View Full Version : NW Expressway



ddavidson8
09-06-2008, 06:26 PM
How is the NW Expressway corridor holding up? Specifically west of the Lake Hefner Parkway? When I lived there about 10 years ago it seemed like more and more buisnesses were closing. Now that I'm in Houston I'm curious if it's made any sort of resurgence.

Steve
09-06-2008, 06:37 PM
I'd say it's still shaky

jbrown84
09-06-2008, 07:08 PM
I'd agree. Although a lot has been added in the last 10 years as well. It's patchy. A lot has gone in at Council and the Silver Springs Crossing land has been mostly filled in.

There is also a new hotel going in where the old Guaranteed Credit Auto was across from the shopping center that housed Service Merchandise. The shopping center is pretty much empty, however.

ddavidson8
09-06-2008, 07:18 PM
It's a weird set up. From Hefner to the east it's relatively "upper crust" but it drops off again until about MacArthur where it becomes slightly upper middle class.

edcrunk
09-07-2008, 12:54 AM
this is totally not what you asked about but they are tearing down the old executive terrace building at may and nwx. they are putting in a decent hotel there. there was also a new bank put in on may as well, just north of there. combined with the refurbished 360 at founders plaza... that area excites me.

ddavidson8
09-07-2008, 09:41 AM
I've always liked that area of May and NW Expressway.

OUGrad05
09-07-2008, 10:36 AM
How is the NW Expressway corridor holding up? Specifically west of the Lake Hefner Parkway? When I lived there about 10 years ago it seemed like more and more buisnesses were closing. Now that I'm in Houston I'm curious if it's made any sort of resurgence.

I moved out to Wilshire and Council in 1989. I was 8 at the time and I remember numerous stores going out of business. Things slowly improved after 1993 or 1994 and it has been built up a fair amount since 1998 but for some reason things are still a bit questionable as you get out towards Council....but compared with 10 years ago things are better. Compared with 20 years ago things are drastically better.

jbrown84
09-07-2008, 03:44 PM
What exactly was bad about it 20 years ago?

As a kid, I lived for a while at Hefner & Council in Old Windmill Estates, and went to Will Rogers Elem.

Those homes were the starter homes like you now see popping up all over the Quail Springs area and West Edmond. They were built cheap and most of the neighborhood looks very shabby. I'd say some of those neighborhoods are almost blighted.

CCOKC
09-08-2008, 07:50 AM
Just North of that area is Cobblestone which are very nice houses. I also know someone who lives in Old Windmill and while it is not a huge house it is in no way blighted. My mom lives in Rock Knoll at NWE and Rockwell and it is pretty hit and miss for sure.

Video Expert
09-08-2008, 09:14 AM
How is the NW Expressway corridor holding up? Specifically west of the Lake Hefner Parkway? When I lived there about 10 years ago it seemed like more and more buisnesses were closing. Now that I'm in Houston I'm curious if it's made any sort of resurgence.

I'm a little puzzled with some of the responses to your post. Since 1998 (when I last lived in that area), the NW Expressway Corridor West of the Hefner Parkway has had fairly significant growth.

The big box retailers like Home Depot, Wal Mart, Office Depot, and Sam's in the Silver Springs Crossing area have assisted in the the development of pad sites and adjoining retail. Rockwell Plaza has been completely remodeled and is anchored by a large Target...a far improvement from the days when the dingy "Venture" was the centerpiece of the shopping center.

A Six-Story La Quinta Hotel was built a few years ago just west of Meridian, and another hotel is on the way just before MacArthur in Warr Acres. Several major new car dealerships have now relocated to brand new facilities out by County Line Road.

New housing is going up fairly rapidly west of County Line from Wilshire northward. Even further west, The Kilpatrick Turnpike has seen increases of traffic that will most likely spur a 2nd area of development along this interchange in the near future.

Yes, there are still some trouble spots along the area, (like the shopping center at NW Expressway and Council), but overall the area has grown pretty well since you last lived here.

edcrunk
09-08-2008, 10:46 AM
i remember when everything just stopped at council. like that book "where the sidewalk ends"

MadMonk
09-08-2008, 11:06 AM
Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember driving down NW Expressway out past County Line to get fireworks. Back then it was a crappy pothole-filled two lane road. It's much better now and is four lanes all the way to Okarchie.

I used to live in Rambling Acres and had friends in Northridge around NW Expressway & Council. I never really liked the housing around that area. Those early '80s homes always seemed to have shoddy/cheap construction. I haven't been back in that area for some time now, but I imagine it's not holding up too well.

metro
09-19-2008, 02:06 PM
FYI....the low rise (4-8 story) office building at NW Expressway and May has finally been completed demolished (within the last few days) in front of the La Quinta. I know they are building another new hotel on that site, but I forget which one.

