Thread: Broadway Redevelopment

Wow, almost $2 million for a bunch of tear-down properties.

Really glad to see this as it is in close proximity to all the good things happening on Broadway and that little park is a diamond in the rough.

I believe the nursing home is the large square building on the left, the duplexes are clustered in the middle and the garage is just behind them:

Bert Belanger has always been a forward thinker and made an early mark by acquiring several blighted multi-family buildings in the Paseo over ten years ago and redeveloping them into the Brighton Apartment complex which was the lynch pin of the revitalization of the Paseo Neighborhood and adjacent commercial strip. To add some time context; the OKCity sponsored Paseo Neighborhood revitilization project, the first officially sanctioned OKC neighborhood revitilization project, began around 1985 and still has another five or so years ahead of it before we can really declare victory; almost thirty years.

Belanger's plans for this Off-Broadway area are quite ambitious and will set the stage for the next phase of downtown OKC’s return to a vital mixed-use urban neighborhood. The potentially high number of residential units accompanied by major retail envisioned for the strip between Broadway & I-235 and 13th & 10th could also provide the impetus for the development of a modern transit loop connecting Downtown, Midtown, The OU Health Sciences Center and Bricktown.

ODG, what type of retail is planned for this site?

As I recall, only residential rental is planned for this first little piece that was the subject of Steve Lackmeyer's article. Large retail is a component in the long range concept as is structured parking and other contributing uses.

On a related note, a collection of small buildings on 9th Street, east of Broadway right at the tracks is being rehabbed by Steve Mason for use by the former chef of the Iguana to locate a new version of his elclectic Mexican restaurant formerly housed on N Western Avenue.

could also provide the impetus for the development of a modern transit loop connecting Downtown, Midtown, The OU Health Sciences Center and Bricktown.

As more residential properties come on-line, this would make a lot of sense.

It would be great to get a decent percentage of all those working at St. Anthony, the HSC, the state capitol and downtown to live in the area nearby. Best way to do this would be to provide quick and inexpensive mass transport (no gas or parking fees) and allow people who live down there to get to all the amenities.

A certain amount of walking is good but it would be darn tough to walk from Midtown to downtown or the HSC, especially when the weather is hot/cold/rainy/snowy.

Originally Posted by The Old Downtown Guy

Bert Belanger has always been a forward thinker and made an early mark by acquiring several blighted multi-family buildings in the Paseo over ten years ago and redeveloping them into the Brighton Apartment complex which was the lynch pin of the revitalization of the Paseo Neighborhood and adjacent commercial strip. To add some time context; the OKCity sponsored Paseo Neighborhood revitilization project, the first officially sanctioned OKC neighborhood revitilization project, began around 1985 and still has another five or so years ahead of it before we can really declare victory; almost thirty years.

Belanger's plans for this Off-Broadway area are quite ambitious and will set the stage for the next phase of downtown OKC’s return to a vital mixed-use urban neighborhood. The potentially high number of residential units accompanied by major retail envisioned for the strip between Broadway & I-235 and 13th & 10th could also provide the impetus for the development of a modern transit loop connecting Downtown, Midtown, The OU Health Sciences Center and Bricktown.

10th and Broadway are perfect for a light rail line connecting OUHSC to midtown to lower downtown. The median could be turned into a ROW and there is a fair amount of density. Still could use more though, and this project is a step in the right direction.

Originally Posted by BG918

10th and Broadway are perfect for a light rail line connecting OUHSC to midtown to lower downtown. The median could be turned into a ROW and there is a fair amount of density. Still could use more though, and this project is a step in the right direction.

I'll post a reply under a more appropriate thread.

Does anyone else find it interesting kind of creepy that the halfway houses were next to a park?

^I was about to post the same thing. Unsettling, to say the least!

To call that strip of land a "park" is a bit misleading. I believe it is actually leftover median from the trolley line that used to run down Broadway. When the USS Oklahoma anchor and memorial was moved there in 2007 it became more like a park. The halfway houses were there years before the land even resembled a park.

I'm glad to see them gone...

Originally Posted by PapaJack

To call that strip of land a "park" is a bit misleading.

I know that and I think most people do as well, but the fact is that the article stated "A small park seperates the homes from Broadway." I think it could have been a little better writen. They do state the park has been unused, etc for 10-15 yrs.

I had noticed something was going on with these buildings. It is a prime location for residential development, and then that could spread to some cool historic buildings near the tracks that would make great lofts. The one I'm thinking of is painted white and is currently a book depository or something like that.