Top Ten Reasons to Vote YES on Dec. 8th

1. Construction jobs. MAPS 3 will invigorate the job market with thousands of quality construction jobs. Building the park, the convention center, the fairgrounds expo center, and all of the other projects will mean thousands of construction jobs. What's more is that these aren't jobs for the sake of jobs, they are laboring towards something we have identified as a community need.

2. Lay the foundation for private industry growth in OKC, where 1 in 5 jobs are government jobs. What OKC needs badly is economic diversification. This doesn't come by shirking economic development opportunities. When the opposition lies to you telling you that MAPS 3 is just "big government" keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to encourage private investment. The success of MAPS isn't measured in how nice the new facilities are but how many projects and jobs it creates. How many times have you heard people lamenting how OKC is nothing but oil and government? Let's change that. Let's continue the economic growth and economic diversification we've been going through over the last decade!

3. Embarrass the Stimulus. The Stimulus does not work because people in Washington, DC do not know what needs OKC or any town has. Even if they knew what projects the people in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis supported, here in OKC we got nothing from the Stimulus. Is there a guarantee the Stimulus will work? No, in fact precedent is way against it. Precedent is however in favor of MAPS. If you want to make a political point against government waste and pet projects, vote for MAPS. Let's prove a powerful point to Washington: special projects are best left to local leaders NOT distant politicians.

4. Take pride in OKC's top-notch amenities and facilities. Because of MAPS 1 we have an NBA team and the arena that we would later complete would become one of the best arenas in the NBA. The Bricktown Ballpark has been named baseball's best minor league stadium several years. The canal is a unique-to-OKC urban environment that we continue to build on. The downtown library, the Civic Center, so on and so forth--these are facilities that have inherent value to us. When we brag about OKC, these are the things we brag about. MAPS 3 will add a modern downtown streetcar system, one of the nation's top convention centers, a brilliant downtown park, and more. These are the things we'll be bragging about in 10-15 years.

5. A boost in downtown investment. MAPS 1 was $360 million and resulted in $5 BILLION being invested in OKC. It's much like typical investing strategy: if you're smart, you can strategically turn a small amount of money into a huge amount of money. The impact of MAPS has obviously been far greater than ever anticipated, the reason for which, is that OKC leaders didn't anticipate that urban cities would become trendier than suburbs. Current studies indicate that the spark in urban growth has just begun and that inner city markets are in fact the most promising real estate sectors, which guarantees our MAPS 3 investment will be just as successful as MAPS 1. The #1 development impetus will be the streetcar. Streetcar routes through downtown will light up with infill development and property values will soar, much like land along the Bricktown Canal has. Downtown living will become more affordable because with more development, there will be more options in housing, and each development won't have absolute control over its own market niche. It will be a consumer's market, not a developer's market.

6. Bring in more events to OKC, conventions, river events, etc. Because of MAPS 1 we have created a center city where there is always something to do. Every night there is either an NBA game, a concert, a ball game, a symphony, art showings, festivals, big speakers, rallies, regattas--you name it. Not a day goes by without events in downtown. The MAPS 3 facilities will also be geared towards adding more to that. The MAPS 3 convention center will host events, such as outdoor concerts and music festivals at the amphitheater lawn overlooking downtown. The convention center will triple our convention business. The river improvements will bring in more regattas, Olympic events, etc. The artificial white water rapids will add another element to the river scene. The expo center will help attract more serious trade shows to the Fairgrounds. The trail network will give us a safer route for marathons.

7. A healthier community. All of these MAPS 3 initiatives are designed to transform OKC from the most car-dependent, chronically-obese metro in the nation (which is statistically proven) to a healthier and more sustainable community. The streetcar will encourage people to live without cars in the center city, and by walking from place to place, downtowners will be in much better shape than suburbanites. The trails will build on what has been a good start, and will be utilized as well as the Hefner trails have been. This will give suburbanites the opportunity to be active. The park, which will be unlike any other park in Oklahoma (a true urban masterpiece), will be 'the' place for recreation in the metro. There won't be any environment like it. The senior centers will help our seniors stay active, which is important considering how the aging population is fixing to balloon. These initiatives are all vital toward making OKC a healthier community. Starting a website and subtly encouraging citizens to do their "civic duty" and lose pounds isn't cutting it!

