Gathering Place for Tulsa will be world-class park

[ZYX2]

Keep telling yourself that. I'll let the actions speak for themselves. Let's see where Tulsa is in 15 years vs. OKC.

BTW, I frequently visit Tulsa, and the place is turning into a dump, really fast. Bring some leadership and vision to your city, and I'll respect it.

What he said was true. Your snarky comments aren't needed. Tulsa is not quickly turning into a dump, I have absolutely no idea where you get that impression. Honestly, I can't think of quickly degenerating areas.

Please take your rude demeanor and commentary elsewhere or keep it to yourself. It is not constructive nor deserved by any posters in this thread.

[Plutonic Panda]

What he said was true. Your snarky comments aren't needed. Tulsa is not quickly turning into a dump, I have absolutely no idea where you get that impression. Honestly, I can't think of quickly degenerating areas.

Please take your rude demeanor and commentary elsewhere or keep it to yourself. It is not constructive nor deserved by any posters in this thread.

What he said was an opinion.

This will be my last post on this issue. During my past visits to Tulsa, the whole city seemed depressing. Tulsa has no leadership and no vision. The freakin city can't even afford to keep some of their highway lights on at night. Open your eyes and look around; Tulsa sucks right now. Get some momentum going for your city, pass something like MAPS and get the ball rolling. If you have a problem with my opinions on things, tough. I'm not going to cater to you and your feelings and lie about what I truly think of the city, sorry. Criticism won't always be constructive and that is life.

I give credit where credit is due, and the only thing I can give Tulsa credit for a citizen having the comity pride to spend $100+ million on a park for the city, congrats. As I've said, we'll see where OKC is in 15 years and then we'll take a look at Tulsa, good luck to you man, and perhaps even the two cities can one day work with one another to better themselves.

[BG918]

I would just ignore Plutonic Panda. He obviously has an ax to grind and doesn't contribute anything constructive to this thread.

Some more renderings:

Aerial


Final Schematic Design Plan


Lakeview Lawn


Turtle Island/Crow Creek Trail connecting the park to Brookside


Swing Hill


The Lodge (Williams donating $16 million to the construction)


Four Seasons Garden


Boathouse (ONEOK donating $10 million to the construction)


Blair Pond

[OKCisOK4me]

What he said was an opinion.

This will be my last post on this issue. During my past visits to Tulsa, the whole city seemed depressing. Tulsa has no leadership and no vision. The freakin city can't even afford to keep some of their highway lights on at night. Open your eyes and look around; Tulsa sucks right now. Get some momentum going for your city, pass something like MAPS and get the ball rolling. If you have a problem with my opinions on things, tough. I'm not going to cater to you and your feelings and lie about what I truly think of the city, sorry. Criticism won't always be constructive and that is life.

I give credit where credit is due, and the only thing I can give Tulsa credit for a citizen having the comity pride to spend $100+ million on a park for the city, congrats. As I've said, we'll see where OKC is in 15 years and then we'll take a look at Tulsa, good luck to you man, and perhaps even the two cities can one day work with one another to better themselves.

PluPan, I luv ya, but...

I do have to disagree with you. Tulsa may not be a bright shining star right now but, man oh man, it sure does have a lot that OKC doesn't...like nice hotels along the highway (for example east of Yale along the south side of I-44), they actually have a master trails system for jogging/cycling that morphs what OKC has. The city is beautiful from the distance no matter where you are (due to the rolling Green Hill country and a REAL river). Tulsa is actually working on building a low water dam south of the Creek Turnpike which will cover up those sandbars. The south sides of Tulsa have very nice streets for traffic flow (I remember when I was a kid and 71st between Yale and Lewis was only a two lane wide road)! Last but not least Tulsa has an enriched art scene and community. I give Tulsa props personally.

[Snowman]

I like where the fit and finish seems to be going on this project more than ours.

[Chautauqua]

Keep telling yourself that. I'll let the actions speak for themselves. Let's see where Tulsa is in 15 years vs. OKC.

BTW, I frequently visit Tulsa, and the place is turning into a dump, really fast. Bring some leadership and vision to your city, and I'll respect it. To add, that, just completely forget that I have mentioned I sincerely hope it works out for Tulsa and that they benefit from this. Forget that I have posted several threads in this section in concern for Tulsa and their projects.

I speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and if that is too much for you handle, I don't know what else to say there, ol' chap.

You are right. I am an old chap. Old enough to know that the course of history isn't written in just 15 years. This is a great time in OKC's history. Enjoy it. It's not often that one is able to recognize the golden years while they are happening. Usually we realize they were golden in hindsight, after they are gone.


