Pete
12-13-2005, 07:20 AM
Downtown tunnel project hits snag
by Brian Brus
The Journal Record
12/13/2005
OKLAHOMA CITY - What could be simpler than improving the unattractive Underground tunnel system crisscrossing downtown Oklahoma City? After all, city government officials have expressed support, and city staff is expected to begin working on it after today's City Council meeting.
But a closer look at the 76 property parcels defining the proposed special improvement assessment district reveals the headache that Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.'s Allison Oshel has to deal with: In addition to land owned by Oklahoma City proper, those tunnels also involve privately owned property, utilities, county-owned land leased by the city, and constantly shifting ownership.
"Since we've started the process, we've had significant owner changes - Leadership Square, Oklahoma Tower, Bank of Oklahoma, all have changed hands," she said. "And it's a redo every time a building changes hands because we try to meet every property owner personally to explain the process to them, so when we get a new owner we have to reeducate all over."
City Council today is expected to order the city engineer's office to begin putting together plans, assessment plats, job specifications and cost estimates for the development of a special improvement assessment district for the Underground tunnel system. The full renovation and signage project, with an estimated price tag of $2.1 million, is expected to begin in the summer.
The redevelopment is being overseen by Downtown OKC, the Business District association. The organization was petitioned by its members to renovate the former Conncourse, but because that involved raising additional funds, City Hall was asked to help create a special district, as allowed under state law, which will also allow the use of bonds.
The district's dimensions would run as far north as Northwest Fourth Street, south to the Cox Business Services Convention Center, west to Hudson Avenue, and east to the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad right of way.
The mix of parcels includes the Bank of Oklahoma hallway, for example, which falls within the bank's private property, requiring Downtown OKC to get an easement to allow renovation work. Oshel said the same was needed for 101 Park LLC, which owns the 101 Park Ave. office building.
"And for construction purposes, it's interesting to note that part of 101 Park is actually under public right of way sidewalks and under a public parking lot," she said.
The property records used by City Manager Jim Couch's staff show the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma owns the property doing business above ground as Chick-fil-A. Oshel said that's an example of how quickly details change in the puzzle.
"That property sold since the petition went out," she said. "It was purchased by the partnership of the Gardner Tanenbaum Group … But the new owner signed the petition, too, so we didn't have to do anything special."
Of the 2.45 million square feet of property that comprise the district, owners representing 74 percent of the space approved the petition submitted by Downtown OKC. About 22 percent, or 19 owners, did not respond to the petition, but seven of those owners indicated verbally they supported the issue, Oshel said.
Only three respondents said no. And the most vociferous of the nay-sayers, James Cotter of Cotter Tower Oklahoma LP, said he supports the development in theory.
"It's not that we're against the improvement itself; it's the nature of the street-level access," said Tammy Radford, speaking on Cotter's behalf. His Chase Building parcel accounts for 2.7 percent of the district's full square footage. "This is the only private property with street-level access, and Mr. Cotter feels the glass box construction being proposed is unattractive.
"Mr. Cotter loves to spend the money to keep his buildings looking nice, but he just does not like the design for that access point by (architect) Rand Elliott. And he's a little upset that he's being forced to adhere to that concept … He would like a design that will complement the historical buildings downtown, and he would be all for it," she said. "This is his property, after all. … That's the only reason he disagrees."
Oshel said any Downtown OKC input on the public works project - paint or carpet color sections, for example - will require a contract with the city. She expects the formation of an advisory board.
by Brian Brus
The Journal Record
12/13/2005
OKLAHOMA CITY - What could be simpler than improving the unattractive Underground tunnel system crisscrossing downtown Oklahoma City? After all, city government officials have expressed support, and city staff is expected to begin working on it after today's City Council meeting.
But a closer look at the 76 property parcels defining the proposed special improvement assessment district reveals the headache that Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.'s Allison Oshel has to deal with: In addition to land owned by Oklahoma City proper, those tunnels also involve privately owned property, utilities, county-owned land leased by the city, and constantly shifting ownership.
"Since we've started the process, we've had significant owner changes - Leadership Square, Oklahoma Tower, Bank of Oklahoma, all have changed hands," she said. "And it's a redo every time a building changes hands because we try to meet every property owner personally to explain the process to them, so when we get a new owner we have to reeducate all over."
City Council today is expected to order the city engineer's office to begin putting together plans, assessment plats, job specifications and cost estimates for the development of a special improvement assessment district for the Underground tunnel system. The full renovation and signage project, with an estimated price tag of $2.1 million, is expected to begin in the summer.
The redevelopment is being overseen by Downtown OKC, the Business District association. The organization was petitioned by its members to renovate the former Conncourse, but because that involved raising additional funds, City Hall was asked to help create a special district, as allowed under state law, which will also allow the use of bonds.
The district's dimensions would run as far north as Northwest Fourth Street, south to the Cox Business Services Convention Center, west to Hudson Avenue, and east to the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad right of way.
The mix of parcels includes the Bank of Oklahoma hallway, for example, which falls within the bank's private property, requiring Downtown OKC to get an easement to allow renovation work. Oshel said the same was needed for 101 Park LLC, which owns the 101 Park Ave. office building.
"And for construction purposes, it's interesting to note that part of 101 Park is actually under public right of way sidewalks and under a public parking lot," she said.
The property records used by City Manager Jim Couch's staff show the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma owns the property doing business above ground as Chick-fil-A. Oshel said that's an example of how quickly details change in the puzzle.
"That property sold since the petition went out," she said. "It was purchased by the partnership of the Gardner Tanenbaum Group … But the new owner signed the petition, too, so we didn't have to do anything special."
Of the 2.45 million square feet of property that comprise the district, owners representing 74 percent of the space approved the petition submitted by Downtown OKC. About 22 percent, or 19 owners, did not respond to the petition, but seven of those owners indicated verbally they supported the issue, Oshel said.
Only three respondents said no. And the most vociferous of the nay-sayers, James Cotter of Cotter Tower Oklahoma LP, said he supports the development in theory.
"It's not that we're against the improvement itself; it's the nature of the street-level access," said Tammy Radford, speaking on Cotter's behalf. His Chase Building parcel accounts for 2.7 percent of the district's full square footage. "This is the only private property with street-level access, and Mr. Cotter feels the glass box construction being proposed is unattractive.
"Mr. Cotter loves to spend the money to keep his buildings looking nice, but he just does not like the design for that access point by (architect) Rand Elliott. And he's a little upset that he's being forced to adhere to that concept … He would like a design that will complement the historical buildings downtown, and he would be all for it," she said. "This is his property, after all. … That's the only reason he disagrees."
Oshel said any Downtown OKC input on the public works project - paint or carpet color sections, for example - will require a contract with the city. She expects the formation of an advisory board.