BDP
09-19-2008, 02:32 PM
The NW is a great example of disposable development. It's kind of an endless string of low density retail housed in forgettable box structures and lifeless strip malls. But what's weird is, instead of replacing the disposable developments with better ones, it seems to just keep on stretching out and adding more and more cheap structures. So, it keeps "growing", but the old featureless strip malls become undesirable, making it harder for them to maintain occupancy, which is slowly eroding any functional density it may have had in the first place. However, May to Classen Circle seems pretty healthy with the continued success of Penn Square, efforts to upgrade areas around May, and with the Belle Isle Shopping Center being almost full.

lasomeday
09-19-2008, 05:49 PM
You guys didn't mention the Hideaway that replaced the Chilis and the new Express Personnel Headquarters close to Countyline by the car dealerships. They bought the little movie theater in front of the little "wanna be mall" where TJMaxx is now. They made into a little conference center.

Lowes is also looking at putting a store out there between Countyline and the Turnpike, so it will sprawl out some more.

NW Expressway still looks great around Penn Square Mall, they built an Olive Garden on the East side of 50 Penn Place, and they added an Elephant Bar and a Cheesecake Factory in the Penn Square Parking lot, which makes Christmas time impossible to find a parking spot. They also tore down the strip mall with Beverly's Fried Chicken place to the west of the mall and they are making it another strip mall.

foodiefan
09-19-2008, 05:58 PM
hmmm. . . I'd hardly classify Talbot's as a tenant in a "strip mall". . . unless you would classify the little group of shops West of Penn Square (Koslow's, Duncan Brothers, et cet) as strip mall. Technicall, perhaps it is, but I think it depends on the tenants.

bluedogok
09-19-2008, 06:48 PM
i remember when everything just stopped at council. like that book "where the sidewalk ends"
I remember when the Medco Catalog Showroom (a Service Merchandise competitor) in Springbrook Plaza just west of Wilshire was the edge of commercial development, that was right around the time that Lansbrook was first starting to be developed...but there was pretty much nothing west of that until the McCartney's Grocery store went in at Rockwell.

BB37
09-19-2008, 08:48 PM
I remember when the Medco Catalog Showroom (a Service Merchandise competitor) in Springbrook Plaza just west of Wilshire was the edge of commercial development, that was right around the time that Lansbrook was first starting to be developed...but there was pretty much nothing west of that until the McCartney's Grocery store went in at Rockwell.

Yep. My folks bought a home in Surrey Hills in 1974, and you're right -- Springbrook Plaza was the 'edge of town' back then. NW Highway west of County Line was a 3-lane concrete pothole collection. At that time Surrey Hills was way, WAY out in the country. However, we're seeing commercial development starting west of the turnpike on NW Highway, with more residental development south of the highway. Another 10 years or so, I expect Surrey will be enveloped by 'the city.'

oneforone
09-20-2008, 06:17 AM
I noticed that 7-11 finally built a new story in Surrey Hills. I wonder if the new store will be 24 hours. I know the old store was only open 6am to 11pm.

yukong
09-20-2008, 07:56 AM
I noticed that 7-11 finally built a new story in Surrey Hills. I wonder if the new store will be 24 hours. I know the old store was only open 6am to 11pm.

Yes, it will be a 24 hour store. It will also have pay at the pump gas pumps. It will be real nice. They are also remodeling the old strip center where 7-11 is now and it will look a lot better. The businesses along NW Hwy by Surrey Hills Blvd are growing. There will be a new BBQ restaurant in one of them. The lady that is opening the restaurant is very good with BBQ. I've heard a liquor store is going in next to the new 7-11. Not sure about that, but that is what I'm told.

jstanthrnme
09-20-2008, 08:03 AM
I've heard a liquor store is going in next to the new 7-11.

Of course there will be.
They go together like peanut butter & jelly.

donbroncho
09-20-2008, 08:47 AM
Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember driving down NW Expressway out past County Line to get fireworks. Back then it was a crappy pothole-filled two lane road. It's much better now and is four lanes all the way to Okarchie.

I used to live in Rambling Acres and had friends in Northridge around NW Expressway & Council. I never really liked the housing around that area. Those early '80s homes always seemed to have shoddy/cheap construction. I haven't been back in that area for some time now, but I imagine it's not holding up too well.

I grew up in Wilshire Hills(in one of those early 80s homes lol) and I go through there occasionally. Sure some of the houses havent held up well, but alot of the neighborhood is in pretty good shape. The house across the street from me was in bad shape when i was a kid and still is lol.

I think the area around there will be fine. They are good neighborhoods and Northridge was a good school( my alma mater).

I do not think NW Expressway is as bad as its described. Sure there are some abandoned buildings and low quality development as well. Maybe im biased, since i lived very close to it, but theres always a good amount of traffic on it and is home to many successful businesses.

