheridan Avenue as the parade continued to pass.

A handful of Southern Illinois fans were surprised to discover a downtown they said could accommodate the Final Four — if only Ford Center could seat 40,000.

Les Palmer of Carbondale, Ill., said downtown Oklahoma City far outshines other tournament sites, especially Syracuse, N.Y.

“This would be a great spot for the Final Four,” Palmer said. “Ford Center isn’t big enough, but this is a great place to put 20,000 people in an arena and for them to enjoy themselves.”

Mike Niesel of Murphysboro, Ill., said the group spent time between games touring downtown attractions including the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

“Downtown is nice, it’s fun,” Niesel said. “The riverwalk (Bricktown Canal) is like being in San Antonio. I didn’t think it would be anywhere this nice. I thought it would be desolate.”

Could Oklahoma City do anything better? Sure, the Illinois fans said. Expand Ford Center. Make more taxis available for visitors to ride around town.

A decade ago, Ford Center didn’t even exist. The Bricktown Canal wasn’t here, and Bricktown itself was less than half of what it is today.

Much of the new downtown that impressed basketball fans was part of Oklahoma City’s $370 million Metropolitan Area Projects, which was completed last year.

NCAA fans got to see some of the new downtown when the tournament came to Ford Center two years ago.

This week, the tournament coincided with two downtown concerts, a motorcycle show at the Cox Convention Center, a St. Patrick’s Day festival Thursday and the parade Saturday.

Frank Sims, director of the Bricktown Association, said this week’s festivities are proof that city residents made a good investment.

“Anytime you have an event of this magnitude in Oklahoma City, we’re showing people across the nation what we have to offer,” Sims said.

“It’s the advent of MAPS that gave us this opportunity, with Bricktown and the Ford Center,” Sims said. “It is such a well-rounded place, there is something for everyone in downtown Oklahoma City today.”

The investment is paying off for merchants like Jim Cowan, who owns the Bricktown Brewery.

Cowan said his restaurant has served far more fans than it did when the tournament came two years ago.

“It doesn’t even compare,” Cowan said. “It’s off the charts.” Cowan said his restaurant hosted a pep rally for Kansas fans, and had to keep count to avoid exceeding the building’s 680 capacity limit. A line of fans had to be turned away.

Even though the Kansas fans won’t be returning to the brewery today, Cowan is counting on the OSU Cowboys to keep the restaurant busy.

The weekend isn’t over yet, but Cowan is thinking ahead to 2007, when Ford Center will have its first shot at hosting the Big 12 basketball tournaments.

“This made me think, when the Big 12 is here and we go from having two days to going Tuesday to Sunday, and eight teams to 24 of them,” Cowan said. “It ought to spin some heads with the impact it will have.”

[xrayman]

No doubt in my mind that people liked our downtown. There's a lot to like. However, we will learn from the honest critiques. The chamber-like praise is nice, but it teaches us nothing from the NCAA experience. To move forward - accept the praise, but analyze the criticism. That's far more important.

[Midtowner]

Trust the Oklahoman to give us a sunshine pumping article that fails to even consider that we may have weaknesses that need to be corrected.

My face is sunburned after reading that article.

[soonerguru]

The problem is that OPUBCO is tied up into too many interests in OKC (i.e. Bass Pro) to report objectively on these matters.

When I went to journalism school, we discussed the ethics of even joining fraternal organizations like the Rotary Club.

I'm glad the Oklahoman isn't tearing the city down, but that article was buffed up to a high shine.

I also noticed that News 9 edited the piece it ran quoting out of towners between the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts. They left in all of the "it's great" comments and cut at least two rather biting criticisms.

The one that comes to mind is the guy from Berkeley who said "there isn't even a market down here." He also said: "I was here on Tuesday and it was strangely deserted."

[HOT ROD]

AMEN! Soonerguru!!

Here, here!

[Midtowner]

The media can be a positive influence, pushing for change. They don't have to trash the city as you said, but they can point out where we are inadequate and could easily improve!

I think our local media has LONG been negligent as far as that duty goes here. Thank goodness for the emergence of bloggers like downtownguy. Without constructive criticism, we'd have to count on the Gaylords of this world to effect positive change in this city.

[Patrick]

I think I'll jump in and make a few comments here.

I completely agree that we needed more entertainment and life downtown. Sure, we have Bricktown nearby, but we could've done better. Between the Ford Center and Cox Center we should've had tons of food vendors, a concert stage with live concerts throughout the day, carnival rides, a midway with games, a car show.....something similar to the Fiesta Celebration in San Antonio. We could have even had a hoops tournament for the kids outside. It might have been nice for stores like Academy and other sporting goods stores to set up retail outlets under big tents outside the Ford Center.

Over at the Myriad Gardens we could've had more concerts on the water stage and a craft show in the park.....something similar to Affair of the Heart, only outside. A motorcycle show was going on inside the Cox Center. I would've liked to have seen some of the motorcycles on display outside.

