http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/holidaywiki1.jpg
Information & Latest News
101 East Main (http://goo.gl/maps/G2F5c)
owner=Daxesh Patel
cost=$18,000,000
architect=Architectural Design Group
start=2/1/13
finish=12/25/13
height=5 stories
sq. feet=72,801 sf
acerage=.6197
124 rooms

2/1/13: Scheduled demolition date of the historic Steffen's Ice Cream bldg
1/23/13: Construction set to begin on Holiday Inn Express (http://newsok.com/construction-set-to-begin-next-month-on-bricktown-holiday-inn-express-in-oklahoma-city/article/3748228)
1/22/13: Application approved by Bricktown Design Review Committee
1/14/13: $18,000,000 building permit application
Links
Downtown Hotel Summary
Urban Project Summary
County Assessor Record (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R020025050)
Gallery

By Steve Lackmeyer at NewsOK: Dairy demolition<br/><span class='hl2'>Hotel hinges on removal of old ice cream building</span> (http://newsok.com/article/3202743/1202534869)


Hotel hinges on removal of old ice cream building

The old Steffen's Ice Cream building at 101 E Main in Bricktown could soon be demolished to make way for a 95-room Holiday Inn Express.

The development is set to be reviewed Wednesday by the Bricktown Urban Design Committee, which is tasked with approving new construction and exterior renovations.

The developer, Alex Patel, has owned the Quality Inn Trade Winds, 1800 E Reno, since March 2007. The Quality Inn is just east of Bricktown and Patel said he often hears from guests who say they want to see more rooms available in the entertainment district.

"They want to be near the concerts, the events, the conventions,” Patel said. "There is in place now the new Hampton Inn (opening later this year), the Renaissance, the Colcord, the Skirvin ... but we're trying to appeal to the group that can't afford $200 a night. We're looking at $80 to $100.”

The proposed hotel will be four stories high with 54,796 square feet. The facade, designed by Quinn & Associates, includes brick and synthetic stucco. Patel said the hotel's guests would be provided parking space in the north Bricktown lot operated by Don Karchmer.

Patel estimated his project will cost up to $9 million and said he's eager to get the hotel built so that it might be open by the return of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in March 2009. Patel said his Quality Inn sold out when the tournament was held at Ford Center last year.

"We've got the plans, and the franchise is gung-ho about it,” Patel said. "We could probably get the remaining plans out three months after getting the OK from the design committee.”

Patel said his purchase of the property is tied to getting approval from the committee to tear down the dairy, which was built in several phases starting in 1916. The building is not on the National Register of Historic Places, and is owned by veteran Bricktown developer Karchmer.

The Bricktown urban design ordinance gives the committee power to veto demolition, but it only discourages demolition if a building is on the historic register or is considered locally to be a historic structure.

Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, said determination of whether a building is historical goes beyond whether it's placed on the historic register. More than a quarter century ago it was Blackburn who was hired by original Bricktown developer Neal Horton to place several other buildings in the district on the list.

Blackburn said considerations include whether a property was associated with a historic person, event or architectural style and whether it has any national, state or local significance.

He said historic significance can be diminished if the building's appearance has been altered. But he also cautioned against considering the building without looking at its place in the overall district. He compared tearing down an old building to chipping away pieces of a mosaic mural.

"This building may not be important individually,” Blackburn said. "But like the Walnut Street bridge, which may not have been significant individually, it is part of the urban landscape that gives all the properties scale, texture and variety. And every piece you lose of that context, you're losing that texture and variety and overall of the district.”

Bricktown, he said, is special because it is a collection of historic buildings.

"Take enough pieces out of that mosaic and you lose your focus,” Blackburn said. "I'm not saying this is going to diminish the context of Bricktown ... but each time you chip away a little bit more at the overall fabric, it affects everything else.”

Jim Cowan, director of the Bricktown Association, said the district is eager to see additional hotel rooms — but as with recent applications for a McDonald's and a Hampton Inn — ordinary franchise architecture might not be sufficient.

