Campus Corner

[catcherinthewry]

^I'll take Norman from those two pictures. I love all the old houses and large trees that border the campus on the north and west.

[chssooner]

Can't wait to see the plans! OU has needed a better campus corner for a long time. The tenants are nice (most, at least), but it is limited, and old.

[king183]

I imagine the buildings most likely to be taken out are the buildings in the north half of campus corner. Those are not very architecturally significant and several of them—if not all— are in major need of repair. The Oriental Express building could also go.

Norman just had a city council election in which the candidates were fighting to be the most anti-development. They were primarily focused on preventing development to the east, however, and arguing for more development in the core (“up not out”). The residents around the core are very anti-development, but I’m not sure how much power they have any more. When I lived there last in 2013, they were strong but their influence seemed to be weakening. I’d imagine if the developer is as big time as Pete suspects, then they feel very confident they will have the resources, including political, to make this happen.

Addendum: now that I think about it more, even more could happen going east on Boyd from Campus Corner. The gas station and that small strip mall could easily be put to higher use.

[dankrutka]

I guess I don’t understand why any buildings on campus corner need to be demolished when there’s plenty of room for urban development in the area—starting with the massive parking lot south of NOUN, the parking lot at Asp and White, the parking lots on Asp, the strip malls like Campus Corner Printing, etc. Why destroy good urban fabric when there are plenty of areas that lack any redeeming urban value? I know Pete values quality urbanism so I feel like I’m missing something…

[BoulderSooner]

I guess I don’t understand why any buildings on campus corner need to be demolished when there’s plenty of room for urban development in the area—starting with the massive parking lot south of NOUN, the parking lot at Asp and White, the parking lots on Asp, the strip malls like Campus Corner Printing, etc. Why destroy good urban fabric when there are plenty of areas that lack any redeeming urban value? I know Pete values quality urbanism so I feel like I’m missing something…

the parking lots south of noun are both owned needed and used ... the first is owned by the Presbyterian church across the street and the next lot is owned by OU

i would be surprised if either of these are currently in play

seems very likely that this project will massively transform most of if not all of the entire block north of Boyd between Buchanan and Asp all the way to White street

[PhiAlpha]

the parking lots south of noun are both owned needed and used ... the first is owned by the Presbyterian church across the street and the next lot is owned by OU

i would be surprised if either of these are currently in play

seems very likely that this project will massively transform most of if not all of the entire block north of Boyd between Buchanan and Asp all the way to White street

Yeah if we absolutely have to blow up part of campus corner in favor of new development, that would be my pick.

[dankrutka]

the parking lots south of noun are both owned needed and used ... the first is owned by the Presbyterian church across the street and the next lot is owned by OU

i would be surprised if either of these are currently in play

seems very likely that this project will massively transform most of if not all of the entire block north of Boyd between Buchanan and Asp all the way to White street

No surface parking lots are “needed” in any good urban area. There are better uses. If parking is needed than a parking garage can be incorporated into new developments there.

[PhiAlpha]

No surface parking lots are “needed” in any good urban area. There are better uses. If parking is needed than a parking garage can be incorporated into new developments there.

Yeah regardless of what is built and where…there’s going to have to be an investment in parking garages because i highly doubt any surface parking will remain if people are about to drop several hundred million on redeveloping campus corner.

[BoulderSooner]

No surface parking lots are “needed” in any good urban area. There are better uses. If parking is needed than a parking garage can be incorporated into new developments there.

this is not an "urban area"

[PhiAlpha]

this is not an "urban area"

campus corner and Main Street would be considered urban design areas.

[dankrutka]

this is not an "urban area"

Use whatever term you’d like: urban or walkable. The point is the same.

[BimmerSooner]

I wholeheartedly support new investment and redevelopment in the campus corner area. It's needed and the location is perfect for something really special. And parts of it have deteriorated or are less than presentable. That said, I am equally opposed to just leveling the existing district. That would be an absolute travesty, completely unnecessary and and irrevocably erase so much history and soul from the OU campus. There must be an effort, as others have said, to blend the two. So many architecturally cool and historic buildings. I've been to many, many campuses and we have some of the neatest buildings in our campus corner area. Some dogs, yes. But some really cool ones, especially along Boyd. Make this new development special, make it unique, don't make it like look every other new campus entertainment district in the SEC. We have that chance here. Let's not blow it.

