http://www.filehive.com/files/080728/candlewood.jpg

I've seen the site plan. Aren't these rails in use by freight trains? The red lines are the tracks, right?

The red lines are utility right-of-way, not rail lines. The tracks are in the lower right corner.

Surveyors were out last week - said they had to have the data to the engineer by the weekend (August 2 and 3).

Sorry, wrong thread.

Good lord, that site plan is ridiculous. Is this really what Bricktown deserves?

The red lines are utility right-of-way, not rail lines. The tracks are in the lower right corner.

Ok, so it's not going to interfere with the tracks, as someone said elsewhere. But it sure would look better if it were on that bottom point of the site, with parking hidden behind.

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate here....

What is so wrong with this building? It looks pretty urban to me. At least from what you can do brand new. Seriously, look at the building..
http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2008/07/10/19/Img/Pc0190700.jpg
That structure could easily fit between a couple of brownstones in Boston. I'm trying hard to understand the problems, but I actually think they did a pretty good job. Better than some of the other LB hotels!

ptown, were u talkin bout the holidayinn express>?

I'm with you solitude. I don't understand the problems people have with the building.

My issue is how it's placed in the site plan, and all the surface parking.

Agreed with jbrown and solitude. I think the building is fine. Two of the sides are 100% brick and the other two are 80-90% brick. I think it looks good. The only problem I have is the site plan also. At least they could do is bring the building to the street and put the parking behind the building.

I was reading meetings from the Bricktown Urban Design commitee on okc.gov and BUD talked about not liking the site plan saying that it isn't pedestrian friendly and that perhaps in the future they can build a few structures on the surface parking, up to the street.

i have been saying i think this building is fine the entire time, and i have gotten torn apart on another site for not having a problem with it.... thank god i'm not the only one who thinks this

ptown, were u talkin bout the holidayinn express>?

Yes


Again, the site plan is absurd. The building needs to front a street not the freeway/RR.

Have they already started construction??

The building itself is okay, fine for that part of Bricktown by the highway. But the site plan is BAD. You would think developers would realize you want the building up to the street and not behind a big parking lot, especially at this location. The building should be at the corner of Reno and Lincoln running north-south along Lincoln and parking on the eastside abutting I-235. That way one side of rooms has downtown views and you create a more urban intersection at two of city's main roads: Reno and Lincoln. I do hope there is still time to change this...

If I was on the Bricktown Urban Design committee I would just laugh at all these proposals, so maybe it's a good thing I'm not (or is it?). I'm no expert but I know what good urban design is and these proposals are not good urban design.

BG, no construction has not started. Last I heard, the project hasn't got completely past the Bricktown Urban Design Committee yet.

BG, no construction has not started. Last I heard, the project hasn't got completely past the Bricktown Urban Design Committee yet.

That's good to hear. WE need to let them know (email, phone call, etc.) that this site plan is unacceptable. Of course they probably already know that and I have hope things will be changed i.e. the McDonalds which was moved to the corner. If this building is at the corner that will be a significant IMPROVEMENT to that area and Bricktown as a whole. Especially if sidewalks are someday put in fronting this development (with a small circle-drive for loading/unloading at the main entrance) and then going all the way down Lincoln to the river on that east side. The same could be done for the west side eventually.

They could still have all their surface parking, it would just be BEHIND the building on the I-235 side. That whole east side of Bricktown is ripe for urban apartments I would hate to see massive parking along any of the roads there, especially Lincoln. Right now it still has that suburban/industrial feel but eventually it will be full of housing. I don't necessarily think ground floor retail space is needed in this part of Bricktown as long as it addresses the street/sidewalk in a good way and adequate landscaping (street trees) is provided. Anywhere west of Joe Carter on Reno, Oklahoma, Walnut/Mickey Mantle, and especially Sheridan should have it though.

When will this be approved?

any news?

I believe they did not get approval for their design and are reworking some things, notably increasing the amount of brick in the facade and hopefully changing the site plan so that hotel comes right up to Lincoln/Reno. Anyone know anything different?

PLEASE tell me they really are changing the awful site plan.

hoefully!

Hotel design finally gets kudos from Bricktown panel
by Kelley Chambers

The Journal Record November 13, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – A proposed hotel project received a much warmer reception Wednesday than when it came before the Bricktown Urban Design Committee in October.

The plan calls for a Candlewood Suites Hotel on land owned by the developers, Dihren and Amit Patel, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Committee Chairwoman Avis Scaramucci criticized the design offered at the October meeting for its sparse use of brick. That was the fourth time the committee denied a design proposal for the hotel.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Fred Quinn, of architecture firm Quinn & Associates, returned with a new design.

“This building is about 80-percent brick masonry,” he said.
A staff report for the project prepared by the Oklahoma City Planning Department showed the developers are requesting construction of three buildings on about 3.1 acres at the northeast corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Reno Avenue.