What is incomprehensible is how you can claim to be a frequent visitor to Tulsa and say its on the decline. That is false. It just is. It ruins your credibility as a critic...and just makes you a troll.

Edit: By the way, the park is going to be amazing. It's an amazing location and site, and Michael Van Valkenburg, who is the designer, is a rock star in Landscape Architecture circles. The best on planet earth. Thanks to GKFF, The Tulsa Community Foundation and all of the other individual donors to the park. Hopefully we can be thanking the taxpayers for some of the $$ after November 12 too.

Tulsa's new golden years are ahead of us. But not as far away as everyone thinks.

[HangryHippo]

You are right. I am an old chap. Old enough to know that the course of history isn't written in just 15 years. This is a great time in OKC's history. Enjoy it. It's not often that one is able to recognize the golden years while they are happening. Usually we realize they were golden in hindsight, after they are gone.


What is incomprehensible is how you can claim to be a frequent visitor to Tulsa and say its on the decline. That is false. It just is. It ruins your credibility as a critic...and just makes you a troll.

Edit: By the way, the park is going to be amazing. It's an amazing location and site, and Michael Van Valkenburg, who is the designer, is a rock star in Landscape Architecture circles. The best on planet earth. Thanks to GKFF, The Tulsa Community Foundation and all of the other individual donors to the park. Hopefully we can be thanking the taxpayers for some of the $$ after November 12 too.

Tulsa's new golden years are ahead of us. But not as far away as everyone thinks.

OKC and Tulsa need golden years to last. I hope that's what we're seeing now. Tulsa is getting better as is OKC. We're improving every day. This is great for Oklahoma.

[OKCisOK4me]

Tulsa's park is going to be way more amazing than OKC's. It's already in a natural setting along the REAL Arkansas River (which is dammed below the old railroad bridge/trails bridge) along with historic neighborhoods to the east of it. OKC's park is going to be properties and streets bulldozed, dirt formed and built with wooded sections, prairie sections, grand lawn sections, lake sections, trails sections in an area that is nothing like what Tulsa already has and there will be nothing around it but crappy neighborhoods (people that don't care about upkeeping their properties) and empty lots expected to be filled with core-to-shore development.

Tulsa's is going to be far more grand in the short run than OKC's because there's not anything already in place. Don't get me wrong, I hope one day ours is surrounded by all kinds of urban residential developments that are also filled with retail spots and I hope the Lower Park is lined by a restored and reinvigorated Hub Cap Alley.

Cheers to Tulsa though for the foresight on this park!

[HangryHippo]

Tulsa's park is going to be way more amazing than OKC's. It's already in a natural setting along the REAL Arkansas River (which is dammed below the old railroad bridge/trails bridge) along with historic neighborhoods to the east of it. OKC's park is going to be properties and streets bulldozed, dirt formed and built with wooded sections, prairie sections, grand lawn sections, lake sections, trails sections in an area that is nothing like what Tulsa already has and there will be nothing around it but crappy neighborhoods (people that don't care about upkeeping their properties) and empty lots expected to be filled with core-to-shore development.

Tulsa's is going to be far more grand in the short run than OKC's because there's not anything already in place. Don't get me wrong, I hope one day ours is surrounded by all kinds of urban residential developments that are also filled with retail spots and I hope the Lower Park is lined by a restored and reinvigorated Hub Cap Alley.

Cheers to Tulsa though for the foresight on this park!

Honestly, what I think would have been better for OKC would have been to develop a riverside park going along the Oklahoma River instead of perpendicular to it. We're just insisting on this C2S stuff, but that's what I personally would have preferred. Of course, we ran I-40 parallel to it so we'll go with it, but it could have been done better.

[Chautauqua]

Actually I agree with the sentiment that the only thing these two projects have in common is that they are open space. But I don't look at it as Gathering Place>Core2Shore. They just serve different purposes from an urban development standpoint....I WISH Tulsa's downtown had better connections to the river. But our founding fathers had the foresight to found the town on high ground....so its about 3/4 of a mile away if you take Denver Ave into downtown from Riverside. Core2Shore is a really smart thing to do...how often does a city get an opportunity to create open space like that in its business district?

If I ever gave the impression that C2S sucked...that was not my intent.

[OKCisOK4me]

Lol, I never read that from your posts, nor do I hope anyone reads that out of mine. I just know that development around our park is going to take much longer than people expect and it won't be a true gathering place for the masses as envisioned until there are residential units built around it for people that care.

