Edge @ Midtown

[Rover]

I haven't seen their proposal detail, but were exterior materials and finish addressed specifically as design specifications? It is hard to tell from the renderings what the actual materials proposed is. Were streetscape issues addressed, as well?

[betts]

I went to dinner in Midtown tonight and as I was going home I noticed there are two other essentially empty blocks along tenth street between Walker and Robinson. I'm not sure who owns the properties, but it would be nice to see one of the other developers put their design in the areas as well.

[Just the facts]

There in lies the problem Betts. What you see as one large vacant lot is actually 9 lots owned by different people. I think the two vacant areas you are talking about are mostly owned by St Anthonys and a group called Midtown 10Tth & Park Place LLC, but there are other owners as well. Land assembly is the big challenege and the City needs to find a way to discourge people from holding on to indivdual parcels and/or encourage them to build something or sale to someone who will.

[HOT ROD]

These two are very, very similar in their original design:

you know Pete, I was thinking the same thing when i saw the Legacy rendering again - looks like this one is eerily (sp?) similar to Legacy's rendering. ..... and yes, look at what was built and how long it took for financing. ....

Hmm, why was Wiggins not chosen?

Also, why cant Wiggins and other projects be built elsewhere?

Just the Facts, thanks - I didn't get to your post yet.

[OKCPetro83]

Given that he lied about the extent to which he was going to build the first project, how does the city ensure that he doesn't do this with a cheap stucco finish again and cut a bunch of corners?

[ljbab728]

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-urba...adlines_widget

[warreng88]

From Journal Record:

Plotting the Edge at Midtown: Developer hopes to break ground in 2012
By Brianna Bailey
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 05:47 PM Wednesday, August 10, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – Developer Gary Brooks hopes to break ground on the $28.2 million Edge at Midtown development by August 2012, he told the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority on Wednesday.

Designs for the 250-unit apartment complex are still evolving. Revised plans that Brooks presented to the Urban Renewal Authority on Wednesday included moving a parking garage to the center of the project away from the street and adding more glass to the 8,000 square feet of retail space that is part of the development.

“It’s a work in progress as you can imagine,” Brooks said. “A lot of work has been done in seven weeks to get to this point.”

Urban Renewal Authority commissioners said they were pleased with the progress made on the Midtown project over the past two months after trying to get the old Mercy Hospital site developed for several years.

“Now is a good time to build,” said Larry Nichols, chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority. “Construction costs are down. Let’s get this done.”

Plans for the old Mercy site by Legacy at Arts Quarter developers Brooks and Mike Henderson of Cornerstone Development will be aided by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that guarantees loans for multifamily housing. Financing for the project also will be helped by an estimated $1.5 million in tax increment financing funding.

Several other high-profile Oklahoma City developers competed for the rights to the Mercy site, including Oklahoma City developer Wiggin Properties; Gardner Tanenbaum Group, led by Dick and Stephen Tanenbaum; Sieber Hotel redeveloper Marva Ellard; and prolific homebuilder Home Creations.

[Spartan]

Given that he lied about the extent to which he was going to build the first project, how does the city ensure that he doesn't do this with a cheap stucco finish again and cut a bunch of corners?

Well as far as I know, nothing, other than the very real likelihood that Larry Nichols makes this a little bit different this time around. I wouldn't want to be the guy who tried to get away with shoddy crap on Nichols' watch.

[Rover]

Well as far as I know, nothing, other than the very real likelihood that Larry Nichols makes this a little bit different this time around. I wouldn't want to be the guy who tried to get away with shoddy crap on Nichols' watch.

Is Larry Nichols involved?

[BoulderSooner]

Is Larry Nichols involved?

OCURA chairmen

[Just the facts]

Well as far as I know, nothing, other than the very real likelihood that Larry Nichols makes this a little bit different this time around. I wouldn't want to be the guy who tried to get away with shoddy crap on Nichols' watch.

Who was OCURA chairman the last time 'shoddy crap' was allowed? I assume by 'shoddy crap' you are referring to Legacy.

[Rover]

OCURA chairmen

Thanks. Guess that had escaped me.

[Urban Pioneer]

Well they did adhere to our request for the "corner clip" for the streetcar so the site design it seems is responding well to other environmental issues.

While I wouldn't call this a Transit Oriented Development, undoubtedly it will more than likely be the most integrated housing project into the streetcar system of the planned housing projects in that the streetcar will literally come on the property.

[Steve]

Who was OCURA chairman the last time 'shoddy crap' was allowed? I assume by 'shoddy crap' you are referring to Legacy.

Stanton Young was chairman when the Legacy project was awarded and reviewed.

[Pete]

Larry Nichols was a prominent OCURA commissioner for both the Legacy project and the debacle surrounding The Hill.

[Just the facts]

Larry Nichols was a prominent OCURA commissioner for both the Legacy project and the debacle surrounding The Hill.

Give Larry his due though - the OCURA land at the corner of Hudson and Sheridan came out pretty well. One out of three isn't bad.

BTW - thanks Steve. I didn't think it was LN, but I couldn't remember who it was.

[Steve]

Larry Nichols was a prominent OCURA commissioner for both the Legacy project and the debacle surrounding The Hill.

No doubt he cast key votes on both. Didn't mean to imply otherwise. Just giving correct info on chair position

[Pete]

Understood!

I just wanted to clarify that Nichols has been involved with OCURA for decades, so the idea they are suddenly going to start making much better decisions due his involvement is at least a bit misguided.

If anything, the chairman usually doesn't voice opinion or vote unless there is a stalemate, so he may have less influence rather than more.

[Spartan]

Understood!

I just wanted to clarify that Nichols has been involved with OCURA for decades, so the idea they are suddenly going to start making much better decisions due his involvement is at least a bit misguided.

If anything, the chairman usually doesn't voice opinion or vote unless there is a stalemate, so he may have less influence rather than more.

No, but I do think it is reasonable to believe that Larry Nichols, whose involvement in the community is surging, is taking on OCURA more. It is now becoming an embodiment of him and his way of doing business (not attacking or even commenting on that), especially with this new Authority thingy. Essentially, I think Nichols is going to be much more on top of this stuff than Stanton Young was, and I would hate to be in the cross hairs of someone like that who just simply gets things done.

[Rover]

If the Devon Center is representative of Larry's vision of quality, I am all for it.

[Larry OKC]

Agree. If he applies the same standards (on time, on budget, as pitched)...

[Just the facts]

If the Devon Center is representative of Larry's vision of quality, I am all for it.

LOL - so far Devon Tower appears to be the outlier in the data set. Of course, that is probably the difference between playing the part of planners (OCURA), and actualy having to lay the money out yourself (Devon Tower).

[Rover]

Look at the current Devon building. Prior to Devon it wasn't much to brag about. They made it much nicer. Larry has always been committed to quality.

[city]

I think it will be more about the involvement of Cathy O'Conner in OCURA, that will be the difference maker than Larry Nichols.

[Steve]

Understood!

I just wanted to clarify that Nichols has been involved with OCURA for decades, so the idea they are suddenly going to start making much better decisions due his involvement is at least a bit misguided.

If anything, the chairman usually doesn't voice opinion or vote unless there is a stalemate, so he may have less influence rather than more.

Um, no, Stanton actually had A LOT of influence as chairman. A lot of nuance here....