Lackmeyer Interview With Randy Hogan 10-22-06

[Patrick]

Reading the constant lambasting of Hogan in this forum by a few vocal assassins and history revisionists gets very tiresome as it seems to be unrelenting. Hogan was the only viable, and I use the word viable loosely to the extreme, developer to step up.

There were actually 3 groups that stepped up the the plate with proposals: Bricktown2000, TMK-Hogan, and Sooner Development.

]Moshe Tal had no viability of any kind in my view.

That was never proven. He had statements from Bank One and Midfirst Bank supporting financing of his development. I had copies of those letters until I finally trashed them recently.

Hogan has merely been trying to recover his investor's money any way he can and that means allowing the users to put up anything they want within the allowed oversight.

What investor's money? He hasn't invested anything. Indirectly, he was given the land.

No one knows what might have happened if Hogan could have proceeded with his original plans before Tal's crybaby lawsuit.

That's just it. Hogan never had any clear cut plans, and he never had anything more than a letter of intent from Edwards Theatres.

From the time I found OKC Talk until now I have formed the belief Moshe Tal created a cult of followers during his time in the Sun and they now use this forum to extoll the virtues of Talism.

We don't necessarily like Tal. We just know that Lower Bricktown can be more than what it is now.

I am just glad that Talism didn't have so many converts back in the nineties or we would be talking about the nice cement pond that runs through the weed patch south of Reno if no one besides Hogan and his investors had never ponied up.
Send Talism back to dark ages.

Had Talism had converts back in the 90's we'd have upscale stores, urban development, etc. on the canal now, instead of a fishing and tackle store, and a bunch of surburban developments.

[BDP]

Hogan was the only viable, and I use the word viable loosely to the extreme, developer to step up.

That contradicts this:

Lower Bricktown is not a developers development. It is a users development.

If this is the case, then Hogan was never needed in the first place and he was just given a gift from the city for no reason. He's USELESS. Basically, it boils down to the city selected him to do nothing and profit from the enhancements made by the city.

history revisionists

What a cop out. I think the history is well known and the present is that Hogan and Lower Bricktown suck and because of it Oklahoma City lost a HUGE opportunity to devlop a unique and comprhensive multi use developmentin its core right next to it's up and coming historic entertainment district. Now, we got the suburbs dropped into the city. It is anywhere USA. Why did we pay for that??

No one knows what might have happened if Hogan could have proceeded with his original plans before Tal's crybaby lawsuit.

What did happen is that he proceeded with NO plan, as you pointed out, and that's why it sucks.

Look, who cares about Tal now. We're talking about what Hogan has done. HE mentioned the Grove, not anyone here. What has been done with the key property upon which tax payer money placed a lot of value has been dissappointing to say the least.

Send Talism back to dark ages.

WTF?? That was weird.

[Midtowner]

Midtowner, I would prefer that you leave the State Fair Board out of this. You and I both know they are not corrupt. Maybe OCURA yes, but not the fair board.

My apologies.

In the past, however, the State Fair Board has been as bad as any at violating the open meetings/records acts (this is typically the smoke produced by the 'fire' of corruption). You'd have to go a ways into the past to be able to see this though.

[THEComedian]

If it wasn't for Randy Hogan, there would be no Lower Bricktown at all. It would be desolate wasteland. Have any of you seen Tal's property lately?

[johnnyboyokc]

did you know that eric from ovations was fired last week so the fair will be a better place from now on...

[johnnyboyokc]

did you know that eric (i think that is is name) from ovations was fired last week so the fair will be a better place from now on...

[ChristianConservative]

did you know that eric (i think that is is name) from ovations was fired last week so the fair will be a better place from now on...

Exactly.

[TStheThird]

I would say we might be better off if Lower Bricktown were still a field. It would then allow for someone with talent and vision to build something that would add value to OKC.

[ChristianConservative]

I would say we might be better off if Lower Bricktown were still a field. It would then allow for someone with talent and vision to build something that would add value to OKC.

I'm a major Oklahoma City businessman, and I have to say I agree with you. I know Randy, but being that I'm somewhat anonymous here, I can be honest with you that the guy doesn't have the slightest idea what the word urban means.

[BDP]

If it wasn't for Randy Hogan, there would be no Lower Bricktown at all. It would be desolate wasteland.

Yeah, right! No way I believe that for a second. It's possible that it wouldn't be developed, yet, but even that's a long shot. And even if it wasn't developed it would still have it's potential. Now it's just an irreversible mess.

If Hogan wasn't involved, it'd be a comprehensive and synergistic dense mix of retail, entertainment, and dining lining the canal with an architectural design that compliments and enhances the improvements paid for by the consumers of this city. Conventioneers, locals, and visitors would spend time and money strolling the canal complex that was the result of a well planned development intent on tying the attractions together with each other and its namesake to the north.

OK, so we can't prove that any more than you can prove your contention, but what we do know is that Hogan and the Bass Pro deal has made sure it will never be that.

[ChristianConservative]

If Hogan wasn't involved, it'd be a comprehensive and synergistic dense mix of retail, entertainment, and dining lining the canal with an architectural design that compliments and enhances the improvements paid for by the consumers of this city.

You can't really prove that. If Tal has been awarded the contract, we may very well be facing financing problems and other issues now. Tal didn't have his act together. Look at his own property to get a glimpse of what that guy is like. The only other company bidding on the projects was Sooner, and they mostly develop strip malls. From what I've been told, they had no real plan outlined.

