View Full Version : Union Bus station to move...eventually



ptwobjb
04-07-2006, 02:26 PM
I listened to a short presentation by Mr. Tanenbaum (of Gardner-Tanenbaum) last night. The good news was this: they are working to move the Union Bus station. Apparently it is out of code, an eyesore, etc. The plan is to build another site for the Greyhound bus station and then Tanenbaum would buy the old Union bus station and convert it to a restaurant, bar, whatever.
This would be great news for the future of the arts district.

mranderson
04-07-2006, 02:41 PM
The bus station was built to the building code we had during the run of '89. (lol)

Yes. it is a dump. I was when I was a kid in the 60's picking up my Grandmother every summer.

We need a more modern one closer to the majority of the people who would use it. The very low income people.

Midtowner
04-07-2006, 02:43 PM
It's convenient to them though considering its proximity to the shelters and to the city bus hub.

Pete
04-07-2006, 03:50 PM
That's great news. The existing structure is a diamond in the rough and could be really cool as an alternate use.

But it sits at one of the major gateways into downtown and has always been an eyesore.

I would bet the station would be moved to near the new city bus transit center just north of downtown.

John
04-07-2006, 03:59 PM
Love the architecture of the station, but the station itself does need to be located elsewhere.

Maybe a location west of Classen would be a better alternative.

metro
04-07-2006, 04:10 PM
I agree. I love the architecture of the station and would like to see this diamond in the rough turned into alternative use. Perhaps a swanky restaurant or club, or even an art gallery. I hope we don't lose the historical architecture, just the problems that face it.

Patrick
04-07-2006, 04:17 PM
A cool diner with a transportation theme might fit in nicely. The building will need some work though.

jbrown84
04-07-2006, 04:19 PM
Maybe the Santa Fe station could serve as both the Amtrak and the Greyhound station.

John
04-07-2006, 09:31 PM
Maybe the Santa Fe station could serve as both the Amtrak and the Greyhound station.

There isn't enough room next to the track for the buses, and I don't want our visitors at the hotels to have to deal with the bus crowd. ;)

Maybe the bus station can move down by Union Station, that would be a better alternative.

jbrown84
04-07-2006, 10:13 PM
There isn't enough room next to the track for the buses, and I don't want our visitors at the hotels to have to deal with the bus crowd. ;)

Maybe the bus station can move down by Union Station, that would be a better alternative.

That doesn't really make any sense because there's nothing down there. If it were still a passenger station it would be different, but it needs to be somewhat near the "action", so to say.

As far as Santa Fe station, obviously the buses would not go up on the elevated platform with the trains. They would have to park in the parking lot next to the building, but that's no different than how it is now.

But it may be a better idea to put it somewhere near the MetroTransit central hub.

Patrick
04-08-2006, 03:11 PM
Maybe the Santa Fe station could serve as both the Amtrak and the Greyhound station.

I'd rather have those folks further away from Bricktown, not closer to it.

John
04-08-2006, 05:23 PM
I'd rather have those folks further away from Bricktown, not closer to it. Just look at the type of people the bus station attracts.

Maybe put it on the southside somewhere. ;)

OklaCity_75
04-08-2006, 06:51 PM
Why not off of I-40 and Eastern somewhere?

Or better yet.... How about somewhere along the new I-40 route?

Patrick
04-08-2006, 10:04 PM
Could always build it in the Crossroads Mall parking lot. Would fit right in.

floater
04-08-2006, 10:07 PM
Pretty exciting, hopefully it doesn't all happen too far from now. It'd be cool if they turned it into an Art Deco museum or store. Maybe the local AIA chapter could turn it into an AIA bookstore. Or, as we've discussed in the past, turning it into one of those classic diners -- a 24-hour diner there would be very cool. Or a relocated Lunch Box or Abraham's.

BDP
04-10-2006, 10:08 AM
This is good news. I have always felt it would make a great restaurant/bar/diner (I think we have a thread on that somewhere, with some nice brainstorming). The best part is the name attached to it, imo. Tannenbaum seems to like conversion over destruction and he already has an interest in the area. A diner could serve as a great quick eating alternative for arts district visitors as well as a great breakfast joint for CBD workers.

metro
04-10-2006, 12:31 PM
I agree, but Tanenbaum is currently not attached to it. I'm glad he spoke out about the building. But I think he was in a situation where he had to. His Montgomery is right across the street and many of his tenants complain because of the problems the bus station across the street causes. Either way it will bring more recognition to this potential project.

BDP
04-10-2006, 12:48 PM
I guess I read it too optimistically.

ptwobjb
04-10-2006, 02:38 PM
I guess I read it too optimistically.

I think both views are correct. Tanenbaum is definitely looking out for his project. That being said, his solutions always seem to help the city rather than hurt it. I'm sure there are other routes he could have taken. There is no lack of developers that harm the future of this city due to lack of vision or even simple greed. Mostly lack of vision probably.

jbrown84
04-10-2006, 04:18 PM
My teenage sister had a friend who would come up here often from Dallas by herself on the bus and was always really worried about the part of town the bus station was in. She didn't have to leave from a scary part of town in Dallas. Why are we endorsing putting the station in an even worse part of town? Why not try to clean it up and leaving a good impression on the people who can't afford to fly American Eagle every time they come up from Dallas?

