Tulsa's 26 floor River Spirit Hotel resort

[Chautauqua]

Little Rock has a dam downstream that makes the Arkansas River full. It's awesome for sure, much like Town Lake in Austin. The low water dams will ensure there is more water retained in the river, more of the time, but the reality is that the Keystone Reservoir upstream is what has been dictating how much water is in the river, especially during the day.

For whatever reason, the Corps does their max releases in the middle of the night. SO, the river is full more often when no one can see it.

Last night the River was up an entire foot and a half....at 4:00 am.

[zorobabel]

Looks great to me.

[Plutonic Panda]

Moving earth: Tribe projects River Spirit Casino hotel, Margaritaville will open late in 2016 | The Journal Record

[Plutonic Panda]

Work begins on $329 million Margaritaville casino and hotel - Tulsa World: Homepage3

[HOT ROD]

Lookin good

[warreng88]

Moving earth: Tribe projects River Spirit Casino hotel, Margaritaville will open late in 2016 | The Journal Record

Moving earth: Tribe projects River Spirit Casino hotel, Margaritaville will open late in 2016

By: Kirby Lee Davis The Journal Record November 19, 2014

TULSA – Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos projects a winter 2016 completion for its planned River Spirit Casino hotel and the Margaritaville Casino complex.

“We will have the formal grand opening hopefully before New Year’s Eve 2016,” said Chief Executive Pat Crofts.

Subcontractors under Manhattan Construction pursued two tasks Wednesday afternoon: raising 13 acres of new shoreline out of the Arkansas River channel and extending the canal that will separate the 27-story hotel and casinos from the parking garage.

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation had hoped to start heavy dirt construction a year ago, but the process of obtaining its 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forced a delay.

“Essentially you’re looking at the start of construction here,” Manhattan Project Manager Ryan Haynie said.

That kicks off a 24-month timeline for Manhattan and Redstone Construction to complete 30,000 square feet of convention space; a Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse; Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant, casino, pools and retail complex; the 2,500-plus seat entertainment venue; an extended parking garage; and the 483-room hotel.

“We hope to turn it over in a series of phases,” Haynie said.

All of that will rise from a new shoreline built on 350,000 cubic yards of relocated earth, said Kirby H. Crowe, owner and managing director of the Tulsa consulting firm PMg. That will extend the east bank more than 250 feet into the river from its existing path.

With inflation, Crofts raised the estimated cost of River Spirit’s entire phase two expansion to $365 million. The construction alone accounts for $329 million, he said, with the earthwork begun Wednesday costing $20 million.

Projected operations remain unchanged. Crofts said the Muscogee (Creek) Nation intends to hire 800 to 900 full-time workers for an operation expected to inject $135 million annually into the Tulsa-area economy.

Haynie said the construction would employ another 1,800 workers in its two-year run. That carries a $303.5 million overall impact.

“The economic projections behind this haven’t changed,” Crofts said.

[Dustin]

So they are adding a beach, now you just have to add water.......

[dcsooner]

Here is the reality of the river in that area:

I have always wondered why the city of Tulsa does not seek public funding for dredging and damming the Arkansas river at Tulsa. What an incredible visual and recreational asset the river would be if it were transformed into its full potential. Seems like an incredible waste of natural resources

[Jake]

Bad leadership. That and a populace that doesn't care enough about it.

[Snowman]

I have always wondered why the city of Tulsa does not seek public funding for dredging and damming the Arkansas river at Tulsa. What an incredible visual and recreational asset the river would be if it were transformed into its full potential. Seems like an incredible waste of natural resources

I am not sure what their stumbing blocks have been but there has been various city leaders seeking to do it for years

[kevinpate]

So they are adding a beach, now you just have to add water.......

worked for okc's ditch.

[Urbanized]

Even Wichita has done a better job with the same river and its smaller tributary (though they pronounce them "Are-CAN-sass").

[Bunty]

Republicans in Tulsa are too conservative to raise the needed tax money to redo the Ark. River.

[Urbanized]

Those low water dams on the Arkansas in Wichita are nowhere as elaborate as those on the river here in OKC. They are basically just weirs, and only keep a small amount of water behind them, but enough to make it aesthetically pleasing. They've been there at least since the late 60s (my entire life), and surely wouldn't cost THAT much to do.

OKC's three dams - two with operating locks and all three with automated flood control gates - cost what...$50 million? I'll bet Tulsa could do what Wichita did for far less than half that.

[Swake]

The Arkansas River in Tulsa is far larger than it is in Wichita or the Oklahoma River in OKC. The current estimate is $266 million:

$46 million to repair the existing dam at 31st Street
$106 million for the dam in Sand Springs
$79 million for the dam at 106th Street in south Tulsa/Jenks
$35 million for the dam in Bixby

The city is wanting a spring vote, but these are just estimates, the design work needs to be more complete for more firm costs before a vote is called and that could push the vote past spring.