On the bright side, at least the St. Patrick's Day parade and events in Bricktown did last for one day. But, as xrayman mentioned, we still needed more. I've thought for years now that Brewer's events needed to be expanded. They weren't bad when Bricktown first started, but Bricktown has grown and we need a larger area for Bricktown events. I don't blame Brewer; at least he's doing something. I would like to see other property owners like Randy Hogan step up to the plate though and also offer entertainment activities for the various holidays to complement Brewer's activities.

xrayman, I completely agree with you. We need to work on getting more retail downtown. A marketplace is what we really need, although smaller retail shops lining the canal, and a decent grocery store would be a plus. I think what many visitors were probably looking for downtown was shopping.

Unfortunately, as you know, our "new" downtown is still in its infancy. The problem is that most visitors don't realize that 10 years ago we had nothing downtown. Retail and other attractions will come on line as Bricktown and downtown continue to grow. Regardless of the legal issues surrounding it, Bass Pro Shop was a good addition to the area to jump start retail.

We just need to accept that Bricktown isn't close to being completed yet, but the ball is rolling.

[Patrick]

About the facility itself.....as others have said, we were trying to build a large arena to attract NHL or NBA....we weren't trying to build a dome to seat 40,000. So I don't fault our city leaders.

In the future, we may want to consider building a larger structure to complement the Ford Center, a building similar to the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. Once it was built, we could convert the arena in the Cox Center to more convention space. I like the name Heartland Castle...mranderson suggested it many years ago....it could consist of brick towers, with a moat surrounding the outside...drawbridges serving as the main entrances!!!
Anyways, a lot of cities have started college football bowl games. Why not have the Oklahoma Bowl, or better yet, the Heartland Bowl?

We could also use the facility for events like the Final Four, and possibly to land either an NFL or MLS team!

Expanding the Ford Center isn't really an option due to the structure, but I think building a larger domed structure would complement it well.

Concerning the size of our seats...they're not much different from seats in other arenas. I've been to both the American Airlines Center in Dallas and the Pepsi Center in Denver. I'd say our arena inside is very comparable, seats and all.

[Patrick]

soonerguru, you have some great comments and I appreciate you for being realistic. I completely agree with you. Although I favor the Heartland Castle idea and major league sports teams, I just don't think we're there yet. I probably wouldn't consider the Heartland Castle until MAPS V or VI. In the meantime, we need to follow Austin's lead, developing our downtown further, luring retail downtown, expanding downtown housing, improving metro transit, expanding our airport and continuing to improve air service, funding more public art, try to lure a downtown grocery store, book store, music store, etc. These are all things we can try to accomplish.

For MAPS III I again think we need to follow Proactive Volunteer's lead. We need a MAPS For Neighborhoods and Beautification. We need to focus on establishing a downtown neighborhood and improving the overall appearance of our city by cleaning up litter, funding more public arts projects, growing vines on the barriers surrounding our highways, planting LARGE trees, landscaping our parks, etc.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot we can do to attract book stores, music stores, retail, etc. downtown. That's up to the private market.

I think development on the Oklahoma River is going to become a drawing factor for our city as well.

We need to give our city time. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.

[xrayman]

"Unfortunately, as you know, our "new" downtown is still in its infancy. The problem is that most visitors don't realize that 10 years ago we had nothing downtown. Retail and other attractions will come on line as Bricktown and downtown continue to grow."

Of all the good things you had to say, this is what resonates with me. It's sometimes easy to forget how far we've come in such a short time.

[okcpulse]

Too bad everything in Oklahoma City is happening in an instant gratification society. I understand the media tends to be slanted about city issues, including editing out negative reviews of Oklahoma City during the NCAA event. However, much of the constructive criticism, or any criticism about Oklahoma City are things we already know.

It's like telling a plumber you have bad pipes that need to be fixed, and then repeating yourself over and over again while he's fixing them. We are still a work in progress.

Negativity is something Oklahoma cannot afford, because this state literally feeds on bad criticism, which many of our own citizens use to justify moving to another state rather than staying to help solve the problem.

Many of Oklahoma City's productive citizens and civic leaders are fixing the problems we re aware of, but change doesn't happen overnight. That's why I find redundant criticism useless. If the media has to be a cheerleader for our own citizens, then so be it. We need to get serious positive juice flowing throughout the city. We've heard the negative reviews before. Tell me something I don't know.

[Midtowner]

It is not the role of responsible journalists to act as "cheerleaders".

It is also not their role to do what is best for the city. Their job is to find the truth.

So I'm a purist

[Patrick]

It is not the role of responsible journalists to act as "cheerleaders".

It is also not their role to do what is best for the city. Their job is to find the truth.

So I'm a purist

No, their job is to please the sponsors/advertisers that pay their bills. Simple as that. Had the Oklahoman been a responsible organization, Randy Hogan, Bass Pro Shop, etc. wouldn't have been in their back pocket.

[Midtowner]

No, their job is to please the sponsors/advertisers that pay their bills. Simple as that. Had the Oklahoman been a responsible organization, Randy Hogan, Bass Pro Shop, etc. wouldn't have been in their back pocket.

