Tulsa Drillers moving to Jenks (Broken Arrow, Edmond: sales, city hall, amusement park)

[happytown]

Fans React To Possible Drillers Move
KOTV - 8/21/2007 8:35 PM - Updated 8/22/2007 7:18 AM


While mayors and developers are talking the dollars and cents of a proposed Drillers move, fans are sounding off on which location they would prefer.
Moderator cut: copyrights

[MrsSteel]

Ridiculous. Absolutely. Would they change their name to the "Jenks Drillers" as well? What's next? The Broken Arrow Opera? Sand Springs Ballet? What other Tulsa treasures will be given away to the suburbs?

[happytown]

Tulsa stand up against mary fallin or whatever major is in charge now.....she is a complete mess and needs to thrown out of office.





1. 8/20/2007 6:37:52 PM, Doc Smarba, BA
Well, maybe now the city of Tulsa can finally move it's focus to streets and crime.


2. 8/20/2007 7:02:41 PM, bulldog, OKC
So there are 2 competing river projects now? I admit, it seems the private sector could do this without hundreds of million in public money.

Tulsa losing the Drillers? Talk about being hollowed out. I came to D-fest, and that was the most lively thing I've been to in downtown Tulsa. You all have some interesting things happening.


Whats the sales tax rate currently?



3. 8/20/2007 7:29:32 PM, ak,
This is sad. The city councilors need to get their selfish acts together and get a deal done w/ the drillers in downtown.


4. 8/20/2007 7:29:45 PM, Matt, Tulsa
Well, after I graduate from TU the only time I will return to my hometown of Tulsa is when I am visiting my Alma Mater. Congrats Tulsa, you just lost another (soon-to-be) young professional.


5. 8/20/2007 8:45:55 PM, John,
Well, I don't blame the Drillers for thinking about leaving. I would rather go to some place with good streets, low crime rate, mowed grass and city leadership who cares about their city. Congratulations Mayor Taylor.


6. 8/20/2007 8:48:38 PM, Paul Tay, Tulsa, OK
Good grief, Gunny. Hey, look at it this way. The Fairgrounds would make great parking lot! Don't sweat it, my man.


7. 8/20/2007 9:01:20 PM, paperboy, tulsa
How is this a bad thing??? Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby etc... are part of this community. We don't have 15 foot walls dividing each other. We live,work and play in all of them. One BIG reason this development is going in Jenks is they have the open land available. Show me in Tulsa, along the river where we have 300 acres to develop? Tulsa is NOT going to hell because of this. Lets be thankful people still see good thing for this area.


8. 8/20/2007 9:10:33 PM, Cherry, Tulsa
First, Bells and now Drillers. Who's next...Big Splash? I don't hear anyone talking about moving the horse track! What is really going on with this city? I don't care because I'm out of here as soon as possible. We don't have a voice here and don't tell me we do. I am a voter and I haven't seen a change for the good yet. Good luck Mayor!!!!!


9. 8/20/2007 9:19:52 PM, Ernie Sheets,
NASCAR at the Fairgrounds.


10. 8/20/2007 9:25:40 PM, Andy, Tulsa
I have never felt so affronted in my life. 100 + years of loyal baseball patronage and history and the Drillers would just abandon Tulsa at the drop of a developer's hat? They have fine attendance, on par with the attendances of other AA affiliates, so I don't see the pressing need to switch cities. I don't think I could ever go to a game at the...Jenks Drillers, oh man I just threw up a little in mouth.


11. 8/20/2007 9:45:29 PM, Bryan, Broken Arrow
The County and city ran off Bells, Why not run off the Drillers and Big Splash?? We need more BARNS for the farm animals at the fairgrounds !! Why not just go ahead and move the Fairgrounds to Jenks?? The Mayor is too involved with building a island and wanting us to pay for it(NOT!!)! The best streets in Tulsa are where the PGA was!! Let's fix those streets first and take care of crime and the rest of the roads last!!! Move the Drillers !!! I would rather go to Jenks to see a game!!!!!!! Move Big Splash to Broken Arrow..the waters better and the city would be more likely to take care of the park better!!!


