By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer
A $36 million mixed-use development, including what would be the tallest structure in Bricktown, will be publicly unveiled at next week's Bricktown Urban Design Committee meeting.





The committee's conceptual approval, which would include granting a variance to the entertainment district's height limits, is a key step to proceeding with construction drawings and starting site work this spring, developer Gary Cotton said.

"It needs to be taller to make it work,” Cotton said. "The economics, with the cost of the land, it just doesn't work.”

The plans include two buildings, one on either side of the canal where it turns from an east-west to a north-south direction parallel to Mickey Mantle Drive. The complex is being called the "Cotton Exchange” — a nod to its owner, but also an acknowledgement of the cotton industry that was once a part of Oklahoma City's early economy.


A unique design
The 12-story building design would be unique to Oklahoma City, featuring shops and restaurants on the canal and street level, topped by four floors of parking. The top six floors would be devoted to 66 condominiums. One floor may be developed as office space. The tower would be linked by a new pedestrian bridge to a four-story building sandwiched between the canal and Mickey Mantle Drive.
Parking access would be provided via an existing alley bridge, and spaces would be split 50/50 between public and private use.

Cotton's application to the Bricktown Urban Design Committee also would seek permission to tear down a building to make way for the 12-story tower — the first such demolition along the waterway since it opened in 1999.

The property was the first acquisition by Cotton along the canal, and has been empty since its last tenant, Margarita Mama's, closed in 2002.

Cotton assures that if given permission to raze the two-story structure, it won't end up as vacant land.

"That building is worth considerably more as a building than (if it were) torn down,” Cotton said. "It's being torn down only for use as this new building. I'd be making a million dollar-plus mistake if I tear it down and don't build this building.”

Architect Scott Dedmon with Architectural Design Group said the project calls for a mostly brick facade. The building is also designed with a setback so it would cast less of a shadow on buildings across the canal. An outdoor pool and patio are planned at the sixth floor setback (approximately at the adjoining Kingman Building roofline) that would be exclusive to the building's residents.

Dedmon said the project is designed to "look back and look ahead.”

"We want this to look like a really, really old Bricktown building that someone has redone extremely well,” Cotton said.


Work to begin soon
Cotton said pending conceptual approval by the Bricktown Urban Design Committee, he hopes to have site work starting this spring. He already has a team assembled for the project that includes Architectural Design Group, Timberlake Construction and Sperry Van Ness (sales and leasing). All three firms have experience with major Bricktown projects.
Cotton is hoping to duplicate what he thinks are some of the best features of the San Antonio Riverwalk — family-friendly restaurants along the canal, and penthouses and nice restaurants on the buildings' top floors.

Cotton said he never considered a hotel for the site — something discussed several years ago by previous owners of land on the two sides of the canal. He said he believes the canal needs an influx of housing and retail.

"I feel we need more retail to make Bricktown more viable, and we don't need a stack of bars,” Cotton said.

"We need to give people a reason to come back again and again. I think retail is key to that.”

Jim Cowan, director of the Bricktown Association, gave the proposal high marks after he was shown the designs Wednesday. He said the development is what the district needs to bring new life to the canal.

"I think there is so much potential for that particular space,” Cowan said. "I really hope in 2008 we see a lot about developments and new tenants for the canal. The canal has been a sleeping giant the past few years, and I think it's time to wake it up and get more activity going.”

I think that if he's given permission to raze the structure, he'll build an Applebees.

At least there will be something there now...now if the building owners of all the run down structures could be forced to do something.

We need some major changes to the tax code where it comes to developers being exempted from property taxes. That'd force their hands on either utilizing the land or selling it to someone who would.

http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2008/01/03/22/Img/Pc0220400.jpg

http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2008/01/03/22/Img/Pc0220500.jpg

Now that's what I'm talking about! Reminds me a lot of Mockingbird Station in Dallas, both in design and concept.

Way to go, Gary Cotton. Now don't screw it up.

You can view floor plans and more renderings on the "related photos" link to the top right of the story at NewsOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman (http://www.newsok.com). There is also a related analysis piece on the likelihood of the project proceeding.

