I sat down with the neighborhood group a few days ago for their meeting with QT's real estate project manager Daniel Chambers, where they previewed a Generation 3 model they say is 1000 square feet smaller. That didnt alter their overall footprint there, as the size and number of their fuel canopies remain the same.
The store faces the big empty lot of Office Depot on Lewis ave. while the two canopies and fuel tanks jut into the neighborhood facing 15th.
At one point I asked if they would consider eliminating the east canopy from their plan, which seemed to come as a shock.
The neighbors were hoping QT would eliminate the curb cut that emptied traffic into the neighborhood from Lewis Place, but that struck me as an expendable that QT was using as a dangling carrot. The slide the project manager showed wasnt in a form that could be submitted to the city, and he did confirm to the neighbors that it wasnt what was submitted. He refused to make the sketch publicly available when asked, so at least we know it existed on paper at one time.
He mentioned the plans would change with the widening of Lewis ave. for turn lanes, and promised QT wouldnt move on this until the existing business leases expire in 13 months, so we will see how that goes. Of course, the street construction could kill off Bill and Ruths before then.
The biggest issue for QT might be the two sets of doors, one at the corner and one facing the pumps.
Gen 3 stores have 4 sets of doors (each end and both sides of counter).
I believe their biggest issue is that the parking lot is less obvious and so their customer might drive by and pull into their nearest competitor.
QT may believe a simple reduction of interior space by 1000' makes their current design "urban," yet the outdoor sprawl is the same.
They also have front and back doors.
Maybe in some markets but QT is king in Tulsa. Just put a big red square QT sign at the corner and no one will miss it. If anything having a presence at the corner will draw in more customers, especially in more walkable urban areas.
If anything having a presence at the corner will draw in more customers, especially in more walkable urban areas.
luckily I don't need to cross at the intersection.
The city needs to fix/add walk buttons. not every corner has two buttons... if trying to get to the opposite corner, it's easy to get across the 1st street, but no way to get across the 2nd.
I'd document which corners have which buttons, but that'd be a pain in the rear due to the inability to cross the street.
It doesnt help when some of the crosswalk buttons are placebos.
Okay, that's some good stuff right there.
Has anyone ever been in the 11th and Utica QT when that 80,000 square foot lot has been completely filled up and with traffic waiting to get in?
I didn't think so. Such a waste of space.
I am not disagreeing about the amount of space, but I have absolutely seen that QT lot full (or damn close to it) in the morning. Even more amazing to me is that it is common for each fuel pump to have a vehicle in it. However, I doubt it is that busy throughout the day.
That might have been a poor example for me to pull out of the ridiculous parking requirements COT imposes in it's zoning and development. I'm still not a fan of that parcel nor how QT bucked the Pearl Small Area Plan to pull that off.
My wife called in last week that the crosswalk light wasn't working and it looks like they're working on it today. Also, that article seems misleading and limited to high density areas in bigger cities. The cross walk lights in most of Tulsa do not speed up the cycle, but they at least tell you when during the cycle pedestrians are supposed to cross. They are helpful, when they work. The one at 15th and Lewis should be working again soon.
While I am not a fan of the amount of parking required, QT does very well there. I frequent that store more than most of the others and it is always full.
As much as I want Tulsa to feel walkable, it is still very focused on convenience for cars and drivers. Everything Tulsans can do, they want to do it with a drive-thru.
And yet, I'm never on your QT Christmas gift list.