Randy Hogan is a joke

[Patrick]

There is still hope that someone like Cordish can still make a big impact in OKC (if he doesn't have a sour taste in his mouth, still) in the area between the present day and relocated I-40.

The new gateway to downtown (along with the Triangle) has a chance to be something special, as long as we keep Hogan, Henderson, Box and the 'good ol' boys' from OCURA from screwing anything up!

You'll never see Cordish step foot in Oklahoma again.

[Patrick]

If you want Randy's email, send me a PM. I don't really feel it's fair to post it here.

[Patrick]

Perhaps they were thinking of the failed Galleria mall project or the failed Century Center mall project. But that just means they didn't have the vision that people like Cornett have.

Looking at what we could have had with Cordish, it makes me want to cry--seriously.

Again, I think the issue with Bricktown2000 wasn't Cordish, it was Tal. It was the claimed financing he had. And at that time, you have to remember, Bricktown was next to nothing and I don't think the city was big on taking chances. This was shortly after the oil bust, and all of the failed projects that resulted from that.

So they may have just gone with Hogan because he did have the financial backing of Stonegate Corp, then known as Torchmark Development Corp (which at that time was a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 Torchmark Corp....something Randy really stressed in his presentations).

I think Randy is a blow hard. That sums it up.

[Patrick]

Right now, I think we really need to push Randy on that 5 story building he has proposed. This could easily be a 10-15 story building with 100+ lofts, instead of 30 lofts. And it could have more brick.

[Patrick]

I'm going to move this to the OKC Metro Talk forum, because I want it to get more exposure, and he's a city-wide developer.

[Patrick]

All I have to say is if I'm wanting a nice urban enterainment district developed, I'm calling Cordish. If I want a suburban row of restaurants......well, I'm still calling Cordish. Hogan has always had a huge mouth. Where Moshe Tal almost got him was when Hogan stated that he could finance every square inch of the development and lease it back to the tenants. Tal asked Randy, if he made that statement, why he couldn't finance Bass Pro and lease it back to Bass Pro. Why did he have to get public financing? I think Tal had a valid question.

[Patrick]

Here's an interesting discussion I had with another member of this forum:

I agree. I wish someone would understand that Randy's work isn't all it's cracked up to be. I guess it's nice for OKC, but I just think we could've gotten a better development. Shoot if Wichita can create a nice Old Town District, I don't know why we're having such a difficult time. It's good ole boy politics that's held us back for years. At least we're ahead of Tulsa in that area.

Definitely. I respect Wichita for making sure that the visionaries were on the same page with developers. Some of (but not all) Oklahoma City's leaders simply ate what Randy Hogan fed them. I consider it a learning lesson. Now that we see what we couldn't then, we know what not to permit.

Remember, that development could always change. It's easy to wipe out that surface parking when we get someone progressive and powerful enough to do so.

I challenge Hogan to come on this forum and explain to us why he thought that this substandard concept was for the good of the city. He had the keys to the kingdom, and he flushed his opportunity.

I've actually talked to him about all of that before.
He always dodges the questions. Anyhow, he said the reason for the surface parking was that he had to guarantee his tenants a certain number of parking places. When asked about why he just didn't build a parking garage, he told me that was too expensive. Way more expensive than surface parking. Which is true. There's really no one forcing him to change his plans. He only answers to OCURA and they're part of the good ole boys. Have to remember, Randy and Fred Jones Hall are partners on the East Wharf Development.

Also, he's never really had a plan.....he's just thrown stuff together to meet various deadlines. The only one that ever had a comprehensive plan developed up, was Tal.

[Patrick]

You can also visit this thread to see what has been discussed before: http://www.okctalk.com/bricktown-wir...-promised.html

[Patrick]

Looking at pictures of Moshe Tal just makes me change my mind again, reminding me how big of a nut this guy is....He's the guy in the middle....he's protesting the Bass Pro deal.

[HOT ROD]

I see nothing wrong with protesting the BP deal. I mean, talk about taxpayer fraud.

I know OKC was in a desparate situation, but come on.. A fishing store downtown????

If OKC was going to subsidize something, they should have shot for something the state does not have, namely an answer to Saks (in Tulsa) - which should have been Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus!

BP should be at lake Hefner or Overholser!!!!

Too bad Tal made enemies of the good ole boys (even the goodie too shoes courts ruled against him). Hopefully as the city grows, it will learn to listen more to reason instead of accepting mediocracy.

I mean, how stupid was it for them to have only a 75 mile exclusion zone for BP!!! I mean, where did they think competition would come from, Kingfisher OK?? The exclusion zone should have been the state!

[John]

I agree with everything HOT ROD said.

We got screwed in a lot of ways on the BP deal.

[Midtowner]

Funny thing is one of the few reasons OCURA could come up with for not choosing Tal/Cordish was that the project was "too ambitious." Yup, they actually said that. At the time though, you have to remember Bricktown was still in its infancy. So people did probably think it was too ambitious. This was back in the early 90's afterall.

Reminds me of the movie "Amadeus" when the Emporer tells Mozart that his opera was great, but there were just "Too many notes."

[Midtowner]

I see nothing wrong with protesting the BP deal. I mean, talk about taxpayer fraud.

