Shepherd Mall

[metro]

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development
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|project=
|address= 2401 NW 23rd
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|finish=1964
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|height=
|sq. feet= 659,041
|acerage= 44.483
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Information & Latest News

11/5/64: Official grand opening for the mall
Early 1964: Kerr's and JC Penney open (JCP promptly closed their downtown location)
Tenants

• Advanced Science & Tech
• Aging Services Division
• APS Healthcare Inc
• Astec Charter Middle School
• ATI Career Training Center
• B & M Cleaners & Gifts
• Beijing Chinese Restaurant
• Division of Vocational Rehabili...
• Dizzy's
• Fire Marshal Office
• Genuine Care
• H&R Block
• Hewlett-Packard
• Horse Racing Commission
• Inspector General Office
• Insurance Department Life Acc...
• Insurance Department Property...
• Las Morenas Cafe
• Midland Mortgage
• Oddc
• Office of Disabaility Concerns
• Ok State Department-Insurance
• Oklahoma Construction Industry
• Oklahoma Federal Credit Union
• Oklahoma State Board of Cosm...
• Oklahoma State Board of Exa...
• Pizzeria & More
• Rehabilitation Services
• Shepherd Mall Family Dentistry
• State of Oklahoma: Wic Service
• Subway
• Touch Tel Wireless
• TSR Inc
• US Post Office
• US Social Security Admin.
• Vta Oklahoma City Llc

Links

County Assessor Record
Gallery

[CuatrodeMayo]

Your hopes, maybe.

Shepard Mall died a long time ago as a retail location. However, it has been re-used quite effectively in it's present state.

[metro]

You've become quite the antagonist as of late. No, many of us were hoping to see it revived (like the areas around it have) into a new development like a mixed-use development or a transit oriented development. Heaven-forbid we ever get mass transit going down what is arguably OKC's most vital street (NW 23rd) that it be revived and play a crucial role in the urban redevelopment. That area is RIPE with potential. Sorry to hear someone in your biz has no higher hopes than to see it be state offices and storage units along with a Walmart Neighborhood market and a few strip center stores.

[mugofbeer]

This is a horrible idea. Instant slum waiting to happen. I hope someone on the city council realizes this type of development brings down everything around it. I don't mind that the mall is what it is today because it employs hundreds if not into the thousands but its not the place for a bunch of ****ty self-storage units.

[kevinpate]

An underutilized all but vacant chunk of asphalt/crete will become a more utilized, revenue generating bit of property that meets a need for both consumer and commercial alike. Sounds like in-fill to me.

Not fancy in-fill by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems a far better use than that dead parking space has seen in many a year.

[metro]

Yes, but it's LOST POTENTIAL. Too bad too many in this city have the mentality of settling for less than potential, and the same sheep complain about our City and how much it sucks.

[mugofbeer]

To a developer bent on making a buck it is, to those who live nearby and have to look at it, it's garbage. This would have made a magnificent life-style center redevelopment that would have improved the entire section of the city that has such great potential. This will ruin that possibility and bring it more in line with May Avenue or SW 29th. Just what we need-more low quality development. Mini-storage units should be in industrial areas, not residential.

[CuatrodeMayo]

You've become quite the antagonist as of late. No, many of us were hoping to see it revived (like the areas around it have) into a new development like a mixed-use development or a transit oriented development. Heaven-forbid we ever get mass transit going down what is arguably OKC's most vital street (NW 23rd) that it be revived and play a crucial role in the urban redevelopment. That area is RIPE with potential. Sorry to hear someone in your biz has no higher hopes than to see it be state offices and storage units along with a Walmart Neighborhood market and a few strip center stores.

I didn't say I am opposed to any of that. But let's be rational here.

Its not like Shepard mall is sitting empty. It’s being used quite effectively, just not the way we would prefer.

A storage unit complex is obviously a better use than the weed-strewn empty lot that exists now. It’s not like it is the proverbial nail in the coffin for redevelopment of the mall property. If you look up the site on google earth, you will see what a small portion of the mall area that 5.1 acres actually covers. Actually, in terms of land-use, that is the ideal location for a less-than-desirable occupancy (like the apartment complex next door). It’s tucked away on a non-important piece of land and in NO WAY affects the potential for redevelopment.

[kevinpate]

So it would better for it to remain an unused empty parking splotch for another umpteen years?

For whatever reason, no one has stepped forward to develop something more elegant in that location. Given the lack of interest over the years, perhaps the storage bunkers are the actual potential of the soon to be former parking spaces.

And as it's the corner of a former retail turned office complex and school, and zoned C-3, it's not exactly residential turf.

[mugofbeer]

So it would better for it to remain an unused empty parking splotch for another umpteen years?

For whatever reason, no one has stepped forward to develop something more elegant in that location. Given the lack of interest over the years, perhaps the storage bunkers are the actual potential of the soon to be former parking spaces.

And as it's the corner of a former retail turned office complex and school, and zoned C-3, it's not exactly residential turf.

We're not arguing the zoning but the fact is there is a nice apartment complex to the north, houses directly next door to the east and houses a couple of hundred feet to the west. Yes, its better to be undeveloped than to put in the wrong thing and yes, a mini-storage can absolutely stop a far better redevelopment project from taking shape. Not saying it WILL, but it can.

The Streets at Southglenn is a redeveloped shopping mall about a mile from my Denver house. The area surrounding this is very similar to the demographics of the area around Shepherd Mall. This company has redeveloped 3 different 60's - 70's era malls around Denver VERY successfully. This is what should be put there, not a bunch of low-rent mini-storages. God! People need to think bigger than this!

