Surprise: Another Henderson Delay

[soonerguru]

Does Mr. Henderson possess compromising photos of Joe Van Bullard? I can't think of any other reason besides simple delusion that Bullard continues to give this guy a pass as he misses every deadline -- including the absolutely final this is your last chance deadline.

From today's Oklahoman:

http://newsok.com/article/1713516/?t...=business/main

Long-delayed apartment construction still on hold

By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

The bulldozers and construction trailers have yet to appear at NW 4 and Walker in downtown Oklahoma City, but developer Mike Henderson won’t lose his contract to build a planned $29 million Legacy Summit at Arts Central apartment complex.

At least not yet.

Thursday was the final deadline for Henderson to start work on the Urban Renewal project, which has gone through three years of delays. His last deadline expired Oct. 22, and he was given until Thursday to “remedy the default” in his redevelopment contract.

Henderson could not be reached for comment Thursday. JoeVan Bullard, executive director of the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority, said he was shown evidence that Henderson has a building permit, financing in place, a contractor chosen, and is ready to close on the property’s sale and start construction.

Bullard said the only remaining complication is an obscure requirement found late in negotiations that dates back to plans made 25 years ago. Those plans envisioned the site as an expansion of the adjoining Sycamore Square. The title requirement appears to give the Sycamore Square homeowners association some governance over Legacy Summit’s common areas.

That requirement doesn’t apply anymore, Bullard said, because the two developments will be separated by a rebuilt Dewey Avenue.

“We’re working rapidly to get to closing,” Bullard said. “I feel quite certain that everything that can be signed has been signed. ... I believe he is going to get it done.”

The site of Legacy Summit was initially acquired and cleared by Urban Renewal in the late 1970s. The field was targeted for expansion of Sycamore Square, but those plans were dropped during the oil bust of the mid-1980s, and the property remained undeveloped for two decades.

Interest was renewed a few years ago after the renovation of the Civic Center Music Hall and opening of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Henderson first submitted plans for the 303-unit Legacy Summit at Arts Central in September 2002. Henderson initially indicated construction would start by summer 2004.

Three deadline extensions followed. In October, Urban Renewal commissioners complained they had no more patience for the delays and declined to grant a fourth extension.

“This project needs to move forward,” Commission Larry Nichols said at the time. “Either he’s going to do it or not.”

Bullard said Thursday he is confident Henderson will have construction started by the next Urban Renewal board meeting Jan. 18

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[Pete]

Thursday was the final deadline for Henderson to start work on the Urban Renewal project

Bullard said Thursday he is confident Henderson will have construction started by the next Urban Renewal board meeting Jan. 18

So, now is *this* the final deadline? Talk about a credibility problem at OCURA...

How are they ever going to hold anyone accountable in any of their dealings if this is the established precedent?


At the very least, Henderson should be assessed fines for the delays.

[John]

At the rate this is going, my grandkids will be coming to the nursing home and giving me updates on another delay.

...and that's coming from a single 24 y/o with no kids.


I have one thing to say to Mr. Van Bullard and Mr. Henderson: Poop or get off the pot!

[metro]

OCURA needs to go down hard!! If they supposively have "evidence" this time give Henderson 30 days extension one last time or the boot, no matter what!! It's been 3 years. Maybe he should of done more homework before he was given first priority. Steve Lackmeyer if you're out there if you have any respect for this fine city, you should do an investigative article into the problems with OCURA

[BDP]

The funny thing is that these slackers are getting bypassed. Henderson represents what was and is wrong with this city's development. I'm hoping the guy in Mid-Town and the other projects come online before this piece of crap and Henderson loses his shirt... again. I know it sucks to root against a major downtown living project, but this guy deserves it.

[BG918]

Can anyone post the details of this project again? I have seen the black and white elevation rendering but I have never seen a site plan. Is there any retail involved and does it come directly to the street with parking either behind or underground? If not then I hope it never gets built.

[soonerguru]

The drawings I saw had the parking in the back. They're OK, but probably more suburban than anyone on this board would care for, IMO. Truly, that organization is a cluster.

Sadly, I don't think Lackmeyer could get the go-ahead from the powers that be at OPUBCO to investigate OCURA. OBUPCO has been OCURA's silent partner for decades.

[John]

Sadly, I don't think Lackmeyer could get the go-ahead from the powers that be at OPUBCO to investigate OCURA. OBUPCO has been OCURA's silent partner for decades.

Hence no comment from Steve.

Situations like this make you wish there was a second option...

[Pete]

Here's a model and site plan:

[brianinok]

WOW, that is VERY suburban. The ONLY thing that makes it "urban" is parking garage, which you will be able to see from the street. Why was I thinking that this project was one, solid, 4-story building all the way around with a kind of tunnel back to the garage in a couple places. Didn't original rendorings show something like that?

I think this is a huge mistake that nearly all the downtown housing developers are making. They keep trying to give us suburban green spaces. If I want to live in a 4-story walk-up with grass surrounding my building, I'll stay in my half-price apartment by Quail Springs. Of course, when it comes down to it, I'll probably still move to one of these developments because I won't have a choice. Unfortunately, they will see this as vindication that suburban style properties are "the thing" in downtown, and just build more.

[John]

Exactly. Build to the street and just keep the plaza with fountain and a few trees in a common courtyard.

Maybe one day we can attract developers who can do something right.