[Bill Robertson]

I wholeheartedly support new investment and redevelopment in the campus corner area. It's needed and the location is perfect for something really special. And parts of it have deteriorated or are less than presentable. That said, I am equally opposed to just leveling the existing district. That would be an absolute travesty, completely unnecessary and and irrevocably erase so much history and soul from the OU campus. There must be an effort, as others have said, to blend the two. So many architecturally cool and historic buildings. I've been to many, many campuses and we have some of the neatest buildings in our campus corner area. Some dogs, yes. But some really cool ones, especially along Boyd. Make this new development special, make it unique, don't make it like look every other new campus entertainment district in the SEC. We have that chance here. Let's not blow it.

^ Well said!

[5alive]

^^^That!

[Pete]

If you compare those photos I posted of Norman and Athens, GA you'll see about 15 parking structures in Athens.

Norman has exactly zero outside a few on campus, even though the two cities have almost the exact same population.

[Bill Robertson]

If nothing else this discussion has made me think about how I've looked at other demolitions/developments. For instance I thought tearing down Stage Center was a solidly good idea. But many had attachments to SC. I didn't.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. I have emotional attachments to Campus Corner. Yes it needs some, in some cases a lot of, work but I don't want to see my CC go away.

[Pete]

^

Your CC is pretty much long gone. I know mine is.

It's almost all clubs now.

[BimmerSooner]

I hear ya Pete, but a place isn't just what it is now, it's what is has been and how the buildings, sidewalks and streets tell you stories.

If you can preserve parts of that while revitalizing and reinvesting, isn't that the best of both worlds?

[Pete]

I hear ya Pete, but a place isn't just what it is now, it's what is has been and how the buildings, sidewalks and streets tell you stories.

If you can preserve parts of that while revitalizing and reinvesting, isn't that the best of both worlds?

Of course. I can assure you no one is more sentimental about CC than me.

But times change and you have to start considering the real possibility they are going to want a pretty blank slate. And if you accept that, then you can start thinking about how it should be done.

[Bill Robertson]

Of course. I can assure you no one is more sentimental about CC than me.

But times change and you have to start considering the real possibility they are going to want a pretty blank slate. And if you accept that, then you can start thinking about how it should be done.

Ok. I'm coming around. I just hope it becomes something well done and worthy of the tradition the area holds for so many of us.

[dankrutka]

^

Your CC is pretty much long gone. I know mine is.

It's almost all clubs now.

There are some clubs, but it’s just a few properties. There’s still a diversity of businesses on campus corner. I’m surprised to see you say this because it’s not true.

[PhiAlpha]

There are some clubs, but it’s just a few properties. There’s still a diversity of businesses on campus corner. I’m surprised to see you say this because it’s not true.

Yeah there are still quite a few stores, restaurants and other businesses. There aren’t really many places down there that I would consider “clubs” other than maybe Yo Pablo. Most are restaurants that stay open late as bars and even Yo Pablo fits that category.

[Pete]

Yeah there are still quite a few stores, restaurants and other businesses. There aren’t really many places down there that I would consider “clubs” other than maybe Yo Pablo. Most are restaurants that stay open late as bars and even Yo Pablo fits that category.

Go down there any evening that isn't a game day. It's like the Kong's/Sunset scene and it's far more than just Yo Pablo.

This is one of the reasons why an aggressive new development would get approved here... The City of Norman and its residents have been fed up for a while and I know OU isn't happy either.

[PhiAlpha]

Go down there any evening that isn't a game day. It's like the Kong's/Sunset scene and it's far more than just Yo Pablo.

This is one of the reasons why an aggressive new development would get approved here... The City of Norman and its residents have been fed up for a while and I know OU isn't happy either.

I have been down there outside of game day. It just isn’t all that different from when I was in school there. Some of the bars have changed hands but many of the same restaurants, bars and shops are still there. Brothers closing and becoming Kongs was probably the most negative change in the last 10-15 years (because the guy who ran it sucks). Most of the bars are restaurants during the day that get overrun by college kids at night…but that’s how it’s been for the 20-30 years that I’ve been going to campus.

It would be interesting to look at a comparison of campus corner before and after OU’s dry campus policy went into effect.

[king183]

What would you say the predominant architectural style of Campus Corner was in its prime? I see some (what I would call) Spanish style buildings, but don’t know how old or new those are.