The only area i can think of thats rough around there is wilshire east of rockwell. There are lots of apartments in less than desirable shape and lots of crime...

bluedogok
09-20-2008, 10:09 AM
It seems no matter where in town they are most of those apartment complexes built in the early 70's are run down and now problem areas. Most of the ones in my parents area (16th & Meridian for 43 years) have done this, it is a shame what the areas saturated by these neglected complexes have become. I know my parents have seriously considered moving, they have a good street and neighborhood with many long time residents who keep things nice but the area around them have suffered.

ShiroiHikari
09-20-2008, 10:18 AM
It seems no matter where in town they are most of those apartment complexes built in the early 70's are run down and now problem areas.

Tell me about it. I live in one of those run down 70s apartment complexes and I can't wait to get outta here.

BB37
09-20-2008, 04:22 PM
I'd agree. Although a lot has been added in the last 10 years as well. It's patchy. A lot has gone in at Council and the Silver Springs Crossing land has been mostly filled in.

There is also a new hotel going in where the old Guaranteed Credit Auto was across from the shopping center that housed Service Merchandise. The shopping center is pretty much empty, however.

Yep. Market Place has had big trouble since Service Merchandise went out of business; just a few retailers have held on. Hideaway Pizza's new restauraunt in the former Chili's always seems full, but it's doubtful whether that will help out the strip.

Another perennial loser is Peppertree Square, between Wilshire and Rockwell. There are storefronts in that strip that have never been leased in the 20+ years of its existence!

Re Silver Springs Crossing, that development got caught in the 80's oil bust, and sat untouched until the late 90's. It wasn't until Wal Mart went in at Council that SSC finally took off.

jbrown84
09-20-2008, 05:20 PM
Another perennial loser is Peppertree Square, between Wilshire and Rockwell. There are storefronts in that strip that have never been leased in the 20+ years of its existence!

Re Silver Springs Crossing, that development got caught in the 80's oil bust, and sat untouched until the late 90's. It wasn't until Wal Mart went in at Council that SSC finally took off.

Yeah I remember how it had these grand entrances to nothing w/ fountains and such.

Where is Peppertree Square?

MikeOKC
09-20-2008, 05:48 PM
I know most of the discussion is about west of May, but one block east of May at NWX was the old 4-5 story Executive Terrace building (immediately east of the Holiday Inn Express). I just drove by today ansd noticed - it's gone! It has been razed! Anybody know what they're going to do? I know it was (is?) owned by Jim Thompson and his son (they also own the Holiday Inn next door).

Anybody know the story on this piece of NW OKC history being razed? Somebody once told me that place (ugly as it was) at one time was quite the address. The offices had balconies, etc. One of the now huge energy companies, I don't remember which one, had their very first office in that building.

jbrown84
09-20-2008, 05:53 PM
It's going to be another hotel.

bluedogok
09-20-2008, 06:39 PM
Yeah I remember how it had these grand entrances to nothing w/ fountains and such.

Where is Peppertree Square?
Where Harrigan's and Black-Eyed Pea used to be. There is a Hibdon's-Tires Plus in the parking lot as well IIRC.

BB37
09-20-2008, 06:52 PM
Where is Peppertree Square?


Where Harrigan's and Black-Eyed Pea used to be. There is a Hibdon's-Tires Plus in the parking lot as well IIRC.

The old Black Eyed Pea building is now an AutoZone. Peppertree Square is on the south side of the highway, about the 6500 block of NW Highway.

progressiveboy
09-20-2008, 07:37 PM
Last time I was in OKC about a year ago driving down NW Expressway it appeared that the old Olive Garden was either being demolished or reconfigured. What is in it's spot now?

mtpinto
09-20-2008, 08:29 PM
I think they need to bring Yuka Tan Liquor Tan back to the NW expressway, it would be a great replacement for Incredible Pizza.

jbrown84
09-20-2008, 08:31 PM
It's been reconfigured to Tuscan Village or something like that.

progressiveboy
09-20-2008, 08:39 PM
It's been reconfigured to Tuscan Village or something like that.

OK. So is it a strip center? Just curious........

jbrown84
09-20-2008, 08:47 PM
I don't think so. It's hard to explain. Maybe more like an office building set up.

oneforone
10-03-2008, 10:38 PM
I think they need to bring Yuka Tan Liquor Tan back to the NW expressway, it would be a great replacement for Incredible Pizza.

Wasn't that the place were they had several shootings and I think a murder maybe two.

Doug Loudenback
10-04-2008, 05:46 AM
this is totally not what you asked about but they are tearing down the old executive terrace building at may and nwx. they are putting in a decent hotel there. there was also a new bank put in on may as well, just north of there. combined with the refurbished 360 at founders plaza... that area excites me.
I hadn't heard that. Good.