I know OKC was in a desparate situation, but come on.. A fishing store downtown????

If OKC was going to subsidize something, they should have shot for something the state does not have, namely an answer to Saks (in Tulsa) - which should have been Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus!

BP should be at lake Hefner or Overholser!!!!

Too bad Tal made enemies of the good ole boys (even the goodie too shoes courts ruled against him). Hopefully as the city grows, it will learn to listen more to reason instead of accepting mediocracy.

I mean, how stupid was it for them to have only a 75 mile exclusion zone for BP!!! I mean, where did they think competition would come from, Kingfisher OK?? The exclusion zone should have been the state!

It was given such prime real-estate due to the fact that the Gaylord Entertainment has/had a 1/3 stake in Bass Pro.

Does it make sense now?

[metro]

I agree with HOT ROD

[Patrick]

Here are the boys to contact at Stonegate-Hogan.


Randy Hogan: rhogan@stonegate-hogan.com

David Harper: dharper@stonegate-hogan.com

I wouldn't have listed the email addresses, but I noticed they had them listed on the Lower Bricktown website, so I figure I had nothing to lose.

[Patrick]

Randy's personal number is 607-8397

[metro]

Thanks Patrick. It's been long overdue for Randy to hear what the general public thinks about his Lower Bricktown. I think too often a times, these developers and the good ole boys' think the general public is uneducated or uninvolved. While there is a lot of work to be done on this front, the advent of the internet has educated the general citizen more than they realize.

[Patrick]

Please let me know what response you get from Randy. If you email Randy, I'd CC your emails to the mayor. I'm sure he'd like to hear them.

[Patrick]

Here's an email one of our members wrote to Randy:

Randy Hogan,

I'd like to begin by complimenting you on bringing the much needed foot traffic to provide the shot in the arm that Bricktown needed. You brought life south of Reno, which is no longer an empty field.

However, Lower Bricktown is simply that... no longer an empty field. It could have been a landmark development that would have elevated Bricktown to the next level in urban living. I see from your master plan that surface parking will not be replaced by further development. I understand that parking garages are much more expensive. However, surface parking can be moved out of sight, and your entire development could eventually afford a parking garage.

It is critical that development in Bricktown is considered fourth-dimensionally... that is... laying a good foundation for dense, urban development that will continue to change Oklahoma City's image. You, among other developers have an opportunity to create a classy urban setting for Oklahoma City. A succussful urban development project may be a bit pricey, however it does pay dividends. Lower Bricktown deserves the type of atmosphere experienced in the original portion of Bricktown, specifically along the upper canal. Please consider this and consider growing Lower Bricktown in to a first class attraction.

Thank you for your time,

[Patrick]

Please feel free to post your emails publicly once you've sent them to Randy Hogan.

[Patrick]

I sent Randy an email and lit into him a bit. I hope others will follow suit.

[Patrick]

Here's the latest email I sent Randy:

Hey Randy,

I wanted to let you know that your proposed residential building for Lower Bricktown concerns me. First off, you're only adding 30 residential units to the area. You and I both know that the demand for residential space downtown is better than that. Just look at how well Deep Deuce does. Why don't you think a little more ambitious??? Instead of a 5 story structure, why not go with a 10 story structure with 70+ units? Or how about a 15 story structure with 130 units??? Again, you know the demand is there.

It also concerns me that you're diluting the overall "Brick"town concept by going with stucco on most of your buildings. Come on Randy....put more brick on that building, and others you propose. Let's build something that we can all be proud of, instead of continuing to spread suburbia in an area that should be urban.
In all seriousness, your development is starting to look like something out on Memorial Rd. This is supposed to be an urban development with density. I'm just not seeing that.

Also, I know I've mentioned this to you before, as have many other people. I realize you have to guarantee parking places for your tenants, but Randy, this is downtown, not Memorial Rd. Surface parking is suburban.

If you're going to create a real destination here, and not some 2nd rate development, you're going to have to add some density to your development.

Why don't you get Hammons to build an Embassy Suites over on the Harkins Parking lot, and he can build a parking garage, which can serve the hotel and the other Lower Bricktown merchants? That's what Hammons did over at the Courtyard. The lease money you'd make off filling the surface parking with development would more than pay for the parking garage fees.

Just some things to think about. Thanks as always for your time Randy.

Patrick, OKCTalk.com

[The Old Downtown Guy]

Here's the latest email I sent Randy:

This is just a guess on my part Patrick, but don't you think that Hogan added you to his "Block Sender" list after about the second e-mail he got from you. Why would he be interested in the comments and opinions of someone that started a "Randy Hogan is a joke" thread?

[TheImmortal]

Well you would hope he would actually care if people think he is sucking at his job. But all the same, by the looks of Lower Bricktown he knows damn well what he has done/is doing and could care less.

[Patrick]

This is just a guess on my part Patrick, but don't you think that Hogan added you to his "Block Sender" list after about the second e-mail he got from you. Why would he be interested in the comments and opinions of someone that started a "Randy Hogan is a joke" thread?

Actually, Randy and I talk all the time. Sometimes by phone, sometimes by email. He doesn't know about this site, and even if he did, he knows my opinion of his performance as of late.