"It's a question of tearing down a building in order to make a better structure,” Cowan said. "We'll have to weigh all the merits ... Bricktown is at a point where we as a community can afford to be demanding. It has to be a question of what matches. We're not just desperate for any type of development.”


NO! The last thing we need is an opening for "Hogan-like creep" into Bricktown proper. There should absolutely be no "Lower Bricktown" designs on Main Street. If they want to build a Holiday Inn Express then let them make it the coolest one in the nation in a renovated warehouse that would fit with Bricktown - or find someplace else. I would be very much opposed to tearing down the old Steffen's Ice Cream Plant for a modern mini-hotel under any circumstances.

I think it's worth pasting Bob Blackburn's points here about building a new Holiday Inn Express and losing another piece of historic Bricktown:


Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, said determination of whether a building is historical goes beyond whether it's placed on the historic register. More than a quarter century ago it was Blackburn who was hired by original Bricktown developer Neal Horton to place several other buildings in the district on the list.

Blackburn said considerations include whether a property was associated with a historic person, event or architectural style and whether it has any national, state or local significance.

He said historic significance can be diminished if the building's appearance has been altered. But he also cautioned against considering the building without looking at its place in the overall district. He compared tearing down an old building to chipping away pieces of a mosaic mural.

"This building may not be important individually,” Blackburn said. "But like the Walnut Street bridge, which may not have been significant individually, it is part of the urban landscape that gives all the properties scale, texture and variety. And every piece you lose of that context, you're losing that texture and variety and overall of the district.”

Bricktown, he said, is special because it is a collection of historic buildings.

"Take enough pieces out of that mosaic and you lose your focus,” Blackburn said. "I'm not saying this is going to diminish the context of Bricktown ... but each time you chip away a little bit more at the overall fabric, it affects everything else."

If they want to build a Holiday Inn Express then let them make it the coolest one in the nation in a renovated warehouse that would fit with Bricktown
Now, that would be a classy, for sure! I haven't finished "digesting" what I think about this except that 2 points are pretty clear in my mind: (1) The above ... that would be the best solution possible; (2) I'm wholly agreeing with the idea that a hotel offering $80-$100 rooms in the area would be a good thing. Figuring out how to blend (1) and (2) may be the solution, if that is possible. The blend may not be possible, though, I have no clue about the economics involved.

Ack! This is a terrible idea. More fake stucco. I don't have any problem with offering less expensive lodging choices, but not directly in Bricktown unless the hotel is either an existing structure or built to perfectly blend with an existing structure. That means all brick to me. Fake stucco is lower Bricktown, er Stuccotown, so let him build it south of Reno. The Hampton Inn is about all I can take. I've just sent Jim Cowan an e-mail about this. I'm sure one of these days I'm going to send enough to gain the reputation of a cranky crackpot, but I'm not willing to quietly stand by and let them ruin Bricktown.

Here are 2 scans I just made from this morning's Oklahoman ... quality is not so hot but better images may be available ...

Steffen's Ice Cream in 1946

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/bricktown/steffens1946.jpg

The proposed Holiday Inn Express

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/bricktown/holidayinnexpress.jpg

...bacause okc has a great track record when it comes to tearing down buildings to make room for holiday inn's?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/statehood/1902_1905courthouse.jpg

-M (with apologies to doug for hot-linking one of his images)

oh no.. they tore that beautiful building down for a Holiday Inn!! That is a travesty.

The Ice Cream building doesn't have anywhere near the character of the above building ( does it still look like this?) , yet to tear it down for a Holiday Inn is something I'm not sure about.

I know we need more hotel rooms to progress as a convention city and tourist spot, especially if we get the NBA.

The renderings of the hotel look okay - it's not terrible and is an improvement over the current look of the ice cream building... is that all red stucco with brick corners?

It needs to be all brick.

...bacause okc has a great track record when it comes to tearing down buildings to make room for holiday inn's?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/statehood/1902_1905courthouse.jpg

-M (with apologies to doug for hot-linking one of his images)
No problem at all about linking, but the old courthouse was actually south of where the Holiday Inn came to be ... notice in this 1929 pic looking southwest showing Montgomery Wards construction that the courthouse was south of where the Holiday Inn came to be located. I don't recall the reason for the demise of the courthouse ... probably part of the Pei Plan demolition stuff, but I'm not sure.