8. Get more out of downtown aside from 'events' -- everyday attractions like the park, a more sophisticated downtown, parking made easy due to the streetcar, and so on. These projects will combine to create a more people-oriented downtown. You will be able to bring a date, bring your family, or come alone and enjoy the environment of downtown, not just the establishment you're paying a visit. What I mean is that a trip to McNellie's won't just be a trip to a cool pub, but you'll also have the "MidTown experience" alongside. Each neighborhood will be a unique experience, as each neighborhood will have an impact from MAPS 3.

9. A foundation to build on for the future. The streetcar in particular, which is to be developed alongside a multimodal transit center, is designed to be the beginning of a full-fledged mass transit system similar to what is down in Dallas. The streetcar is a practical beginner project that we'll get a lot of use out of. Once we have laid the foundation for rail transit in OKC we will be able to apply for federal funds to build a light rail system across the metro, that will enable commuters from Edmond to Norman to park (or bike) and ride to downtown or anywhere else in the metro. Why should OKC not have EVERY amenity that they have down in Dallas? Is Dallas known for being a particularly progressive place? No. OKC is a large city, the year is 2009, there is no reason why OKC should not have cutting edge infrastructure too. MAPS 3 is a foundation to build on for the future because for the first time ever, we aren't catching up. We're being proactive and getting the ball rolling on how OKC will become the next great American city.

10. Raise OKC's profile. These projects all grow OKC's economy, build up OKC's role in several industries, particularly the real estate and convention trade industries, and could possibly lead to attracting other sports franchises. It's this simple: we grow OKC, more stuff comes to OKC, more people outside of Oklahoma have heard of/are familiar with... OKC. Want to change the fact that nobody really thinks about OKC outside of Oklahoma? Vote for MAPS 3. If OKC keeps investing in itself there's no reason why we can't be the next Seattle or Dallas.

How a convention center hotel is funded

I came across this Dallas Business Journal editorial from Dallas mayor Tom Leppert arguing the case for Dallas' controversial convention center hotel. The hotel has been a large source of controversy in the Dallas area because other hotel owners are upset that a hotel development is getting public assistance, and the Libertarian crowd are upset that a developer in general is getting public assistance. Proponents argue that it is not public assistance and that in fact Dallas needs this hotel desperately if its convention center is to remain competitive on the national scene. You be the judge.

Leppert argues that the city is merely using bonds that it quickly repays because it's easier than getting private financing, and the city ends up with a profit out of the whole deal. The revenue the hotel generates goes toward some kind of expedited repayment of the bonds. He mentions that Houston recently sold their Hilton Americas (that the City of Houston owned) for a large profit, making money in the end on the whole deal.

He also argues that with all of Dallas' competition building these kinds of hotels, in order for Dallas to remain competitive, it too must have a large 1,000-room hotel ATTACHED to the convention center. "The convention center is a $1 billion asset we must protect." The operative belief is that Dallas would have lost money had they not chose to build the hotel.

That's not to say that the hotel is a convincing issue. It would not have become a reality without a pro-business City Council coalition pushing it through, despite the overwhelming citizen disapproval for the project. One great example is here. "When you plan your next convention, be sure to book it at Dallas' only city-owned hotel. We'll make your experience memorable, and provide a variety of official forms for you to file in case we don't live up to your expectations."

Another interesting fact, from Leppert: "Once the Dallas City Council voted to proceed with a hotel, the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau saw a record-breaking rise in major convention bookings, making Dallas No. 1 in the state." So not having the convention center hotel had been holding Dallas back, behind Houston (who does have a convention center hotel). With just an official announcement and ground not even turned yet, it has already made a very real impact on Dallas' convention business.

So we have to ask eachother, as we build one of these new 21st century convention centers ourselves, does OKC need one of these large 1,000-room convention centers? When should it be built, after the convention center is finished, or along with it? How should we fund it? Are we ready to compete with major cities like Dallas and Houston?

