View Full Version : Okc Urban Renewal Authority?



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okclee
10-15-2010, 12:47 PM
Who are they?
What are their responsibilities?
Where are they?

Searching for information about OCURA (Okc Urban Renewal Authority). I can't find a website and there is little information to be found at okc.gov.

Do they have a website?

(Can someone fix the spelling error for this title? Renewal not Renewa)

okclee
10-15-2010, 01:55 PM
While searching for the secretive OCURA info on the web, I found a great website for DURA (Denver Urban Renewal Authority).

http://www.renewdenver.org/

Imagine if Okc had an Urban Renewal website like this. Many urban developers could benefit from the info found here.

Also here is Tulsa's version. http://www.tulsadevelopmentauthority.org/index.html

Kerry
10-15-2010, 02:05 PM
OCURA activities are a bigger secret than the Stonecutters membership, and just as shady.

OCURA denies that this is actual video from an OCURA meeting.

tT0WEFs2S90

Spartan
10-15-2010, 02:17 PM
I don't think the TDA should ever be used as an example of transparent government..lol

okclee
10-15-2010, 02:25 PM
Can we at least put together a OCURA website?

Even the "Crossroads World Market Center" had a website, even if it was for a day or two! ... lol

BDP
10-15-2010, 02:50 PM
Who are they?

A group of rendering enthusiasts who's motto is 'it's always the thought that counts'.


What are their responsibilities?

To have clandestine meetings where they look at drawings of ideas for undeveloped land in OKC. Then they vote on which picture they like best.


Where are they?

In the shadows. (I can't tell you how I know this, but if you're lucky enough to find out when and where a meeting is, you can get in by using the password "I have financing" and showing the secret hand signal of two crossed fingers.)


Do they have a website?

Yes, but it does not reside on a public server. In fact, it's just on the Chosen One's (that's their leader) laptop from which the network card has been removed.

Steve
10-15-2010, 03:42 PM
Urban Renewal will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Urban Renewal boardroom of City Place Tower, 24th floor. It is a public meeting. In the past I've given such advance notice, and I never saw ANY OF YOU show up! Spartan and Doug are the only posters on OKC Talk I've witnessed attending public meetings.
(Let the insults and excuses begin. How dare I insult the good nature of the online community)

Rover
10-15-2010, 03:58 PM
Sorry, I will be in Los Angeles working on moving 2 companies to OKC. So that is my excuse.

ddavidson8
10-15-2010, 04:10 PM
Maybe someday I'll be a holy as Steve.

Steve
10-15-2010, 04:35 PM
I'm not meaning to sound that way and I'm sorry if that's how it comes out. But open govt is a two-way street. I WANT you guys to be better informed - to know what they're up to!

okclee
10-15-2010, 05:57 PM
Thanks for the info. Any idea what is on the agenda next week?

Also Steve, I think Rover is giving you a new story too.

Kerry
10-15-2010, 06:02 PM
Urban Renewal will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Urban Renewal boardroom of City Place Tower, 24th floor. It is a public meeting. In the past I've given such advance notice, and I never saw ANY OF YOU show up! Spartan and Doug are the only posters on OKC Talk I've witnessed attending public meetings.
(Let the insults and excuses begin. How dare I insult the good nature of the online community)

Any truth to the rumor that the elevators will be closed for repairs starting at 9AM? :smile:

Architect2010
10-15-2010, 06:08 PM
Urban Renewal will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Urban Renewal boardroom of City Place Tower, 24th floor. It is a public meeting. In the past I've given such advance notice, and I never saw ANY OF YOU show up! Spartan and Doug are the only posters on OKC Talk I've witnessed attending public meetings.
(Let the insults and excuses begin. How dare I insult the good nature of the online community)

You act like their little public meeting is the solution to our woes with them. On the same note, I've never had a car, and now I'm stuck in boring Edmond so there's no way I could ever go to those archaic rituals you call a meeting, not to mention I have class. My question to you. Is it really that hard for them to have an open agenda online perhaps and to be more transparent? No it's not. End of story Steve. [No pun intended]

How dare you try to defend such a bare-minimum organization as them! :P [/Humor]

okclee
10-15-2010, 06:25 PM
Did any of you look at the DURA (Denver) website?