12. 8/20/2007 9:52:05 PM, Tulsan ,
I hope it all fairs well. My daughter and I were just commenting on how sad it is to drive past what used to be Bell's Amusement Park since I was a little girl 35 years ago and there is really nothing to do in this town. After I graduate from school we are leaving. The education is really bad in many (not all) of the public schools, which is why she attends private school. My husband and I can't find a job in the field of higher education to save our lives and keep us out of poverty. Even if things make a turn for the better for Tulsa in the future we won't be here to enjoy it. Do the Drillers even draw a crowd? I haven't been to a game since I was in high school twenty years ago. I love the idea of the Riverwalk development. We are so slow in this town. Good luck Tulsa! The prospect of money is calling the developers in Jenks.


13. 8/20/2007 10:08:33 PM, rc, Tulsa
I for one, will NOT go to Jenks for a ballgame. If I wanted to live out there, I would have. I live in Tulsa. The current location is convenient in the center of Tulsa. Why spend all that money when you are successful where you are located? They removed Bells, now the ballpark? What is next? Will there be anything left or will Tulsa just die? I hope it falls flat on its' face in Jenks and ends up in bankruptcy. There is nothing wrong with the ballpark now. I hope everyone in Tulsa boycotts the new stadium. They could build a new one where Bell's was at! Tulsa is being "sold" out one piece at a time.


14. 8/20/2007 10:46:11 PM, D.R. Bowers, Tulsa
Attention: Will the Last Attraction Leaving Town Please Turn Off the Lights. We Can't Even Pay the Bills Now.


15. 8/20/2007 11:25:43 PM, Tim, Tulsa
NASCAR,get real !!


16. 8/20/2007 11:26:08 PM, Jon Shaffer,
All you are going to get by building Jenks up even more is a traffic jam. The local roads can't handle the traffic now. Adding a ballpark west of the river is out of the question, and East of the river not much better. In case you haven't noticed, baseball left Tulsa with Warren Spann.


17. 8/20/2007 11:33:18 PM, Mark, Tulsa
Good grief guys. They will still be the Tulsa Drillers. They are on Tulsa county property now, and they still will be on Tulsa county property if they go to Jenks. The Jenks location will be a safer and more convenient place than it is now. South is where the money is, and I am willing to bet most who attended the games come from south Tulsa.

And why would you wish for something here to fail, rc? The current park is very outdated, and is in a bad location. Parking is bad, and traffic is even worse. Even if they wanted to built it at Bells, all the people who live on that side of the fair grounds would revolt from the traffic and noise.



18. 8/20/2007 11:48:41 PM, ryan, tulsa
I can't fault Jenks for doing what Tulsa was too inept to do. Tulsa talks, Jenks acts. That's the difference. We have a bunch of clowns running tulsa city council. I doubt Tulsa will ever have real river development or a nice downtown. Meanwhile, scrappy little Jenks is well on its way. There's a lesson there for Tulsa.


19. 8/21/2007 12:24:45 AM, bulldog, OKC
this jenks proposal is likely to derail the tulsa river development plan.

plus, didn't you tulsans just tax yourselves up to the ears with the boeing subsidy? how's that working out for you?





20. 8/21/2007 12:45:26 AM, Mar, Tulsa
If the Tulsa Drillers moves to Jenks, I won't be attending any more games. I too am wondering what is going on with the fairgrounds area. First Bells and now maybe Driller's Stadium. I keep thinking I'll drive down 21st Street one day and the Oil Driller Man will be gone. As for little Jenks, where is all the money coming from to build all the river area? That little town can't have that much money. Something needs to be done in Tulsa. I think it's getting close to where the Tulsa Citizens may have to have an uprising, revolt to get the attention of the mayor, city council and county commissioners. The Tulsa citizens don't seem to matter to those select groups, they just do what they want regardless what we citizens want.

By the way, when is the next mayor, city council and county commission elections? It's time to clean house.



21. 8/21/2007 12:53:10 AM, Joe, Tulsa
I won't be attending any more Drillers games if they move to Jenks. Tulsa has supported the Drillers for 100-odd years. Now Tulsa needs the Drillers to move downtown to help revitalize the area and give out of towners something to visit. Nobody travels to visit some suburban strip mall. The Drillers have let their city down. Enjoy the view of the parking lots and chain stores in your new sprawlpark.


