BDP, I have been to Milwaukee several times and will be back there for a family reunion in August.

I made a long post about my visit last summer, because the city completely knocked my socks off. I had been before, but not for several years and I've only recently developed a critical eye for urban development. Milwaukee is a great city because it's downtown and surrounding areas stayed relatively in tact during the suburban flight of the 60's and 70's, primarily due to a good deal of quality housing and two good-sized universities (Marquette & UW-Milwaukee) in the central city.

So, when the new urbanism movement started in earnest, they didn't have to rebuild, just renovate and update. In fact, I spent a good deal of time in what was formerly a poor Polish neighborhood where my parents grew up, and it's completely alive with artists and college students. And my dad's old house was perfectly preserved and cared for.

I'm really looking forward to my August trip and plan to walk the better part of a full day just to see more of the neighborhoods and developments. Like Chicago, they often have taverns and restaurants embedded in residential streets and it's fun to go in those places and chat with locals. Very European in that regard.

If you ever get a chance to go there, you should do it. I think it's the most underrated city in the U.S.


My original Milwaukee Thread

A few years ago I flew Midwest Airlines. I still remember how well I was treated and what a nice experience it was.

I too have spent some time in Milwaukee and concur, it is a very cool city. I was totally surprised the first time I went. I guess I was expecting an old run down city, but found it to be alive and superbly preserved.

That sounds great. Last time I was in Chicago a local told me that there were a lot of good things going on in Milwaukee and she called it their sister city. I remember thinking that Milwaukee must not be anything like I thought it was, or the Chicagoan wouldn't have talked about it that way. The funny thing is that I can't even really explain why I would have any impression of Milwaukee, let alone a bad one. It just goes to show how easily areas are labeled and how hard it is and long it takes to shake off a bad rep.

Nope, private parties can rent the boats starting this fall Oct./Nov. time however the public runs won't start until first quarter of next year.

Will there be any gambling on these boats??

As far as the bridge idea goes, yeah I think it has great potential, even as a signature project for MAPS3. We've discussed this idea at length before several times. As far as other cities who have signature pedestrian bridges, yes there are several. As many have said, Milwaukee has some nice ones. Also Tacoma, Washington has Chilhuly's Bridge of Glass Chihuly Bridge of Glass . Portland, OR and Seattle, WA also have some very nice ones.

Here is the bridge of glass:



and

I said it before in another thread (about I-40 relocation/const., I think) but I think it'd be great if we had Chihuly do some work on one of the bridges crossing the new interstate. Possibly the downtown exit...

Devon buys naming rights for Oklahoma River ferry

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Devon Energy announced Thursday it is contributing $2 million toward the purchase of ferries for the Oklahoma River as part of a 15-year naming rights deal.

Former Mayor Ron Norick, chairman of the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority, called the deal a vital step toward starting river transit in the spring.

"Without Devon's commitment, we couldn't have purchased a third boat or fund a maintenance facility that is being designed as we speak,” Norick said. "The seven-mile Oklahoma River represents a new frontier for the city. The growing vision for the river's future has sparked a great deal of excitement, and through Devon's support, we are adding a transportation element that will bring it all together.”

The custom-designed river ferries are being manufactured by Albany, N.Y.-based Scarano Boat Builders, and the first vessel is expected to arrive by late October. A second boat will arrive in November, but service is to be limited to excursions until a third boat arrives in April.

At that time, Norick said, the city will begin daily river transit between the Meridian Avenue hotel corridor and downtown. The 65-foot ferries will carry up to 49 people, and will include enclosed areas with heat, air conditioning and flat screen televisions.


‘Dramatic views'
Norick predicted the ferries will be a hit with locals and visitors, and will be used by local companies seeking to recruit employees.
"I've been down the river at day and night, and there are some pretty dramatic views,” Norick said. "It's something you don't get to see anywhere else. And the downtown skyline is something to see at night.”

Rhonda Hooper, vice chairman of the visitors and convention commission at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said the ferries will link group travel — a lot of it based along Meridian Avenue with 37 percent of the city's hotel rooms — to destinations downtown.

"This will further energize tourism in Oklahoma City,” Hooper said. "It will connect three hubs of visitor activity in Oklahoma City ... this will help us deliver on our promise that Oklahoma City is a fun, family-friendly destination.”


It started with MAPS
Norick reminded a crowd of developers and civic leaders that the Oklahoma River once was derided as a ditch that needed to be mowed three times a year. The waterway was restored as part of the 1993 Metropolitan Area Projects, which provided $39 million in local funding and secured $15 million in federal funding for the river.
The project built three dams, fishing docks and 14 miles of trails between downtown and Meridian Avenue.

"This, to me, is the final piece of the puzzle for the river,” Norick said. "We have dams and water impounded. We're building docks for fishing ... it just adds a vital piece to the river. And people driving on bridges over this river will see these boats — they're just so big, they're huge.”