Alberta Development Partners : The Places : The Streets at SouthGlenn

(click on the developments on the left of the screen to see each project - 3 of which were redeveloped from situations very similar to what is now at Shepherd Mall._

[wsucougz]

I have to imagine this is pretty bad for a neighborhood already, for the most part(exception of Cleveland), teetering on the brink.

[sgray]

The owners of the land are obviously not in business to lose money or buy land just to let it sit. If no one has come forward with interest in the property, how can you blame them for selling a small piece of the property for profit? Personally, I thank them for not bulldozing the whole place and turning it into a mega-storage facility!

If a group of people are interested in preserving pieces of property within the city (ones which no one else has shown interest in), perhaps those folks should step forward and buy the property with their money. Otherwise, don't blame the owners for doing what they have to do to stay in business.

[okclee]

This is where Okc is to blame.

We need more changes to our zoning regulations. A storage facility should be under some kind of special zoning.

[mugofbeer]

It is quite likely there is nothing wrong with it or out of line. Its just a very sad and very unfortunate case of a real underutilization of a prime piece of land that could go a long way in rejuvinating a very promising part of the city.

The city itself should have been taking the lead on trying to make this parcel a prime redevelopment project and searching for a developer such as the one on my link. I don't blame the property owners but it is small-minded thinking.

On other threads people have complained about the lack of certain retail outlets in the city and it has been stated clearly that one of the reasons these retailers are not in OKC is due to a lack of suitable space. This type of redevelopment would provide that suitable space. Instead we get orange-roofed, tin sided mini-storages. Damn quality, just make a buck.

[Kerry]

Alberta Development Partners : The Places : The Streets at SouthGlenn

(click on the developments on the left of the screen to see each project - 3 of which were redeveloped from situations very similar to what is now at Shepherd Mall._

It is a shame that OKC has such a hard time pulling off a development like that. Every city I travel to has multiple places like that but narry a one in OKC.

[mugofbeer]

You know, I feel its possible people on this thread were at least partially responsible for Whole Foods coming here. Why would it not be possible for people on this thread to bring this type of idea to their city councilmen(women)? I am sending an email to mine today because this mini-storage idea is so small minded for such a promising piece of land.

When I say that the demographics surrounding 2 specific sites that were redeveloped in Denver are very similar to the area around Shepherd Mall, they are very similar. No one can say the area can't support it. It's like Field of Draems, if a significant, high-quality development is built, people will come.

[soonerguru]

This is terrible. If I lived in that neighborhood to the North I would be going ballistic right now. What an awful idea.

[soonerguru]

The city itself should have been taking the lead on trying to make this parcel a prime redevelopment project and searching for a developer such as the one on my link. I don't blame the property owners but it is small-minded thinking.

Bingo. We need to get our planners' focus to extend beyond the inner core. We need to be proactive. There will always be developers with little imagination trying to turn a quick buck. Developing prime parcels of land should be an honor, and the ideas should be solid and completely vetted. No more Belle Isles.

[easternobserver]

Storage is ***NOT*** a higher and better use for this land. Vacant still has potential, storage means an eyesore waiting to happen. Worse yet, storage facilities have long lifespans and relatively high retail costs/acre, meaning that this land will be locked up essentially forever.

Storage should be a use permitted on review, with required hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. Better yet, it should not be allowed at all in commercial areas, instead being reserved for industrual zoning.

[Steve]

It's difficult not to see where Metro is coming from; storage units obviously don't add to the neighborhood as senior housing and mixed use would have.

[krisb]

I think we ought to direct our questions to Councilman Sam Bowman. Also, did this not need approval by the City Council because there was no zoning change? I guess this is what comes from free enterprise...

[onthestrip]

Your hopes, maybe.

Shepard Mall died a long time ago as a retail location. However, it has been re-used quite effectively in it's present state.

Cuatro is right on. I find it quite remarkable that Shepard was able to transform itself several years ago into an office complex from a mall and not just end up like Heritage Park. And now you all have some dream that this dead mall will be revived again. Sorry, just isnt going to happen, and if it did, everyone would be complaining about the same ol' same ol' tenants that it might attract. Its not a prime location for quality and upscale tenants.

I have to imagine this is pretty bad for a neighborhood already, for the most part(exception of Cleveland), teetering on the brink.

Im having a hard time deciphering what you are getting at. That the neighborhoods around it are in decline?

[wsucougz]

Im having a hard time deciphering what you are getting at. That the neighborhoods around it are in decline?

Yes. Most of them.

[Pete]

The apartments at 30th & Villa did very well at the beginning... I wonder how their occupancy rate has been of late.

[metro]

Cuatro is right on. I find it quite remarkable that Shepard was able to transform itself several years ago into an office complex from a mall and not just end up like Heritage Park. And now you all have some dream that this dead mall will be revived again. Sorry, just isnt going to happen, and if it did, everyone would be complaining about the same ol' same ol' tenants that it might attract. Its not a prime location for quality and upscale tenants.



Im having a hard time deciphering what you are getting at. That the neighborhoods around it are in decline?

I think you're missing it, we're not wanting to see Shepard Mall itself revived, it's course is done, FYI Farmers is moving out soon once their new building is done. We're wanting to see it as transit oriented development, similar to what is done in Portland or Denver. Basically tear down the old mall, build a new TOD, apartments/condos/new retail building/lifestyle center type complex. It is RIPE with the same potential as a poster pointed out above with the example in Denver.