22. 8/21/2007 1:58:21 AM, Jerry, Sand Springs
OKC Bulldog - the sales tax rate in Tulsa is 8.517, which means on my weekend purchase of $351.14 in groceries, $29.91 in tax was added. With all the taxes added to utilities, cable, cells and home phones, Tulsa should have enough revenue to at least repair the crappy streets.

As far as the Drillers considering a move, on the news at 10 PM, the sports segment showed video of the crowd, or lack of it in the stands of Driller park. Apparently some believe moving the ballpark to Jenks, downtown or elsewhere will increase the numbers, but who knows - I sure don't, and have only driven into Tulsa twice for games this year, and more for the fireworks after than the game.


The county commission's mistreatment of Bells, which was my summer job during high school, and by doing so throwing away several hundred thousand dollars a year in revenues from Bells, just shows how stupid and corrupt Randi Miller really is. Now without any competition from Bells, Jerry Murphy's carnival will reap the financial benefits, cash he can spread around to politician like Miller, Bob Dick and Wilbert Collins. Although Dick retired and Collins got the voter's boot, you can bet Murphy is now working on the newbies, Commissioners Fred Perry and Smaligo. One doesn't get and retain a no-bid midway contract for 37-years, and the sweet deal at Big Splash without padding some politico's pockets! Bells had proposed building their own water park but were turned down by the crooks on the county commission, but they sure didn't turn Murphy down less than a year later?


The revenue paid by the Drillers to the fairgrounds is chump change by comparison, but maybe they are just growing tired of backroom politics and are looking for a clean start somewhere else. We could hardly blame the Driller owner for wanting to get the he** away from the crooks who have kept a stranglehold on the fairgrounds for many, many years!


In that I still feel strong allegiance to the Bells, our family, all eight of us, will this year hit the turnpike to attend the Oklahoma State Fair which starts a couple of weeks before Tulsa's fair, since they will have more rides than Tulsa, which are newer, clean and safe. We spent close to $500 at last year's TSF, but more than likely never again!



23. 8/21/2007 5:50:22 AM, Tony Sehic,
Well, at least we still have that Arabian Horse Show thing. That's what's important, isn't it? Not these penny-ante little attractions like Bell's and the Drillers.


24. 8/21/2007 6:45:57 AM, Tulsan,
I won't go to Jenks for a ballgame the same way I won't go there to eat or shop. We have restaurants and shopping in Tulsa, and I can live without baseball. I won't spend my money in the 'burbs unless I have to.


25. 8/21/2007 7:29:05 AM, E T, tulsa
AND they're doing it without begging the citizens for a tax increase. too bad tulsa doesn't have leadership and YOUNG PROFESSIONALS smart enough to do that.


26. 8/21/2007 7:31:45 AM, me, tulsa,
The REAL point is "JENKS - A group of local entrepreneurs has unveiled plans for $1 billion development." A BILLION $$$$...
If THE River Development in Tulsa is such a great idea why hasn't "A group of local entrepreneurs" backed this project 100%? What's wrong with this picture city leaders???

[happytown]

27. 8/21/2007 7:38:08 AM, JW,
How can we vote to tax ourselves when developers in both Jenks and Bixby are creating their own river projects? I think we need to put forth an alternative vote, punish the county commissioners if they don't carry out the promises of V2025 and build the dams with that money.


28. 8/21/2007 8:39:44 AM, EMT, tulsa
E T, do you live in Jenks? Then dont assume those living there arent paying a tax increase in one form or another.


29. 8/21/2007 8:49:03 AM, No, Sir
Good for Jenks. I hope this shows Tulsa County voters that it shouldn't take their tax dollars to fund river developement. If Tulsa really wants to keep Bells, Drillers and perhaps draw other large outdoor attractions, NOW is the time to pick a blank spot on 75 between I-44 and Jenks. There they would have the initial push of Jenks' growth and highway access and plenty of space and everything they would need to make a successful "Expo Square". Don't you think the State Fair would be more enjoyable if there was plenty of parking and you didn't have to sit in traffic on residential streets to get there? Anyway, off the subject. GREAT NEWS! Lets get this river thing off our plate and get our leaders focused on what counts.


