Mysterious 22k capacity "multi-use" sports complex at Tulsa Landing

USRufnex · Oct 5, 2007

Okay, sleepy-heads... wake up. Yeah, I know it's probably wishful thinking combined with a cheap ploy to "vote yes" by the folks pushing the River Tax which comes up for a vote next Tuesday, but this is some really odd news...

Developers to Unveil Tulsa Landing Concept
Tulsa Business Staff
10/3/2007

Branson Landing developers at 3 p.m. Wednesday will announce the construction of a 22,000-seat baseball stadium on the Arkansas River as part of a $500-million mixed-use complex.

The construction will hinge on Tulsa County voters approving the sales tax on Oct. 9, said Rick Huffman, CEO of Branson, Mo.-based HCW Inc. Huffman will discuss the project and explain why he expects the Tulsa Landing concept will be a proven model in terms of job growth, sales taxes and property taxes.

"We have been working with the city and county," he said. "Our company will invest private equity into the project to build a multi-use center."

The baseball stadium will be large enough to house a AAA franchise, which requires seating capacity between 20,000 and 22,000, Huffman said.

The "Tulsa Landing" concept will also include lighting and fountains and a "major cultural attraction" or museum, Huffman said.

"Passage of the vote is necessary for land acquisition," Huffman said Wednesday morning.

If the voters defeat the sales tax proposal, county officials would have to "decide whether to move forward," he said.

"A lot depends on the vote," Huffman said.

If the voters approve the 0.4-cent tax, the county would issue a request for proposals for construction along the west bank of the Arkansas River between 11th and 21st streets.

Ownership of the property would be decided at a later date, he said. "Once the tax has been approved, then the project goes to developers like us. We have not figured out land ownership yet."
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Sorry guys, but AAA baseball doesn't require its new stadiums to have a "seating capacity between 20,000 and 22,000".......... now wait, isn't there a sports league that likes having these kinds of stadiums????

Hmmmmmm....

USRufnex · Oct 5, 2007

And the plot thickens....

Missouri developer offers river proposal
By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
10/4/2007
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071004_1_A1_spanc48853

Missouri businessman on Wednesday pitched his plan for a private development project along the Arkansas River but said it would likely never become a reality without voter approval of a $282 million sales-tax increase to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Rick Huffman, chief executive officer of HCW Development Co. LLC, unveiled Tulsa Landing at a news conference held at River West Festival Park.

"Our company is convinced that this piece of land with that backdrop and that river can bring a lot of people to downtown Tulsa and create a huge economic generator," Huffman said.

Tulsa Landing would include more than 700,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and residential space.

A museum, or some other cultural center, a multiuse sports complex and an amphitheater are also planned.

The development would be built on the west bank of the Arkansas River between the 11th Street and 21st Street bridges.

Tulsa County voters will decide Tuesday whether to increase the county sales tax 0.4 percent over seven years to implement parts of the Arkansas River Corridor Master Plan.

The funds would pay for low-water dams in Sand Springs and Jenks, land acquisition, site development and other projects to create a steady flow of water and to spur private development along the river.

Huffman said his company would be hard pressed to get the Tulsa Landing project off the ground without the public investment.

"It will be, I think, pretty difficult to do . . .," he said. "We need public assistance in the infrastructure."

County Commissioner Randi Miller said the proposal is a good example of what will happen in terms of private development should the river tax be approved.

"This is real," she said.

City Councilor Rick Westcott also praised the Tulsa Landing concept.

This type of project "is the economic development engine that makes the river development plan make sense," he said.

Westcott, Miller and Huffman all stressed that for now Tulsa Landing is just a proposal. Should the river tax be approved, a nine-member authority would be charged with seeking requests for proposals for private development along the river.

HCW Development, which built Branson Landing in Branson, Mo., would then be free to present its proposal.

"Then it will be up to the citizens to decide which proposal they like best," Huffman said.

River Parks Executive Director Matt Meyer said before the news conference that it was important for public space to be a part of any private development along the river.

Organizations such as River Parks "need a seat at the table when the planning gets under way," he said.

An architect who worked on the proposal, Bruce K. Adib-Yazdi of Butler Rosenbury & Partners of Springfield, Mo., estimated that the plan includes three to four acres of open space.

Huffman said during the news conference that the details of the public space have not been worked out, but insisted that it's "important to keep the citizens coming down here to where there are public spaces."