I really like the renderings. Steve, what's your opinion? Based on the information that you've gathered, do you think that this project will happen?

Thanks, Steve.

Here they are:

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d4956af0f62a651a82ea8c5518ff3f7f8bb3c

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d495618a4df19a99b716d7252cfdb65c11e19

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d49565ff255cf7d0cb4079d179f09c2349d9c

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d4956cbcb36fe35231bbfcb3f9637dcb7dcc1

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d49564688036157378fad43f47278f5aa6fc9

http://photos.newsok.com/show_image.php?tn=0&nuvc=0&p=52616e646f6d49565fabc57787516bad07f1705929007986

Talk about showing up Randy Hogan!

I like it better than the Factory as well.

The best way I can answer this is to advise you to read the analysis piece and reach your own conclusion.

I really like the renderings. Steve, what's your opinion? Based on the information that you've gathered, do you think that this project will happen?

Well, with The Factory, it was financing that fell through, and as Steve points out in his commentary, the success of the Centennial should help ease the minds of lenders that were likely unsure of the Factory's profitability.

The trick to it all is financing. And it's always tricky in this business determining which developers are simply seeking publicity to attract the investment they need for the financing from those who are ready to proceed and have a real deal.

The best way I can answer this is to advise you to read the analysis piece and reach your own conclusion.

I understand. From what I can gather from your article, I'd have to say that I'm really optimistic that this will come to fruition. To be honest, I'd be more interested in purchasing here than I was w/ the Centennial. I wonder what the price point of the residential units will be?

MUCH better than the Centennial in design and concept. Now if we can just get that parking lot by Zio's redeveloped we'd be in business. Oh yeah and raze Toby Keith's, move the restaurant to a canalside site in this development or somewhere else, and then turn that area by the theatre into mixed-use housing, not necessarily condos like this project but something more affordable like Deep Deuce.

Any ideas on what the price range of the condo's?

I imagine they'll be around $250/sq. ft.

That seems to be the going rate down there.

I'm for it, and hope it happens. It better look like the renderings, though. And with Bricktown Design Committee approving things, I think there is a much better chance of that than if OCURA was in charge (sorry, Steve).

Definitely the most positive thing I've read about Bricktown in a while. I really like this concept.

Agreed... it looks like a keeper as long as the renditions do not change...

I like it too. It's amazing how different the opinions are here versus the opinions on the newsok site. I just want to tell some of these people if you don't want urban then don't go downtown. Stay in the suburbs and park in the large surface lot and look at the sky all you want. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact we have plenty of that elsewhere in the metro. But don't spoil it for those of us who like urban, we don't have plenty of that...yet.

Although the renderings look good and the project is what I would like to see happen in downtown/bricktown, I highly doubt this project will ever happen. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that Cotton has the capital to pull this off and no bank is going to finance a project this large with an inexperienced developer. There is simply too much construction risk involved that the developer needs to be able to mitigate. It just won't happen. I am really tired of hearing about projects that never come to fruition b/c these so called "developers" don't have the capital/expertise to get it done.

I understand your concerns Flyfish. I too am a little leery of the project. I talked to some of the people more on the inside of this yesterday and they are more optimistic than I am. While Cotton has a decent amount of money, he needs financing for this. He DOES (or supposively does) have solid financing in place and many say that is why he will get it done. However with the way Bricktown announcements have gone, I'm still more skeptical than others who know more about the project than I do.

From the looks of it, this would be a serious elevation of bricktown as a destination and mitigate many of the concerns regarding potential density for retail. In context of retail, I see this as working in conjunction with the lower bricktown entertainment area across the street. In fact, this may be one of the last areas to create retail density with new construction, save for the area east of the ballpark. If it can land one real anchor tenant on the corner of Mantle and Reno, then bricktown retail would be in business, imo.

The one question I have is what will be on the top 2 floors of the 4-story building? I didn't see that anywhere.

He wants to put in a restaurant.

That's interesting. Great creative use. Hogan would never think to put a restaurant on the second floor, much less the third or 4th...

