Tulsa's New Arena (Prue: tenant, theater, living)

[Manhattan-ite]

I just came back from a family wedding in Tulsa and driving from downtown to Owasso where my family lives we saw the Arena and were amazed. I mean, I live in New York City- we've got tons of skyscrapers and varied architecture. But that building is something else. Daring, bold, innovative and just crazy good!

The design is by Cesar Pelli, who makes generally fine architecture but not terribly attractive or mind-boggling. This is better than his average building for sure.

Good for Tulsa to have such a great building. But if they think an Arena is going to solve all or part of downtown's many problems or will revitalize the area, I'm afraid they're dead wrong. People will drive, park, attend the event and leave. Downtown will be as dead as always.

After decades of tearing down good art-deco buildings and turning downtown Tulsa into the biggest parking lot in America -because for developers and owners it was more profitable to have a parking than a building-, finding a salvation for the area is mighty tough (a good start would be to create density, encouraging round-the-clock business and dwellers and putting mass transit).

An Arena is a useless idea that has been tried in many other American downtowns without positive results (they're building another one in Kansas City, and taxing the locals and tourists for it).

But gosh, does it look good, the Tulsa Arena. Photogenic and gorgeous like a curvy woman in bikini.

My two cents.

[New In Prue]

Good points, Manhattan-ite. I agree that the Arena alone is not a fix-all, but, on the other hand, without it, downtown is, and would continue to be, on a very slippery slope downhill. I look at it as a reversal, and a very stunning one, indeed. Remember that Tulsa has been without a facility of this type for very large crowds for years. They could have built a very cheap, utilitarian warehouse-looking building like, well, "others"...but what kind of draw would it have been if it looked like an armory?? No, this is something that Tulsans can be proud of, and it kind of sends a statement: "Okay, world. We're ready to rumble!"

The Arena is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful structures being built in this country today. It's almost shocking, it's so good looking. LA, New York, Chicago--none of them has anything that compares to it.

[Synopsis]

Good points all. I agree with New, it is a start Manhattan-ite, and there are other developments going on downtown. One has to start somewhere and this arena (along with other developments) is a good start.

[BigOkie]

But it's not just the arena we're banking on. The downtown area IS revitalizing compared to 10 years ago. We have things now like:

The Blue Dome District. Go downtown during the weekends at night and this area is jumpin'. A lot of new bars, eateries and the like.

We never though that the arena was the be-all end-all. It helps for us to compete with cities our own size though that have arenas with comparable capacities (as opposed to the old 9000 seat behemoth we have now).

Myself...I got sick of having to drive to KC or Dallas or even OKC and Little Rock for a decent concert. Hopefully, venues will ask to play here because of this building.

[sgrizzle]

The downtown arena won't be a cure-all and neither will the stadium but when development does occur, the developers will want to develop nearby.

[Manhattan-ite]

What sgrizzle says might be right. It happened in Bilbao, Spain, when Frank Gehry built the Guggenheim Museum there. Bilbao went from being a post-industrial depressed city with no attractives to one of the tourist capitals of Europe.

I'm not saying that Cesar Pelli's Tulsa Arena will do that (I can't see European tourists flying to Tulsa, honestly ), but if good developers are attracted by the Arena and plan some thoughtful construction nearby, then it could be a renaissance of sorts.

But we shouldn't hold our breath. Stopping Tulsa's bleeding of businesses and people to the suburbs (Owasso, Jencks and other exploding places) will be more difficult than just putting a beautiful building in downtown.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Manhattan-ite

What sgrizzle says might be right. It happened in Bilbao, Spain, when Frank Gehry built the Guggenheim Museum there. Bilbao went from being a post-industrial depressed city with no attractives to one of the tourist capitals of Europe.

I'm not saying that Cesar Pelli's Tulsa Arena will do that (I can't see European tourists flying to Tulsa, honestly ), but if good developers are attracted by the Arena and plan some thoughtful construction nearby, then it could be a renaissance of sorts.

But we shouldn't hold our breath. Stopping Tulsa's bleeding of businesses and people to the suburbs (Owasso, Jencks and other exploding places) will be more difficult than just putting a beautiful building in downtown.

If we would have been holding our breath none of us would be alive today.

There are other developments going on downtown in addition to the arena Manhattan-ite. It's normal to be skeptical though; for many years the bleeding of people and businesses to the suburbs has been going on. I think the developments in OkC have spurred Tulsa to bigger and better things.

The dam they will be building, which keep the river at high levels will also be a plus. I heard the Atlas life building will be converted into a hotel and restored to it's full glory. There are dozens of other developments going on as well as a result of Vision2025.

[sgrizzle]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

If we would have been holding our breath none of us would be alive today.

There are other developments going on downtown in addition to the arena Manhattan-ite. It's normal to be skeptical though; for many years the bleeding of people and businesses to the suburbs has been going on. I think the developments in OkC have spurred Tulsa to bigger and better things.

The dam they will be building, which keep the river at high levels will also be a plus. I heard the Atlas life building will be converted into a hotel and restored to it's full glory. There are dozens of other developments going on as well as a result of Vision2025.

Yes, most of the Atlas tenants are moving out now and it will take over a year to convert.

There is also the new (as of yet unannounced) baseball stadium, KOTV studio/offices/museum/helipad, huge Modern Arts Center and even another large park, all coming.

[New In Prue]

Reflections of the Tulsa skyline against the iconic wall of the BOK Center..

June 9, 2008

[BigOkie]

Originally Posted by New In Prue

Reflections of the Tulsa skyline against the iconic wall of the BOK Center..

June 9, 2008

Looks like they have more of the panels up along that top section, and more stone inlay done in the southwest entrance area since my visit there late last week. They're moving right along.