30. 8/21/2007 9:09:31 AM, LP, Tulsa
What you don't see is, the Drillers will do even better than where it is. The new future is Jenks. Tulsa has let itself drown in selfish feeding of the machine and nothing has happened substantially in years. More power to Jenks. They are getting my tax dollars. Just last weekend, I took a young lady from out of town to the Riverwalk. At first she thought it was some kind of mall. We made our way through the middle entrance and she was shocked by the beauty on the other side. I guess I could have taken her down on 21st st bridge and shown her a low water damn. Tulsa needs this as well but I don't see it happening from the rocking chair clan. This is a stab in the back and Jenks is twisting.


31. 8/21/2007 9:14:41 AM, J.C., Tulsa
This shows what an active city council can get done when they are not trying to run all development out of town while trying to raise more taxes for so called development. This should be a lesson for those in power in Tulsa, and a wake up call to it's citizens. If the Tulsa city council and Tulsa county commisioners need help figuring out how to promote growth all they need to do is look to the leaders of thier much smaller sister out south. Good job Jenks.


32. 8/21/2007 9:23:40 AM, Floyd,
Disgusting.


33. 8/21/2007 9:27:51 AM, Floyd,
This is a joke. Talk about short-sighted.

Idiots.



34. 8/21/2007 9:52:21 AM, WilliamTheArtist, Tulsa
Demographics....Thats why 1billion dollars worth of developments is possibly headed to Jenks and not Tulsa. Lots of young couples with kids who spend money. A fast growing area of the county with several fast growing suburbs near it. Also a large swath of available land right near the river, that Tulsa does not have. It has easy access to highways. Most everything around this new development will be shiny and new, no "remediation of cement factories, backing up to poor neighborhoods, dealing with various land owners to get enough property to do a large development etc, a slow to no growth are, a lot of poor people, being near a vacant downtown, etc." like any development on the West Bank in Tulsa will have to contend with. You cant build just anywhere along the river in Tulsa. There are only a few spots really available. That area in Jenks is probably the best location in the County. And I bet the Drillers will be well supported there.


35. 8/21/2007 10:35:18 AM, D.R. Bowers, Tulsa
Well this just goes to show you how Incompetent our KIDDIES in the Big Playpen we call the City Council really are. While they were Diddling Themselves and trying to raise taxes the Little Town of Jenks America snuck up and stole the river idea. Now with Jenks getting a BILLION Dollars $$$ in Private Funds to build this river thing there is no reason for Tulsa to even have a River Tax Vote. If any of the Big Money Investors wanted to invest here they would have done it. Or maybe it's because our 'Lil Council Piggies feeding at the Tax Payers Trough didn't even ask for their support. After all they were very, very busy with the Big Move at city hall, running Bells out of Town and Not Mowing/Fixing the Streets to do any homework. Just throw another Tax on the Fire. We the People won't mind paying another sales tax for our Burgers & Dogs on the grill. They already snagged the Aquarium. And if that wasn't good enough, they have a Letter of Intent to Steal our Ball Team!!!
THIS TOWN NEEDS AN ENEMA!!!

IMPEACH/RECALL RANDI MILLER!!!



36. 8/21/2007 10:56:57 AM, LP, Tulsa
Just a thought but I would think it's all about whos toes they are worried about stepping on. Old money rules Tulsa and is being the death of it. They rule the development and if it's not money in their pocket it's a tough deal to sell. Jenks on the other hand is about growth and they have seen that for years obviously. Pretty shiny things bring people out. The Jenks pain train is running over Tulsa. I'm sure the next development will be a rail line from OKC to Jenks? Why go to downtown Tulsa? I want royalties on that idea.


37. 8/21/2007 10:58:02 AM, LP, Tulsa
In fact, Bricktown to RiverWalk. All day party between locations. woooot


38. 8/21/2007 11:18:38 AM, Haskell Cherry, Hooterville
I just wonder if maybe former Mayor MisFortune's Sanctuary City Policies that turned everything north of 21st. ST. into "Los Tulsa" has anything to do with it??? Maybe the Bush Administrations Promise of "Amnesty & Jobs" and Corporate Right Wing (Cheap Labor) Republicans gerrymandering has turned Bells Amusement Park, Drillers Stadium, Expo Square and the American Dream into the South American Nightmare??? And that is why all of the investors are going else where.


