West Village

[shawnw]

For easy reference

Looks to me like there will only be brick on the first floor, so it's almost done. The rest will either be bare or painted, right?

[David]

For current page reference:




Paint, what looks like a film row specific mural or two, and maybe some decoration on the corners.

[Rover]

What is not to get?

Parking garages that are used for residential and entertainment/restaurant see use basically 24 hours a day, every day. Parking garages in the core that are not intended for either of these two items, see use basically Mon-Fri 8-5pm. This is why mixed-use is touted. Throw residential on top of a garage and put retail/entertainment/restaurant at the bottom. This scenario would provide the garage being used constantly - thus is not a giant concrete monolith of nothing outside of 40 hours a week.

That is some kind of rationalization. I would compare the commerce of the two any day. And if we truly have investors really willing to bring destination retail downtown, the garages don't have to sit empty in the evenings and weekends.

By the way, residential garages tend to empty during the day when the residents leave. They don't just use parking garages to store cars.

[Rover]

For current page reference:




Paint, what looks like a film row specific mural or two, and maybe some decoration on the corners.

So, a little paint on pre-cast concrete slabs is okay? This is what goes for "quality" architecture?

[David]

There's also what looks like some sort of decorative element on the corners (and the brick along the bottom too). It doesn't look like bland blahness, which is the primary difference I am looking at when comparing these renderings and the finished BoK garages.

[Rover]

Paint on concrete .... lipstick on pig. At least BofO garage has good looking street level with architectural detail and facade over the raw concrete structure. Those elements aren’t cheap and they are an attempt to disguise the garage. There is no mistaking these garages as pre-cast concrete parking garages.

[Pete]

From yesterday.

Note: Steel is going up on Building C, between Jones and the new parking garage on Sheridan. Also, they have torn up the parking lot to the east of the Main Street parking garage and have started on those apartments as well.

[Pete]

With the parking garage now open on Sheridan, the two lots on either side of the Main Street garage have now been cleared for construction.

[Urbanized]

This whole development is just so remarkable. It’s amazing to see what can transpire when creative vision meets willing (and nearly unlimited) access to capital.

[catch22]

This whole development is just so remarkable. It’s amazing to see what can transpire when creative vision meets willing (and nearly unlimited) access to capital.

Look at the date of when this thread was started, that adds to the amazement for me. We have many threads on this website going back twice as long and still not completed.

[dankrutka]

What are the chances of Sonic and Taco Bell ever being bought out of those locations? I know TB just recently renovated. It’d be great to seem them replaced with urban developments, but how willing are fast food chains to do so?

[catch22]

What are the chances of Sonic and Taco Bell ever being bought out of those locations? I know TB just recently tenovated. It’d be great to seem them replaced with urban developments, but how willing are fast food chains to do so?

Based on how busy both sonic and TB are at lunch time during the work week I would guess it would take a large check. Didn't McDonald's get $1 million for ODOT to buy several parking spaces of ROW for the BLVD?

[5alive]

Everytime I see these pictures I can't help but notice Sonic and Taco Bell...small structures on large areas of land. The value of those properties must have really gone up.

[bradh]

If Sonic was smart or willing, with their HQ being just down the road, they'd make that location the flagship and use it to try out new items and the like, and find a way to blend in with the development. Maybe even (and this is a long shot down the road deal after more is developed) they would work in more walk up and biking visitors.

[warreng88]

If Sonic was smart or willing, with their HQ being just down the road, they'd make that location the flagship and use it to try out new items and the like, and find a way to blend in with the development. Maybe even (and this is a long shot down the road deal after more is developed) they would work in more walk up and biking visitors.

I am curious if that location is a franchise or corporate owned. If it is a franchise, good lunch getting the franchisee to upgrade it. If it is corporate owned, then there might be a possibility.

[bradh]

True, that's a caveat I left out but would be a limiting factor for sure.

