Porter Revitalization Effort

[Superhyper]

The OU Daily has an interesting article: OUDaily.com | Group plans to revitalize Porter Avenue about revitalizing blighted porter street. As that street seems to have a lot of character and a good location, I think it's a much-needed effort. Anyone here old enough to remember it's heyday?

[BG918]

Yeah I saw that in the Daily too. The stretch between Main and Alameda has tons of potential IMO. Several of those auto body shops, some of which are vacant, could be converted into shops and restaurants if the City makes the investment of adding new sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting. I think it could be similar to the Plaza District in OKC along NW 16.

I had someone tell me that the International Church, which is currently at Main & Webster downtown, was looking for a larger location. It would be cool to see the old church that is now Bill's Used Furniture at Porter & Alameda utilized as a church again, especially one that is diverse like the Intl. Church (mostly Korean/Japanese congregation and many OU students). That could be what Porter needs to spark a revitalization and maybe we could see a mini-Asian district in that area with some good ethnic restaurants.

[timothy.a.owen]

I don't mean to sound like a downer here, but yesterday I was driving down Porter from Robinson to Alameda and I have to say if that area is going to be revitalized it's not going to be an easy fix. The article states that community members found the need for "more defined sidewalks and crosswalks, safer traffic, a bike lane, a left turning lane and neighborhood markers" to be of importance. While I agree that these are important, it's going to take much more than this to make the area the "main pipeline to Norman" it used to be. This are has great potential though, but it's not going to be a quick fix...

[zrfdude]

I would love to see this happen, but I agree it needs a lot of work and there really isn't enough space to do everything that needs to be done. There is so much traffic in that area in the afternoon rush, and the backup for traffic turning on Alameda can stretch to Eufaula. Maybe they could split when traffic on SB Alameda and NB Classen have green lights and make the middle lane a left turn or straight lane.

[lasomeday]

They are going to divert the highway to 12th street, and the firm has made the suggestion to make Porter a two lane road with trees in the middle with turning lanes at each street. This will keep people from going down it. They are going to use the space to widen the lanes and make the sidewalks wider and the bikelane.

ODOT is paying for most of it. Maybe all of it.

They also proposed making mixed use buildings that are closer to the street and have parking in the back. They want it to be student oriented especially the stretch from Main south.

[zrfdude]

They are going to divert the highway to 12th street, and the firm has made the suggestion to make Porter a two lane road with trees in the middle with turning lanes at each street. This will keep people from going down it. They are going to use the space to widen the lanes and make the sidewalks wider and the bikelane.

ODOT is paying for most of it. Maybe all of it.

They also proposed making mixed use buildings that are closer to the street and have parking in the back. They want it to be student oriented especially the stretch from Main south.

That sounds like a fabulous plan.

[will77]

I saw this plan in the daily also, it seems to be a good one, however no one really seemed to outline how we would achieve it and when. I also agree with other posters that this job especially if they narrow it will take a lot of landscaping and restructuring.

[Video Expert]

They are going to divert the highway to 12th street, and the firm has made the suggestion to make Porter a two lane road with trees in the middle with turning lanes at each street. This will keep people from going down it. They are going to use the space to widen the lanes and make the sidewalks wider and the bikelane.

ODOT is paying for most of it. Maybe all of it.

They also proposed making mixed use buildings that are closer to the street and have parking in the back. They want it to be student oriented especially the stretch from Main south.

Are you saying that they are planning to re-route US 77 to continue east down Robinson to 12th and then south, where it would rejoin itself at Classen?

While that re-route of US 77 would make sense, I don't think the businesses along the northern stretch of Porter between Main and Robinson will be too keen on this plan if ODOT's goal is to make it where people won't want to go down it.

[kevinpate]

The main entrance to the hospital becomes a two lane road with trees and bikepaths?, or are you talking further south on Porter

[lasomeday]

Yes, they are rerouting 77 from HWY 9 to Robinson to go down 12th St. They are going to possibly narrow it from I THINK Robinson to Alameda possibly Lindsey. If the council approves it could be 2 lanes with 8' wide sidewalks and trees in the middle of the road. That was one of the three options.

Most of the hospital traffic will be at the new hospital by the time all of the road changes occur.

[zrfdude]

Just read a article in today's Transcript about the Tecumseh expansion, and that 77 is actually going to be diverted on the new Tecumseh and not Robinson.

[davido]

I live 2 blocks west of Porter. I see new things going on all the time on Porter. I guess I should get on my bike and start taking photo's. The more they do the more my house goes up on selling price.....

[veritas]

The irony about the Porter area is that much of what makes it such an interesting place from a planning area is illegal today. City codes as they are today would prevent such a close proximity to road right of way due to set-back lines. Although I am no champion of New Urbanism, I do like the form based code alternatives offered as well as the doing away with most building set back lines to increase community feel/decrease speed of traffic.

However, limiting Porter to three lanes would be a joke. Core-Norman already has to complete with the easy on/easy off I-35 traffic. Prohibiting traffic flow through this area would only add to traffic bypassing this area of town. Its the same old song and dance core-Norman has dealt with since I-35 went in; how to draw traffic downtown. Sentimental thoughts aside, core-Norman continues to struggle with how to attract visitors in a post interstate era. Intentionally limiting traffic flow can do nothing but hurt economic redevelopment in the area. I would like to see revitalization to be sure, but not at the cost of economic common sense.