While stumbling through the newly revamped website, I noticed some observements. #1 they are promoting events in the Arts District on their calendar. I personally have nothing wrong against that.

#2 Under "Retail" they only have listed Bass Pro Shops and "The Painted Door". Why aren't they promoting local "Firefly" who intends on becoming a chain. What about the Indian Gallery or OmniFlag, or The Laughing Fish?

I think the Bricktown Association is a laughing joke more like it. And heck, if they can promote events in the Arts District, why can't they promote the retail Lit Clothing in nearby Deep Deuce?

Good points. I think some are slow to realize how important an up to date and relevant site is. No doubt it could be their best bang for buck promotional tool. And it's better than any other promotional tool becuase everyone that is using it is seeking out that information. Your target comes to you.

I think and I know many agree that the Bricktown Association and Bricktown developers are a joke and their to egotistical to even realize it.

I believe that the site is still under construction. Give them some time before you start throwing stones.

www.bricktownokc.com is worse.

It's been around for years but they only udpate it about once or twice a year.



And the .org site is missing scores of restaurants, so perhaps you have to be a member of their organization to gain a listing.

Yep, that's how it will work. The association is developing the site so it will list their members.

Here is the contact info from the site.. maybe a nicely worded email with the above suggestions might yield some results.


Contact Us:
Frank Sims, Executive Director: bricktownokc@aol.com (bricktownokc@aol.com)

Contact Us At :
115 E. California Ste. 301
Oklahoma City, OK 73101
Phone: (405) 236-8666
Fax: (405) 235-8427

Why are there two different websites for Bricktown?

http://www.bricktownokc.com/
http://www.bricktownokc.org/


And then there's http://www.bricktowninfo.com/ which states they are updating and points to http://www.bricktown.com/ for more information, which redirects to http://www.bricktownokc.com/.

Shouldn't there be one unified website for Bricktown with current/correct information so as not to confuse possible visitors?

If you click on "contact us" section of www.bricktownokc.com, you will see the email is to Brent Brewer at Brewer Entertainment. So apparently the old site is controlled by the Brewer family, and the new one is controlled by the Bricktown Association.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!!

So why can't they combine sites, Kim?
(odds you can't/won't answer: damn high)
;)

Kim, we're all ears?

Because that would mean that BT would have to hold hands and play nice. As you know, there are many "personalities" in BT, each with their own views of the BT world.

I didn't think you diplomatically answer that one. My hat is off to you, miss.

Remind me to buy her a drink.

Bricktownokc.com was launched around ten years
ago before there was basically a BT association (merchant/dues funded)
or DOKC (property owner/bid $ funded) with the only support ($$) of Connect Oklahoma
and Brewer Entertainment. At the time any site was desparetly neededed and this site was better than no site at all with no other entity wanting to do the work and spend the money for develolpment and promotion. To this day there have been no support($) from the current director of the BTA (commission paid) , DOKC, or the merchants since then. Both of which have benefited greatly. The site averages close to 100k hits per month. The reason there is two sites now is that the current BTA director(receiving commision on sales) wants to control a site completely. It is a control issue. Which is fine but why coat tail off of the name recognition and past investment of the bricktownokc name and not just start a bta.org. Esspecially since he has never supported it and has had many oppurtunities to do so. Bricktownokc.com is going to move on regardless. The area and technology have changed since the initial launch and the
bicktownokc site is now under renovation with a new launch in '07 that the merchants and the city will be very proud of.

I always thought BricktownOKC.com was owned by the Oklahoman, since they link to NewsOK.com and all their Bricktown-related articles.

Connect Oklahoma is now Newsok.com. Not the
owners just development and promo partners.

windowphobe, I'll take that drink now! :spin:

Next hes going to start a McDowells and
make a better burger than McDonalds or
has this already been tried. New BTA director
needed.

I would like to see Steve do an article/survey
on nationwide parking prices for certain events (local and national),lunchtime, dinnertime, number of spots,
etc. in similar and non similar downtown destinations.
It would be interesting to compare apples to apples and see where we stand in OKC.

It would also be nice to read an article stating the total amount of bid money received annualy. This total separated by each area and the percentage each area is to the total amount. Then where and what this money is being spent on.

Issues I think people would be interested in.

OKCboy, are you suggesting it's better to have a site controlled by Jim Brewer than by the district association?

I'm just stating the facts. In my opinion the Bricktown Association director doesn't have the ability or resources to operate these types of projects. People talk about conflicting "personalities". The way the BTA director handled this only drives the wedge even deeper. Jim Brewer personally financed and ran
the "association" when no one else would. He raised $50,000 seed money for the MAPS vote. Like it or not, he has been a major influence in what we see today. When hes gone he will be missed. Now that the area is popular he becomes an easy target. Remember he is a mom and pop businessman that has a right to make a return on his investment. He's not a Torchmark, Devon, or Cheasepeake. People should listen to him more, they might learn something about life even if they don't agree with his business. He's came pretty far since dropping out of highschool, living in a chicken coop, and selling papers in capitol hill.

