New OCU Law School (dead)

[Comm'l Real Estate Guy]

The developer and architectural team have been selected. If everything works perfectly, construction wouldn't start until Fall 2011. Give it time, it's a huge project.

[Midtowner]

I hear it's going to be at 800 N Harvey now..

Lemme tell ya, I'd much prefer that location. That's a magnificent building.

(you're talking about Central HS, right?)

[okclee]

The developer and architectural team have been selected. If everything works perfectly, construction wouldn't start until Fall 2011. Give it time, it's a huge project.

That is good news in itself. Having a developer and architect selected already, very nice.

[Steve]

All bets may be off if the governor signs the two-year moratorium on state historic tax credits

[fuzzytoad]

Lemme tell ya, I'd much prefer that location. That's a magnificent building.

(you're talking about Central HS, right?)

yep

[Spartan]

All bets may be off if the governor signs the two-year moratorium on state historic tax credits

Thank goodness we have a state government that seems, at times, to be strategically working against us..

[metro]

I hear it's going to be at 800 N Harvey now..

Where do you hear this?

[DirtLaw]

I hear it's going to be at 800 N Harvey now..

Where did you hear this information? This is the first I have heard about this and from the things that I am aware of this is incorrect.

[Steve]

Um... that's intriguing.....

[Spartan]

All bets may be off if the governor signs the two-year moratorium on state historic tax credits

1, Is OCU also relying on this?
2, Is this a moratorium for one year or a long-time ban?

[Urban Pioneer]

The developer and architectural team have been selected.

Who are they?

[Midtowner]

1, Is OCU also relying on this?
2, Is this a moratorium for one year or a long-time ban?

The state budge is a year-to-year affair.

[king183]

Just saw it on NewsOk and now can't find it. I will post it if it re-appears.

Bad news for downtown.

....Here it is.

Oklahoma City University's new president says he is scrapping plans to move the university's law school to the historic former Ford Model T plant west of downtown.



Read more: http://www.newsok.com/ocu-scraps-pla...#ixzz0tnDE9kgy

[ronronnie1]

Bummer. Don't count your chickens until they hatch.

[OKCMallen]

I thought the move was ingenious. Huge bummer.

[Midtowner]

Not shocking, didn't they suspend the historic building tax credits?

[Spartan]

No. They deferred them, so they moved back the date that the tax credits would be awarded. That only affects the bank that accepts the tax credits.

I think most of us can spell out what this means for OCU politically. They just painted themselves as outcasts with the chamber group. I don't think their new president gets the politics around here, by deciding to pass on downtown.

[dankrutka]

Very disappointing. They would have been a great addition to downtown.

[soonerguru]

It's too bad for downtown, but it's probably a wise financial decision. I can't say that I believe a small private university spending $50 million on what amounts to a vanity move is particularly good stewardship of endowment funds.

[Spartan]

Would have elevated their law program, though, and helped them provide a more sought-after and higher-quality program. Apparently I have been sorely corrected in the past on the misconception that OCU is a prestigious law school..

[soonerguru]

Frankly, if you want to attract top-flight talent, you pay them.

Don't get me wrong, I was enamored with the idea of the move, but it wouldn't add to OCU Law's reputation or substantially improve its academic product. IT would, however, cost a bunch of money that can be spent on attracting a higher-ranking faculty.

[Midtowner]

The faculty at OCU is on par with the faculty at the other schools. The big difference is the average LSAT score and GPA of matriculates. The level of instruction is the same (and that'll be confirmed by the transfers) and OCU offers a night program, which OCU doesn't. I didn't apply anywhere else because I had a job upon graduation and worked as an assistant/intern throughout law school, basically doing an apprenticeship, so graduating with 4 years of experience already under my belt was absolutely the best choice for me regardless of the cost (which is ridiculous).

But no, OCU won't attract better students when it's demanding more than double what OU charges and about $250/hour more than Tulsa.

As far as the difference in the students at each school, OCU being in OKC is a huge plus as it's much better connected to the legal community and the courts. Cleveland County obviously doesn't offer nearly the sorts of opportunities to get your feet wet. The results on the Bar Exam for all three schools are always within 2-3% points, most of which you could probably blame on OCU's night students who tend to be parents, have careers, etc. stuff which makes taking the two months away from life to study for the Bar very difficult... even then, the numbers are always very close.

[Spartan]

Frankly, if you want to attract top-flight talent, you pay them.

Don't get me wrong, I was enamored with the idea of the move, but it wouldn't add to OCU Law's reputation or substantially improve its academic product. IT would, however, cost a bunch of money that can be spent on attracting a higher-ranking faculty.

I would not underestimate what a world-class facility can do for an academic program. Case in point...UCO jazz, ACM@UCO, OU comm, OU meteorology, OSU arch, OCU MBA, etc.

Now I do agree that it may or may not have been the right decision from them. Just can't help but wish Tom McDaniel was still running the show there.

[Midtowner]

Hate to tell ya, UCO Jazz was on the map well before the Jazz Lab.

But yeah, it sure as heck didn't hurt.

[jbkrems]

This is a shame... I think this spells the end of the career for the current Law School Dean Hellman.