[bchris02]

Lol, I never read that from your posts, nor do I hope anyone reads that out of mine. I just know that development around our park is going to take much longer than people expect and it won't be a true gathering place for the masses as envisioned until there are residential units built around it for people that care.

You are right. Core 2 Shore, as totally envisioned, probably won't be in full swing until 2025 or maybe even 2030. The park is definitely part of a long term plan. It's my hope that it is completed during a decent economy so we can more quickly start to see residential towers go up surrounding it.

As far as OKC vs Tulsa, I think OKC should be more willing to recognize areas where Tulsa is obviously ahead and learn from them. There are many, and I am not going to list them but its not anti-OKC to say Tulsa is better in this or that area. With the right investment and good luck, OKC could catch up to and surpass Tulsa in almost every area they are ahead within five years. Likewise, it would be cool if more Tulsa residents would acknowledge OKC's recent successes and stop seeing them as a threat to Tulsa's cultural superiority and getting defensive about it. Tulsa may be the arts/cultural capital of the state but OKC isn't that far behind. It's not like OKC is completely devoid of any culture or creative class like some Tulsa civic boosters try to say it is.

When comparing OKC and Tulsa, the part of the equation many people leave out is history and where each city started at. OKC pre-MAPS was not a good place to live. It was somewhat of a miniature southern Detroit without the posh suburbs to prop it up. Tulsa, at its worst, was merely an OK place to live but never fell into the type of despair OKC did in the 1980s. The transformation in OKC has been nothing short of monumental considering where it started.

[Spartan]

We need to stop comparing OKC and Tulsa. They are different cities, both doing well. When one recognizes the essence of what Tulsa is and how it is different from OKC, one understands that Tulsa is perfectly content with not growing by leaps and bounds. The development community is more content by making waves with lots of small pebbles rather than just a few large boulders, and they are doing it independently of the stink that is their political leadership, because it is a beautiful city worth loving and investing in regardless of whether you get meaningful city hall connections out of it.

OKC is different, more conservative, more capitalist, more landrun, more diverse, more big city. It's a city that strives for the spotlight and for as much growth as soon as possible. OKC is striving to become Dallas whereas Tulsa likens itself as more of a Savannah or Asheville.

[Swake]

Work has started on the park. It's just utility relo so far, but it is a start.

[Plutonic Panda]

You are right. I am an old chap. Old enough to know that the course of history isn't written in just 15 years. This is a great time in OKC's history. Enjoy it. It's not often that one is able to recognize the golden years while they are happening. Usually we realize they were golden in hindsight, after they are gone.


What is incomprehensible is how you can claim to be a frequent visitor to Tulsa and say its on the decline. That is false. It just is. It ruins your credibility as a critic...and just makes you a troll

Say whatever you want to say. I go to Tulsa every other week and the place sucks. I do not enjoy being there. It is depressing and I can't wait to leave. Can't tell you why that is, I just don't like the vibe at this point in time. To me it is like Austin and Memphis.... you drive through Austin and you see everything going on around you and you think "man, this city is booming!", then you drive through Memphis and you eager to just get out of the city.

That being said, do I want Tulsa to succeed? Hell yes I do! I wish nothing ill on any city, especially one in Oklahoma. I see great things ahead for Tulsa as long as their leadership changes, which I believe will happen. If I ever make it big time, there some large developments I would like to put in T-town. They have the potential and they need to utilize it. Tulsa has one of the best skylines for any city it's size and it is beautiful; it also about to get bigger within the next 5-8 years.

Don't take what I say and make it my final overall opinion of the place. There things I like about Tulsa, believe it or not.... it just won't ever be the city OKC is.

[Plutonic Panda]

Update on the park:

Williams to showcase A Gathering Place for Tulsa model

For the next seven weeks, One Williams Center will showcase a large model of A Gathering Place for Tulsa, the philanthropist-led park development to be located along Riverside Drive.
At a news conference Friday, Williams announced naming commemorations for the park and unveiled the 23- by 10-foot model. It will be on display in the atrium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until May 28.

“Williams is proud to support A Gathering Place for Tulsa, and we welcome everyone to come see the model,” Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said. “We are committed to making Tulsa a great place to live. This park is going to do great things for our city’s economic and social sustainability.”

Williams was the first major donor to partner in the park development with a 10-year, $16 million pledge announced last year. Fittingly, the Williams Lodge will be the park’s primary welcome and gathering center for visitors.

Some more details:

This legacy will continue with certain park elements carrying the Williams name. The main entry street on Riverside will be named for John H. Williams, who believed in the project and its benefits for the city.