[pw405]

Comparing the most recent images to those in Pete's first post... simply astonishing what has been done. When I first saw the "live music/restaurant" building... I was like "meh.. probably be lame... WTH are they thinking". How. Wrong. I. Was. Hall family for Mayor(s)!!

[soonerguru]

With the parking garage now open on Sheridan, the two lots on either side of the Main Street garage have now been cleared for construction.

Are they going to do anything more to that parking garage? It is very ugly in its current state.

[mugofbeer]

Paint on concrete .... lipstick on pig. At least BofO garage has good looking street level with architectural detail and facade over the raw concrete structure. Those elements aren’t cheap and they are an attempt to disguise the garage. There is no mistaking these garages as pre-cast concrete parking garages.

There are dozens of this type of apartment project in "walkable" Denver. Whether urban or suburban, they all have parking garages. I really don't understand your issue with them. They are part of life. OKC isn't Manhattan.

[Rover]

There are dozens of this type of apartment project in "walkable" Denver. Whether urban or suburban, they all have parking garages. I really don't understand your issue with them. They are part of life. OKC isn't Manhattan.

I have nothing against parking faciities. It’s just that these are unattractive, don’t incorporate any pedestrian interaction on the ground floor, and are cheap looking at a key entrance to the district.

[baralheia]

If Sonic was smart or willing, with their HQ being just down the road, they'd make that location the flagship and use it to try out new items and the like, and find a way to blend in with the development. Maybe even (and this is a long shot down the road deal after more is developed) they would work in more walk up and biking visitors.

Apologies in advance if you're already aware of this - Sonic Corporate already has their flagship store in the middle of Lower Bricktown, just west of their corporate HQ and in the plaza directly north of the Harkins Theater. They do not serve drive-in customers, however - it's a walk-in location only. I've been to a few product testing and focus group panels there before. All of that said, the location that you are speaking of would be a perfect location for a blended Urban model store, one that has expanded walk-up/walk-in capabilities but could still serve a more limited number of drive-in customers as well. I'd love to see something like that happen... No idea if Sonic corporate has any prototypical urban store plans drawn up yet, but they really should consider it!

[bradh]

I did know that, thanks for the heads up.

[Rover]

Apologies in advance if you're already aware of this - Sonic Corporate already has their flagship store in the middle of Lower Bricktown, just west of their corporate HQ and in the plaza directly north of the Harkins Theater. They do not serve drive-in customers, however - it's a walk-in location only. I've been to a few product testing and focus group panels there before. All of that said, the location that you are speaking of would be a perfect location for a blended Urban model store, one that has expanded walk-up/walk-in capabilities but could still serve a more limited number of drive-in customers as well. I'd love to see something like that happen... No idea if Sonic corporate has any prototypical urban store plans drawn up yet, but they really should consider it!

It may have changed, but about 7-8 years ago I had foreign interests wanting to explore a non-drive up model for their urban areas in their countries and Sonic had no interest in developing that concept.

[baralheia]

It may have changed, but about 7-8 years ago I had foreign interests wanting to explore a non-drive up model for their urban areas in their countries and Sonic had no interest in developing that concept.

I mean, considering that their brand identity is built around the "Drive-in" concept, I can understand the lack of interest in a non-drive up model - but given that they've had operators successfully run locations in shopping mall food courts and in at least one airport, not to mention their walk-in only flagship store in Bricktown, all operating during that time frame, I'm a bit surprised at the total disinterest in further walk-in stores. I certainly hope that mindset has changed or at least softened a little.

[bchris02]

I have nothing against parking faciities. It’s just that these are unattractive, don’t incorporate any pedestrian interaction on the ground floor, and are cheap looking at a key entrance to the district.

There are a ton of developments in OKC to criticize. This isn't one of them. This and the Steelyard will definitely raise the bar in terms of what is expected for mixed-use developments downtown. I'm looking forward to seeing it finished out.