Don't care for it much. I would have rather seen something more futuristic; something with lots of glass that would have reflected the surrounding area. Just because the name of the district is Bricktown, doesn't mean everything has to be brick! But still, this is way, way better than the empty space that's been sitting there all these years. And the former Margarita Mama's building was never that nice to begin with.

I disagree. Something so central to Bricktown should be mostly brick. Now Lower Bricktown would have been great if done that way, as it's already separated from the historic warehouses. But in this case I prefer it to be more brick with some modern touches, as they've done.

I like it. That is, if what's redish in those renderings is brick, not stucco. If so, then that means what is not brick is metal and glass and I think that is the right way to go for the area. "Futuristic" stuff can be real hit or miss and, honestly, most of the stuff that is considered "futuristic" in its time only ends up looking very dated when the actual future arrives. I think this project looks modern, but a respectable modern.

I also agree with jbrown, if we we're going to take some chances and try to win awards, it should have been done in lower bricktown... For some reason that thought made me laugh out loud.

Now we need to bring back The Factory, two 12 story buildings in Bricktown with lots of residential units. This, IMO, was the most important area in Btown that needed a development proposal. The other is the lot by Zio's on the canal, the lots on either side of Oklahoma along Sheridan, and the lots along Reno just east of the tracks (important because of that connection to the Ford Center on Reno).

I like it - Hopefully he can get the financing. It doesn't sound like there's going to be a whole lot of excess cash available to be tossed around by banks in the near future.

From OKC Business

OKC's Bricktown Urban Design Committee supports demolition application

Scott Dedmon presents plans for a building project during the Bricktown Urban Design Committee meeting.

Pamela Grady
1/9/2008

The Bricktown Urban Design Committee at their regularly scheduled monthly meeting today supported an application to demolish a building.
Scott Dedmon, AIA, Architectural Design Group Inc. and Gary Cotton, Cotton Investments Co. LLC presented an application for a certificate of approval

to demolish a building fronting the canal at 108 E California Ave. in Bricktown.

The committee also supported a resolution for their conceptual project design to include a building height provision of 140 feet for a proposed property to be constructed west of the canal at their $36-million mixed-used project, Cotton Exchange, 116 E California Ave. The application will be continued for four months.

“I believe it’s (the project) huge for Bricktown. This will be a stimulus for a lot of things to happen down here. It’s going to change the feel and be very positive,” Gary Cotton, owner of the property said. “The project land is very expensive, it’s certainly the most expensive that’s been paid in Oklahoma City and it’s going to take some volume to make that equate out into the rest of the project.”

Built in 1945 and renovated in 2001, the two-story 13,694-square-foot industrial loft building housed Margarita Mama’s restaurant. A year later, the restaurant closed without another occupant.

The Cotton Exchange would consist of two buildings along the canal, one on each side.

One 36,000-square-foot building will consist of four floors and canal level. Plans are for two floors to be occupied by retail and two floors by commercial tenants. The top floor would become restaurant property.

The second building would have 12 stories and a lower level with a total square footage of 300,000 square feet. Retail space is planned for the first two floors (canal and street level). An additional floor with 28,000 square feet is being considered for office tenants.

Additionally, four floors totaling 112,000 square feet are planned for parking and five floors are planned for 60 residential condominiums. One floor will become penthouse property.

Cotton said he’s eager to move forward with the project and that there has been a lot of interest in the condominiums.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” Cotton said. “We hope to have all of them sold before we build one.”

Cotton said financing for the project has not been finalized but hopes to get financing worked out within the next 60 days.

Gary Gregory with Sperry Van Ness will handle residential properties for sale and lease negotiations for retail and office tenants.

Floor plans will range from 1,200 to 1,700 square feet and would be priced from the $300,000’s. Penthouses would also be available. Cotton said he hopes to have the project completed by 2010. When completed the 12-story building will become the tallest property in Bricktown.

Can some one clear up for me the concept that this has been supported and continued by the committee. This means that it has not been approved, right? They just support it, but are waiting 4 months to actually consider approval, right. Is this for time to review financing?

