Tulsa Channels

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are very few or no other articles that link to this one.
Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. After links have been created, remove this message.
This article has been tagged since November 2006.

This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events.
It may contain information of a tentative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available.

First public preview of the Tulsa Channels project

The Tulsa Channels, also known as "The Channels" is a development project originally proposed in September 2006 for construction in the Arkansas River at Tulsa, Oklahoma. The project would consist of three man-made islands encompassing 40 acres intended to provide land for low- and high-rise mixed-use residential, office and retail space development. The islands would stand in a 12 mile long reservoir created by construction of a dam immediately downstream of The Channels. Other project features include the use of solar, wind, and hydroelectric generation capabilities and the provision of civic gathering space.

The Channels project was conceived by Tulsa Stakeholders, Inc., a non-profit organization founded by six Tulsans for the purpose of promoting the project. The six founders of Tulsa Stakeholders are: Margie and John-Kelly Warren, chairman, The William K. Warren Foundation; Tom Cooper, CEO, Warren Professional Development Corporation; Chris and Scott Lambert, owners, Travertine Elevator Interiors; and Rusty Patton, business attorney. The Channels were presented as their idea of an "iconic" project to revitalize development in Tulsa, bolster the city's image among young urban professionals and provide a "destination attraction" for citizens and visitors. Architect Bing Thom of Vancouver, British Columbia, was hired by Tulsa Stakeholders, Inc. to assist in creation of the proposal. In late 2006, the project sponsors invested heavily in promotion of the proposal, including the printing and distribution of hundreds of thousands of poster-sized informational brochures distributed throughout Tulsa and placed as a supplement in the local daily newspaper, and held a series of controlled meetings in order to present project information. Interest and discussion was further fanned by a great deal of local media coverage.

Total costs for the project were estimated by Tulsa Stakeholders, Inc. in 2006 to be $788 Million. Of that amount the sponsors proposed that local government provide $600 Million. Tulsa Stakeholders committed to raise an additional $100 Million from the private sector, and they also provided unverified estimates that an additional $88 Million could be financed through the sale of energy created by the project’s hydrodam and other renewable energies. The costs estimates included creation of the impoundment, islands and basic infrastructure, along with some of the proposed public spaces. It did not include construction of the retail, business or residential space, intended to be provided by further private investment.

Opposition to The Channels from various interests arose soon after the proposal was unveiled, due primarily to the high level of public funding proposed for the project. Other objections included environmental concerns related to the proposed impoundment and changes in the river's character, the advisability of placing residential development in a floodplain, the loss of existing riverfront property, the viability of the proposed alternative energy sources, and impacts on nearby historic neighborhoods and on other development proposals within the city. Discussion engendered by the Channels also resulted in several alternative proposals for river development, although as of early 2007 none had been presented with as much public fanfare as the Channels.