Larger image at http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/LeoSanders/LeoSanders034a.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/LeoSanders/LeoSanders034b.jpg

gotcha... it's pretty hard to tell exactly where stuff was compared to where everything is now. that montgoery ward construction pic is awesome! great find.

while i wouldn't swear on a stack as per the accuracy, i had always heard that the old courthouse had fallen into severe disrepair in its last years. instead of repairing it (or keeping in a state of repair, for that matter), the powers that be opted to let it be torn down. sad, really. i would have loved to have seen that building in person.


is that all red stucco with brick corners? that's what i was thinking, too... no cutting corners. it's gotta be all brick or it shouldn't be there.

-M

mmm, the Wards pic is contained in my blog post on Leo Sanders, Doug Dawgz Blog: The Leo Sanders Collection (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/05/leo-sanders-collection.html) . The images in that post were all given to me by Norman Thompson, as he did with the Springlake pics. I'm very glad to have him as a benefactor, big time! There are other Wards pics in the post as well as several other buildings that Leo Sanders was involved with ... and they are all, indeed, very nice. Thanks again, Norman!

...so, am i understanding this right, doug? -M

http://members.cox.net/magnvs/pics/oldcourthouse.jpg

You got it! It looks as though the jail part of the campus extended further east, into part of the current parking garage area, but the courthouse was located where you placed it.

This is ridiculous. I hope the urban design committee shoots this down. Avis Scaramucci, owner of Nonna's, expressed concern that the Hampton Inn would have stucco on the top 2 floors. At least that structure will be mostly brick.

It looks like a suburban Holiday Inn Express. Like one you'd find on Memorial Rd. I figured for Bricktown it would be mostly brick, but it doesn't appear that way from the picture. It looks all stucco except for the corners, which are brick.

I hate to say this, but it looks worse than most of Randy Hogan's buildings.

I'd rather they try to put the hotel inside the old Steffen's Building. Boy, that's a novel concept.
It's the same thing Avis did when she built her Bricktown restaurant.

I hope the Bricktown Urban Design Committe doesn't make a mistake here.

I'm not oppsed to cheaper hotel rooms in Bricktown, but not at the expense of losing the area's charm.

I hope everyone will email them and express their disapproval.

You can email Jim Cowan at jcowan at bricktownokc.org

I'd also encourage you to also email Avis Scaramucci: avis at nonnas.com

I think it's funny they say that the proposed developer owns the Quality Inn Trade Winds at 1800 E. Reno. We don't want anything associated with that to locate in Bricktown. I should say BRICKtown.

Here's the email I sent to Avis:

Avis,

I saw the pictures of the proposed Holiday Inn Express in Bricktown.

I can't believe we'd even allow this structure to go up there. It's almost entirely stucco, with brick corners only. We need to stop what's going on in Lower Bricktown, aka Stuccotown....we need to demand that these buildings be mostly brick, just like we did with the Hampton Inn.

I think they need to go with either a mostly brick building. OR, here's a novel concept, why don't they locate the hotel within the old dairy building, like you located your restaurant in an old warehouse? I don't think we should demolish the old dairy building for this.

Patrick ****

For those of you who don't recall the application McDonald's submitted for a Bricktown restaurant last year (the last conflict at Bricktown Urban Design), I've posted the before and after sketches at OKC Central — Just another Blog.newsok.com weblog (http://www.okccentral.com).
-Steve

Why don't they develop one of the parking lots in Bricktown instead? And yes make it all BRICK. I'd like to see this further down Sheridan (the east end of Bricktown).

Not coincidently, that rendering looks an awful like Hogan's Centennial project, which I think is terrible in terms of architecture and materials used.

Here's the email I sent to Avis:

Avis,

I saw the pictures of the proposed Holiday Inn Express in Bricktown.

