NW 39th Street LGBTQ District

[shawnw]

there are plenty of places where bikes lanes are ignored, mishandled, or considered a menace by drivers. I'm sure you've seen the recent story about concrete barriers recently installed to protect a bike lane due to the number of incidents being removed because too many cars were crashing into them and being damaged. Forget where that was but can look it up...

[Bowser214]

This is long over due but am excited that it's finally happening! Hopefully this will bring more LGBTQ business into the district. A little disappointed in the renovation of the Hotel. To me still looks run down. I thought the new owners were really going to renovate it but looks like they did minimal (maybe they're not finished)

[Pete]

^

I believe they have a lot more work to do on the Habana Inn.

[Pete]

Work well underway on the new streetscape:

[Pete]

[Bowser214]

Great photos! Well this is a good first step! OKC Chamber website promotes all the city's entertainment districts but the 39th Street District. https://www.abetterlifeokc.com/resta...-and-nightlife
That area needs investors to open more restaurant and retail. Dallas's gay district Oak Lawn is a vibrant part of Dallas's culture.

[poe]

I received a copy of the 2021 OKC Visitor's Guide last week. Pages 8 and 9 contain photos where social media users have tagged #SeeOKC and one of the photos is what I assume is a gay couple taken at Plaza Walls. Made me happy to see that they took a step towards showing inclusivity in a guide that is probably picked up by numerous individuals stopping at information centers along the interstates. And I agree; this district really has so much potential. It's only a matter of time before it takes off.

[dtnatt]

There is a new bar going in right across from the Boom! i am not sure the name. does anyone know?

[Pete]

There is a new bar going in right across from the Boom! i am not sure the name. does anyone know?

No building permits have been filed as of yet.

[HOT ROD]

Work well underway on the new streetscape:

The field on the left and the parking on the right are RIPE for a multi-story housing (retail on bottom) development. Perhaps structured parking on the parking lot but I';d like to see housing on both. ...

[shawnw]

I don't think you'll ever see housing with all those bars there. I'd bet the business owners would reject, like they rejected the bike lanes.

[Bowser214]

First off I know Dallas is a lot bigger than OKC but two residential towers are being built in the gay district of Dallas know as Oak Lawn. I don't think the bar owners mind.

[shawnw]

To be clear, I'm not saying we can't have residential in the gay district. I think it'd be great.

I figured folks living there might get tired of the noise at times, but maybe the way it's built could help with that.

Regarding the owners... I wasn't there, but what I've heard about how they reacted to the bike lanes makes me think they'd be mostly in opposition of any resident demands for the area (for example I could see those folks pushing for bike lanes).

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

I believe this year's Pride Celebration along "The Strip" is in October, the street scape will be a nice improvement.
* There is also a Pride Celebration at Scissortail Park in late June.

[Pete]

^

The Scissortail Park thing was an attempted highjack by a splitter group.

If it's still happening (and not sure it is) I'm not sure they can use the Pride name.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

^

The Scissortail Park thing was an attempted highjack by a splitter group.

If it's still happening (and not sure it is) I'm not sure they can use the Pride name.

Correct. Making it difficult for some organization/groups to participate in both due to the cost. Having to factor in the price of the festival and the parade, twice, will be a challenge

[shawnw]

I was under the impression it was a lot more complicated than that.

And the thing at scissortail is still on, they announced their headliner (Grayson Chance (sp?)) the other day.

[Timshel]

^

The Scissortail Park thing was an attempted highjack by a splitter group.

If it's still happening (and not sure it is) I'm not sure they can use the Pride name.

Yeah this is an incomplete (and one might very fairly say unfair and incorrect) summary. It’s very much still happening and given it’s being organized by the same group that organized the 2019 Pride (which it should be said I’m not affiliated with in any way), which was easily the most successful pride parade in Okc history - I think there’s little reason to doubt 2021 PrideFest will be a huge success. Going to be a great family-friendly event and a great time to be downtown between it and the Art’s Festival and I look forward to celebrating the ENTIRE 2SLGBTQIA+ community,

Also, this article provides some context as to why a “Splitter Group” “hijacked” pride. (Not trying to be too snarky, Pete, but there’s a lot more history to what all went down, including the previous group’s President being charged with embezzling funds from the organization.)

https://nondoc.com/2019/06/18/okc-pride-week-kicks-off/

[Pete]

^

That is one side of the story.

If people want to read the other side, there is an ongoing case in Oklahoma County. It includes a court order declaring the Scissortail group was unlawful in attempting to dissolve then reclaim OKC Pride Inc.; was also unlawful in transferring its assets and has been ordered to return them; and have been restrained from using the term "OKC Pride":

https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCase...5&cmid=3935173


And a Free Press OKC article:

https://freepressokc.com/pride-vs-pr...or-court-duel/

[Timshel]

I don’t think I really presented a side at all, merely that “ The Scissortail Park thing was an attempted highjack by a splitter group.” was an incomplete (and some might say unfair) summary of the facts (which you point to in your second post on the issue - and there is a lot of disagreement as to what all has happened, which will get figured out one way or another) and that PrideFest (notice I didn’t say OKC Pride) is happening and I look forward to it being a great success, just as the 2019 Pride was a great success. .

I’m sure you know more than you’re letting on and have an opinion based on (I’m guessing, based on absolutely no knowledge - but hey - it’s a message board in 2021 - that’s what people do) what you have heard from some of the relevant parties involved just the same as me. (And I’d say saying someone being charged with embezzlement isn’t arguing a side but rather a statement of fact.) You of course can move my posts to the Scissortail Park thread if thats a more appropriate place.

But at the end of the day, I just came to say in response to your original post, in which you said you weren’t sure if it was happening, that PrideFest is currently scheduled for the same weekend as the Arts Fest at a scissortail and folks should come on down (or up, or over, depending on where you’re located), as it will be a great family friendly time!

[Pete]

^

A court has ruled that the Scissortail Park group had unlawfully attempted to dissolve OKC Pride Inc. while also unlawfully taking assets and unlawfully using the OKC Pride name in all the press releases for the downtown event. The event may be called something different now, but only due to a court order.

So, there may still be an event happening at Scissortail but my characterization was not "inaccurate" based on facts already decided in a court of law.

[David]

The field on the left and the parking on the right are RIPE for a multi-story housing (retail on bottom) development. Perhaps structured parking on the parking lot but I';d like to see housing on both. ...

That seems like a fantastic idea.

[Bowser214]

Totally agree a development like that would be what that area needs to bring into a destination live work play district.

[Timshel]

Sitting here looking at the order, and that's not exactly what it says, but even if we agree that it does....still doesn't necessarily make anything a "highjacking," which implies a negative intent that may or may not be the case (failing to follow corporate formalities can be "unlawful" without being a "highjacking" and can happen for a multitude of reasons). But I look forward to both of the events hopefully being successful....I'm sure they'll each have their own vibe and who's to say OKC can't have two great pride events.

But back to the more relevant issue at hand, while it'd be great to see some larger scale development on 39th, starting with even just a couple of high quality restaurants and some placemaking/parklets/better infrastructure/trees (hopefully the streetscape project will go a long way in this regard) would do a lot to make it more than a "club district" that people would want to go to during all hours of the day.

[Anonymous.]

The district needs a wealthy philanthropist. The streetscape being improved is nice, will it include actual street re-surfacing?