What hotel? When?

amylynn5656
10-06-2008, 08:54 AM
What hotel? When?

Its supposed to be a Marriott Residence Inn - not sure when.

jbrown84
10-06-2008, 12:14 PM
No the Residence Inn is going at the Founders Plaza site.

I can't remember the details of the former Executive Terrace site.

warreng88
10-06-2008, 01:14 PM
It will be a Hampton Inn and Suites. It will be owned by the same people that own the Holiday Inn Express next door, La Quinta on Memorial and the new Marriott Hotel on Memorial.

jbrown84
10-06-2008, 01:46 PM
There's a Marriott on Memorial?

warreng88
10-06-2008, 03:45 PM
There's a Marriott on Memorial?

Yes sir, it is on the south side of Memorial behind Lowe's where those other hotels are. They just finished it a couple of months ago.

jbrown84
10-06-2008, 05:41 PM
Courtyard by Marriott?

bluedogok
10-06-2008, 07:56 PM
There was a Marriott owned retirement center built on May south of Memorial about 8 years ago, maybe they are expanding their territory in the area.

Tex
10-06-2008, 08:11 PM
Courtyard by Marriott?

Yes, it's a Courtyard by Marriott. There is also a Hilton Garden Inn that is about to open behind Mahogany and Springhill suites. I don't believe it's previously been mentioned here.

slick
10-06-2008, 09:07 PM
Wait a minute, I'm a little confused. I don't know NWX and May Ave. much, but I frequent the area enough to notice the Holiday Inn Express (Which I can say without a doubt was a La Quinta before), and the 5 Story Hampton Inn next to those dealerships.

So where is this Executive Terrace located in relation to the hotels above? I can't believe that Hilton would allow a new Hampton to be built next to another Hampton, or more than likely, take the current Hampton's flag to open a new one.

jbrown84
10-07-2008, 01:03 PM
Yeah, it can't be a Hampton. I forgot about that one across the street.

bluedogok
10-07-2008, 06:07 PM
The Hampton is on the SW corner next to what used to be Steak & Ale. It used to be an office building that was renovated into the Hampton. The HI-Ex on the NE corner was a LaQuinta I believe.

I thought the Executive Terrace building was the one by Borders and was converted into a hotel something like 8 years ago, Homewood Suites or one like that. They put a stupid green standing seam roof on top of it and skinned the original black brick with tan EIFS.

http://www.countryinns.com/chi/images/hotels/OKOKCTYN/home_450.jpg

yukong
10-07-2008, 11:28 PM
The Hampton is on the SW corner next to what used to be Steak & Ale. It used to be an office building that was renovated into the Hampton. The HI-Ex on the NE corner was a LaQuinta I believe.

I thought the Executive Terrace building was the one by Borders and was converted into a hotel something like 8 years ago, Homewood Suites or one like that. They put a stupid green standing seam roof on top of it and skinned the original black brick with tan EIFS.

http://www.countryinns.com/chi/images/hotels/OKOKCTYN/home_450.jpg

No...that was the Medical Arts Tower. The Executive Terrace was at NW Hwy and May on the NE corner. Faced NW Hwy. It was only 5-6 stories high.

warreng88
10-23-2008, 11:51 AM
No...that was the Medical Arts Tower. The Executive Terrace was at NW Hwy and May on the NE corner. Faced NW Hwy. It was only 5-6 stories high.

Just to clear things up a little, I talked to Jim and it is going to be a Hilton Garden Inn. He said they are waiting on building permits. Sorry for the confusion.

oneforone
10-23-2008, 10:02 PM
I may have been seeing things but I could have sworn I seen a vacant lot with a sign that stated Smicklas Chevrolet coming soon.

Has anyone else seen this or am I confusing this with City Chevrolet's new location at NW Expressway and Countyline RD.

BB37
10-25-2008, 09:32 PM
I may have been seeing things but I could have sworn I seen a vacant lot with a sign that stated Smicklas Chevrolet coming soon.

Has anyone else seen this or am I confusing this with City Chevrolet's new location at NW Expressway and Countyline RD.

You're not confused. With the mess in the credit markets right now, though, it'll be interesting to see if either one happens anytime soon.

bluedogok
10-26-2008, 09:28 AM
Dealerships are closing all over the country, there was a story that I saw where GM has had 600 dealerships close nationwide. One of the highest volume GM dealers (in Scottsdale) closed recently due to credit/sales issues. They built a huge new facility in 2003 and evidently couldn't maintain the debt service on it so it was closed. I have seen some other dealerships around Houston that have been closed as well with the lines being picked up by others. I think we will probably see a reduction of domestic dealers by about 25-30% after this economic crisis. Just like any other retailer closing stores.

jbrown84
10-29-2008, 02:29 PM
One closed in Guthrie about a month ago.