Progress Report con’t

I walk approximately 3 miles per day (did no walking between Nov. 5 and Mar. 3, 2006, as I was too busy with OSU meetings/website, etc, but have started walking again). I usually walk in the neighborhood. The summer of 2006, I was impressed that so many were upgrading their homes/rental properties. Since Nov. 5, 2006 of course, that has stopped. I thought, perhaps, I could report what I see happening around the neighborhood at this point.

9/30/09: Everything in the area has been moved, demolished, etc. since before the first home football game. They have taken down the interior chain link fences. The chain link fences around the perimeter have been left in order to close the streets on game days and prevent “free” parking. It COULD look like a very large, beautiful park at this point; however, it is being mowed and maintained to a minimal degree.

7/20/09: Things are moving, so to speak. Gone: 813 Eskridge; 806 & 920 Duck; 402 & 624 McElroy; 913, 916 & 919 West Street; 611, 617, 1001 & 1005 Tyler; 808, 811 & 812 Knoblock, 1012 & 1017 Hester, 903, 915, 916 & 919 Ramsey and 813 Bellis. To be demolished: 1102 & 1119 Ramsey & 819 Knoblock. Ready to move: 924 Tyler. So basically all of West Street, Hester & Tyler are cleared. Remaining: 819 Knoblock, part of 813 Washington, 1102 & 1119 Ramsey, 1105, 1106, 1107, 1111 & 1114 Bellis, 722-728 (apartment building), 802, 810, & 824 McElroy are remaining.

It seems they are clearing & preparing to begin the indoor practice field across from the stadium. It looks to be 2 blocks between Hall of Fame & Cantwell (South to North) and Hester to Ramsey (East to West).

Hear Pickens went to his boyhood home & took a square of concrete from the sidewalk. The square had his name written on it. I understand he is taking the square of concrete to his current residence. Also heard that Boone’s wife is having his boyhood home moved to their current property as a birthday present for Boone. Seems Boone is a sentimental guy. (Remember, the last paragraph is hearsay.)

4/15/09: It’s been a couple months since I have posted to the site. Since the BP fund lost so much value, the outdoor practice field has again been put on hold. Because they are not able to go ahead with the field, they have re-grated & re-graveled the block lot directly West of Bennet Hall for dorm parking. Great help for the students.

Quite a bit has been done, although there are still several properties left in the area. However, most have been prepared to be moved. And many properties have been moved. Demolished yesterday: 813 Eskridge Ave. The following have been moved rather than demolished, I believe:
Bellis: 903 Eskridge: 519 Ramsey: 911 & 1106
Hester: 813, 903, 912, 917, 920, 1012, 1023 & 1112.
Knoblock: 1100 (the 4 large apt. buildings), 907, 916 & 924
West: 807, 813, 823, 901 & 907
Duck: 816

2/9/09: 820 Ramsey, 1005, 1024,1103,1115,1119 (except for 2 large metal sheds), 1120 & 1124 Hester have now been moved.

10/30/08: Walked the area today. Quite a bit has been done. Moved:817 Bellis: 907 Ramsey, 1124, 1108, 917, 821 & 813 Hester: 624 Tyler, 616 McElroy; 902 Knoblock (garage still in place); 820, 824,906 & 916 Duck.

I am putting a link to news about the oil well drilled here in Stillwater. It seems OSU was able to purchase all the mineral rights of property owners in the acquisition area. According to my “source” OSU has 265 acres in the directional drilling area and will receive royalty associated with those acres. Former owners not only sold their property, but mineral rights which would give them a royalty from this directional drilling project. According to rumors, there are to be 7 wells drilled. As far as I know only one has been completed at this point.

10/28/08: 801 & 805 Eskridge were moved last week. May be another one and I will go around the area soon & report back. Looks like most of the Village is in limbo since the fund has lost so much in this economy recently.

9/27/08: There has not been much progress in demolishing or in moving properties. 840 McElroy has been moved. However, I am not keeping up with the progress as regularly now. My allergies really kicked in and I think, possibly, dust/mold activated by the demolition, etc. may have been the cause. I am now walking on the West side of Washington, but do drive thru the area often.

The area for the indoor practice field is being prepared, but I don’t think construction is planned for the immediate future.

Many students are parking in the acquisition area during the week. However, OSU has fenced all of the acquistion area. Each night before a football game, gates are put up to keep people from parking in the area, but are removed the morning after the game. Will Rogers School is now charging for parking there, with proceeds going to their PTA.

I have posted a couple news articles. One dealing with basketball Coach Ford’s contract and the other with the Pickens’ athletic fund. You might want to view those.

8/1/08: Hall of Fame is opened. Big to-do celebration. 917 Washington was moved from the vacant lot at the corner of McElroy & Washington yesterday.