Sounds to me that there is a good chance it could never happen.

Why is that?

Hopefully they will demolish nothing unless financing is completely worked out, and the committee is certain the entire project is a go. I would hate to see a building torn down and an empty lot take it's place.

Financing is not finalized. Good chance...not huge chance.

NewsOK: Will Cotton Exchange really be built? (http://newsok.com/article/3192731/1200398378)

I think it's telling that Toby Keith's is considered our example of development success in bricktown. This article gives good reason to be skeptical with its background of the developer, Cotton, but it also makes it clear that bricktown desperately needs something like this. We just have to remember that even if it's built, its ultimate success will actually hinge upon how its managed.

Its generally agreed that Bricktown needs new developments to continue its success. But here's some questions concerning success.

Toby Keith’s pulls tourists off I40, makes money and continues to receive national publicity. How is it not a "success"? What would be a better icon of the success of Bricktown?

What would make the Cotton Exchange a success, if its built?

Are all of the failures in the Kingman Building (Lotus, Daddy Hinkle’s et al) due to bad management, location, poor planning, karma? Thoughts please...

I don't think he was necessarily using Toby Keith's as an example of success (or the Crown Jewel of Bricktown) other than the fact that it actually got built, whereas Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill never happened.

Its generally agreed that Bricktown needs new developments to continue its success. But here's some questions concerning success.

Toby Keith’s pulls tourists off I40, makes money and continues to receive national publicity. How is it not a "success"? What would be a better icon of the success of Bricktown?

What would make the Cotton Exchange a success, if its built?

Are all of the failures in the Kingman Building (Lotus, Daddy Hinkle’s et al) due to bad management, location, poor planning, karma? Thoughts please...

I didn't say that it wasn't a success. I said it was telling that it is our example of success. It's unfortunate that we have had so many failures that Toby Keith's ends up being the flagship for new development in bricktown. Compared to the plans, expectations, and even to bricktown and lower bricktown's own hype, that's pretty sad. You would think by now there would be many more to talk about and at least a few of them would be something more original. That's not at knock on Toby Keith's as much as it is indicative of the struggle bricktown has had in drawing new successful developments and new concepts to the city.

Hopefully they will demolish nothing unless financing is completely worked out, and the committee is certain the entire project is a go. I would hate to see a building torn down and an empty lot take it's place.

BOY I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING 2007, JIM BREWER!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l16/wsucougz/City%2020061210/Picture041.jpg

Oh wow a whole whopping 7,000 square feet. Talk about no vision in your own product.

And single story? Might as well put a Chili's there (That would be tongue in cheek.....please, no Chili's!)

I didn't say that it wasn't a success. I said it was telling that it is our example of success. It's unfortunate that we have had so many failures that Toby Keith's ends up being the flagship for new development in bricktown. Compared to the plans, expectations, and even to bricktown and lower bricktown's own hype, that's pretty sad. You would think by now there would be many more to talk about and at least a few of them would be something more original. That's not at knock on Toby Keith's as much as it is indicative of the struggle bricktown has had in drawing new successful developments and new concepts to the city.

That's what I'm saying. OBVIOUSLY Toby Keith's is not the "flagship" of Bricktown or even Lower Bricktown for that matter.

He just needed a comparison to the never-built Dick Clark restaurant.

You guys are a tough crowd.
;)

He just needed a comparison to the never-built Dick Clark restaurant.

Sorry about that. I was reading it in context of all new development, and specifically the main subject of the article, the Cotton Exchange.

Bricktown has been burned by false hopes before. For every Toby Keith's I Love this Bar & Grill, there is a Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill (actually announced but never built). And those who are excited by the prospect of the Cotton Exchange, with its mix of condominiums, shops and restaurants, still recall a similar project and just as massive — The Factory — that was to be built on the parking area behind the Bricktown Brewery.

I don't see where that is insinuating that Toby Keith's is the ultimate success story of Bricktown.

And what would be your ultimate flagship of Bricktown, lower or upper?

