Festival of the Arts

[ljbab728]

I see little doubt this will be approved given the value of the Festival of the Arts to downtown OKC and the reason why they are moving.

Festival of the Arts officials seek $1.5 million for relocation expenses in Oklahoma City | News OK

[Stickman]

I see little doubt this will be approved given the value of the Festival of the Arts to downtown OKC and the reason why they are moving.

Festival of the Arts officials seek $1.5 million for relocation expenses in Oklahoma City | News OK

So this means the FESTIVAL will stay at Civic Center for the next ten years, or; do they plan on moving to Central Park in the next five years? If the latter, a bit wasteful IMO.

[Pete]

Some points:

• This is further indication the convention hotel will be going on the south Clayco parcel since absolutely nothing is happening with Clayco on that spot and now we are rushing to move the Arts Festival and various tenants from that area.
• TIF is supposed to be for redevelopment of blighted areas. How does this use even remotely qualify??
• Further evidence that TIF in OKC is really nothing more than a giant slush fund of tax dollars for the rich and powerful.
• This amounts to yet another public subsidy for the convention center project.
• As noted in the TIF Districts thread, the City now wants to create another 7 or 8 districts to redirect hundreds more millions from schools and other public services and be administered in the same arbitrary fashion.

[Just the facts]

This request is total proof the City has lost complete control of the TIF process - at least as it was sold to the people.

[jerrywall]

I run events here in the city. I don't understand this cost for relocation, unless the city is charging 1.5 million for use of the space around the civic center. At which point it means they're paying themselves. It's not like the arts fest has a physical infrastructure they have to build.

This seems to read as they're asking for the money because they can.

[Pete]

From the article:

Dolese estimated more than $550,000 is needed for electrical, water, mechanical and plumbing upgrades to the Civic Center park, as well as for signage, a communication network, tents, furniture and steel poles to support electric lines.

That's only $550K of the $1.5 million request and this is a big reach for TIF dollars to begin with by why are taxpayers paying for tents, signage and furniture??

At least some of the other infrastructure could be used for more events, however it seems that's exactly what the Myriad Gardens is for.

And, it seems to me, the idea of moving the festival completely away from the MBG on a long-term basis doesn't make much sense. The original Clayco plans (which I realize now are out the window) showed them preserving the California easement for events. So, now we are abandoning that idea completely or is this just $1.5 million for a temporary shift?

[jerrywall]

So, now we are abandoning that idea completely or is this just $1.5 million for a temporary shift?

I think this is the most concerning part for me....

I'd be in full support of building some sort of multi use long term downtown festival area with all the various infrastructure that could be used year round for special street festival events. This doesn't seem to be the case.

[Pete]

^

But even then, do we need to be doing that at Centennial Park when we already have the Myriad Gardens and are getting ready to build Central Park?

Why not delay the move one year and invest in Central Park instead?

[jerrywall]

With the demolition of the stage center, is there still space to hold it there?

[Pete]

The demolition of Stage Center shouldn't affect the Arts Festival.

The only thing they did there was place some sculptures.

The festival Plaza is still completely in tact and that is where they have a ton of electric, plumbing and everything else they need.

This is all about clearing this area out so they can move forward with the convention center hotel on that site, and by doing it now disassociates the public funds from that project.

[jerrywall]

Ah. I didn't know if there was a debris issue or anything. That makes sense.

[Pete]

You can see from this aerial that the plaza directly south of the old stage center hasn't been touched:

[shawnw]

Even if moving to Bicentennial Park for a year or two, having just been to Wiggle Out Loud there, I don't see what infrastructure was missing from there to prevent being able to pull off the arts fest.

[onthestrip]

Some points:

• This is further indication the convention hotel will be going on the south Clayco parcel since absolutely nothing is happening with Clayco on that spot and now we are rushing to move the Arts Festival and various tenants from that area.
• TIF is supposed to be for redevelopment of blighted areas. How does this use even remotely qualify??
• Further evidence that TIF in OKC is really nothing more than a giant slush fund of tax dollars for the rich and powerful.
• This amounts to yet another public subsidy for the convention center project.
• As noted in the TIF Districts thread, the City now wants to create another 7 or 8 districts to redirect hundreds more millions from schools and other public services and be administered in the same arbitrary fashion.

Further, TIF money is granted with the hope and idea that it will get repaid in time with higher ad valorem taxes. But how would this money for moving be paid back? There is no permanent property improvements that would increase ad valorem income for the city. On the surface, this appears to be nothing but a free handout to well connected organizations and people.

[Pete]

^

Just to be clear, TIF money is not repaid by the recipients. It's merely a grant/gift.

However, one of the main ideas behind such grants is to spur further development which contributes to a high tax base and thus generates more property taxes. Again, very difficult to see how shifting this event from one place to another even comes close to fulfilling that requirement.

[jerrywall]

The newsok.com article about this....

"NewsOK.com has disabled the comments for this article."

hrm....

[TexanOkie]

The eligibility for this TIF expenditure has nothing to do with the use of Bicentennial Park for the Festival. Pete's probably right in that it has to do with relocation due to whatever is going to get built on the Clayco site--whether that be some Clayco development or convention center-related thing. Relocation expenses have been eligible project costs for TIF money since the legislation enacting TIF to begin with was first adopted. It's not all public improvements or development finance assistance. (It's also not all about remedying blight, but I'll save that argument.)

From the applicable definition in the Local Development Act (Oklahoma Statutes, Title 62, Section 853):

14. "Project costs" means the expenditures made or estimated to be made and monetary obligations incurred or estimated to be incurred which are listed in the project plan as costs of and incidental to planning, approval and implementation of the project plan. Any income, special assessments, or other revenues received, or reasonably expected to be received, by the city, town or county in connection with the implementation of the project plan may be used to pay project costs. Project costs include, but are not limited to:

. . .

m. relocation costs to the extent that a governing body determines that relocation costs shall be paid or are required to be paid by federal or state law

On on semi-related note, why doesn't the City post notices/agendas for the various TIF review committees on its website page for "Meeting Agendas" like it does for every other public body or trust under it's general direction? Those meetings are public meetings and subject to the Open Meeting Act...

[Pete]

When I mentioned blight I was referring to the original intent of TIF, not the bastardized version it has become, especially in OKC.

I've never claimed any of this stuff is technically illegal, just very, very far from the spirit and intent of TIF and a very questionable use of tax dollars that would otherwise go to fund schools (primarily).

[jerrywall]

So what you're saying, is that if the city is trying to do or draw new development to site "a", and doing so would require an organization to relocate to site "b", even though the organization's move is not benefiting development at site "a", they are eligible for tif funds for the relocation?

[Stickman]

Seems as though the electrical would already be at Bicentennial Park, after all project 180 has an electrical box at just about every tree by the streets. Wonder if some of the TIF money would be used for the arts council new office?

[Pete]

There are several tenants being moved from the south Clayco site to the Arts District parking garage.

There is considerable expense around that, not the least of which is build-out of the new space.

This is another hidden cost of the convention center project, as is the value of the land that was to be sold to Clayco or another developer but will now almost certainly be given away for the convention hotel development.

[shawnw]

Oh yeah... didn't Opubco get TIF for moving back downtown?

[Pete]

Oh yeah... didn't Opubco get TIF for moving back downtown?

Yes, also $1.5 million.

[shawnw]

Maybe that's some kind of minimum increment for that type of activity...

[Jersey Boss]

Chicago is known as the "City with big shoulders", OKC is going to be known as "The City that doesn't say no(to those with connections)"