This won't be a county wide vote again, where it failed last time. It will be an improvement district with just the impacted cities. The last vote passed in Tulsa and Jenks but failed in the rest of the county. The whole project with bank improvements and needed flood levee work looks to be about $300 million.

The federal government has approved $100 million in funding but it's never actually been sent through appropriations. The Creek tribe has said they will devote some money as well. I think you will see private money as well for riverbank improvements.

Cost estimate for Tulsa-area low-water dams goes up by $80 million - Tulsa World: Government

[Urbanized]

That's fine, but I'm guessing those are low-water dams designed to make the waterway navigable, not what I was suggesting simply for aesthetic purposes, and also describe a much broader area AND riverbank modifications. Again, I was taking about a minimal approach.

[ljbab728]

That's fine, but I'm guessing those are low-water dams designed to make the waterway navigable, not what I was suggesting simply for aesthetic purposes, and also describe a much broader area AND riverbank modifications. Again, I was taking about a minimal approach.

I'm guessing that doing that might not qualify for assistance from the US Govt.

[BG918]

That's fine, but I'm guessing those are low-water dams designed to make the waterway navigable, not what I was suggesting simply for aesthetic purposes, and also describe a much broader area AND riverbank modifications. Again, I was taking about a minimal approach.

Navigable in the lakes behind the dams but the proposals I've seen for the Tulsa dams do not have locks to go between the lakes like a couple of the ones in OKC. That would be even more expensive.

[Bellaboo]

Those low water dams on the Arkansas in Wichita are nowhere as elaborate as those on the river here in OKC. They are basically just weirs, and only keep a small amount of water behind them, but enough to make it aesthetically pleasing. They've been there at least since the late 60s (my entire life), and surely wouldn't cost THAT much to do.

OKC's three dams - two with operating locks and all three with automated flood control gates - cost what...$50 million? I'll bet Tulsa could do what Wichita did for far less than half that.

This reminded me of visiting friends in high school in about 1970 in Wichita. The river lake on one of the dams was empty due to being repaired after someone had shot the rubber dam a few times with a .22.

[Swake]

The dams will make the water safe for people in the water and to allow for sediment buildup to be cleared. The current dam has had a number of people die against it. The dams will not have locks. The rivers drop in elevation through Tulsa isn't good for navigation, that's why the port is in Catoosa.

[TU 'cane]

Indeed, there is a problem with the Arkansas River. However, it's not a deep, fast flowing river like in other parts, or compared to other rivers. It's what many label as a prairie river, shallow and wide, prone to flooding.
It's times like these that I wish "The Channels" project would have been successfully launched. A project like that can put a city on any map.

In regard to this development, people can call it tacky, but it's going to be a regional draw for Tulsa, which means $$$.
It'll be a nice place to go for those who enjoy or will enjoy this type of entertainment. Just another thing to add to the list for those asking "what's there to do in Tulsa?" It'll be fine when it's completed. And it's also going up at a time when just a few miles down the road we are seeing one of the largest interactive public parks take shape. Riverside is about to become the place to be.

[Swake]

Ruth's Chris will open a location in the Margaritaville Casino in December.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/r...dda2ea664.html

[Swake]

I've been told the new Casino floor, Ruth's Chris and Jimmy Buffet's all are set to open on July 25th. The hotel will open at the first of the year.

This is the second project to be completed in a billion dollars in river projects happening in Tulsa right now

Flying Tee (Jenks) - $22 million, opened earlier this month
Margaritaville - $365 million opening starting next month, fully open early next year
Thrive Apartments (Jenks by the aquarium) - $13 million Opening summer 2017
The Gathering Place - $350 million, opening in the second half of 2017
The Cosmopolitan Apartments - $35 million by the Bomasada Group, opening late 2017
Simon Premium Outlets in Jenks - $60 million opening in June 2018
Tulsa Children's Museum - $29 million opening in the Gathering Place in 2018
Route 66 Experience Museum at Cyrus Avery Plaza - $20 million, opening in 2018
Tulsa/Jenks low water dam projects, through 2022 - $160 million

Total $1.054 billion in projects on the river.

[TU 'cane]

The hotel tower is gorgeous. Now that it's been topped out, you can see the top of it from various spots around town and the suburbs. At some angles, it appears to loosely group in with Cityplex so it's really neat. Drove around a little but didn't want to take pics with my phone because I thought they'd be of less quality than what I could get another day with a camera.

[Laramie]

Great development on the Arkansas River in Tulsa.


River Spirit Hotel Resort
26-27 floor hotel tower, 483 rooms. Would estimate this building to stand 350-375 feet in height.
http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/10608348_G.jpg