Thanks, Malibu! Looks good to me ... I'm pretty (100%) ignorant about the EFIS issue ... hopefully that will get resolved without sacrificing anything else planned.

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

It looks pretty nice for a Hampton Inn.

I think the stucco top would look better with more architectural detail, such as awnings.

However, the windows look cheap and plain.

You mean, as in "warehouse" windows?

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Doug, I was thinking the same thing.

I mean, it does have to tie into the Bricktown theme (you know, warehouse).

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Oklahoma City, RENAISSANCE CITY!

I like it. The stucco on the top two floors is a small enough percentage of the outside that it looks fine too me. I suppose it would look better if it were stone, but that's really expensive. Overall the design is even better than what I expected. Very urban look.

DEFINITELY,

its interesting to see these new developers bring something that we all want (or close) VS. HOGANs fair-lures. I only wish more of the current developers would do more projects! Let Lower Bricktown be Hogan's last development. Period.

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Oklahoma City, RENAISSANCE CITY!

I agree! Most of the building would be brick, so the small amount of stucco wouldn't concern me. I do praise Avis and John for pushing for more brick though. Sounds like we're in good hands, as far as the Bricktown Urban Design Committee is concerned. Too bad they weren't required to approve designs in Lower Bricktown. Shame on OCURA for allowing Hogan to ruin that portion of downtown.

All I have to say in regards to that comment is "I told you so." Not to you Hot Rod, but to OCURA and past city leaders like Kirk the jerk. Randy Hogan's idea of an urban development is a joke. Looks no different from his subpar work out at East Wharf, an area that had so much potential. Not all it has is a handful of restaurants and office space.......and a weak lighthouse, that most people from the coasts laugh at.

Back when Hogan was searching for tenants I was hoping OCURA would terminate the deal with him, and resubmit a request for development proposals. That didn't happen!

No we're left with a handful of buildings with black asphalt in between. Not very urban.

Yeah look at the other tread I posted of this new Wichita development. Way nicer shopping village type develpment and no parking lots.

Have there been any newer developments on the Hampton Inn project? I don't recall heraring of developments since November.

I'm in the beginning steps of revising my downtownOKC map located here at OkcTalk and at http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm to accomodate some of the newer developments since that map was drawn, and to make the Bricktown area more true to scale. Among other things, this means inclusion of the Hampton Inn (and the under construction Residence Inn).

Please look at the Yahoo map below (with my added text and *). I have the address as 300 E Sheridan ... have I got the physical map location and the address right?



Any advice is appreciated!

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Well, that's certainly where 300 East Sheridan would be.

I drove down to Bricktown mid-day to have a look. Yes, by the address and other descriptions provided, this does seem to be the place, to the left of the Pitman garage in this picture. Guess some will get a good look at the Redhawks when they are playing!

This pic looks SW from the North side of Sheridan.



I also took a few pics of the progress of the Residence Inn, shown in another thread, http://www.okctalk.com/bricktown-wired/4987-planning-four-developments-bricktown.html#post40096

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Vote approves Hampton Inn for Bricktown

By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

Oklahoma City's Bricktown Urban Design Committee got most of what members asked for Wednesday as they gave full approval for revised plans for a Hampton Inn and Suites.
The committee, charged with ensuring that new construction and renovations fit the district's historic character, voted in November against designs that would have included "EIFS" -- an Exterior Insulation and Finish System or stucco siding -- on all the hotel's floors.

The new designs submitted Wednesday show an all-brick facade on the first seven floors but still have the stucco siding on the top two floors. To pay for the added brick, architect Gary Brink told committee members he had to eliminate a planned tower in the center of the hotel that would have been lit at night.

The hotel is being developed by Wisconsin-based Raymond Management and Marsh Pitman, owner of the adjoining Power Alley Parking Garage. Construction is set to begin by May and open by August 2007.

Committee members remained concerned about the use of stucco siding on the top two floors -- a material used in the facade of suites and press boxes at the neighboring SBC Bricktown Ballpark.

