Adventure District - Bricktown train

[Platemaker]

FYI

I noticed, on Sunday, that the Adventure District-Bricktown train line has completed platforms and a parking lot at the Rose Rock/NE 50th (one block east of NE 50th and Grand) intersection!

I didn't realize this project was even under construction yet!

Anyone know what other stops there will be besides this one, the railway museum (NE 34th) and bricktown (near police station)?

If they put stops at 23rd, 16th, 10th or 8th, and 4th.... presto... we will have an actual viable light rail line. If it is successful (which I'm sure it will be) it will be successful and promote the idea of rail transportation for the inner city. (Not talking about commuter rails to Shawnee or Yukon, Tom )

This is built on existing rails, but unlike the rail at Union Station... it actually pass through neighborhoods that people live, attrations, parks, and schools.

[Blangdon]

does anyone have some pictures and a map of this route??

[metro]

I didn't find a map, but here is more info on the project over the last 3 years.

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...gton-park.html

[shane453]

That particular train passes through some pretty lightly developed areas before swinging around into Bricktown. It would need some TODs to function as a commuter network, and they would also have to offer a local rate different from whatever high price they will charge tourists.

[sgray]

Who exactly is operating/building the thing? The websites for the news article and the centennial commission dont seem to come up. metro, do you have any contact info? And do they have a website set-up for it... any building of anything on any track here is a good thing no matter who is doing it. All parts can become useful in the big picture.

Interesting such a project has not had more publicity.

[Chicken In The Rough]

Here's a quote from NewsOK.com from 10/14/06. The writer was Beverly Bryant.

"The train is expected to start service in time for Oklahoma's Centennial in 2007, Rice said, and will be operated by personnel from the Oklahoma Railway Museum at 3400 NE Grand Boulevard.

The 1950s vintage train will include the engine, a 36-passenger diner car and two 72-passenger cars, Rice said."

Here's a link to the article.
http://newsok.com/article/2955070

[sgray]

yeah, I found the newsletter pdf on the museum's site, but very little to nothing concerning this 'line'. You would think that if they are working on a regularly scheduled 'line' like that that there would be info about it on their site.

[jbrown84]

I'm sure we'll hear more about it soon.

[OKCisOK4me]

I truly believe what you're seeing is the personal work put in by volunteers of the ORM (Oklahoma Rail Museum).

There would have to be major upgrades by the city if this were to become a municipal project. The rails, ties, ballast, crossing signals and all would have to have a major overhaul. Not to mention there would be no swinging gates for access for the train to cross at NE 10th St.

It is just a project for the rail fans of this historic rail line and what's left of it.

[plmccordj]

Anymore information on this?

[fire121]

I truly believe what you're seeing is the personal work put in by volunteers of the ORM (Oklahoma Rail Museum).

There would have to be major upgrades by the city if this were to become a municipal project. The rails, ties, ballast, crossing signals and all would have to have a major overhaul. Not to mention there would be no swinging gates for access for the train to cross at NE 10th St.

It is just a project for the rail fans of this historic rail line and what's left of it.

Your exactly right. I took my kids on this train ride this summer. The train is neat but the scenery is pretty much overgrown weeds, trees, vines and litter.
But the intent of the ride is to experience a steam engine and old train, not necessarily the view. They offer rides a couple weekends a month during the summer. It would be neat if it went on into Bricktown though.

[warreng88]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but needed a place to put this.

Missed Adventure: Would-be developers eye district, then look elsewhere

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record January 12, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – The sign at NE 36th Street and Interstate 35 promises a luxury resort hotel with spa, salon and conference space on the 14-acre site on the edge of the city’s Adventure District.

The details have been hidden under a sagging fold in the vinyl sign for months. “Future” has been truncated to “Fu,” and only developer Neal McGee’s first name and a few digits of his phone number are still readable from the I-35 service road.

It’s an apt metaphor for development in the district – someone always seems to have big plans to attract business and tourists to Remington Park, the zoo and museums such as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, but they fail to garner much attention.

McGee said he believes he can turn that trend around. The owner of Neal McGee Custom Homes has architectural designs for a $20 million, 185-room complex ready for his pitch to line up financing and investors this year.

“I just sent out a letter to the members of the Adventure District, asking them to help us promote the hotel and look for partnerships and funding,” he said. “If somebody wants to take the project and run with it, that would be great, too.”

Another developer who posted a for-sale sign at NE 50th Street and I-35 is just as hopeful but still cautious about prospects. Jerry Hocker at Coldwell Banker Hocker & Associates said his sign has gotten a few nibbles since it went up seven months ago. Hocker and a small investment group have been offering 5 acres for about seven years.

“We’ve had a lot of tire-kickers,” he said. “They all seem to know this area has potential. It’s obvious when you look around; there is not a single hotel that would be a good place for a family to stay.”

The district’s growth challenges are subtle and numerous, Hocker said. For example, the district is primarily nestled into the southwest corner of the I-35 and I-44 interchange, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to the north of I-44 and Lincoln Park Golf Course to the south along I-35. The area lacks prime, open sites with good interstate frontage, he said.

The anchor attractions are also far removed from the concentration of tourist activity in the Bricktown District near downtown, and they have been slow to integrate the museums and parks into a cohesive package for visitors.