Like I said -- pureist.

I agree that they do a great job of paying their bills.

[okcpulse]

True, it is not their role to act as "cheerleaders", but to find the truth. Nonetheless, local news casts are an integrated part of this community. It is their job to find the truth, however interviewing NCAA attendees is not an investigative report.

[soonerguru]

There are some great comments here, as usual. I concur that we don't need "redundant criticism." Keep in mind, though, that you are the choir, and people who already understand the problems are as well. That doesn't mean that the people in position to make influential decisions get it, however.

I can think of numerous examples of the powers that be not getting it until they have literally been beaten about the head, face, upper torso and tush multiple times with the same information. Take downtown housing as an example. The people on the bandwagon in the early to mid-1990s were few. I know because I was one of them, and when I would even mention it to people I knew who worked, for example, at the Chamber, they would scratch their heads and look at me like I was some kind of alien.

Keep in mind also that a significant group of city leaders still have no understanding -- or refuse to acknowledge -- our sprawl problem. Some of them will never get it. Others will get it ten years from now.

No one is served when the truth is varnished. The valid criticisms and complaints from our visitors are EXTREMELY important for us to hear, evaluate and solve. That they are willing to tell us what bothers them about OKC is worth its weight in gold alone. Ever run a cost analysis on hiring consultants and conducting focus groups?

We gain nothing as a city by turning away from our deficiencies. Denial gets us nowhere. Also, when we examine our weaknesses with an open mind and attempt to find solutions for them we are not feeding negativity.

[okcpulse]

I couldn't agree with you more, soonerguru. People in an influential position oftentimes have their head in the sand, specifically with our urban sprawl problem. Sprawl, however, in this kind of city, is inevitable. But focusing a lot of attention in the older areas of the city should be the first and foremost mission for city leaders.

It is, however, impossible for a city like Oklahoma City to have a citzenry in denial of its problems. We are more critical of our own backyard than any other city I've visited for a decent length of time. And besides, how can we turn away from our deficiencies when our neighbor up the turnpike reminds us every day?

All that being said, I value constructive criticism from out-of-town visitors who hail from cities around the country. The more feedback we have on what they demand and what we lack, the better we can serve visitors to Oklahoma City from all parts of the nation. As long as we offer something for everyone, short of a beach or snow skiing resort, they will want to make a return visit.

[xrayman]

Some good comments have been made in this thread about what "needs to happen," "they need to get it," and talk about the powers-that-be and their hearing "redundant criticism," etc. My point is this: Nobody really knows who they are addressing. The city council? The city manager's office? Urban Renewal? The planning commission? I don't want to get this thread off-track, but it seemed the opportune time to point out the need - again - for a strong mayor form of municipal government in Oklahoma City. We are witnesssing, in this one little thread, the classic problem with our form of government - lack of responsibility/authority/accountability. The citizenry (and even the leaders themselves) don't know who's really responsible for this, that, or the other. My problem with the staus quo on this issue is exhibited here perfectly. My argument against our current form of government boils down to "When everybody is in charge - nobody is in charge." That should change.
On edit: So that this doesn't hijack the discussion here, I have created a new thread to discuss this issue (with a couple of must-read links). It can be found here:
http://www.okctalk.com/t2590-strong-...t-for-okc.html

[Patrick]

xrayman, I'm beginning to see where you're coming from. For the sake of keeping this thread on topic, I've posted my thoughts in the other thread.


Simply put though, I think we needed someone to take more of a leadership role in coordinating activities for the NCAA tournament. Our city didn't do a whole lot on that department. If our mayor had more power, then he might have been able to put something more together.

[Midtowner]

xrayman,

I don't agree with your premise that the people in OKC don't hold their leaders accountable. I would say that if you asked your average "man on the street" who ran the city government, they would simply reply "Duh, the mayor" (not based on any research or data, this is just my assumption that I think is fairly safe).

The fact is that the current system with the city manager allows for a more professional delivery of city services. City Managers are professionals that have often "come up through the ranks". I guarantee you, the City Manager for Oklahoma City (although I don't know them) most certainly has a successful track record in similar or smaller sized cities.

I did interview the City Manager for the City of Edmond at one point when I was working on the UCO newscast. I've also interviewed their Mayor. They both had important jobs, I believe the positions were basically the same. Naifeh did accomplish things for the city of Edmond. For example, she is largely responsible for the new look the city has developed over the last few years utilizing the services of their new full time "urban forrester" and a slew of maintenance staff. I found it to be a pretty darned effective way of running things.

It's clear than an intelligent argument can be made for either system. It's obvious that they both have their pros and cons. I figure if I were arguing your side of the issue, I'd suggest that the City Manager system is more of a status que system, while the "Strong Mayor" system forces quick and noticable progress.

I feel that the city has really been thriving (at least recently) under the current system. I also don't see the City Council voting to diminish themselves. Due to those facts, I really believe that this is a discussion that is academic at best.


Each system obviously has its pros and cons.