Midtowner
04-10-2006, 04:27 PM
There are some buildings just a couple blocks south of the metro transit station that I'd like to see replaced.

jbrown84
04-10-2006, 04:49 PM
There are some buildings just a couple blocks south of the metro transit station that I'd like to see replaced.

I'd settle for that.

HOT ROD
04-10-2006, 05:34 PM
Why not try to clean it up and leaving a good impression on the people who can't afford to fly American Eagle every time they come up from Dallas?

They could take the AMTRAK, isnt it cheaper anyways?? It's certainly higher class IMO.

Urban Pioneer
04-10-2006, 07:59 PM
I don't understand Oklahoma City's mentality. If we want to be a big city we have to build big things. Every organization is working in a different direction with none working together. My father was the transportation superintendent in a medium sized city in Texas. He developed a "grand entrance into the city". It was what he called a "multi-modal" transportation center. This structure combined regular bus, Greyhound Bus, Yellow Cab, the airport/hotel shuttles, the visitors bureau, and was situated next to train track for future light rail. He built something that was looking 30 years into the future and offered a centralized place where anyone no matter their income had the same welcoming experience to the city. And, I can't tell you the cost savings in combining facilities and logistics. If you can make it to that one centralized point you can get to anywhere in the city. We need a center like that where ALL of these companies and services are combined. It should be even forward enough to accommodate modern street cars, light rail, and the future river ferries that are coming to the river.

Instead, Oklahoma City has a transit hub that doesn't connect to any other mode of transportation, a visitors center buried in the remains of the Century Center complex, disconnected yellow cab service, and a poorly maintained Greyhound Station. There has to be a better way that incorporates a significant "gateway" piece of architecture that says "welcome to our city".

John
04-10-2006, 10:30 PM
I think a Walgreens or CVS would be a nice tennant at the bus station. There is adequate parking for a downtown store, and they could incorporate their neon signage into the current sign.

HOT ROD
04-11-2006, 10:26 AM
good idea John. a retail outlet of sorts, definitely needed downtown and sure would be nice to have an Anchor based there (like CVS or Walgreen). Could be the start of a new downtown retail corridor!!!

Id rather see that than a new restaurant or museum, honestly!! We need retail downtown and we need a catalyst - and not that stupid BP!!

Moondog
04-11-2006, 11:58 AM
Some of you are being snobs. Not everyone who rides a Greyhound bus is a bum. Sometimes, people just don't have $400 for a plane ticket. I've taken the bus before and I'm not a heroin addicted alcoholic vagrant with head lice. Please don't group everyone who takes or has taken the bus into one category of humanity.

I do agree, that station should be moved. It's dirty and outdated and it really doesn't fit in with its surroundings.

jbrown84
04-11-2006, 09:53 PM
Some of you are being snobs. Not everyone who rides a Greyhound bus is a bum. Sometimes, people just don't have $400 for a plane ticket. I've taken the bus before and I'm not a heroin addicted alcoholic vagrant with head lice. Please don't group everyone who takes or has taken the bus into one category of humanity.

Thank you!

HOTROD, sure Amtrak is classier, but I'm pretty sure it's a lot more expensive. Why do you think Amtrak is in so much trouble?

SoonerDave
04-11-2006, 10:03 PM
...sure Amtrak is classier, but I'm pretty sure it's a lot more expensive

You've got that right -- one of the biggest, most scandalous wastes of your and my federal tax dollars. If it were a private enterprise, it would have been rightly slammed shut from bankruptcy years ago. People justly scream in righteous indignation over a scandal like Enron, but they overlook the decades of waste and tax dollars that have been poured into Amtrak...

-SoonerDave

hipsterdoofus
04-12-2006, 08:04 AM
The truth is, the bus station isn't in a "Bad" part of town anymore, however, there is somewhat of a cloud over it with the people that hang around there. I personally would not have a problem with the incorporating it with metro transit, or putting it into another nice location, provided that they will put full support behind it, which means, put some security on it, make sure you have good rules in place for the property, so people don't just loiter around the area. Certainly not all people that use the bus station are of this type, so why not do our best to make the bus station comfortable for the everyday person as well?

Midtowner
04-12-2006, 08:28 AM
The biggest problem that I have with the current bus location is that there is no affordable lodging (cheap fleabag motels) in the area. Otherwise, the location couldn't be better -- the homeless shelter is right down the street and the city's bus hub is only a short walk away.

I couldn't think of a better location really.

Urban Pioneer
04-12-2006, 09:30 AM
Yes. You are quite right. Most stations are in the downtown corridor as obviously the people who ride the bus do not have access to a car. They can walk only 4 - 5 blocks and get to the Metro Transit Station and get to most parts of the city. But you are right. There is no affordable lodging in the area.

Regarding the architecture... It is a great example of "Modern" design and should be kept. I keep hearing people talk about how run down it is, but if you look at old photographs, it hasn't changed that much. Are people just upset with the clientèle or the cleanliness? Because if they are talking about the building, it isn't all that different. If they put something else in there, they should try to preserve it a s much as possible.