[BG918]

Wow these are pretty bad, and the city is just handing this guy new deadlines??? If it were a 20 story tower I'd be giving him deadlines but this thing is crap, looks like a cheaper version of the Renaissance apartments in downtown Tulsa. This project needs to be scrapped!

[Pete]

I don't think it's so bad.

The one big, centralized parking garage will make it unique and there are walkways between it and the various building, which are pushed right to the street.


It's very hard to tell until it's built though, which of course will be too late.



Isn't Mike Henderson a decendent of C.A. Henderson who built tons of schlocky apartments and shopping centers in the 60's and 70's?

[BG918]

Interesting to see that "retail" is planned for the ground floor of the buildings facing Walker, I wonder what kind of businesses these will be? What is planned for that lower right corner, is there already a building there?

[John]

Interesting to see that "retail" is planned for the ground floor of the buildings facing Walker, I wonder what kind of businesses these will be? What is planned for that lower right corner, is there already a building there?

I don't know why I can't see it from memory, but there's either a Rick Dowell 'midtown' type office building there, or its just part of the parcel of land that as of right now looks to be retail parking (for the time being)?

[BDP]

Isn't Mike Henderson a decendent of C.A. Henderson who built tons of schlocky apartments and shopping centers in the 60's and 70's?

I think you're right, Malibu. I think he made his money building TG&Y buildings. Unfortuneatly, it seems that maybe the big box/suburban sensibility has been passed on.

This thing seems kind of Dallas like. Places like this have been popular with young professionals and young families. I'm not a big fan either, but at this point, living density is key and it seems there will be quite a few units in this one. As long as Tannenbaum projects continue and the Kerr McGee buildings get done, we'll have a good mix of of condo and true urban apartment living.

However, it has been sickening to watch such a 'nothing special' project get such special treatment.

[soonerguru]

Things like this are why I get so frustrated with this city. On one hand, I'm very proud of all of the progress OKC has made over the last ten years. It's something that I thought I would never see. For that I'm grateful as a citizen.

But the lingering vestiges of the good ole boy system still rear their ugly heads. I don't know what will change it.

Sometimes it seems like for every good step we take forward, we can't help but take a couple of backward steps. There's just a hokey mentality to so much here, and maybe it's just endemic to the culture.

I'm a proud, lifelong Oklahoman, but sometimes I just feel like pounding my noggin' against a brick wall. What passes for "high culture" here is toney burbs in Edmond and many superpretentious people who live in Nichols Hills. Do we all aspire to live on a golf course in Edmond? Of course not, but we don't have very many alternate models.

Bricktown is an unmitigated success overall, but it still lacks the eclecticism and vibrancy one finds in real cities. It's a bit like Disneyland. I've always despised the West End in Dallas, but I realize that's the model that many people here are shooting for. Thankfully, Bricktown is already more interesting than the West End.

One thing that is encouraging is it seems, slowly but surely, that many of our city "fathers" (God how I despise that term) are looking beyond Dallas for a model. Places like Portland and Austin and Madison, Wisconsin and other places are probably better models for us to aspire to, and it seems like some of these guys are getting the message.

I think OCURA should tell Henderson to put it where the sun doesn't shine and find a new developer who will realize the full potential of that very important patch of real estate. We don't need a half-arsed suburban apartment complex in the middle of an increasingly urbanizing area. Unfortunately, OCURA appears to have a bias AGAINST action, and in favor of dehumanizing politics.

[shane453]

:\

[The Old Downtown Guy]

If I remember correctly, the RFP process for this site began at least five years ago and the design guidelines would be different if written today. Of the three proposals received, Henderson's was the best. There was a also somewhat misguided idea to avoid isolating or overshadowing the existing Sycamore Square development. If this site were just coming on line today, the resulting design would be much different.

The good part is that the parking garage is interior to the other buildings and the project is built to the sidewalk. Not to defend the design, which I don't particularly like either, but the separation of the buildings permits a more efficient arrangement of rooms in the individual units by being able to have windows on the sides of the buildings. There are also fire-separation requirements that must be met and separating the buildings is one way to acomplish it. In my opinion, Legacy is a better design than the Deep Deuce project which is butt ugly, but still very successful.

Henderson sort of has OKCURA by what passes for their cahonies. It would be a real black eye all around to dump Henderson and start the process over at this point. Hopefully, this last little bit of legal language is the last hurdle and they will start moving dirt soon.

[Pete]

The last assurance by Bullard was that construction would be started by the next OCURA meeting, Jan. 18th.

If Henderson misses that deadline, OCURA better put the agreement otherwise they'd be setting a terrible precedent for future developments.


So, we'll see what happens on the 18th.

[John]

The last assurance by Bullard was that construction would be started by the next OCURA meeting, Jan. 18th.

If Henderson misses that deadline, OCURA better put the agreement otherwise they'd be setting a terrible precedent for future developments.


So, we'll see what happens on the 18th.

Are these meetings public? I think it'd be worth checking out, if so.

[Pete]

Yes, they are public meetings.

You can call them to find out the exact location and time:

235-3771

[Pete]

Found this community layout on the web:

[metro]

I just talked with an "insider" on the project last night. Supposively construction will break ground in 2 weeks. We'll see. I say can him if he doesn't get it underway by the end of January, this is getting ridiculous.

[Pete]

Even starting by the end of the month means Bullards would have broken his word about Henderson starting before their Jan. 18th meeting.

As always, there seems to be little to no accountability at OCURA.