Bell's future in Midtown

[Okie]

How do you all feel about Bell's in Midtown Tulsa staying put or leaving and moving out to the suburbs?

Has the bell toled for Bell's Amusement Park, a Midtown Tulsa tradition for many, many decades?

[jbrown84]

The idea of moving Frontier City to the Oklahoma River has been mentioned before as well. I don't support that because FC has plenty of room for expansion and is on a major cross-country interstate, as well as having mature landscaping that makes it a very nice location. Moving to the river would be expensive, and I don't think it's the best idea. I would support moving White Water to the FC location.

As far as Bell's, It's obviously out of room for expansion and is not in a paticularly "picturesque" location from what I remember. It's been several years since I was there. Moving to the river would give the park a new prominent location and allow more room to breathe and expand the park to where it might actually compete with Frontier City. Currently it's pretty whimpy.

[Okie]

Ummm...can't whine about the location. Midtown Tulsa. C'mon...sure it aint Maple Ridge part of Midtown, but it's not a bad area, and it's nearby Cherry Street and TU.

As for Fronteir City, whether to move it or not, those were never serious discussions, so I don't know where you got that...my guess would be OKC Talk, the expert's forum...lol. Did Con set you straight or something? McDermid thought of buying the property, but it wasn't good for anything because the soil underneath it is rather hard, would be inconvenient for moving dirt there. A site a stone's throw away would be much better for development, and I don't know what he'd want to develop there. More warehouse space?

As for Tulsa, next Tulsa County will want to get rid of the Golden Driller at Expo Square... Blasphemy!

[swake]

According to the most recent reports, Robbie Bell says they are not going to be back at Expo Square.. Bells has offers for land from Sand Springs, Bixby and Broken Arrow (the Jenks riverfront site has since been sold, no announcement on what may be built there yet) and also have new offers for financial backing so they will be able to make such a move.

Expo Square reportedly has plans for parking and/or a hotel on the Bells site. Bell

[jbrown84]

I know the talk of moving Frontier City was nothing more than discussion of an idea. I never said it was anything more. As far at the location of Bells, I simply mean that they are locked in to a very small piece of property. And maybe they are in a generally nice part of town, but as I recall the park is pretty much surrounded by parking lots and roads on all sides, no wooded areas or grassy knolls or anything. I could be wrong.