I can't believe we'd even allow this structure to go up there. It's almost entirely stucco, with brick corners only. We need to stop what's going on in Lower Bricktown, aka Stuccotown....we need to demand that these buildings be mostly brick, just like we did with the Hampton Inn.

I think they need to go with either a mostly brick building. OR, here's a novel concept, why don't they locate the hotel within the old dairy building, like you located your restaurant in an old warehouse? I don't think we should demolish the old dairy building for this.

Patrick ****

You could always narc them out to the folks building the Hampton Inn....They'd get ticked if somebody else didn't have to jump through the hoops they did...And they've probably got more horsepower than you.

Steve makes a great point on his blog. Well, he poses it as a question, but I will answer it here. That rendering looks like a standard Holiday Inn Express. If McDonalds, Hampton Inn, etc. can all manage to build brick buildings in Bricktown, then these people should have to do the same. Even saying that, they shouldn't get to do this project. They should either have to use an existing building (there a few large empty buildings that could hold a hotel this size) or build on a parking lot. Haven't we torn down enough buildings??

Steve makes a great point on his blog. Well, he poses it as a question, but I will answer it here. That rendering looks like a standard Holiday Inn Express. If McDonalds, Hampton Inn, etc. can all manage to build brick buildings in Bricktown, then these people should have to do the same. Even saying that, they shouldn't get to do this project. They should either have to use an existing building (there a few large empty buildings that could hold a hotel this size) or build on a parking lot. Haven't we torn down enough buildings??

I don't think that is too much to ask.

EDIT: If anybody can find email address to any other members of the committee, please post them here.

I went to the Harkins yesterday afternoon and drove by the location. The circa 1946 pic in Steve's article had had the "white" sort of (but not very well) stripped off ... the building is in the block west of the new Police Station. It didn't impress me on first blush and, while I agree that destruction of older buildings needs to be done with care, were a ready, willing, and proper replacement in the wings, I doubt that removal of the older building would even be noticed since it's not really on the beaten path. This proposed building would add some nice depth to Bricktown on the north side and perhaps give life to its adjoining areas and, were this project to be 90&#37; or better "all brick," I'd favor it. The committee does need to insist on more brick, though, just like it did with McDonalds.

I was out and about yesterday and took a swing by the old Steffen's plant. I took a few pictures of the building and the buildings around it - I also took a short video for some perspective with the area.

http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/42952/2003501398808946784_rs.jpg


http://aycu39.webshots.com/image/44598/2003525402924150789_rs.jpg



http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/44566/2003539683638798039_rs.jpg


http://aycu16.webshots.com/image/43455/2003570032439392460_rs.jpg

I thought this (below) was interesting.
On the front of the plant there is this one small part that, I am guessing, is a tip of the hat to the old all white Steffen's plant.


http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/44337/2003593901912770260_rs.jpg

Directly across the street, to the south, is the Bricktown Mercantile.

http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/43779/2003585382387883567_rs.jpg

To the SE is the Federal Corporation building.

http://aycu30.webshots.com/image/45109/2003590338618802129_rs.jpg

To the SW is the Sherman building.

http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/43314/2003500780479041652_rs.jpg

This video, while not the greatest quality (and shaky hands), shows a little perspective as to where the building is located and how the buildings around the Steffen's plant are all kept up well and definitely within "Bricktown standards."


dhI_tNlrxMo

Like Bob Blackburn, I still think tearing down another historic building in Bricktown is another lost piece of the charm of the district. After all, we're not re-creating a warehouse district - we've actually got one and each piece that disappears is gone forever. Like the others, the idea of less expensive rooms in Bricktown is appealing, but not at the expense of a tear down here.

Very good pics and video, Solitude.

I think that you are overstating Bob Blackburn's remarks, though. If I recall correctly, he didn't advocate never replacing an old building with a newer one, just that, were that to happen, it shouldn't happen often and the decision should be made with great care so that the mosaic would be preserved. Did I misread?

As for the nearby buildings, the ones that I noticed (not only those you took pics of but some further west, as well (especially the small building on the south side of Main with brick arches in its design ... don't remember the name) were all good ... and much better than the one proposed to be replaced. But, that's just my opinion and opinions will vary.