The proposal includes a seven-story hotel clad in dark-red brick, contrasting brown brick and some light-brown EFIS.

“Technically they are starting over with the committee’s process, although it is for the same items as before,” said John Calhoun with the planning department.

Quinn said details still need to be worked out on the specifics of the two additional retail buildings along Lincoln Boulevard.

The committee praised the plan, and the developer’s willingness to work with the committee and the community for a product that will please all parties.

Quinn said the approval process through Bricktown and the city will take about six months. He said that if everything goes as planned, the developers hope to break ground in about six months and have the project completed about a year after that.

The site plan was approved in concept, and the developers will return to the committee in January for further review of more specific details for the project.

The proposed hotel has been referred to by some as the bookend for Bricktown on the district’s east side. The site is bordered to the east by Interstate 235.

“It’s a great anchor,” said Bob Bright, a member of the Bricktown Urban Design Committee.

I'm curious if there are any new renderings of the project? Steve..............? I'd like to see the two retail buildings. I'm betting they are suburban in design similar to the small ones in front of hotels on Memorial Rd.

Well at least progress has been made. I guessing for a spring 2010 opening.

I'd like to see the new renderings and site plan.

Dark red + brown = blech!

This is the closest thing to a rendering I have found. It does have the site plan in it also.

http://www.okc.gov/planning/planning_library/bricktown_ud/08-024.pdf

Update?

I want to say this project is dead...which IMO is a good thing for OKC.

Not sure it's dead.

Why would a new hotel not being built be a good thing for Okc?

Why would a new hotel not being built be a good thing for Okc?

Amen!

Even ugly hotels give a place for touristas to lay their heads in between bouts of assisting the local economy. Ugly, smugly, Few locals will have to eyeball it save for those at The HIll maybe, so bring it on.

They were doing dirt work on the site yesterday.

Ugly, just a beauty is subjective anyway. When you compare this hotel with the metal salvage yards to the East of Bricktown on Reno, it looks absolutely beautiful :). I looked at the image that someone posted earlier in the pdf file and I am not seeing it as ugly at all. It is great when we have people willing to build new seven floor buildings. I for one am happy they are building this.

They were doing dirt work on the site yesterday.

really?! do we have a completion date? if there are just starting i world suspect spring 2010.

It seems one could estimate completion somewhat based on the time frames involved between first shovel turn and "Hi! Glad you are here" on the other BT area motels. I've not studied the site plans, but isn't the proposed stack of beds at Lincoln scope somewhat similar, except perhaps in price point, to the stack of beds built next to BassPro and next to the Parking Garage.

Why would a new hotel not being built be a good thing for Okc?

It can be bad for the following reasons:

1) A bad hotel saturates the market, making it harder to bring in quality rooms necessary to attract high profile marquee events.

2) Using prime real estate for a bad hotel not only puts up the obvious barrier to placing a good hotel at that location, but it also discourages quality hotels to build in close proximity, as doing so hurt their brand.

3) A glut of discount low/no service rooms only serves to attract bargain hunters who generally are not interested in or do not have the means to spend very much money, netting less economic impact relative to a quality hotel.

4) Architecture often defines a district and any building of poor design brings the surrounding area "down" to it. You can't take someone to a district and say "it's great, if you just ignore that building or that business".

The key consideration here is not necessarily "what", but "where". More rooms is generally a good thing, but a new hotel does not necessarily mean that real estate resources are being maximized. We need to constantly be asking ourselves if what is being built serves the district and maintains its integrity in such a way that the district can still be positioned as desired.

There is a cost associated with all things called the opportunity cost. And Oklahoma City needs to be asking itself if this is the best opportunity given our situation. If we are still in the "take whatever we can" situation in regards to new hotels, buildings, businesses, and services (and we very well may be) then we still have a lot of work to do to elevate our community to a point where it can consistently attract quality developments from which to choose, instead of always having to take the "more rooms is always good no matter what it is or where it is" approach.

It can be bad for the following reasons:

1) A bad hotel saturates the market, making it harder to bring in quality rooms necessary to attract high profile marquee events.

2) Using prime real estate for a bad hotel not only puts up the obvious barrier to placing a good hotel at that location, but it also discourages quality hotels to build in close proximity, as doing so hurt their brand.

3) A glut of discount low/no service rooms only serves to attract bargain hunters who generally are not interested in or do not have the means to spend very much money, netting less economic impact relative to a quality hotel.

4) Architecture often defines a district and any building of poor design brings the surrounding area "down" to it. You can't take someone to a district and say "it's great, if you just ignore that building or that business".

The key consideration here is not necessarily "what", but "where". More rooms is generally a good thing, but a new hotel does not necessarily mean that real estate resources are being maximized. We need to constantly be asking ourselves if what is being built serves the district and maintains its integrity in such a way that the district can still be positioned as desired.