I would think having a website like that would bring in more developers with interest and resulting in more urban development.

Steve
10-15-2010, 06:40 PM
Any truth to the rumor that the elevators will be closed for repairs starting at 9AM? :smile:

Yes.

Just kidding. Architect, I hear you. I just wish more people would attend public meetings. I can't tell you how much it could change how things work.

Remington
10-15-2010, 07:31 PM
The last time I checked the Urban Renewal members were as follows: Fred Hall, Staton Young, Mary Melon, Jim Tolbert and Russell Perry. Joe Van Bullard is the Executive Director.

I know that this group is not very popular with a lot of people but I always found that when I called one of them to discuss something that they always called me back. I didn't always agree with what they were saying but at least I understood what their thought process was in their decision making. This group did alot of good in promoting the medical research park on Lincoln which has had a tremendous impact on that area and our local economy. Again, not saying I always agree with what the do, especially as it relates to the old Mercy site but they do make good decisions sometimes.

Kerry
10-15-2010, 09:12 PM
Yes.

Just kidding.

Did you like that I used a smily?

Steve
10-15-2010, 09:17 PM
Yeah.... things are getting too testy around here...

BDP
10-15-2010, 09:20 PM
Urban Renewal will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Urban Renewal boardroom of City Place Tower, 24th floor. It is a public meeting. In the past I've given such advance notice, and I never saw ANY OF YOU show up! Spartan and Doug are the only posters on OKC Talk I've witnessed attending public meetings.
(Let the insults and excuses begin. How dare I insult the good nature of the online community)

Well I think it was pretty good natured... until that.

You provide a good service to the community and do good work for the paper, but frankly, the assumptions you make about people and the resulting hostility towards others that results can be very off putting. You don't know what meetings anyone has or hasn't attended or what responsibilties people have so its probably not a good idea to attack everyone with a broad brush like that.

Thanks for posting the information. If you have the agenda or a link to it, please feel free to share.

Spartan
10-15-2010, 09:43 PM
The last time I checked the Urban Renewal members were as follows: Fred Hall, Staton Young, Mary Melon, Jim Tolbert and Russell Perry. Joe Van Bullard is the Executive Director.

I know that this group is not very popular with a lot of people but I always found that when I called one of them to discuss something that they always called me back. I didn't always agree with what they were saying but at least I understood what their thought process was in their decision making. This group did alot of good in promoting the medical research park on Lincoln which has had a tremendous impact on that area and our local economy. Again, not saying I always agree with what the do, especially as it relates to the old Mercy site but they do make good decisions sometimes.

Don't forget Leslie Bachelor, the attorney for OCURA (virtually its most important member).

Steve
10-15-2010, 09:53 PM
BDP, I've already backed off from that and explained why I got a bit frustrated. There is no agenda posted online. I do know that the Urban Renewal meetings I've posted here at OKC Talk and in the paper didn't result in anyone going to the meetings. I'm not meaning to attack, but rather to challenge, and I realize how my tone was off. My apologies.

Spartan
10-15-2010, 09:54 PM
The greatest thing about OKC Talk is when legitimate people (i.e. real people who are known in the community) who aren't Internet trolls get frustrated and caught up in flame wars on occasion.

ljbab728
10-15-2010, 11:43 PM
Urban Renewal will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Urban Renewal boardroom of City Place Tower, 24th floor. It is a public meeting. In the past I've given such advance notice, and I never saw ANY OF YOU show up! Spartan and Doug are the only posters on OKC Talk I've witnessed attending public meetings.
(Let the insults and excuses begin. How dare I insult the good nature of the online community)

Steve, that's being a little unfair to those of us who have full time jobs. As much as we would like to be involved, we can't just tell our employers that we would like to take off work on a weekday to attend a city meeting. We have to rely on those who can and encourage them to do so.

flintysooner
10-16-2010, 04:51 AM
Encouragement isn't exactly something i have observed in notable surplus from OKCTalk.