Norick said the Devon naming deal was critical to a successful launch of the river boats, which would otherwise have been limited to strict transit with longer waits and no allowance for private charters.


Roar of bulldozers
Thursday's announcement coincides with a flurry of development under way along the river. Just to the west of the ceremonies, roaring bulldozers could be heard preparing the south shore for construction of up to four hotels. Similar work is under way at the easternmost end of the waterway, where a $100 million American Indian Cultural Center is being built at Eastern Avenue.
Oklahoma City University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma have plans to build boathouses near the landmark Chesapeake Boathouse at the river's Regatta Park.

Devon Energy Chief Executive Officer Larry Nichols acknowledged the investment is a gamble — but one he thinks is worthwhile considering the city's recent track record with downtown, the Oklahoma Health Center and Bricktown. He predicted the river will dramatically transform during the next decade.

"Today, it is mostly weeds and bulldozers, but that will change,” Nichols said.

"The thing that will link it all together will be these river boats. It will provide Oklahoma City something that is unique. ... It will give tourists and conventions another reason to come here. It will give Oklahoma City a special ambiance.”

I guess that is the price of corporate sponsorship.

Heck, they could change my name to Devon if they gave me $2 million!

Yes that would be great... Until it hailed...

but i agree something and somewhat weatherproof would be a great idea

There's a story today on the downtown airpark in okcbusiness.com. Below is a quote.

OKCBusiness - Oklahoma City Business News

"While Triangle Development and MidTown developer Greg Banta have projects underway to take the fabric of what was a community at one time and piece it back together, albeit on a smaller scale, Humphreys Real Estate Investments is taking that vision and preparing to apply it to an 81-acre site known as Downtown Airpark.

The group purchased the site for $7.2 million in November 2006.

“The old way of doing things is what we’re trying to get back to,” said Kirk Humphreys, a Heritage Hills resident. “Our land planning, in not just Oklahoma City but in suburban America, has basically taken the different types of land use over 60 years and segregated them. You have retail over there, apartments over there, single family over there and office over here. And what we want to do is jumble it all back together just like it used to be.

“We have not seen it here of this size,” Humphreys continued. “Oklahoma City, literally, has never seen anything like what we have in mind.”

What he’s got in mind is building a mixed-use community that would boast a hotel, restaurants, entertainment, retail, office, residential, even a town square – all within this walkable community."

I love that OKC now has several local developers (Humphreys, Banta, McDermid) that really are embracing urbanism and community building.

Hopefully we'll see more from them and less from Hogan, Henderson and others that merely want to slightly tweak suburban concepts and put them in the middle of town.

Little off topic but a few of us went riding along the Oklahoma river over the weekend...Very nice paved trail and preferred it over riding at Hefner w/ half a billion others

Only thing is with the wind out of the west we hit a decent sized area were you got to enjoy the smells of the stockyards...Just guessing it was the stockyards since it smelled like we were riding around with elephants nearby

__________________
Dr. Spaceman: Now Jenna, medically speaking for your height your weight puts you what we call the "disgusting" range. Fortunately there are solutions. For example, crystal meth has been shown to be very effective. How important is tooth retention to you?

^^ when you say "riding" , are we talking bicycles or motorcycles??

or horseback, I've seen some of those out there as well.

Our Treks...Wife somehow talked me into getting up early, packing the bikes and then freakin exercising for an hour or so on a Saturday morning

Just ain't right

__________________
Dr. Spaceman: Now Jenna, medically speaking for your height your weight puts you what we call the "disgusting" range. Fortunately there are solutions. For example, crystal meth has been shown to be very effective. How important is tooth retention to you?

There are so many excellent ideas for the river that it is hard to fathom it all. I'll be there on the first day that the American Indian Cultural Center opens. I also look forward to traveling on the boats when they're ready to run.

Did you tell her not to wear "those" pants in public or something?

I mean REALLY...That's obscene! Exercise? On a SATURDAY?

Does anyone know what kind of hotels? HOPEFULLY this doesn't mean holiday inn express, la quinta, hampton inn, and best western. Surely the city wouldn't approve this kind of hotel development for the river...

Nuclear, please see this information in the first post of this thread. Staybridge Suites is not full service, but the Holiday Inn is. So you are 1 for 2 so far. I would be happy with that rate on the final two still to be announced.

ok so i guess my next question would be what types of restrictions are there on these hotels as far as quality of development? Is this going to be another argument for stucco or are they going to have some character...something that would fit in with what Humphrey's is planning and what is envisioned for the river?

Considering this is roughly at I-40 and Meridian, and not anywhere near downtown or the downtown airpark (Humphreys place), I would figure character in the construction will be MIA.

But the Holiday Inn developer did say the parking would be in the rear/south and they are going to have a courtyard or outdoor garden area fronting on the river. So perhaps even down in the Meridian area, there's going to be some attempt to make things more aesthetic.