There is a cost associated with all things called the opportunity cost. And Oklahoma City needs to be asking itself if this is the best opportunity given our situation. If we are still in the "take whatever we can" situation in regards to new hotels, buildings, businesses, and services (and we very well may be) then we still have a lot of work to do to elevate our community to a point where it can consistently attract quality developments from which to choose, instead of always having to take the "more rooms is always good no matter what it is or where it is" approach.

This. Also the building is okay but the site plan sucks and not what we need in our urban Bricktown district. Sorry I'll take NO development over BAD development any day.

Completely agree, BG.

Is there a completion date set?

Extended stay in Bricktown is lame. These are not high quality properties in my view. This would make more sense in another location.

Anybody know if the dirt work going on is for this or if they are just leveling that massive mound of dirt?

another hotel thats great. we need to build hotel and get a new convetion center so we can start drawing convetions to okc:sofa:

Well this hotel doesn't have much bearing on conventions, but you are on the right track. A new convention center is planned, along with a large attached hotel.

adrian, we do draw conventions quite regularly to OKC. Based on other threads of yours I've read, do you get out much? We just had several large conventions and basketball tournaments over the last 3-4 weeks that brought in about 150,000 people to downtown from those events alone, not counting other events going on. Now we can't get the really large conventions because of our limited space and facilities, but that's what the new convention center is trying to overcome, to not have an excuse to get passed by the larger conventions. having another fairly small hotel in Bricktown isn't the answer, but a large convention hotel will help.

adrian, we do draw conventions quite regularly to OKC. Based on other threads of yours I've read, do you get out much?.

I wonder too...


Now we can't get the really large conventions because of our limited space and facilities, but that's what the new convention center is trying to overcome, to not have an excuse to get passed by the larger conventions. having another fairly small hotel in Bricktown isn't the answer, but a large convention hotel will help.

As someone working in Hospitality downtown, I can say for sure that there is PLENTY of demand for rooms downtown...that means room for the small and the large.

Platemaker, while true, my point was that we need a bigger CONVENTION CENTER to attract the larger conventions, not a small hotel or two in Bricktown as the answer.

Any updates!?!?!

Holiday Inn: dead
Candlewood Inn: emergency room physicians were applying CPR a few weeks ago. Not sure how that turned out.
W hotel (oops, you never heard about that one): dead
Mystery hotel still to be announced: mom is six months pregnant, so far she is very healthy... tba

Where in Bricktown can we expect her to give birth?

W hotel (oops, you never heard about that one): dead


Wow. Not that it matters, but how far along did this get? Where was it going to be?

The birthing will be in Bricktown. The W was to be along the canal.

Interesting. Tell us more. STAT!

So, if my stethoscope is working right, i can grab my forceps and pull a guess...that this hotel will crib by the river south of the Blvd?

...The W was to be along the canal.

I know it is dead now, but did this actually have legs? I mean, more than just somebody's pipe dream?

You know, I could type up a press release, attach a quick rendering, and talk some noise about opening a Ritz =)

Just curious.

The W was to be along the canal.

Riiiight. Where exactly along the canal? Were these "plans" created back when Lower Bricktown was still a clean slate, before the arrival of Bass Pro, Toby Keith's, and an oversupply of surface parking?

I find it very hard to believe that this was ever anything beyond the "absurd pipe dream" stage--the Bricktown canal is simply too much of a low-end suburban-esque development, certainly fitting for the likes of the Hampton Inn and Residence Inn but not at all for high-end chains like the W. (Please, feel free to prove me wrong.)

Holiday Inn: dead
Candlewood Inn: emergency room physicians were applying CPR a few weeks ago. Not sure how that turned out.
W hotel (oops, you never heard about that one): dead
Mystery hotel still to be announced: mom is six months pregnant, so far she is very healthy... tba

Yet another reason why OKC will Never get an NBA-All Star Game or a Men's NCAA Sub-Regional (sweet 16, elite 8 games)

I know it is dead now, but did this actually have legs? I mean, more than just somebody's pipe dream?

You know, I could type up a press release, attach a quick rendering, and talk some noise about opening a Ritz =)

Just curious.

OKC is getting a Ritz? Awesome!!

OKC is getting a Ritz? Awesome!!

I heard from a friend of my next door neighbor that he was told by his cousin's best friend who knows "somebody in the know" who says they heard that it's true!

Then I found this!!!!!!!!!

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4379/headlinee.jpg

Congrats Cuatrode!

I know it is dead now, but did this actually have legs? I mean, more than just somebody's pipe dream?

You know, I could type up a press release, attach a quick rendering, and talk some noise about opening a Ritz =)

Just curious.

Bob Funk already played that card.

I heard from a friend of my next door neighbor that he was told by his cousin's best friend who knows "somebody in the know" who says they heard that it's true!

Then I found this!!!!!!!!!

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4379/headlinee.jpg

Congrats Cuatrode!

This would be even funnier if it said metro..

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3696/headline2.jpg http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/898/headline3.jpg

FIXED!