He said the proposal calls for enhancing the trail system with new lights and other amenities and construction of a state-of-the-art amphitheater to replace the one currently at River West Festival Park.

The multiuse sports complex would be built at the present site of the city Public Works Department facility at 23rd Street and Jackson Ave.

It is not intended to be the home of a minor league baseball team, Huffman said.

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Tulsa Landing

A Missouri company on Wednesday laid out details of its development plan for the west bank of the Arkansas River.

The developer, HCW Development Co. LLC of Branson, Mo., has no claim to the land.

The company, however, has said it will submit its proposal for consideration should the land become available as part of the $282 million Arkansas River development plan.

Here are the highlights:
Location: West bank of the Arkansas River beginning south of the Westport Apartments down to and including the present site of the city’s Public Works Department’s building at 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue.

Private investment: at least $500 million

Construction time: about 24 months after work begins

Projects: More than 700,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space; 90 to 100 condos; three to four acres of open space; amphitheater; multiuse sports complex; 4-star hotel; museum or cultural events center

Job creation: 2,000-plus

Source: HCW Development Co. LLC
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from 10/3 Tulsa Business article: "The baseball stadium will be large enough to house a AAA franchise, which requires seating capacity between 20,000 and 22,000, Huffman said.

from 10/5 Tulsa World article: "It is not intended to be the home of a minor league baseball team, Huffman said."

REALLY, Mr. Huffman???

Lucy, you got some splainin to do!?!

Hed7181 · Oct 6, 2007

That sounds about par for the course when it comes to local government and development proposals. They'll say one thing one week and then come out with some comments completely different the next. Of course, these are the comments of the developers so who knows.

It does sound promising. Even if the new stadium isn't directly tied to a bid for MLS, it definitely sets the stage for a later opportunity.

midwestsurfer · Oct 8, 2007

Ah. Well. Hope lives?

USRufnex · Oct 8, 2007

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/1007/460761.html

there's a picture in the link that looks like the 20k stadium... ooh, pretty pictures... looks like a ballpark, but the Tulsa World says it's not for a minor league ballclub and the Drillers want a ballpark that's 7k to 8k, not this... or maybe this is just a last second not-so cheap ploy to get people to vote yes... we'll know Tuesday night...

USRufnex · Oct 9, 2007

River Tax goes down to defeat 52% to 48%.

Sachsen · Oct 9, 2007

"How can you do a thing like this? Build up a little boy's hopes and smash all his dreams to pieces? You're an inhuman monster!"

midwestsurfer · Oct 9, 2007

From what I heard, they city already re-apropriated all the Vision 2025 money they had set aside for River Improvements.

Having been back in Tulsa for buisness recently, before they build on the River, they need to fix the damn roads. I thought Hawaii was bad, but Tulsa is ridiculous.

Hed7181 · Oct 12, 2007

midwestsurfer said: ↑

From what I heard, they city already re-apropriated all the Vision 2025 money they had set aside for River Improvements.

Having been back in Tulsa for buisness recently, before they build on the River, they need to fix the damn roads. I thought Hawaii was bad, but Tulsa is ridiculous.
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QFT. The roads in Oklahoma in general are among the nation's worst.

TheRightHandofDoom · Oct 17, 2007

USRufnex said: ↑

River Tax goes down to defeat 52% to 48%.
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Imagine that. And I thought Del City/Midwest City were the only towns that habitually voted down public infrastructure improvements so that no one would move there.

Sachsen said: ↑

"How can you do a thing like this? Build up a little boy's hopes and smash all his dreams to pieces? You're an inhuman monster!"
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Did you really expect it to pass?

midwestsurfer said: ↑

From what I heard, they city already re-apropriated all the Vision 2025 money they had set aside for River Improvements.

Having been back in Tulsa for buisness recently, before they build on the River, they need to fix the damn roads. I thought Hawaii was bad, but Tulsa is ridiculous.
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I'll bet you they didn't re-appropriate it for roads.

Hed7181 said: ↑

QFT. The roads in Oklahoma in general are among the nation's worst.
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Actually, not so much, at least from the standpoint of state/federal highways and most county level/urban arterials. Local collectors/suburban streets have not fared as well due to a lack of ongoing maintenance (Tulsa, MWC/DC, Etc), poor construction standards during the rapid suburbanization of the mid-70's, early 80's, and Oklahoma's unstable soils.