I was reading the daily disappointment today when I came across a "rare" nice story:

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By Richard Mize
The Oklahoman

The real estate triplets -- location, location, location -- are clear in plans for the Triangle, but the brownstone condos planned for the area will have unseen structural strength.

Developers will use solid concrete walls with rebar, similar to the handful of masonry skyscrapers that lend character and structural longevity to downtown Oklahoma City. They plan to use insulated concrete forms -- ICF -- in construction of the condos.

It would make the Triangle a local showcase for ICF, principal Bert Belanger said.

ICF is used in limited residential and commercial construction in the Oklahoma City area. Foam blocks and panels are stacked on site, then filled with concrete. The forms are left, the foam providing insulation and the concrete structure.

It's a good fit for Belanger, who wears a couple of hats.

Belanger is manager of OKC Town Center LLC, which also includes investors Pat Garrett and architect Anthony McDermid. OKC Town Center and Colony Partners Inc. -- Ron and Jason Bradshaw -- have assembled 23 acres in the area they call The Triangle, bordered by Broadway to the west, Main Street to the south and Interstate 235 to the east.

Belanger also is part owner of BuildBlock Building Systems LLC, founded by Mike Garrett, brother of Pat Garrett. BuildBlock is new, but Mike Garrett tinkered with his own proprietary version of ICF for a dozen years with other projects of Garrett & Co., the family oil, insurance and real estate business.

Insulated concrete forms "are popular and common in colder-weather states," Belanger said, because of energy efficiency. "Our partners have been telling us that high-density urban housing is running into problems with insurance. In some cases, it has become cost-prohibitive, where (ICF) is tornado-resistant, fire-resistant and termite-resistant."

Triangle developers envision 125 upscale for-sale condos at NE 3 and Oklahoma Avenue, among other kinds of residential and commercial development. Using ICF, Belanger said, will give the brownstones a structure worthy of their high finish.

ICF meets the U.S. Green Building Council's formula for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating, known as LEED.

Such environment-oriented construction still is new to Oklahoma City, but "it's getting ready to happen everywhere," Mike Garrett said.

ICF makes good sense for high-density housing with separate homes sharing common walls, McDermid said, since the concrete-and-foam panels will slow the spread of fire and deaden sound from neighbors, as well as trains and street traffic.

Garrett said he and the others see the value of green building but have something closer to home in mind.

"We want something with our name on it that is going to be there for our lifetime and others'," he said.

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Oklahoma City, RENAISSANCE CITY!

Any hint of costs, sizes, amenities, HOA fees, etc? To put it another way, might the costs be <$250000 for the unit, with HOA fees around $100-200 monthly?

A Friday-night drive through bustling Bricktown left me with the distinct impression that any Bricktown dwellings would appreciate rapidly... An initial buy-in might provide a great return on the investment should the buyer decide he'd rather live elsewhere.

I've just bought a new house on one acre in the Tri-Cities area and am still experiencing a bit of withdrawal out here in the sticks... It's a beautiful and quiet place, and co-workers assure me that I'll never want to move back to the city, but the jury is definitely still out...

I keep thinking of getting a nice buzz at Tapwerks, and walking home with it, rather than driving 30 minutes back to Tri-Cities.

I would also be interested in information on costs, sizes, amenities, HOA fees, etc. Also, any knowledge on expected completion dates?