39. 8/21/2007 11:26:58 AM, Blah, Tulsa
Whomever made the comment about the "old money" in Tulsa is dead on. My husband and I are about 2 weeks from leaving Tulsa. We decided that the horrible jobs, crummy schools and poor standard of living just aren't going to cut it for us. We're looking forward to moving to a metropolitan area with real jobs, real opportunity, far better schools and roads that don't cause damage to our cars. Jenks is doing what the twits in Tulsa have refused to do - giving its people what they want. Jenks has managed to actually MANAGE their tax dollars. I'm not sure what the city of Tulsa has managed to do, but V2025 is the biggest load of b.s. This town has zero going for it and it's getting worse with each passing year. I refused to raise my son here, that's how bad it's gotten. Until the city leaders begin fixing the actual infrastructure and do away with their pet projects and the citizens of this city finally decide that the status quo is not going to work, this place will continue to tank. I already call it "Little Detroit", and sadly, it's not that far off.


40. 8/21/2007 4:25:53 PM, Newcomer, Downtown Tulsa
I'm a newcomer to Tulsa and absolutely love it. I come from the East Coast and would never go back there. I've lived in 12 places all over the world, and Tulsa is absolutely, unequivocally the best! You guys don't know how good you've got it. So, please don't spoil this beautiful, historic city by moving everything to the 'burbs. I'll cheerfully pay my fair share of taxes to ensure that Tulsa doesn't die as an urban gem.


41. 8/21/2007 4:33:27 PM, jim, Jenks
Have you been downtown?


42. 8/21/2007 6:58:42 PM, Newcomer, Downtown Tulsa
I LIVE downtown!


43. 8/21/2007 9:19:11 PM, okgeek, Broken Arrow
Ha, Jenks has got it right. Private money that's the ticket. Tulsa could do the same, if the River idea in Tulsa is such a good plan then why aren't private investors jumping at it?


44. 8/21/2007 10:52:07 PM, ., .
41. 8/21/2007 10:08:19 PM, wtf, .
If anybody thinks that a BASEBALL stadium will increase property values - think again. Did driller stadium increase property values around the area it is in now? Doubt it. Think of any sports arena and what's around it. If people from Jinx think that is a good idea then they better do a little more research. If people aren't going to go to the current driller stadium then why would they drive 15 miles to go to another one. Good grief - baseball is GIVING tickets away and they can't get a crowd there.



42. 8/21/2007 10:09:56 PM, dd, Jenks

baseball is boring.



43. 8/21/2007 10:15:17 PM, Tom, Jenks

What attracted people to Jenks will no longer exist. The small town atmosphere of Main Street is already starting to disappear. It will be just another crowded hot urban sprawl. I can't for the life of me figure out why people think that bigger is better. If they want bigger crowded and more polluted and stressful urban sprawl move to Plano!!



44. 8/21/2007 10:18:47 PM, t.r.,

I find it hard to believe that some group of developers plans to spend $1 billion with a B. What bank/banks will underwrite that? There's too much at risk. Didn't Riverwalk go bankrupt a while back? The economy is on the brink and consumers have maxed out their credit cards. It doesn't cost much for developers to print some color renderings and assign a price tag to their pie in the sky ideas. The controversial Drillers element was thrown in for shinanigans. It worked. The media took it hook, line and sinker. Bottom line - if these projects ever do come about we'll all have one foot in the grave. Let's work on the little things and enjoy where we live as much as we can now.



45. 8/21/2007 10:25:56 PM, concerned citizen, .

i would take anything a developer says with a grain of salt!!!!



46. 8/21/2007 10:33:38 PM, Russell, Tulsa

South Tulsans and Jenks residents along the River - beware - you already have the unsightly Casinos anchoring your area along the river now you are going to have possibly have this on the opposite side? We are getting sandwiched by the worst kind of development that could negatively affect our property values, overcrowd our communities on both sides of the river (thank goodness it's on the Jenks side!!) and just attract more riff raff and garbage. It's very annoying to see the drunks leave the casinos and fly down riverside to get on the creek turnpike and go back to whatever it is they live in at that other town they are from. Now we are going to have a buncha drunk baseball hooligans doing the same thing around town.