North Dallas..shopping and riding the rails

Recent trip to Dallas..I took more pics, they are posted on the forums. These are the more important ones. Just thought I would post some pics of shopping as it should be..as OKC and Tulsa lack. I hit up 4 places: the Dallas Galleria, NorthPark Mall (my favorite), Mockingbird Station, and Highland Park Village. All of these are in a close area in North Dallas. Mockingbird is the one that intrigued me the most, as it is the epitome of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Few cities have done TOD better than Dallas and Denver, to name two that have done it very well. I think suffice it to say, at every direction, Dallas has discovered how to develop sustainable shopping malls. One (Mockingbird) is new, and shows how to do it in the 21st Century, and another (HP Village) was done right in 1931 and has lasted ever since.

In Dallas, along the DART stations, there are various development projects built around the light rail station. They are in essence, a small oasis of urban activity like what you would see when you get off the Subway in NYC or DC, and they can be done anywhere there is light rail, whether it is in the shadow of a downtown skyline, or on the edge of a city..it makes no difference, because it is still connected to the same TODs that have been built up along a light rail line, at each of the stations.

Mockingbird Station is a brilliant development that even has a lot of pedestrian life at 2.00 on a Thursday. It includes hundreds of lofts, a lot of corporate space, as well as a good restaurant/retail mix. There is an Angelika theater, with 4 screens devoted to independent cinema, retail tenants include Ann Taylor LOFT, American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, the GAP, and more. The subway station is directly adjacent to the development.

Highland Park Village, while not as exciting from an urban development standpoint, is still a great place, and probably my favorite place in Dallas to shop. Imagine a more high-end version of Utica Square in Tulsa, with tenants like Ralph Lauren, Rugby, Banana Republic, Cole Haan, and Scoop. Plus it includes a small, historic theater that still shows new releases.

I also included a photo I shot of some of the new condos that went up at the NorthPark DART station in the last few months. I'm not very familiar with what all exists across the Central Expressway from NorthPark Mall, but it looks like it includes a Dick's Sporting Goods (far superior to Academy), and it looks pretty cool.

From the NorthPark parking garage, looking across US 75

Highland Park Village

Mockingbird Station

A look at Hargreaves Associates

Earlier this week, the OKC City Council approved a $480,000 (half a million dollars) contract with Hargreaves Associates for design and construction models of a new downtown park. The item on the City Council meeting agenda passed unanimously with very little discussion. In fact, on the docket I believe it was referred to as "landscape services for a prospective downtown park." This, ladies and gentlemen, will be the architects of our new downtown park. Hargreaves Associates is a prominent architecture firm at the forefront of landscape architecture with offices in San Francisco, Boston, New York, and London. They've been commissioned for landmark green spaces in cities across America, from San Jose, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, to Portland and Seattle, to Chicago and Louisville, to Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma City, to New York City and Hartford, to name a few of the cities they've done projects in.

What Oklahoma City projects am I speaking about? I am glad you asked. I'm talking about two new exciting parks being developed along the Oklahoma River that the City of OKC has had very little (so far) to do with. One is the AICC, the other is the Waterfront Park proposed as a part of Grant Humphreys' Downtown Airpark redevelopment.

Here are some renderings of the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum project, on the south banks of the Oklahoma River where I-35 crosses it. The site is a 280-acre former oilfield, land that has now been reclaimed by the Native American tribes. The AICC is a Smithsonian-affiliated institution that features a museum, extensive landscaping, as well as hotels and a conference center. It is under construction at the moment.

Waterfront Park, the vital centerpiece of Grant Humphreys' Downtown Airpark redevelopment project known as The Waterfront, was also a Hargreaves project. The 15 acre park serves as the front lawn for the large scale mixed-use development, and will be anchored by the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel that Grant Humphreys recently bought off eBay.

The South Waterfront Neighborhood Park in Portland, Ore is a 2-acre, tightly-knit civic space in the heart of a growing mixed-use area south of Downtown, surrounded by residences, businesses, and the Oregon Health Sciences Center. The park also provides scenic views of the Willamette River corridor. This project is on a $2.8 million budget, set to open October of this year. More information on City of Portland's website.

The southern half of Lake Union Park (Phase 2, final phase) in Seattle is a planned park taking advantage of an area with an industrial past, and a lot of maritime heritage. The park is actually a conservation project, restoring some wetlands, and reclaiming land that was formerly a landfill. According to Seattle.gov, construction began September 2008 with a $15.6 million budget for both phases (they weren't just moping about the Sonics at the time).