OK, so we can't prove that any more than you can prove your contention, but what we do know is that Hogan and the Bass Pro deal has made sure it will never be that.

Although I'm not a Randy Hogan lover, Bass Pro Shops is really not that bad. I actually think we have one of the nicer stores in the country.

[BDP]

You can't really prove that. If Tal has been awarded the contract, we may very well be facing financing problems and other issues now. Tal didn't have his act together. Look at his own property to get a glimpse of what that guy is like. The only other company bidding on the projects was Sooner, and they mostly develop strip malls. From what I've been told, they had no real plan outlined.

I know. I wasn't suggesting that Tal would have pulled it off or that that was Tal's vision in the first place. Tal may not have had his act together, but it's clear that Hogan doesn't. The real question in all of this is why the city didn't require better. No one, Hogan or otherwise, should have been allowed to just piece it off in pad sites and surface parking.

Although I'm not a Randy Hogan lover, Bass Pro Shops is really not that bad. I actually think we have one of the nicer stores in the country.

I don't doubt that it's a nice Bass Pro, but it shouldn't be there. It was my understanding that OKC wanted an urban entertainment district. Well, what idiot heard that and thought "Bass Pro would be perfect! We have to get that even if we finance it!"?

Bass Pro, with its massive blacktop surface parking lot which fronts the canal and has a bigger foot print than the store itself, set the stage for lower bricktown. Maybe it brought in some other businesses (although I don't see any connection), but it certainly prevented lower brikctown from being any kind of urban entertainment district.

So, I don't hate Bass Pro. I hate where it is and I hate that we had to pay for them to be there.

[Spartan]

I'm a major Oklahoma City businessman, and I have to say I agree with you. I know Randy, but being that I'm somewhat anonymous here, I can be honest with you that the guy doesn't have the slightest idea what the word urban means.

He doesn't bug me so much to be honest, as say, Jim Brewer...he understands urban but would rather be a seedy man when it comes to things, i.e., the Parking Lot Lord of Bricktown.

And he considers his parking lots as significant Bricktown development...himself a significant developer? No longer...the last decent thing he did was Union Station.

[ultimatesooner]

Bass Pro Shops is really not that bad. I actually think we have one of the nicer stores in the country.

everone other bass pro I have been to which is about 4 or 5 is much, much nicer and larger than the okc one. Even the tulsa one seems much better

[Flatlander]

I did not know there is a bass pro in tulsa,Maybe you mean broken arrow.

[Flatlander]

The broken arrow store is nice but to say it is much nicer is going a bit to far,which 4 or 5 stores have you been to?Personally I like to eat at a restaurant in bricktown then ride the water taxi down to the bass pro,stroll down to the land run monument,now thats nice.Why do you think the broken arrow store is much better.

[johnnyboyokc]

spartan,,, jim fell upon the parking lot business by accident....what sparked the whole deal was he and karchmer leased the chelinos lot to chelinos and spag warehouse for a thousand dollars a month......(in which they had a million dollar debt) however that benefited bricktown..agree....one day at 10am it was full (not by customers that supported bricktown)but by the employee's. That is why he started the paid parking......and after the first month everybody was successful.....the restaurant and the parking lot....but more importantly bricktown. Its not a mall its an entertainment district

[Midtowner]

spartan,,, jim fell upon the parking lot business by accident....what sparked the whole deal was he and karchmer leased the chelinos lot to chelinos and spag warehouse for a thousand dollars a month......(in which they had a million dollar debt) however that benefited bricktown..agree....one day at 10am it was full (not by customers that supported bricktown)but by the employee's. That is why he started the paid parking......and after the first month everybody was successful.....the restaurant and the parking lot....but more importantly bricktown. Its not a mall its an entertainment district

Pay parking in those parts of Bricktown makes a lot of sense. Consider that downtown is within an easily walkable distance and that parking down there on a monthly basis costs a lot of money. Don't think for a second that a frugal (a/k/a cheap) business owner would instruct his employees to park in the "free" Bricktown lots and walk to work if he could get away with it.

The current setup isn't bad at all. If you don't mind walking a little bit, you can park on the street downtown or out by Bass Pro. If you do mind the walk, then you pay to park. It's really not a bad deal.

[BDP]

I agree. Honestly, people should be thankful there is the option for free parking at all. I'm not familiar with any other downtown area where you don't at least have to feed a meter.

[johnnyboyokc]

coming from a parking person there is a lot of free parking you just have to find it......agree.....just like columbus....he never thought the world was round...still doesnt make him stupid.....i could bitch all day but i love everything dont you except miranda agusta

[maestro]

Somebody told me that some parking spaces will be $20 tonight, near the Ford Center.

[BDP]

And why not? Parking spaces a mile away from the stadium are $20 at OU games. At least downtown they have a lot of free parking options, some very close to the arena.

[TStheThird]

This is America people... if there is money to be made, people are going to make it.

[johnnyboyokc]

amen

[jbrown84]

ChristianConservative (who apparently is banned????????) has a good point about Moshe Tal. If he really had all this money and plans (well we know he had the latter), then why didn't he take some remnant of that project to another part of downtown or anywhere in the metro for that matter? When Coury Properties lost the bid for the Skirvin, they went and bought the Colcord and beat the Skirvin to completion.