The JDM building.

And what would be your ultimate flagship of Bricktown, lower or upper?


Just to toss my two cents in... I've been lots of places. Lots of places have touristy parts of town that include malls, fun activities like miniature golf or upscale arcades, restaurants, and bars.... The ones that I remember are the ones that have something unique going for them, something historical or something which anchored the city. Austin has its bars on 6th street, but it is the live music and all the strange little shops (Death Metal Pizza?) that I remember. San Fransisco has Fisherman's Wharf, but the things I remember from there were going in Ghiridelli Chocolate and getting some free candy, seeing all the seals barking and hanging out on the side of the wharf, and riding around on cable cars. I don't remember everything I did when I visited Seattle, but I do remember Pike Place... sure you can buy fish there, but I remember it for the flashiness (the throwing of fish) and because it is the heart of what Seattle used to be. When I visited Chicago I walked away from that city with a sense of what it must have been like there in the gangster-filled 1920s.

If Oklahoma City really wants to create itself a destination in Bricktown it needs to learn how to blend the historical, the fantastic tale, and the modern day. We are doing okay on the today part -- there are bars and restaurants in Bricktown. But how can a place that is supposed to be a tourist destination go for a decade without a souvenir shop and now only have one? How can a place that once was the heart of the wild west, that once was a downtown exactly like every old western I have ever seen, a downtown that had one of the greatest African American and Jazz districts in the nation on its doorsteps, a place that was founded by the Land Run pay homage to none of that? Exactly what is there in Bricktown that is even capable of generating one of the fond memories I have of the other places I mentioned above?

It is either going to take a MAPS III or a handful of very rich and very creative investors to implement something like this, but I think that's about the only option we have to create the destination we all want.

Well said. My sentiments exactly.

I believe we have a pretty obvious homage to the Land Run.

Dismayed, I agree with many of your sentiments. However, what I really think it's going to take to bring the unique factor to town is a healthy, thriving creative class. That sort of momentum seems to be building. Maybe not in downtown/bricktown, but in other neighborhoods like the Paseo, Plaza district, Western Ave. and Midtown. The local music and art scene seems to be picking up steam from my vantage point. Unlike Austin and Nashville, OKC is still a blank canvas of sorts. And it's still really cheap to live in and around the cool old neighborhoods. Because of these attributes, I think this town is uniquely positioned to go through a sort of rennaissance of creativity, which will inevitably spill over into bricktown/downtown.

We lost a lot of opportunity to work the nostalgia factor when half the urban core was demolished.

I believe we have a pretty obvious homage to the Land Run.

True, and that's actually a very good thing. Hopefully as time goes on and development continues it will be tied into everything around it instead of being off on its own. We can't be content with only that though.

To see how far Bricktown has to go before becoming a serious national destination, you only need to take the water taxi through ONCE. There's not a lot to see and then 'BAM' you're done.

I sometimes wish the canal ran through Bricktown proper rather than the current course. That's all 20/20 hindsight of course, but I would've rather seen a canal actually complete a circle around a truly historic district than have it run through two completely different areas before coming to a dead end in an open field.

I'm not trying to be negative; I love Bricktown. I think it still has potential. I just wish the canal, which is the centerpiece of Bricktown, completed a circle around Bricktown proper.

Okay, back to the topic at hand...

BOY I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING 2007, JIM BREWER!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l16/wsucougz/City%2020061210/Picture041.jpg

I noticed the other day that they are finally building this building.

Now if we can just get that parking lot by Zio's redeveloped we'd be in business.


I thought they were planning a parking garage there.

I sometimes wish the canal ran through Bricktown proper rather than the current course. That's all 20/20 hindsight of course, but I would've rather seen a canal actually complete a circle around a truly historic district than have it run through two completely different areas before coming to a dead end in an open field.

I think the hope was to expand Bricktown towards the south, and get developers to invest in the buildings along California Ave. But, I also would've liked to see the canal loop around and come down Sheridan....or at least come down Oklahoma Ave. between Spaghetti Warehouse and Bricktown Brewery.