Thanks, Doug. Actually, I think Blackburn's comments didn't address ever tearing down buildings, but about historic Bricktown proper, I think his thoughts were pretty clear:

"This building may not be important individually,” Blackburn said. "But like the Walnut Street bridge, which may not have been significant individually, it is part of the urban landscape that gives all the properties scale, texture and variety. And every piece you lose of that context, you're losing that texture and variety and overall of the district.”

Bricktown, he said, is special because it is a collection of historic buildings.

"Take enough pieces out of that mosaic and you lose your focus,” Blackburn said. "I'm not saying this is going to diminish the context of Bricktown ... but each time you chip away a little bit more at the overall fabric, it affects everything else."

I would like to feature some of these comments in my column for Tuesday. I don't need full names, but I do at least need a real first name. If any of you are ok with that and can help me out on first names (Doug, I've got your name of course), please email me at slackmeyer@oklahoman.com.
- Steve

Back before Spaghetti Warehouse moved in, that building that houses it now wasn't all that attractive. Afterall, these are just warehouse buildings. But, they opted to renovate the old historic warehouse and locate within its walls. That's what makes Bricktown so special is most of the restaurants chose to refurbish the old warehouses.

I don't think it's asking too much of proposed developers to do like everyone else has done in Bricktown, and adapt the current Steffan's Building into use as a hotel. That would make it even more special. When people go to Bricktown they think of old historic warehouses, not new, 21st century hotels. This hotel would be much better located within an old early 20th century warehouse building.

I don't think they should tear down anymore historic structures in Bricktown, in favor of modern 21st century buildings. The historic warehouses in Bricktown are what give the area its character.

The McDonalds was completely different, because it didn't involve tearing down a historic warehouse.

Looking at the pictures everyone has posted of the old Steffan's dairy building, it doesn't look like it's in bad shape. Just replace the glass blocks with clear windows and build out hotel room within the building.

It's a non issue.

Either build the hotel within the old Steffan's Building, like so many other restaurants have done in Bricktown, or build an all brick new building on a parking lot in Bricktown.

I am flabergasted that anyone is even CONSIDERING tearing down a building that is so obviously part of the urban fabric of Bricktown!

The earlier suggestion of incorporating the existing building (or at least the facade) into the new building is an excellent one. Here where I live, (Europe)this is done on a very regular basis and it is a treat to see how much care goes into such an operation. Granted this is going to add to the costs of the new Holiday Inn, but perhaps the city can sweeten it a bit with a small tax incentive for adding to the preservation of the district. This would not be just a commercial coup for Holiday Inn, but ultimately more stay-overs in downtown will add to the tax base itself. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

There is a significant economic issue. The justification for the project, as I understand it, is to provide rooms in a target price range. That constraint may or may not be appropriate but it will constrain the total development cost of the project. I really don't know whether having cheaper rooms in Bricktown is good or not.

Refurbishing the existing structure may prove too expensive for the same constraint. Buildings in the US in general and certainly in that area of Bricktown may not be satisfactory for rehabilitation. In Europe buildings are typically built with longer planned life expectancies.

Another economic consideration is that projects all across the country are being canceled or delayed because of economic uncertainty and credit issues. Oklahoma is not immune. So just having the possibility of a viable project now is not inconsequential.

Bricktown projects should be mostly brick, architecture should be complementary to the area, and use should also complement and contribute to the entire development.

All of these issues have to be balanced and require more specific and detailed information than I have read.

Other communities and developments contend with the same issues. Sometimes it is possible to provide incentives in order to get upgraded architecture or help with rehabilitation. Sometimes projects just don't fit.

Certainly the rendering does not appear to be in keeping with the desired Bricktown architecture.

I would disagree. Buildings built during the time Bricktown was built, are of similar logevity of European buildings. The existing building would still be structurally sound and usable long after a Holiday Inn has reached its designed lifespan (the Holiday Inn would be built of 2X4s and foamboard and with only a 25 year lifespan).

