Major DT facelift in works for OKC...

[warreng88]

BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: September 18, 2009

The summer of 2007 was brutal for downtown Tulsa when the rebuilding of several major streets created a drought for merchants. It prompted the city’s mayor to send an e-mail to about 25,000 workers pleading with them to frequent their neighborhood restaurants.

An even bigger $141.5 million makeover is in the works for downtown Oklahoma City — one that designers say will span 36 blocks and be one of the largest downtown street programs in the country.

"It’s massive,” Planning Director Russell Claus said. "Tulsa did some streetscaping like this, but not to this degree. It’s essentially a complete transformation of the public realm.”

See Steve's full article at:

NewsOK

[metro]

Wow, that's 2 articles from Steve on this in the last 2-3 weeks. Didn't see him at the Skirvin last night at the MTP meeting, hopefully he'll do an article on it soon as well.

[Steve]

Metro, my wife was sick last night so I had to stay home with the kids. Otherwise, I would have been at the meeting.

[metro]

No worries Steve, we were surprised not to see you, but figured it was probably family if you weren't there (understandibly so).

[progressiveboy]

I noticed in the Tulsa World article about facelift is in there and the Tulsa bashers are out in force. Lots of unflattering remarks such as OKC is home to low class hicks, OKC needs a tummy tuck, OKC can go to H**L. Several posters even state they lived in OKC for decades and would never move back there because it is a ugly, dirty city. You people think I bash OKC, by this is quite seething. Do you think it is based on jealousy or could it be true?? Does not look good for OKC from outsider's point of view. Again, I am a native of OKC so I am not an outsider even though I no longer reside there.Either way, I am happy that OKC is making major strides in improving the city. OKC seems to be more forward thinking for the future.

[kevinpate]

coming from posters at TW, it's pretty much just par for the course. If it was coming hot and heavy from an area w/o known sibling issues, that would be different.

[circuitboard]

Wow the tulsaworld comments are really sad, it is like a child crying out for attention.

[Steve]

My suggestion: anyone from OKC who logs on should simply acknowledge our city can always do better and compliment them on the reopening of the Mayo Hotel. Kill 'em with kindness.

[OKCMallen]

I noticed in the Tulsa World article about facelift is in there and the Tulsa bashers are out in force. Lots of unflattering remarks such as OKC is home to low class hicks, OKC needs a tummy tuck, OKC can go to H**L. Several posters even state they lived in OKC for decades and would never move back there because it is a ugly, dirty city. You people think I bash OKC, by this is quite seething. Do you think it is based on jealousy or could it be true?? Does not look good for OKC from outsider's point of view. Again, I am a native of OKC so I am not an outsider even though I no longer reside there.Either way, I am happy that OKC is making major strides in improving the city. OKC seems to be more forward thinking for the future.

Do you ahev the link for the TW article?

[Steve]

Tulsa World: Major downtown facelift in works for Oklahoma City

[Steve]

The planners presentations on these projects are now at OKC Central - Information about Oklahoma City, Bricktown and beyond

[circuitboard]

The planners presentations on these projects are now at OKC Central - Information about Oklahoma City, Bricktown and beyond

Appears to be pretty impressive.

[soonerguru]

It is jealousy, pure and simple. That, and people who comment on articles in the Tulsa World seem to be very angry and unbalanced.

[soonerguru]

I should add, they must have many cousins in OKC, because the comments after articles in the Oklahoman are frightening and depressing.

[bluedogok]

I have pretty much learned to ignore comments on articles on any news website as they tend to bring out the worst in anonymous comments. I read the articles and skip the comments. The individual blogs like Steve's tend to have a more focused audience and doesn't seem to attract the general riff-raff that the main articles generate.

[Steve]

bluedogok, I agree with you wholeheartedly. That's why I'm not always happy when a particular blog topic gets teased on NewsOK. I'm very, very blessed to have a great group of readers at OKC Central (many of them are the same ones who make this the city's premier online community forum).

[soonerguru]

I have pretty much learned to ignore comments on articles on any news website as they tend to bring out the worst in anonymous comments. I read the articles and skip the comments. The individual blogs like Steve's tend to have a more focused audience and doesn't seem to attract the general riff-raff that the main articles generate.

You're right, but does "general riff-raff" mean ordinary, working Joe citizens? Or are they just a loud and angry fringe?

It is weird to read pages and pages of often racist, angry rants after rather innocuous news items. And I'm guessing more than a few of the angry ranters have immediate access to firearms. Kinda creepy.

[bluedogok]

There is a core group on almost every newspaper site that seems to provide nothing reasonable in commentary and are there merely to incite and flame, they are worthless flame warriors. I think the "Ordinary Joe's" tend to not post ccomments as much judging by the style of most comments.

[BDP]

Here's a direct link to the plans:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.news...TG-LOW-OPT.pdf

[dcsooner]

This OKC-Tulsa thing has got to be the most stupid juvenile rivalry of any two cities. Most grown up places do not engage in this my city is better than your city stupidity. Sad

[bluedogok]

This OKC-Tulsa thing has got to be the most stupid juvenile rivalry of any two cities. Most grown up places do not engage in this my city is better than your city stupidity. Sad

Wanna bet, read any city forum and it is the same crap over and over by some people in every city. We have our San Antonio-Austin, Fort Worth-Dallas, Houston-Dallas ones down here, then you have St. Paul-Minneapolis, Milwaukee-Chicago, St. Louis-Chicago, Boston-New York, Baltimore-DC, Oakland-San Francisco, Portland-Seattle, etc. Cities much older than Oklahoma City or Tulsa have partaken in these ridiculous spats forever. It seems to be more common than most would think, "grown-up" has nothing to do with the people living there.

[kevinpate]

well, definitely not with the posters, whether they live there or not, ala Paul of Yukon and Cletus of Mayberry, or so they note, two of the more juvi banters at newsok.

[Steve]

Bastions of intelligent discussion you're mentioning there Kevin.

[soonerguru]

This OKC-Tulsa thing has got to be the most stupid juvenile rivalry of any two cities. Most grown up places do not engage in this my city is better than your city stupidity. Sad

Agree. But it's fairly one-sided. It's the Tulsans who seem to be the bitter siblings.

[OUGrad05]

This OKC-Tulsa thing has got to be the most stupid juvenile rivalry of any two cities. Most grown up places do not engage in this my city is better than your city stupidity. Sad

I agree, having said that, I now live in Tulsa and I miss OKC a lot, we're actually heading down there today for my brothers birthday. But downtown OKC is nicer and has more to do and the roads as a general rule are better in OKC. Both places have their positives and negatives, and I also don't understand the hating on the other city everytime something positive happens...