City mulls choices for urban makeover
By Steve Lackmeyer
Main Street

Old-timers downtown still bristle at the mention of internationally renowned architect and urban planner I.M. Pei. Justified or not, they blame the man for the 1960s-era Urban Renewal program that successfully targeted more than half of the Central Business District for acquisition and demolition.

The Oklahoma City Council faces a similar crossroads today — buy property, either through the market or by eminent domain, all of the area dubbed as Core to Shore, or will the free market dictate the area's future? Or should the city pursue a bit of both approaches, as recommended by city staff?

The city already has started down this path, somewhat, with its recent $3.6 million purchase of the U.S. Postal Service distribution center at 320 SW 5. The site represented a large chunk of the land targeted for a park that is planned as part of revitalization of a largely blighted area between downtown and the Oklahoma River.

If the city were to avoid a repeat of the I.M. Pei plan approach, it would only buy properties for public use — mostly parks and parking lots. But, as noted in a report being delivered to the city council, a full market approach risks speculation that could lead to artificially high property prices and either scattered or poor development that could hurt the area's revitalization.

Assistant City Manager Cathy O'Connor, one of the key players in the Core to Shore planning, says the city doesn't have the resources to repeat the I.M. Pei plan. Back then, millions of federal dollars paid for acquisition and clearance. The feds aren't as generous these days.

But O'Connor notes some speculative purchases already have taken place. So, the city council is being advised to follow a mix of the two approaches. The city, likely through the Urban Renewal Authority, would acquire land for public use and also would seek to buy or claim eminent domain to obtain "strategic properties” deemed critical for ensuring implementation of Core to Shore.

What do property owners think?
Expect some controversy to follow, either way. Property owners along S Robinson Avenue — an area known as "hubcap alley” because of its mix of junk yards and auto parts shops — have met several times in the past few months to discuss whether they might be targeted for removal as part of Core to Shore.
Some property owners say they're ready for a buyout or are resigned to a change in the neighborhoods. Others have vowed to fight, though the city is not targeting any land south of the Interstate 40 alignment. Regardless, it's clear the days of simply discussing Core to Shore are over. Now, as in the early days of MAPS, we may very well be about to witness the "butchering of the steer.”

What's Next?
The offices of the Salvation Army, 311 SW 5, and Oklahoma Goodwill Industries, 410 SW 3, are scheduled to be acquired as part of Core to Shore. O'Connor said she doubts eminent domain will be needed with either of the landowners, since they are both nonprofit organizations.

IMO they should let the free market work with all the land for private use. Just make sure it is zoned very specifically to fit the C2S masterplan, and that the Downtown Design Board or something like it has to approve everything. The zoning/planning should set rental vs. for sale as well as a variety of price ranges.

Zoning dealing with massing is the most critical. Minimum heights, setbacks, and density.

Eminent domain should definitely not be used.

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ProjectOKC.com

I still don't think you can compare this with the Pei plan. What is worth saving in that part of town is being saved (ex. Union Station building). It isn't like we are in danger of losing dozens of irreplaceable buildings.

Nm

Oklahoma City eyes buying land south of downtown
By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Oklahoma City will pursue "strategic properties” in the mostly blighted area dubbed Core to Shore, but city council members on Tuesday chose not to repeat an entire acquisition of the area similar to actions taken downtown 40 years ago.

Council members weighed three choices presented by Planning Director Russell Claus on how to proceed with Core to Shore, an area south of downtown bordered by the existing alignment of Interstate 40 to the north and the Oklahoma River to the south:


• Full market: Claus said the "purely public sector approach” would buy areas only needed for public purposes — a park and trails. The remainder would be left to private developers with the quality being directed by zoning and design guidelines. Claus cautioned such an approach is subject to speculation and uneven development.

• Full control: The city, likely through the Urban Renewal Authority, would acquire the entire 750-acres. The approach would require increased use of eminent domain and Claus said the city could be left holding some properties for 30 years.

• Direct market: The city would acquire land for public purposes and as well as properties deemed strategic for protecting public investment and catalyzing private development.

Claus recommended the direct market approach, telling council members it also would provide needed certainty for developers looking to invest in the area.

"We believe we would be able to implement the plan quicker this way,” Claus said. "It minimizes speculation. It reduces the amount of public sector intervention in the private sector as a whole. But it still allows us to have sufficient direction in implementation of the plan.”

Council members agreed the city shouldn't seek to acquire the entire Core to Shore area — but didn't agree with Councilman Brian Walters' opinion that they should limit their land purchases to property needed for the park.

So they agreed on Direct Market then? I think that's good.

It's the cheapest alternative for the city though. It assures us that we don't have to be gouged by holdouts.

That's in everyone's best interest except for the person trying to gouge the taxpayer.

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It's a friendlier OKCTalk!

For what? What Core to Shore? I wouldn't buy anything until we know what's happening at Union Station. Why spend money for a park that no one will use? Why buy land for development when we don't know if anyone will even go there?

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OKCThunderfans: http://www.okcthunderfans.com

I guarantee you, if the real estate market can maintain these $250+/sq. ft. prices, anything and everything which can potentially be dubbed "urban" will be developed at a record pace.

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It's a friendlier OKCTalk!