"We are setting a precedent," committee member John Yoeckel said. "If we approve this project, it will be a model for things to come."

Barry Perkel, director of real estate with Raymond Management, responded the project's budget already was "stretched" and reported they had also raised the hotel room "price point" from between $100 and $110 a night to $115 to $120 a night.

Perkel said the project's budget has risen from $20 million to more than $24 million because of construction cost hikes caused by Hurricane Katrina.

"We're at the very edge of this project not being done," Perkel said, when pressed about still using stucco siding on the top two floors. "I honestly think it's a less effective design if it's all brick -- there would be no contrast."

Committee members unanimously approved the designs, with one, Avis Scaramucci, saying she would be proud to have the proposed hotel a block away from her Nona's Restaurant and Painted Door gift shop.

Pitman assured the group the hotel will improve the downtown and Bricktown skyline.

"If every building built here on out is done with this quality, Bricktown will look very nice," Pitman said.

Hampton Inn? Add a Wal-Mart and life will be complete. Heck.. some KFC's and Dollar Generals on the riverwalk and we'll be doing quite well.

Seriously.. this is just turning into a really nice strip mall.

Great that there are hotel rooms. Too bad they're going with a McHotel instead of waiting for someone to open up something that's somewhat unique.

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It's a friendlier OKCTalk!

Give me a freakin' break!

Why not just spend the extra money because you want a quality property?

Bricktown Urban Design Committee fails again.

I don't think they failed because they approved a Hampton Inn... Hampton Inn's aren't trashy hotels by any means. Obviously it's no Rennaisance, but I would stay at a Hampton Inn, especially one that looks like this one is going to, before I would stay at a Residence Inn, or Courtyard. The rooms are going to cost 115 to 120, I don't see how this is a negative thing for the area.

I'm personally pleased.

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Click your heel three times and say "The Skirvin and the Colcord, The Skirvin and the Colcord, The Skirvin and the Colcord".

I'm not convinced that having it be all brick is worth losing the lighted tower section. We'll see...

I think as long as we're building dinky hotels, they're not going wow people. Our biggest chance for interesting properties has been and probably will continue to be renovations and coversions.

The stucco was fine- you can't have a 10 story all-brick building- like the architect said, you need to break up the facade. I'm very disappointed with the removal of the tower- it would have added to the motif established over by the Miller Jackson builing with that lighted tower JDM Place.

The one architect that pays attention to surrounding elements- flat roof, brick, lighted tower- is the one that is driven nearly to the point of cancelling the project.

They didn't end up removing the tower...they said that they would have had to if they wouldn't have put stucco on the top two floors. But since the planning committee passed it with stucco on the top two floors, then they were able to keep the lighted tower.

I thought the original plan called for top 3 floor stucco, but they reduced it to top 2 floors, and because of the additional brick necessary they would have to remove the lighted tower.

"The new designs submitted Wednesday show an all-brick facade on the first seven floors but still have the stucco siding on the top two floors. To pay for the added brick, architect Gary Brink told committee members he had to eliminate a planned tower in the center of the hotel that would have been lit at night. "

The rendering shows no lighted tower.

thats too bad; i would have liked to seen a tower. something diffrent now its just blah again.

Lower Bricktown should seriously consider renaming itself "McBricktown." What do y'all think?

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Yeah, that's how I read it. They forced them to get rid of the tower for one extra floor of brick. It sounds like everyone lost. They didn't even get rid of the stucco as they wanted and, yet, they managed to eliminate a distinguishing feature. They need to learn how to use their demands for leverage to gain something, not lose it.

No joke, the Bricktown Design Committee failed bigtime on this one. You can't leverage 2 floors of brick? Come on. The market is prime in Bricktown. There are currently no other hotels and the downtown market is well underserved. Who cares if it would cost X amount more, you'd make it over 10-fold in a few years. Good old boy politics at work again.