Pete
10-16-2010, 09:16 AM
For a while, I used to call/write OCURA to obtain meeting minutes, which they would only provide after they were officially approved, which meant they were about 1-2 months old. Then, I'd scan them and provide a link here.

They eventually wore me down and I stopped because 1) it was a major hassle and 2) the information was old and not very helpful.

I'm pretty sure they fall under the Fair Meetings Act but they seem to do everything they can to conduct their business (including meeting on weekday mornings) without much interaction from the public.

Also, while I don't think there are big conspiracies at work in their dealings, more than once they have paid for the opinion and recommendations of outside consultants, then made contradictory decisions (ala, The Hill).

In this day and age, the obvious question is: Why don't they post their agendas and minutes? The fact they don't is very telling and encourages suspicion.

HOT ROD
10-16-2010, 04:00 PM
isn't Perry the owner of the Hill?

if so, then it seems like a collusive act to rush and approve that development. ......

Steve
10-16-2010, 04:19 PM
Russell Perry has no connection to the Hill other than the street that passes it is named after him (and why it's not named after Jimmy Rushing or Charlie Christian is beyond me)

MustangGT
10-16-2010, 04:21 PM
Russell Perry has no connection to the Hill other than the street that passes it is named after him (and why it's not named after Jimmy Rushing or Charlie Christian is beyond me)

I can think of two reasons:

1. Perry is rich.
2. Perry was alive to push for it.

Spartan
10-16-2010, 04:28 PM
The Hill is owned by Bill Canfield, a big-time medical researcher in the PHF Research Park.

HOT ROD
10-16-2010, 04:33 PM
I stand corrected.

metro
10-18-2010, 11:20 AM
You guys clearly don't know the Perry family much.

Kerry
10-18-2010, 12:12 PM
In this day and age, the obvious question is: Why don't they post their agendas and minutes? The fact they don't is very telling and encourages suspicion.

Or better yet, broadcast their meetings on Channel 20 and make it available on-line 24/7/365. All City meetings open to the public should have video recordings made available on-line on the City's website.

Steve
10-19-2010, 10:23 AM
Urban Renewal agenda posted at OKC Central: http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2010/10/19/urban-renewal-agenda/

Kerry
10-19-2010, 10:59 AM
Item 11 will be interesting:


11. Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action on the Extension, Amendment, or Termination of The Overholser Green Residential Redevelopment Agreement on the Former Mercy Hospital Site

Spartan
10-19-2010, 11:43 AM
You guys clearly don't know the Perry family much.

OK metro. You do?

okclee
10-19-2010, 10:13 PM
Anyone else notice that Steve's blog no longer has the OCURA agenda listed? It was there earlier today, there were a few comments from readers too. Here is his link to the missing blog section.

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2010/10/19/urban-renewal-agenda/comment-page-1/#comment-17057

Steve if your reading this, are you okay? What is going on? I hope the OCURA secret service hasn't disposed of you, after leaking the top secret info.

blangtang
10-19-2010, 11:38 PM
yep, i noticed the post has disappeared. earlier i forgot what time the meeting was and went back to check and wondered if i was on the right downtown oklahoma city blog that posts such stuff.

Steve
10-20-2010, 06:24 AM
Nope. Just had a bunch of people saying it was redundant and not needed because it's posted at okc.gov. So I responded in kind.

okclee
10-20-2010, 06:47 AM
I'm glad your ok.

Could you give out the link where you found today's OCURA agenda?

I can't seem to find it on okc.gov.

Steve
10-20-2010, 08:02 AM
I'll repost

Kerry
10-20-2010, 08:04 AM
Nope. Just had a bunch of people saying it was redundant and not needed because it's posted at okc.gov. So I responded in kind.

Can you say Who said? 99.99999% of everything on the internet is redundant.