Parkview West is a 1.75-acre green space recently completed at the base of the Navy Pier, and one block away from Lake Michigan. The park is designed to resemble Origami, actually, and was built as part of a development, with a 48-story condo tower at one end, and a 24-story one at the other, like bookends.

Hargreaves also did the framework for the revitalization of Grant Park, including Millennium Park. Grant Park is a 320-acre waterfront park, wedged between the Loop and Lake Michigan. Planning on Grant Park's main attraction, the smaller Millennium Park, began in 1998 and construction was finished in July 2004, $475 million later($270 mil of which was paid by the city). It should be noted however that Hargreaves merely did the framework, or the masterplan.. the Jay Pritzker Pavillion was designed by none other than Frank Gehry. The Cloud Gate was designed by World-renowned artist Anish Kapoor. And so on. In 2006 Forbes named ZIP Code 60602, which surrounds Millennium Park, the hottest ZIP code in the nation in terms of property appreciation. You can read more about the park here.

The Discovery Green is the nation's 4th largest city's answer to Millennium Park. The Discovery Green is a very busy park bordered on one side by Houston's huge convention center, the Hilton Americas, and opening up into Downtown Houston on the other. The park manages to say "Tejas" and "urbanism" at the same time, for example, the Crawford Promenade serves as the pedestrian spine of the park, and is shaded from the skyline and the sun by massive live oak trees, lined with cafe dining. The completion of the $81 million park has prompted several new residential high-rise towers along the park edge.

Belo Garden is Texas' 2nd largest city's response to the Discovery Green. In Downtown Dallas green space is something that is sorely missing. This 1.5-acre park provides a small amount of green space to break up the concrete jungle. The namesake is from the company that donated half of the cost of the $6 million park.

"Money Machine"

This should be pretty common sense. But believe it or not, streetcars are being hailed a "money machine" for building cities. Urban development follows the transportation investments, and in almost every instance of a city getting serious on putting in light rail (LRT), streetcars, commuter rail--whatever as long as it's not the cheapo scam known as bus rapid transit (BRT)--a major explosion in urban development has followed these transit lines. Whether the city is as big and hopelessly sprawled as Phoenix, AZ..or as small and quaint as Charlottesville, VA, this is is a trend that has proven true. Rail transit is the way to go, and the investment will be more than worth it in the end. There is no reason for OKC and Tulsa to not be BUILDING (not planning or intending to plan) a better transit system right now. We've been talking about this for years now. In OKC we've been trying to get light rail in downtown for over a decade now when it was originally included in MAPS 1 (and I bet we all wish we had gone ahead with light rail back then).

What you have here is a system being put in Charlottesville, VA, population 45,049. The orange is streetcar, which connects UVA to downtown Charlottesville all the way across town. Not even kidding here. So if a picturesque Appalachian college town can do light rail or streetcar, WHY CAN'T WE?? There are well over a million people in the Greater OKC Area. If we got serious about a full-fledged system and broke ground in a week on one, there would be at least 1.5 million in the Greater OKC Area by the time the starter lines were all finished. How many highway projects will we have spent billions of dollars on by then?

Not convinced? Then read this. Last month at a transit symposium in Dallas (and trust me, Dallas transit symposiums go the same way as ones in OKC go, where consultants start off by boldly telling them their city stinks) a writer for the Dallas Observer, Jim Schutze, wrote the following:

"Streetcars did come up. The former mayor of Charlottesville, Va., home of UVA, spoke and talked about how they are the smallest city in the country with a planned streetcar, apparently from the The University of Virginia campus to a downtown area. He said the streetcar won’t be on the ground for another seven years, but, because developers believe the city means business about it, the values and actual redevelopment along the planned route have gone through the roof, a point he illustrated with some amazing photos. Strictly from a development and tax base perspective, a well-placed streetcar line looks pretty much like a money machine."

IN a city with the famed DART system and the Trinity Railway, arguably a transit brightspot in the middle of the Sun Belt, they still realize they have a long ways to go. They have brought in some people who have done incredible things with transit. I think it's incredible for a city of 45,000 people to be doing streetcars. I think it's even more incredible that for this city of 45,000 it is still so true that density will follow the transit investments. There is no need to wait for an area to achieve a certain level of density before even reluctantly deciding to go forward with rail. You just pick an area that you want to see built up and you be proactive by shaping growth yourself AND not letting growth shape your transit network (that would be reactive planning).