The community room, housed in the Williams Lodge, will carry Joe Williams’ name. The community room will be a space to host gatherings, receptions, dinners and events.

Phase I of A Gathering Place will be constructed from 26th to 31st streets on the east side of Riverside Drive and from 26th Street to 33rd Place along the west side.

The official groundbreaking is scheduled for late June or early July. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2017.

Phase I of the project is estimated to cost $300 million, including $50 million to purchase the land. The Kaiser Foundation bought the acreage and has committed another $125 million toward construction of the park.

Read more from Tulsa World here: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local...a4bcf6878.html

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This will be an awesome asset to Tulsa and likely one of the best regional parks around. This park easily beats any park I've seen even in Dallas. Can't wait to explore it in person.

[Plutonic Panda]

Here is the website and some more renderings!

Lodge Concept


Lodge and water play concept


other renderings





Some other layout plans










Overhead layout











Some other useful graphics and charts












The conceptual presentation with tons of more pictures, concepts, and the overall goal for the park: CONCEPT PRESENTATION | A Gathering Place For Tulsa


A Gathering Place For Tulsa | Tulsa, OK

[Plutonic Panda]

A few more renderings:






(I tried not to post pictures that have already been posted, if I did, sorry in advance and please let me know or request they be removed)

View more renderings here(there are tons of them):

Gathering Place Unveiled June 2013 | A Gathering Place For Tulsa

Unveiled Presentation 6/18/13 | A Gathering Place For Tulsa

[Plutonic Panda]

Existing statues being moved for this project...

13 River Parks sculptures to be moved out of A Gathering Place construction path

Thirteen pieces of art along River Parks trail system will be relocated to accommodate construction of A Gathering Place for Tulsa park on Riverside Drive.

The George Kaiser Family Foundation, which is constructing the park with financial assistance from corporate and philanthropic organizations, will provide a grant to River Parks to cover the cost of the relocations.

"We are hoping to find a home for most of them —— if not all of them —— in River Parks. That would be our first choice —— or at least in the public setting," said River Parks Executive Director Matt Meyer.

River Parks includes 26 miles of asphalt-surfaced trails stretching along the east bank of the Arkansas River from 11th to 101st streets and along the west bank from 11th to 71st streets. River Parks also oversees the Katy Trail between Sand Springs and Tulsa and the dirt trails on Turkey Mountain.

Jeff Stava, project manager for A Gathering Place, said there is no way to leave the art pieces in place over the three to four years it will take to construct the park. "River Parks has chosen to relocate the sculptures to other areas of the park," Stava said.

- Read more here: 13 River Parks sculptures to be moved out of A Gathering Place construction path - Tulsa World: Local

[Dustin]

Kaiser Foundation donates A Gathering Place to River Parks Authority - Tulsa World: Newshomepage3

Big news

[Plutonic Panda]

Wow. I am actually jealous of Tulsa with this. What a nice park.





















This is nicer than any park I've seen in Dallas. F#ckin awesome!!!!!!

- http://www.tulsaworld.com/photovideo...d2265daa7.html

[ljbab728]

Sorry, but all of the big pencils sticking up out of the ground don't do anything for me.

[Bullbear]

Sorry, but all of the big pencils sticking up out of the ground don't do anything for me.

Hahahahaha. I hope you are kidding..lol thats good!

[bombermwc]

I'm not really sure how to feel about this one. The overall idea seems like it's a good one, but it all feels very disconnected...and full of crap. They say they are trying to tie it all together through landscaping, but it seems to me that if you want to have different areas serve different purposes, then that's fine....in fact make it VERY clear that they are different areas. It's like they dont really know which way they want to go.

The play areas look like they will be a blast for the kids though. So many places are so worried about lawsuits and crap that they dont get creative with their equipment anymore. I'm glad to see something different being done. If the thing is done the way that it's shown here, i would imagine that it will be full of families all the time. Not knowing what materials they are going to use, the look of it makes me concerned that storms will cause significant damage though. There are a LOT of pieces there. Maintenance will be a pain in the rear and will take a lot of money.

I also like the fact that they are trying to incorporate some adult activities like the water features. Movie in the park things always fizzle out, but at least that area could be used for other things like Shakespeare in the Park, or some local concerts, etc.

This is what the Myriad and the Central park SHOULD be trying to do with each other.....activities for all in a place that allows everyone to do more than one thing (unlike most smaller parks).

[Eddie1]

I'd have to say, if built as planned, it seems much more inspired/imaginative than the latest OCK renderings we've seen.