Steve
10-20-2010, 08:07 AM
Just read the comments

Kerry
10-20-2010, 08:23 AM
Where is the John F Kennedy neighborhood?

Steve
10-20-2010, 10:53 AM
NE 4, west of Martin Luther King

Spartan
10-20-2010, 04:35 PM
Where is the John F Kennedy neighborhood?

It's an impressive redevelopment project where they've built a large, middle-class neighborhood across the street from Douglass High School. Hardly urban though..

BoulderSooner
10-20-2010, 06:06 PM
Nope. Just had a bunch of people saying it was redundant and not needed because it's posted at okc.gov. So I responded in kind.

are we 10 years old taking our bike and going home?? you disagreed with a post and he proved you wrong with a link....

Steve
10-20-2010, 06:13 PM
Nope. No disagreement. Just figured it wasn't needed.

okclee
10-26-2010, 07:19 AM
Good read by Steve today in DOK.

Urban Renewal, free market goals not always the same
The ongoing struggles to redevelop the former MidTown home of Mercy Hospital highlight the differences between Urban Renewal and the free market.

BY STEVE LACKMEYER Oklahoman Comment on this article 1
Published: October 26, 2010


Read more: http://newsok.com/urban-renewal-free-market-goals-not-always-the-same/article/3508174?custom_click=lead_story_title#ixzz13TExtgz i

metro
10-26-2010, 07:49 AM
Good distinction between the two. Maybe next Tuesday we'll get an update on projects that are actually happening.

Kerry
10-26-2010, 07:50 AM
One thing of interest in Steve's story. The Mercy site still sits empty but the land across the street has been developed by the private sector. I think Steve tried to imply that the clearing of the Mercy site led to the private sector development across the street. If that is the case then maybe OCURA needs to stick to the land clearing business, and not the real estate development business. Of course, I would like to hear an explination of why clearing the Mercy site leads to development on adjacent properties but not on the Mercy site itself.

Steve
10-26-2010, 08:11 AM
Good distinction between the two. Maybe next Tuesday we'll get an update on projects that are actually happening.

Thanks for reading!

Steve
10-26-2010, 08:14 AM
One thing of interest in Steve's story. The Mercy site still sits empty but the land across the street has been developed by the private sector. I think Steve tried to imply that the clearing of the Mercy site led to the private sector development across the street. If that is the case then maybe OCURA needs to stick to the land clearing business, and not the real estate development business. Of course, I would like to hear an explination of why clearing the Mercy site leads to development on adjacent properties but not on the Mercy site itself.

Kerry, as long as the Mercy hospital building sat dilapidated and populated by paint sniffers, etc., the duplexes were doomed to be nothing more than flop houses. With the blight gone, the duplexes sold to new owners who spent money renovating and upgrading the properties.
As for the hospital site, there are those who say it would be developed by now if Urban Renewal had chosen Marva's proposal over the one by Chuck. Whether the commissioners are showing best judgment in whom they select as developer is a separate issue.

okclee
10-26-2010, 08:40 AM
OCURA Website......

I have stated before that I would like to see a more pro-active approach taken from OCURA. Developing a top notch website much like the Denver Urban Development, would be very beneficial to all. http://www.renewdenver.org/ Portland also has a very good website http://www.pdc.us/default.asp

If OCURA had a website showing all of their properties that are available and giving the necessary requirements to acquire such property, along with the pricing or minimum bids. Imagine how much easier it would be to move these properties off of the books and convert them into tax revenue producing property. They could also give out vital info about special financing opportunities that go along with urban redevelopment, i.e. the Murrah Loan for Midtown development.

A website would also give OCURA more credibility and they could show-off projects that they have approved and helped with the redevelopment. In the next few years OCURA's role will be vital with the Core to Shore development. It is time for them to move out of the dark ages and build a website that will only enhance and I believe speed up urban development.

The status quo appears that OCURA wants to keep their inventory a secret and only give out sweetheart deals to people they like, aka the "Good Old Boys".