You disagree that I don't know? I can assure you that I do not know the condition of the building or whether it could be rehabilitated for use as this project and if it could be what that would cost and then if that wojuld meet the financial constraint.

After sleeping on it, I have a few more points I would like to make:

1. I don't think the existing building here is large enough as-is for a Holiday Inn Express. So, I think building the hotel inside this exact building is probably a non-issue (unless they can somehow add to the top of it in a nicely done way).

2. There are existing buildings that can be used for this hotel (Spaghetti Warehouse's upper floors for example) if they decide to go the route of using an existing building.

3. If it is cost effective to tear this building down and build a new one, it is cost effective to not tear down a building and build this building on an empty/parking lot.

4. I am not saying we should never tear down a building. But, in an historic district like Bricktown, the criteria should be much more stringent. In my opinion, many of the following would need to be met:
a. No existing building in the immediate area can house the proposed project (or empty lot).
b. The building is not architecturally significant.
c. The building is beyond repair.
d. The building is a hindrance to progress, development, and preservation as a whole in the immediate area.
e. The building is not part of the "skyline" of the area.
Now, if it passes above, the new building would also need to have some of the following (if not, the building should not be torn down in the first place):
f. Is architecturally significant/interesting.
g. Conforms 100&#37; to the immediate area (this would include being eclectic if that is the nature of that neighborhood)
h. Is built to last at least as long as the building being replaced.
i. The building has more potential uses than the previous building.

This is not an exhaustive list, but I think it catched the heart of the matter. Let's examine this project:
a. Multiple buildings or lots could house this project.
b. The building is not architecturally significant.
c. The building is in solid condition; it just needs some cosmetic work done.
d. The building would be great refurbished.
e. While the building is not "skyline" material or necessarily important, the area has a limited number of multiple story old buildings. This is borderline at best.
f. The new building would not be significant.
g. As proposed, the building would comply less than 50%, but this could change.
h. I seriously doubt it would be built to last hundreds of years. Limited service hotels are generally no more "sturdy" than your average house in the suburbs.
i. I am sure both could be converted to multiple uses, but why would you convert the HIE building in 50 years??

As any of you will see if you search this board, I am in favor of the Cotton Exchange proposal, which would include tearing down an existing building. Let's examine it the same way:
a. A couple buildings or lots could house this, but none on the canal.
b. The building is not architecturally significant.
c. The building is in solid condition; it just needs some cosmetic work done.
d. The building would be fine refurbished.
e. The building is small and not significant to the district.
f. The new building is significant.
g. The building comes very close to being 100% compliant with Bricktown.
h. The new building would probably be built with concrete and last very long.
i. The new building could be any number of things over the course of decades or centuries, though I suspect housing makes the most sense.

So, in short, don't tear down a solid historical building in an historical district to build a building that could be built on any number of empty lots for the same cost, or could be placed in an existing historical structure for slightly more cost (but accomplish community improvement in the process).

I would like to feature some of these comments in my column for Tuesday. I don't need full names, but I do at least need a real first name. If any of you are ok with that and can help me out on first names (Doug, I've got your name of course), please email me at slackmeyer@oklahoman.com.
- Steve
Saaay ... who was/is that masked man???? :bright_id

I say don't tear it down. This hotel can go on any number of empty lots.

Why can't they use the shell of Sherman Ironworks and build around the exterior?

I doubt they could fit the hotel into the Steffen building regardless, especially to be open by Spring '09.

This has been a fun and nostalgic thread for me.

My memories of the Montgomery Wards building go back to 1952, and the old courthouse - jail was not on the horizon. It was gone long before Pei destroyed DT.

As for the Steffan's Building, I spent one day in the summer of 1968 assembling frozen pizzas there for Manpower. Pay scale - $1.50 per hour. I remember the building had high ceilings, thick masonry walls and lots of freezer rooms. I'm not an architect, but I don't think it would be economically feasible to make a hotel out of it.

If the Steffan's building is razed, its replacement should be all brick, in my opinion.