7/29/08: As I walked this am, I decided to try to update my map. It is very difficult for me to keep track when so many of the houses are moved from their original spot to another vacant lot in the area. This is my update. Just don’t hold me to its accuracy. :-)

818, 912, 913 & 919 Knoblock; demoslished. 816 Ramsey; demolished. 912 & 1124 Hester; gone. 1107 Ramsey, gone. In counting, there are actually over 100 shed, unattached garages & houses to still be moved/demolished. Still lots to do before the area is truly cleared.

7/27/08: House moved from vacant lot. I think it’s original location was 923 Washington. Demolished: 702 McElroy, 816, 912, 913 & 924 Hester. 1118 Knoblock is gone. Hall of Fame is still closed. Some mowing has finally taken place. Still approximately 75 houses to be moved or demolished.

7/19/08 I have just returned from a month of travels. Walked the area tonight. Many houses have been moved from their original location, some are gone, but most are “stored” on beams on another vacant lot in the area. Those gone or “stored”: 917 & 923 Washington, 912 Ramsey, 706 McElroy, 816, 820 & 916 Hester, 805 & 923 Knoblock, and 804 West Street. A few lots have been cleared.

Those who thought the neighborhood was ugly before OSU started the project, they should see it now. There are many sheds, foundations, trees & branches down, various debris all around, grass knee high in some areas and some of the sidewalks are over-grown with knee high grass and obsured by over-hanging branches. OSU was pretty good last summer to try to keep the area mowed and cleared, but it seems there is little attention being given to it this summer.

The east 1/2 block between Washington & Bellis is filled with building materials waiting to be used. The entire area is being fenced with temporary chain link fencing. OSU has said that the purpose is to prevent homeless living in the houses and further vandelism. Many of the houses not moved or demolished are being fenced in as well.

When I came back from my travels, I found the OSU fence butted up against my fence. I called and told them that our fence was set back 6 feet from the property line and they were very prompt to remove the posts against my fence. I suppose the intention had been to use my fence as part of their fencing project. However, they were very nice about it and quick to remedy the problem.

Hall of Fame was scheduled to be opened July 15, but it is not quite ready, so is still closed.

6/13/08: 1107 Ramsey was moved East of Stillwater on Hwy 51 (E. 6th Street) today. It will be remodeled and rented.

6/9/08: A little has been done in the last 3 months. The dulpexes at 813 & 815 have been moved and are in place on South Perkins road and have been remodeled and readied to rent. They look good.

Also moved: House south of me, 1011 Washington, although foundation remains. 1106 Ramsey & 424 McElroy have been moved. I understand that 5 houses are scheduled to be demolished. Several houses are on beams to be moved. However, there are still over 75 houses to be moved or demolished.

Hall of Fame is to be opened July 15, I have heard it rumored that the city plans paving work on Hall of Fame, west of Washington so it may be closed longer.

The West end of the stadium is nearing completion. No projects have been started in the village to date.

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3 Responses to Progress Report con’t

  1. Tamara Colbert-Maschino says:

    We read in the NewsPress about the roads being closed in the Athletic Village, any idea which roads or is it all roads up to Washington? Have they decided when?

    We agree with the unkempt look of the neighborhood, drove through a couple of weeks ago…

  2. Tamara Colbert-Maschino says:

    We didnt realize anything about the mineral rights, who knew that Stillwater would even consider such large scale drilling in the area.At the very least, our family should have been told of the possible drilling in the area, when did OSU know about the wells. Is this the reason why they pushed so hard to get people to sell in the area? I think this just adds to the smell factor, nothing about this whole episode has been handled cleanly or well with regard to property owners. No one said anything to our family about drilling, or advise us on our rights as property owners on mineral rights.

  3. Carol D says:

    The people involved all have their hands in each others pockets, hold information from the public, have silent auctions and almost certain they already knew of the mineral rights. They were swift and rushed to demolish my neighborhood of which we owned the home. The city officials, athletic committee and any other officials involved with the “Athletic Village” know at least 10 years ahead of time what they are going to do, and where ‘gold’ would be. Anyone that knows how the city planning is done would know they use ‘plans’ that range from 5 year plans, 10 year plans and so on. They knew exactly what they were doing and I pray that when these so called patrons of OSU and members of the Stillwater community are caught, that the extent of every law (including ethical laws) comes down hard on them. They took advantage of not only patrons of OSU, the Stillwater community, students, faculty, the Stillwater business community but they also took advantage of the elderly (of which I witness first hand) and also the disabled. These people are criminals that are involved with the so called Athletic Village. First of all, where is this “Village”? Everyone involved should be held accountable. If not by the law of man, but by the laws of God!

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