MustangGT
10-26-2010, 08:49 AM
The status quo appears that OCURA wants to keep their inventory a secret and only give out sweetheart deals to people they like, aka the "Good Old Boys".

I totally agree with the need for openess, transperency, and fairness to all not just the choosen few.

Pete
10-26-2010, 09:29 AM
In the most simple terms, why the heck doesn't OCURA list it's agendas and minutes on the City of OKC's meeting website???

http://www.okc.gov/agendapub/meet.aspx

Good grief, even the Game and Fish, Water Utilities and Golf commissions do this, along with about 20 other city agencies.


OCURA is one of the few of these commissions where the public is genuinely interested but they clearly go out of their way to fly under the radar.


Who appoints them?
What are their terms?
Who do the report to?
How do they go about targeting properties to acquire?
How much in assets do they control?
What happens to their profits?
How do they go about marketing properties?
Do they have any set guidelines for selecting developers?


OCURA is truly one of the most powerful local government entities yet even the most well-versed civic activists know little about their operations, and they clearly like keeping it that way.

okclee
10-26-2010, 09:46 AM
I think years ago Okc Urban Development was an after thought for many developers and OCURA could do what they want because nobody really cared.

Now Okc Urban Development is at an all time high in the level of interest by the community and yet OCURA wants to continue doing what they want.

It is time for us to demand more from OCURA.

Right now, I could go to the Denver or Portland website and choose an available urban property and download an application to start the process for a development. I can also download the necessary docs for specialized loans needed for urban re-development projects.

(Or I could go to the okc.gov website and download all the necessary info for my city fishing permit along with a printable map of city lakes close to my location. But I can't find the nearest Okc urban renewal project anywhere.)

Steve
10-26-2010, 10:07 AM
[QUOTE=Pete Brzycki;370387]In the most simple terms, why the heck doesn't OCURA list it's agendas and minutes on the City of OKC's meeting website???
- I've asked this question before. They said they would create one. They never did.

http://www.okc.gov/agendapub/meet.aspx

Good grief, even the Game and Fish, Water Utilities and Golf commissions do this, along with about 20 other city agencies.


OCURA is one of the few of these commissions where the public is genuinely interested but they clearly go out of their way to fly under the radar.


Who appoints them?
- The mayor
What are their terms?
- I believe it's every four years. For the most part, they've been automatically reappointed.
Who do the report to?
- Mayor
How do they go about targeting properties to acquire?
- Until the recent launch of Core to Shore, they've gone years without doing any acquisitions
How much in assets do they control?
- They have a lot of land
What happens to their profits?
- Goes back to the budget to pay salaries, consultants, etc.
How do they go about marketing properties?
- They don't
Do they have any set guidelines for selecting developers?
- Changes with each project request for proposals

Hope that answers everything

Kerry
10-26-2010, 10:25 AM
OCURA Website......

I have stated before that I would like to see a more pro-active approach taken from OCURA. Developing a top notch website much like the Denver Urban Development, would be very beneficial to all. http://www.renewdenver.org/ Portland also has a very good website http://www.pdc.us/default.asp

If OCURA had a website showing all of their properties that are available and giving the necessary requirements to acquire such property, along with the pricing or minimum bids. Imagine how much easier it would be to move these properties off of the books and convert them into tax revenue producing property. They could also give out vital info about special financing opportunities that go along with urban redevelopment, i.e. the Murrah Loan for Midtown development.

A website would also give OCURA more credibility and they could show-off projects that they have approved and helped with the redevelopment. In the next few years OCURA's role will be vital with the Core to Shore development. It is time for them to move out of the dark ages and build a website that will only enhance and I believe speed up urban development.

The status quo appears that OCURA wants to keep their inventory a secret and only give out sweetheart deals to people they like, aka the "Good Old Boys".

Thank you. :congrats:

Spartan
10-26-2010, 05:25 PM
Tackling the subject of urban renewal in and of itself in totality is just cause for headaches. Imagine writing a whole book about it (Steve)..

Steve
10-26-2010, 08:02 PM
Um, yeah.....