http://www.wichitawaterwalk.com/images/wme_small.jpg

You don't even want to know what city this is in.


find out here (http://www.wichitawaterwalk.com/Main.aspx?itemID=10)

http://www.wichitawaterwalk.com/images/ww_place.jpg

That's nice! Wonder if it's a reality or a dream right now?

Nice

Wichita!

I agree it is nice - are you referring to the condos and being shafted on the design of the Hill or the whole concept of Bricktown?

I know it is frustrating but even though we may have got the shaft on design - one thing to remember is that we still got a pro team -the Hornets.. which I'm very happy about.

So, maybe with the revenue brought in, Bricktown can now afford to expand and make some improvements and add some frills?

Why don't you forward those pics to Canfield?

are you referring to the condos and being shafted on the design of the Hill or the whole concept of Bricktown?

No I don't have a strong opinion about the Hill design. I'm talking about Hogan's Lower Bricktown design, which I like but is clearly inferior to this.

Wichita is kicking butt. They have been very busy building their city into something to be very proud of. They should be commended. Their mixed-use developments along the river just makes sense. It is a perfect fit. It would seem to me, mixed-used along the Oklahoma River would make sense as well.

I'm talking about Hogan's Lower Bricktown design,

There's a design?

Honestly, these drawings always look more impressive than the finished deal. But I think the big lesson here is the idea of a "master plan". Lower Bricktown did not have one and it looks like it.

I agree. I like aspects of Lower Bricktown. I like the fountain and the bridges and walls on/around the canal are actually nicer than what was built in historic Bricktown, but Lower Bricktown just doesn't seem planned very well. It's like it's just a bunch of pad sites. All the buildings aren't the same architecture, and there's no rhyme or reason to any of it.

Lower bricktown was not planned well...and the city got desperate to finally develop it after years of legal delays and problems with theater companies. Hopefully the city is learning from their mistakes, even if slowly. You do have to remember, lower bricktown, is just part of the reniansance.. Older Bricktown still has huge amounts of empty lots and space, way more then there are businesses, plus don't forget east bricktown, the area leading up towards 10th street and beyond, between Broadway and I-235 leading all the way East to The Medical Research Foundation Park (after and around The Triangle Development), and ALL 14 miles of (7 on each side) of the Oklahoma River. The area from the new Indian Cultural Center ALL THE WAY to Meridian, has a HUGE Development potential...Way more so, in my opinion, then Bricktown. The River, although it may take 20-30 plus years to develop out completely, if were lucky, Could become the new Signature to our City, with high rises, retail - hell practically anything you can think of. Most city's would die to have that much land to develop. We just need to be more careful then we have EVER been. Also, the area around where the old I-40 will be (ie, the new boulevard) will open up miles of new development south of downtown, and will help extend, if done correctly, the actual downtown area all the way south to the river, all the way to the new development on the southern banks. That whole area now south of downtown that is not very nice, will change dramatically, and the blighted, low-income areas south of the riverbanks, will be razed and revived. They could even keep the "Latino" theme. I look forward to more creative and awesome developments on the south river, just like the Matt Hoffman Skatepark, and the Indian Cultural Center......This city is awesome, and we will learn from our mistakes. One day in the near future, we will be the next "hip, modern" city in the country, just like Austin or Seattle, our population will explode, and we will be a Shining Star on the southern plains, better and nicer then Dallas......

Very well said ccsokc. Hopefully we can get some developments more like this and even better in the near future.

Matt Hoffman Skatepark, and the Indian Cultural Center......This city is awesome, and we will learn from our mistakes. One day in the near future, we will be the next "hip, modern" city in the country, just like Austin or Seattle, our population will explode, and we will be a Shining Star on the southern plains, better and nicer then Dallas....
Knowledge always blows me away

At what point would we make an opinion statement on our positiontion or shoulld we keep our mouth shut

As ccsokc stated, there was no real master plan for Lower Bricktown. The only developer who had a real master plan was Moshe Tal. Sometimes I wonder how things would've turned out if he and David Cordish would've been given the chance to develop the land. We were probably better off with Hogan. Still, Hogan was given deadline after deadline by OCURA. IMO, we should've opened up the floor for new proposals after Hogan missed the first deadline.

Randy Hogan has been a disappointment in every development he's completed. Just look at East Wharf. EW had so much more potential.

I had an idea the other day. Since Bass Pro decided to throw away tourist destination status and open a store in every city of more than 300,000 people, I think the city should boot them when their lease is up, get a new upscale tenant, and build a shopping/mixed use village around the little "mini-canal" between the current Bass Pro building and the canal and the Residence Inn. This would take away much of the suburban feel with the enormous parking lot gone and a new parking garage could be built nearby. And the new shopping village could match the architecture used on the Sonic building and the buildings around Centennial Plaza, as well as the new facade of the Bass Pro building.

When is that Bass Pro lease up? Maybe by then we can get a Nordstrom...

My outdoor enthusiast friends (love boating and skiing) were really excited about Bass Pro but I can't believe we don't have any other retail downtown.. that was really apparent this weekend with out of town visitors who wanted to go shopping ... what's up with that?

Thank goodness for Quail Springs mall this weekend..

Although there is little retail, there is some. There is Firefly, Miss Milan, Lit Fashion, Teena Hicks Co., BC Clark, and several others with several more on the way. I just read yesterday a Harry Hines is coming to downtown in the CBD on Main St.