Timing gets in the way as well. If it’s not an economic downturn stymying efforts, then it’s a matter of developers waiting for the other guy to go first. Hocker said the classic chicken-or-egg scenario keeps most of them from jumping in – financial backers want assurances of demand for a hotel complex, but there’s no way to prove that until a resort is built and starts attracting tourists and conferences. Small retailers or restaurants can’t risk launching without other retailers nearby.

City Councilman John Pettis Jr. said City Hall or Urban Renewal will need to make more of an investment in the area to prime the pump, as was the case with Bass Pro Shops serving as an anchor for Bricktown. However, no one has asked for that sort of funding yet – the city put up about $19 million for Bass Pro construction costs with an annual payback schedule.

And the Adventure District vehicle will have to be something other than a tax increment finance district, or TIF, which has proven effective in generating revenue in other districts, he said. The Adventure District doesn’t have a lot of retail to produce sales tax, and much of the land is owned by the city and would be exempt from a property tax-based TIF.

“There are some other options that we are really looking at,” Pettis said. “Are there available resources to jump-start development in that area? Absolutely yes. That area is in a qualified census tract, so it’s eligible for new market tax credits, a federal program. … It’s a matter of finding the right community development entity, but they have not yet stepped up to the plate.”

Tiffany Batdorf, the business improvement district chief executive for the Adventure District, said that after The Journal Record reported on the district’s struggles, a hotelier called her office and asked for annual attendance figures with an eye on several acres held by developer Tom Parrish.

“We get calls all the time,” Batdorf said. “They all think it’s a great opportunity, but they just don’t have the backing.”

[TheTravellers]

Coincidentally, last night I read a story in this week's Gazette about the Adventure District, reflects some of the same concerns.

http://okgazette.com/2017/01/13/okla...es-bid-status/

[RodH]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but needed a place to put this.

Missed Adventure: Would-be developers eye district, then look elsewhere

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record January 12, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – The sign at NE 36th Street and Interstate 35 promises a luxury resort hotel with spa, salon and conference space on the 14-acre site on the edge of the city’s Adventure District.

The details have been hidden under a sagging fold in the vinyl sign for months. “Future” has been truncated to “Fu,” and only developer Neal McGee’s first name and a few digits of his phone number are still readable from the I-35 service road.

It’s an apt metaphor for development in the district – someone always seems to have big plans to attract business and tourists to Remington Park, the zoo and museums such as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, but they fail to garner much attention.

McGee said he believes he can turn that trend around. The owner of Neal McGee Custom Homes has architectural designs for a $20 million, 185-room complex ready for his pitch to line up financing and investors this year.

“I just sent out a letter to the members of the Adventure District, asking them to help us promote the hotel and look for partnerships and funding,” he said. “If somebody wants to take the project and run with it, that would be great, too.”

Another developer who posted a for-sale sign at NE 50th Street and I-35 is just as hopeful but still cautious about prospects. Jerry Hocker at Coldwell Banker Hocker & Associates said his sign has gotten a few nibbles since it went up seven months ago. Hocker and a small investment group have been offering 5 acres for about seven years.

“We’ve had a lot of tire-kickers,” he said. “They all seem to know this area has potential. It’s obvious when you look around; there is not a single hotel that would be a good place for a family to stay.”

The district’s growth challenges are subtle and numerous, Hocker said. For example, the district is primarily nestled into the southwest corner of the I-35 and I-44 interchange, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to the north of I-44 and Lincoln Park Golf Course to the south along I-35. The area lacks prime, open sites with good interstate frontage, he said.

The anchor attractions are also far removed from the concentration of tourist activity in the Bricktown District near downtown, and they have been slow to integrate the museums and parks into a cohesive package for visitors.

Timing gets in the way as well. If it’s not an economic downturn stymying efforts, then it’s a matter of developers waiting for the other guy to go first. Hocker said the classic chicken-or-egg scenario keeps most of them from jumping in – financial backers want assurances of demand for a hotel complex, but there’s no way to prove that until a resort is built and starts attracting tourists and conferences. Small retailers or restaurants can’t risk launching without other retailers nearby.

City Councilman John Pettis Jr. said City Hall or Urban Renewal will need to make more of an investment in the area to prime the pump, as was the case with Bass Pro Shops serving as an anchor for Bricktown. However, no one has asked for that sort of funding yet – the city put up about $19 million for Bass Pro construction costs with an annual payback schedule.

And the Adventure District vehicle will have to be something other than a tax increment finance district, or TIF, which has proven effective in generating revenue in other districts, he said. The Adventure District doesn’t have a lot of retail to produce sales tax, and much of the land is owned by the city and would be exempt from a property tax-based TIF.

“There are some other options that we are really looking at,” Pettis said. “Are there available resources to jump-start development in that area? Absolutely yes. That area is in a qualified census tract, so it’s eligible for new market tax credits, a federal program. … It’s a matter of finding the right community development entity, but they have not yet stepped up to the plate.”

Tiffany Batdorf, the business improvement district chief executive for the Adventure District, said that after The Journal Record reported on the district’s struggles, a hotelier called her office and asked for annual attendance figures with an eye on several acres held by developer Tom Parrish.

“We get calls all the time,” Batdorf said. “They all think it’s a great opportunity, but they just don’t have the backing.”

It appears that building permits (bldc-2017-03314, bldc-2017-03315) have been submitted for a hotel complex at I-35 and N.E. 50th. Could this be one of the developers mentioned in the above article?