Developers propose hotel in Oklahoma City's Bricktown area

Doesn't seem like an odd location to me. This is just extending Bricktown and making it bigger.

I don't have a problem with extending bricktown, it just seems odd to put it right next to I-235.

I don't think that's a problem. I always thought driving by big buildings right next to the highway was a cool feeling.

i think its cool too, i used to love the old highway that went between that real long building and downtown Ft. Worth, that building was real cool cuz it was right next to the highway, if i'm not mistaken they moved the highway on the other side of that building

I think this is the building you're talking about. It's right off I-30 and I-35W. Not to far from where I live.

thats the one! didn't they have like an indoor paint ball place there at one time?

I'm wondering if this will fall within both Bricktown and East Reno corridor zoning restrictions. Anyone remember the SDAT survey a few years ago? http://okc.gov/planning/sdat/sdat_final.pdf

at one point they did. i think it's condos now.

glad to see its condo's now, too bad we can't follow in those foot steps and fill the empty buildings in BT with condos!

Hotel plan moves forward

A proposed sevenstory, 99-room Candlewood Inn and Suites proposed for Lincoln and Byers won conceptual approval Wednesday from the Bricktown Urban Design Committee. A construction start date for the $12 million project has not been announced. The committee also learned that renovations to canal-front buildings at 2 through 12 E California will begin later this year. Owners John Shelton and Charles Harding have not decided whether to proceed with construction of an adjoining parking garage.

Group wants hotel plan to include sidewalks
Journal Record
July 10, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – Urban Neighbors likes a proposed hotel planned for Bricktown, but wants the developers to be mindful of foot traffic as the project moves forward.

Other interests in Bricktown also want the hotel and property to be developed in a way that makes it friendly to pedestrians and makes it easy for hotel guests to access the entertainment district across the street to the west of Lincoln Boulevard.

Last month, a proposal for the hotel development for Dihren and Amit Patel, as Shri Krishnapriya Hospitality LLC, came before the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority to apply as the redevelopers for the site and to purchase a piece of the land owned by Urban Renewal. The site, about 120,000 square feet, is at the northeast corner of East Reno Avenue and South Lincoln Boulevard on the east side of Bricktown.

Pieces of the parcel are owned by the developers, Urban Renewal, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The plan calls for a seven-story, brick-clad Candlewood Suites. But existing storm drains on the site will likely cause the hotel to be pushed back from the street, which has caused some concern that the area might not have an urban look and feel, and not be pedestrian-friendly.

Fred Quinn, of Quinn & Associates, an architecture firm, represented the developer at the Bricktown Urban Design Committee meeting on Wednesday. The site falls under the jurisdiction of the Bricktown committee. Quinn said a second phase of the project could include some out-parcel buildings along Lincoln Boulevard to provide a more urban feel to the project and lend itself to sidewalks.

“We hope that we can provide that along Lincoln,” Quinn said. “But at this time we have not developed that.”Avis Scaramucci, vice chairwoman of the committee and a Bricktown merchant, said as Bricktown continues to grow, it must be pedestrian-friendly, especially to guests at the proposed hotel. “The goal here, I believe, is to expand our community ever mindful that the whole community still needs to work together closely,” she said. “I do see it as very pedestrian because it is important that those people at the (Candlewood) suites feel comfortable and are welcome to cross over and come into Bricktown.

”Jeff Bezdek, a board member of Urban Neighbors, a group of downtown residents, said Urban Neighbors commended the developers for creating a nice bookend to Bricktown on the east, but encouraged them to keep pedestrians in mind, especially as the area can be a link to the Oklahoma River as Lincoln Boulevard connects on the south end with Byers Avenue.

Bezdek also encouraged the developers to work with ODOT about sidewalk master plans for the area, which he said is currently not pedestrian-friendly.“Pedestrian issues are very big on our priority list,” he said. “That area is a pedestrian deficit to Bricktown.”

It's great we have organizations like the Bricktown Urban Design Committee and Urban Neighbors to look out for the best interest of the community.

It makes me far more comfortable about these types of developments.

I only wish the Bricktown Urban Design Committee and Urban Neighbors had as much control south of Reno as they do all the way over at Lincoln and Reno.

__________________
...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

True AFCM but at least we now have these types of groups elsewhere.

I know there is something similar for most of downtown and mid-town. And I think even more people will get involved with planning and design as we gain more people living in the central city.

That is AWFUL.

Yay for more franchise architecture in Bric,...er...stuccotown.

Where is ground-level retail and restaurants? How very un-urban.

Bricktown is turning into Edmond. Stucco is taking over.

It does seem like we have enough of this type of property in that area.

The Hampton Inn, Residence Inn and proposed Holiday Inn Express are all in this same vein -- both architecturally and in price point.

Time to see some boutique hotels and things a bit more up-scale.

I agree, while this is more urban than the Residence Inn, it is still lacking a truly urban feel. I think the Bricktown Design Committee should send it back for redesign.

never going to happen.

I'm going to disagree metro. The more I look at the bird's eye view, it's hard for me to even treat the location as a Bricktown location. Being out past Bass Pro and McD's, plus the added buffer of the convenience store and the auto shop and then the presence of Lincoln Blvd itself, it's simply a hotel that is a reasonable walking distance.

I suspect it'll get more of the we're in town for business and trying to cut costs folks than the we're here for the party, game, concert crowd.

Being just at the far eastern fringe it is more BT than some other places within 5-10 miles out which have, for marketing purposes, laid a tenuous claim to having a BT connection, but not by much.

The changes would have to come in the form of A) bringing the whole building to front the street. B) Add ground floor retail C) (in fairyland) Add a glass atrium. D) Build the attached garage and use the extra space for future development.

I was a valet/bell boy for the Renaissance for over a year and we most definitely had shoe shine service (i shined so many shoes )

Uhhh. But, Buttt, but....

ITS SO UGLY. I can't believe I'm saying this, But I think we should actually put this in the suburbs. They can keep something this ugly. I know, I know, its more hotel rroms for downtown, But I do not like it at all. Its pitiful.

Perhaps we should all send messages to Jim of BUD and wreak havock on his inbox? lol. Don't do that. But we should send him our opinions on this monstrocity.