I'd really like to see the upper floors of Spaghetti Warehouse turned into a hotel. I wonder if this is possible, structurally and economically? Don't tear another building down for a crappy hotel, instead embrace the district and locate in one of the vacant warehouses.

I'll be curious to hear if anybody gets a response to the emails sent mentioned earlier in the thread.

I heard back this morning:

Mr. XXXXXXX:
Thank you for your comments, I will pass them on to the Bricktown Urban Design Committee. They are dedicated to the integrity of Bricktown.
Jim

I got a marginally different e-mail. so perhaps he is writing them individually. Oh, and thanks, solitude, for the great pics. I drove down to look, but it's nice to have pictures to refer to.

I received a similar email.

I haven't received a reply yet, although I did send them a lengthy email.

I find the whole thing very odd. It seems to me if you are talking about a hotel in the heart of business or entertainment district, you'd expect that it would be pricier than one on the outlying area. This is the logical opposite of all of that. It doesn't make sense to me.

I agree, dismayed. Trying to build a hotel in the middle of Bricktown or the CBD with low room rates is probably not a realistic goal.

There is plenty of un- and under-developed property all around downtown. Still tons of vacant lots between the CBD and Midtown, for example. And there will be tons of property that needs development when I-40 is relocated.

Bricktown is the ONE area of town that has been somewhat preserved and I don't care what the existing structure looks like, you can never recreate the character of these older buildings. And we certainly should not be sacrificing what little that remains for a small, cheap, plain, mainly stucco Holiday Inn Express.

If people want cheap rates, there are thousands of inexpensive rooms about 5 miles away at I-40 and Meridian. And soon, they'll be able to take the river boat right into Bricktown.

I have to say, I find this whole thread very intriguing! Seems like there are lots of good ideas and methodologies out there about how to proceed with development in general in the Bricktown district. What really stikes me though is that this is really about a change in mindset.

Do we blindly tear down a building because it is in the way, or do we really have a good look at what it could mean to a community in an altered form. Its not singularly beautiful, but this building is (as I mentioned before) part of the overall urban fabric of the city that was uncermoniously raped through the 60's 70's and 80's (thank you Mr. Pei and OCURA). How refreshing to see that even an UGLY building could be considered a swan in another life! Three cheers for all of us who know that what is left of historical OKC, or of any city for that matter, is worth saving, or at least giving a REAL GOOD second lease on life. Hopefully this way of thinking will also prevail for the C2S project.

Just to clarify, I love a snazzy modern building more than anyone else (Burj Dubai sends pleasing tingles down my spine : ) ), but there is a place for these as well. The old Galleria parking garage roof, the Sheraton parking garage space, for example. Likewise, there is a place for faux brick Holiday Inn Expresses with parking lots between the building and the street... namely, the suburbs.

'Haven't we torn down enough buildings?'

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Saturday's story about the proposed demolition of the old Steffen's Ice Cream building at 101 E Main and construction of a four-story Holiday Inn Express in its place lit up online chat boards and my blog at OKC Central — Just another Blog.newsok.com weblog (http://www.okccentral.com).

The response to the project, to be blunt, is downright hostile.

"This is a terrible idea,” wrote Jill of Oklahoma City at NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com). "Bricktown is going to lose its identity if we allow more fake stucco buildings. Let him build south of Reno, where the buildings are all ugly fake stucco already. If Mr. (Alex) Patel wants a Holiday Inn in Bricktown, there are plenty of existing buildings that need renovation. Or, let him build a completely brick hotel that blends in with the surroundings.”

And then there is this: "Urban Designer?” said Brett of Oklahoma City. "I'm not an urban designer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.”

Cathy of Norman was one of several readers who suggested the Holiday Inn Express be built within the old dairy.

"Don't sacrifice that lovely building,” she wrote. "It has squatter's rights because it was there long before all this renovation came about.”

At OKC Central — Just another Blog.newsok.com weblog (http://www.okccentral.com), Patrick of Oklahoma City wrote that Bricktown should ensure all of its historic buildings be saved from demolition.