47. 8/21/2007 10:34:39 PM, big chubby,

Restaurants. Restaurants. Restaurants. Is that what we do for fun now? Eat. I think so. Look how fat everybody is. This $1 billion - oh that sounds impressive - development will have lots of places to eat. Then we can waddle over to a baseball game and sit on our fat rearends for a couple of hours. Maybe after the game we can waddle over for a bite to eat at another place. If this is entertainment the outlook for our society is not good. When we stop catching a buzz off of fictional megaplexes and we start throwing a frisbie, going on bike rides with our families, eating homecooking around a table in the kitchen, appreciating what we already have - then I think we'll be ok.



48. 8/21/2007 10:41:33 PM, John Denver, Burning Man

Yeah I agree with Big C. Everyone should take off their shoes, quit their jobs, abandon capitalism and just hug nature for a while. I mean don't let money tie you down, man. Get out there and kick that hackey sack.



45. 8/21/2007 11:38:14 PM, concerned citizen, jenks
the developer made the comment "That tract of land sits right in the middle of the highest per capita income in the state of Oklahoma,"

Well you know what - it got that way without your massive development, mr. developer, and we would like to KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!

[happytown]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

Ridiculous. Absolutely. Would they change their name to the "Jenks Drillers" as well? What's next? The Broken Arrow Opera? Sand Springs Ballet? What other Tulsa treasures will be given away to the suburbs?

I concur. Its pathetic. It reminds me of Edmond taking the spotlight from OKC......Tulsans do something about it....this is a ridiculous downward spiral for Tulsa.

[Jammie]

I agree. It is sad. The only good thing I can say about it is that Jenks really is a nice town and it's not like they'll be losing them to another area or state. Sorry, I do realize that Jenks isn't even in the same league as Tulsa, but we just like smaller towns. We thought Jenks was nice.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by Jammie

I agree. It is sad. The only good thing I can say about it is that Jenks really is a nice town and it's not like they'll be losing them to another area or state. Sorry, I do realize that Jenks isn't even in the same league as Tulsa, but we just like smaller towns. We thought Jenks was nice.

I love Jenks...My cat is named Mr. Jenks....But this ballpark needs to be in Downtown Tulsa with more than 7,000 seats. The previous one was at the Tulsa fairgrounds with double the seating. OKC 89ers AAA were also at the now renovated Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. But the move to Downtown caused urban renewal and caused (along with many other projects in Downtown OKC) a lot of private investment. Bad deal all around for Tulsa. I hope it doesnt happen or the Tulsa area will start to become more suburban and increase sprawl.

[MrsSteel]

A friend of mine forwarded the following e-mail to me.

From: Mayor Kathy Taylor [mailto:Mayor@cityoftulsa.org]
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 11:04 AM
To: XXXX XXXX
Subject: Drillers and Downtown Tulsa

Dear XXXX,

Tulsa wants the Drillers to move Downtown, and we need to let the Drillers know how much. Downtown ballparks are a proven sucess in city after city for economic vitality and vibrant city centers. Please contact Chuck Lamson to let him know how much Tulsans appreciate them, and that we want the Drillers in Downtown Tulsa!

Please forward this e-mail to friends and family.

Chuck Lamson
Owner
Tulsa Drillers
4802 E. 15th Street
Tulsa, OK 74112

Phone: (918) 877-3711
Fax: (918) 747-3267
chuck@tulsadrillers.com

Thank You,

Kathy Taylor
Mayor

[Jammie]

Mr. Jenks~that's cute!! I also have a couple of furballs.

Yea, I totally understand what you're both saying. People would be so confused with the "Jenks Oilers". People from other areas would have no idea where Jenks is. In fact, the only way I knew where it was is because we went to see the Aquarium there. It's very nice, by the way. And I agree~Jenks is pretty small for something like that.

[Synopsis]

Tulsa'a alway making boneheaded decisions like this. I agree with you completely Happytown, as well as the rest. Gotta go folks! Busy..