School of hard work......
Blood, sweat, and tears.
Don't teach that at college these days.

OKCboy, you seem to know him. Why is he tearing down old buildings?

Economics. That building was not
leasable in its current state.
A new building with a brick facade
that matches the two adjacent ones
will be built there. Most people don't
realize Bricktown is not a historical preservation
district even though some buildings are on the
historical register.

Steve, thanks for the article. Interesting, but not
apples to apples. No arenas, no ballparks, no arts festivals, no canal. Come on. Tell us what the
other places are charging. I paid $20 to park for a
OU game Sat. and it didn't make the news. Also paid
$20 to park at the city owned courtyard hotel garage
for a Ford Center event recently. Is our city in the parking business? Haven't heard about this either.

The image I see in the mirror is the team of a
brother and sister that sign your paycheck to
provide us the same luxury you see in Ft. Worth.
I haven't read a story about their local investments
yet either.

Boy,

Get the facts right. The City does not own the Courtyard Garage, the Couryard owns it. Yes, COTPA, a City trust, is in the parking business and you will find that none of their garages charge over $6 for evening special events, most are $5.

Kim.

Next time I will take a picture. Have Steve investigate
it and get back with you.

You are right. The city does not own title.
However, they played a big part in the financing/
development with Mr.Hammonds.

COPTA/Urban Renwel/OCPPA/Airport Trust/State Fair Trust/DOKC. All the same thing. Tax payer entities?

My point is that is seems to be OK for the Courtyard, COPTA, City meters/Parking tickets, even the front yard owners in Norman to make a return on parking but the people in Bricktown get beat up for it.

FWIW, seems like the issue isn't that people have to pay to park - that is somewhat normal in urban areas, I guess. It's the price. I've noticed those amounts going up again lately and it seems to be more on the order of raping and pillaging rather than consumer-friendly business. I would think that parking lot owners would be concerned with creating positive impressions for Bricktown visitors, rather than going out of their way to irritate them.

The prices range from $2 to $3 for Lunch
$5 for dinner. $5 to $10 based on type of special
event and how many expected. Proximty factors in as well. Very reasonable compared to national averages.
Even though parking at Wal Mart is "free" we are
really paying for it with every purchase.

The Wal-Mart analogy is a non-starter, but you can rationalize it anyway you want. Bottom line is that some (not all!) parking lot owners in Bricktown are more interested in short-term gains (read: $$$) than long-term viability of the entertainment district. It's these guys' lack of foresight, or sheer indifference that bugs me.

It's not a good sign when the "executive director" of the website has an AOL e-mail address. :LolLolLol

What do you mean? The website says the Executive Director's e-mail address is at bricktownokc.org.

Don't have to like it, but its true. If it weren't for the foresight of those folks this would be a non issue and we would be talking about building an island or something in our river. Everyone has a right to
make a return on their investments. If your selling
burgers or parking spots.

BTA directors email is bricktownokc@aol.com.
Playing off the original site from the the beginning.
Bring some new ideas. Be original. Riding the
coattails for his own personal gain. Pick up
a Key Magazine. He needs the support.

Let me help you. Your analogy doesn't work because Wal-Mart owns the parking lot and can therefore choose whether to mark up prices accordingly. They don't, of course, that's one of the reasons their prices remain low. In the case of Bricktown parking, the merchants DON'T own the majority of the parking, and therefore have no control over a big part of how Bricktown is perceived. Instead, some profiteer is taking advantage of the average Bricktown consumer with no thought to the customer base, the image of the entertainment district, the other merchants, or even the future of his own business. His thoughts are only bent to determine how much will the traffic bear today.

As to your other irrational comment: "Playing off the original site"? Why wouldn't the Bricktown Association want a website called Bricktown?

Get a clue. I don't know why you're so down on Bricktown, especially if you're the clown raping - I mean raking - it in on the parking, but for crying out loud, lighten up already.

Clown? Business expenses are passed
down to to the paying customers wether its the
paving of the parking lots, A/C, or payroll.
Its not the parking operators fault that the
merchants didn't acquire their own parking. I haven't
heard these operators complain about poor sales do to
a restaurant serving bad food and the customers not coming back to
park.

bricktownassociation.org sounds perfect

two questions to think about and then I will
lighten up.

1) If you purchased a home twenty years ago for $10,000
and you sell it now for $100,000 are you raping or considered a profiteer?

2) If you had 2M plus invested in a parking lot,
what would be your business plan?

There's a big difference between making a reasonable profit and price-gouging.

All I'm suggesting is that Bricktown's customers, merchants, and overall image would be better served if the more "agressive" parking lot owners would look long term and be more consumer and Bricktown-friendly.

Point taken. The lots in BT are clean, well lit,
secure, and resonably priced. I wish the paper
would do a piece comparing the prices charged for
parking around the country (capitol cities only)to what we are curently paying. I think this would show
we have it very good here. Along with housing and other costs' of living.