"There are plenty of surface parking lots, or other open areas of land in Lower Bricktown where this Holiday Inn Express could be built without having to tear down a historic building,” Patrick wrote. "Here's a novel concept ... why not locate the hotel within the old dairy building? Convert the old dairy building into a hotel, without tearing it down. ... Overall, I don't think the design of the building is bad, I just think it needs to be all brick.”

Andrew at OKMET.ORG (http://www.okmet.org) was among those who say a Holiday Inn Express could be a plus for Bricktown.

"But a Holiday Inn is not reason enough to demo a building that is built so well it will outlast the Holiday Inn by three times,” Andrew said. "It's concrete and brick versus 2x4s and foam board. If someone wants to build this, they can build it on a parking lot.”

Shane of Oklahoma City, another poster at OKMET.ORG (http://www.okmet.org), wrote he was conflicted over the merits of the proposed development.

"The sad thing really is that this is one of the best-designed of the hotels that have been proposed in Bricktown,” he wrote. "It fits in better with the architecture, it looks classier, etc. But it is so hard to weigh these situations! Why can't people just choose to build parking and building combos on one of the surface lots scattered around Bricktown?”

Doug Loudenback, a local history buff who runs a city history blog at Doug Dawgz Blog (http://www.dougdawg.blogspot.com), inspected the former dairy himself after reading the story in The Oklahoman on Saturday.

"It didn't impress me on first blush and, while I agree that destruction of older buildings needs to be done with care, were a ready, willing, and proper replacement in the wings, I doubt that removal of the older building would even be noticed since it's not really on the beaten path,” Loudenback wrote. "This proposed building would add some nice depth to Bricktown on the north side and perhaps give life to its adjoining areas and, were this project to be 90 percent or better ‘all brick,' I'd favor it.”

At www.okctalk.com, Brian recalled how the Bricktown Urban Design Committee forced Hampton Inn and McDonald's to increase the amount of brick in the facades of the new developments before granting approval for construction.

"That rendering looks like a standard Holiday Inn Express,” Brian wrote. "If McDonald's, Hampton Inn, etc. can all manage to build brick buildings in Bricktown, then these people should have to do the same. Even saying that, they shouldn't get to do this project. They should either have to use an existing building (there a few large empty buildings that could hold a hotel this size) or build on a parking lot. Haven't we torn down enough buildings?”

•Final note: Credit should have been listed with Saturday's story for the Oklahoma Historical Society for providing a photo of the dairy in the 1950s. The historical society's research department boasts an online database, Oklahoma Historical Society Home (http://www.okhistory.org), that showcases thousands of historic documents and photos.

Do we know when the Design Committee will be meeting?

Do we know when the Design Committee will be meeting?
I'm pretty sure that Steve's original Oklahoman article said Wednesday, which I took to mean tomorrow.

Yes. Tomorrow.

What time and where would be helpful!

http://www.okc.gov/planning/brickurb/documents/2008BTcalendar.pdf

116 E Sheridan Ave, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 9am

Somebody go, because I can't.

I can't believe they'd even consider allowing this trash to be built in Bricktown.

To no surprise, the public meeting is in the middle of the workday.

Any word?

Yeah, Steve I know you were probably there, anyone else? We need to start encouraging these groups to meet after 5:30pm so real people have time to go to them.

Story coming out shortly at NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com).

Story is now at NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com)

Here's the more direct link: NewsOK: Hotel design approval key to dairy demolition (http://newsok.com/article/3204317/1202941809) and here's the article:


By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Developers of a proposed Bricktown Holiday Inn Express were given tentative approval Wednesday to demolish an old dairy — but only if they get approval for the hotel design.

The Bricktown Urban Design Committee criticized the designs submitted by Kusum Hospitality, which include 39 percent synthetic stucco in the exterior facade. The committee also criticized the shape of the building proposed for 101 E Main, which members called “busy” and not in step with the old warehouse district.

Committee members agreed the existing building on the site, formerly Steffen’s Ice Cream, was beyond salvaging.

John Sweeney, vice president of operations for Kusum, promised to return to the committee next month with revised drawings that will include more brick and will better conform with district standards.