They are talking about the land that will be private. They will only use eminent domain if necessary to obtain the land for the parks.

But will they? If Core to Shore isn't developed as it was outlined, it would make me rethink moving downtown, although I'm already committed, and there's no way I'd move into the Core to Shore area without the park as outlined.

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OKCThunderfans: http://www.okcthunderfans.com

The substantial redevelopment of the C2S area is at the minimum another twenty-five to thirty year process and would take even longer without the impact of the Devon building. Unlike C2S, Bricktown had a good stock of existing buildings and Neal Horton did the first rehab work down there in the late 70's and early 80's. Of course the oil bust stalled that revitalization process for several years, but it has still been over 20 years since Spaghetti Warehouse opened, which signaled the real beginning of Bricktown.

From the late 40's through the mid-60's, downtown was a vital, thriving urban community. No vacant land or empty buildings. Today, the Central Business District is just now turning the corner and heading for sustained redevelopment. I mark the low point of the destruction wrought by Urban Renewal at October 16, 1977 . . . when the Biltmore Hotel was taken down . . . 31 years ago. It's a long slide down and an equally long or longer time back.

If you add The Triangle, The Hill, Deep Deuce and all the rest to Bricktown, the area is about the same as C2S and that whole east of the tracks near downtown area is only about half developed at this point. So, betts, if you are going to wait until C2S has quite a bit of housing and commercial development before you consider a move, it will be a long wait.

Enjoy the process.

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The Old Downtown Guy

It will take decades for Oklahoma City's
downtown core to regain its lost gritty,
dynamic urban character, but it's exciting
to observe and participate in the transformation.

For once i agree with the old fart, I think a lot of people are thinking of C2S as a 10 year project or something. This is something that's going to be decades long folks. As much land as there is there, the city is going to be investing a CRAPLOAD of money just to buy it up, much less build it. We've got a LOT of land around the core that still has plenty life in it for development outside of C2S and it's currently much more attractive.

I'm extremely excited on the possiblities C2S has to offer, but I'm also a realist. It's not going to happen while I'm still young so I'm thinking of it as an investment in my children's future in OKC. How will it help their city....and it totally will.

The biggest point to think....look at the masterplan. Now consider this. How many times have masterplans come out, that the end result resembled the masterplan? It pretty much never happens. Every project gets changed and adjust to different influences. We just have to sit back, enjoy the ride, and see what happens.

Your point is right on. Remember the "String of Pearls" project? I can't wait until it's completed. I wonder what ever happen to those horses.

I'm actually already moving to the Triangle. Money has been put down, and work is progressing. I'll be there by midwinter. But, every night I walk in the 2 mile park in our neighborhood, and I know I'm going to miss that terribly. My nephew lives in Manhattan, and he pops out his front door and walks in Central Park anytime he wants. I want the same for our downtown. I want a Central Park, because I think green is far more important to people than most of the urbanists realize. Yes, it's cool to have high rise commercial and apartment buildings and density. I appreciate that as well. But, people need green. People need to walk. Making a walkable city is far more important to me than mass transit. Mass transit allows the people who live in the suburbs to get to downtown. For those of us who live downtown, mass transit isn't as important as having places to walk to and in.

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OKCThunderfans: http://www.okcthunderfans.com

Maybe they will get rid of that eyesore U-Haul building when they demolish the old Crosstown. It would only take a slight miscalculation to accidentally knock the thing down!!

Seriously - does anyone know of any plan to encourage that business to relocate? The place is horribly out of place now and will only become more of a sore thumb as the boulevard and future development occurs in that area.

Yeah, it is ugly. What about doing some development the parking lots in front of it and are they going to develop the area between Sonic Headquarters and the hotel?

I think that you and CaptDave are being just a bit harsh with that building. Sure, I agree that it would be nice if the U-Haul truck and the facade that masks the real building would go, but not the building itself.

Originally, it was the Iten Biscuit Building, a basically white building, construction starting in 1911 and ending in 1912. Here's a postcard from Vanished Splendor -- a salesman's card --

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...tenbiscuit.jpg



This Oklahoman article announced the building:



Steve's OKC: 2nd Time Around shows some great things planned for that building which looked very cool before Neal Horton's Bricktown plans stalled out; Steve's upcoming Bricktown book shows at least one marvelous photo of this building early on. Personally, I think that it is a treasure.

Change of use? Sure. Demolition? No way.

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

Doug thanks for the great piece of history. Interesting stuff. Is Oklahoma City still considered the center of the Southwest in the cracker industry? I think at one point in time another company by the name" Bake-Rite" had this building. But I could be wrong. Maybe they bought out the Iten Cracker Co.

Heh. As far as I'm aware, we've quackered out! Maybe someone else knows differently, though.

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

Wow - that facade is hidden under that building??!! You are correct Doug - I agree that should be restored and it would be a significant addition (or 're-addition') to the area.

You'd never guess it was there if we didn't have people like Doug around to remind us of things like this. I've been visiting OKC since 1990 and lived here since 2002. I remember thinking the first time I visited that was a silly place for such a huge U-Haul building.

I stand corrected - thanks Doug.

im amazed this would add some character to the rather suburban looking Lower Bricktown development. It would make for amazing loft space

I don't trust the practice of taking land for the "public good", usually way under paid of market value.