I agree, the porter/classen area is redeveloping.

check this:

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The Porter Avenue Corridor Project area extends from Castro Street on the south to Haddock Street on the north, between Findlay Avenue on the east and nearly to Peters Avenue to the west.
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also check this:

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Council, by a vote of 5-3, approved an amended resolution declaring an "administrative delay" for a period of 12 months on the acceptance of all applications for building, demolition, paving, platting and rezoning activities in the Porter Avenue Corridor Project area.
http://www.normantranscript.com/archivesearch/local_story_224011549
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okay, granted, this area is a few blocks north of the condo project, there is a new/altered land use planning project going on.

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oh and another thing, i was looking at the 401 loft website, and it has 3 tiers of pricing. the website says it will raise prices as it goes from one tier to the next.

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I'm still wondering if the thing will break ground, let alone be done by summer '10.

:053:

That are needs renovation bad.

Me write English good. :redface:

Loft 401 will be located at 401 E. Boyd, hence the name LOFT 401. The sales are going great! A lot of people are taking advantage of the "preconstruction pricing," and yes, you are correct, prices will be going up once construction begins. If anyone has any questions please feel free to call us at (405) 249-4442. Thanks!

Loft401, any estimate on when construction will begin? It seems like it's getting late for the Summer '10 completion date to work.

We are slated for later in the month September. Thanks for your question!

I ride my bike by there often and the Mont's overflow parking is now closed, they have started site preparation.

Yes sir, OUman, we have! Get excited everyone!

pile of mud, with a chain link fence. not gonna be done by next summer

I wanted to get everyone updated... We had our official groundbreaking last Thursday, and will begin working on the site this week! Expect to see structure coming out of the ground in the next 30-45 days! We will keep everyone posted with photos etc, but feel free to visit us at our sales office, 541 S. University in Campus Corner. LOFT401 (http://www.LOFT401.com)

I wanted to get everyone updated... We had our official groundbreaking last Thursday, and will begin working on the site this week! Expect to see structure coming out of the ground in the next 30-45 days! We will keep everyone posted with photos etc, but feel free to visit us at our sales office, 541 S. University in Campus Corner. LOFT401 (http://www.LOFT401.com)

When do you think the project will be finished?

We are looking at 12 months from now.

Nothing like the ambiance of a BNSF train shaking the walls 12 times a day.

i bet it is alot more then 12.

i bet it is alot more then 12.

Double it, and then add a few, and that's just for the trains. If memory serves, we have 26+ daily passthroughs in Norman.

Me, I like trains. I don't live within spitting distance from the tracks, but I'm not much farther out from them.

I do enjoy when the trains come through. However, they are so common, I concede I really don't always notice them.

I once lived across the street from the Mont and behind that liquor store. I could truly throw a rock from the back door and hit a train. If I was on the phone when a train went by I had to either wait until the train had passed or hang up. The walls and windows shook. At first it was very annoying but, after awhile I got used to it and even slept thru all the racket. Now..this little house was old and had no insulation. I don't think the train noise would be so bad at the "401".

Nothing like the ambiance of a BNSF train shaking the walls 12 times a day.

This project is surrounded by a fairly decent residential neighborhood. Think the trains are any quieter for all of the professors living on quiet, shady residential streets across Classen? Doubt it.

Once Norman has its quiet zone implemented the train noise will be less noticeable. I'm not sure when that will be though.

Our understanding is that the City has approved the "quiet zone" and are currently working out the logistics of it all. Bear in mind that we have hired an accoustical engineer to take into account any noise transmission, sound deadening, deflection and dampening. I lived across from the Sooner Theatre on Main St. for 3 years and loved it.

Here's a construction update: We are currently working on a very large retaining wall on the East side of the lot, and will begin piering in about 30 days, so expect to see structure going up very soon! Presales are going amazingly, we want to thank all of those who share our vision. Please call us if you haven't been by the sales office. LOFT401 (http://www.LOFT401.com) (405) 249-4442

Drove by today and saw all the dirt work going on. I can't wait to see it start to take shape.

Spoke with the general contractor today (of Stratera Construction - GC of the project), he stated that weather permitting, piers will begin to be installed in 3 weeks... Then we will all start to see the structure coming out of the ground and serious progress being made. Feel free to email me to get on our monthly newsletter.We will keep everyone posted!

Anymore updates, LOFT401?

At what point will unit prices go up?

Thanks for the question, Fish Sticks... We actually just had 60 trailer-loads of dirt delivered late this week to set up the for the building pads (and finishing site prep). Soon you will see the scale of the building footprints. Shortly after the pads are set start looking for piers and columns to go up! We are VERY close to going vertical! Very exciting, but this weather has us a little delayed in getting the process along... But nothing we can't overcome to stay on schedule I'm told. Keep the questions coming, and as always, feel free to call us at the sales office. (405) 249-4442

A sneak-peak into next month's newsletter: "Note From General Contractor: site grading is complete and we are preparing to start the drilling operation of +/- (80) structural concrete piers. These piers will be approximately 30 feet deep and will support the forthcoming building construction upon the underlying bedrock “strata”. We expect this phase of the construction operation to take about (3) weeks. From then forward, the building construction will start to go “vertical” and begin to be visible to passers-by!........Dale R. Diercks, President, Stratera Construction, LLC"

Pier installation being completed today! Above-grade work will begin, which will mean structure is soon to follow... To keep posted, check this blog frequently! - LOFT401 Sales Team

LOFT401, will you be posting pics periodically?

We are trying to figure out how to do so on this site without having to post them on the internet. You are more than welcome to register on our website LOFT401 (http://www.LOFT401.com) to receive photos that way... We are on top of this and will do what we can to get this figured out! Thank you for your patience.

Nice lofts for Norman, this is a big step for our upscale residential community.

Loft401, i appreciate your abundant use of exclamation points. However, i worry that the Norman "Quiet Zone" is more a pipedream than reality. The idea that the BNSF and NTSB will instruct their engineers to NOT blow a warning horn at the very dangerous and outdated Boyd St. crossing just so Steve Owens, et al can enjoy a game-day party pad in relative quiet, well, it's seems a little dubious to me. Can you please show where the city planners and the railroad have agreed to this?

I saw they recently tore down some houses on Monnett, near Duffy, it looks like the same group (but not the 401 Loft group) owns about 6 adjacent houses on what would be a sizable lot. Maybe 401 Lofts is about to get a trend started? Just speculation on my part.

Indeed the "quiet zone" is a pipe dream. The City of Norman began investigating this option nearly 2 years ago...I still hear that train a comin'.

I had high hopes upon hearing about the lofts...but alas, it's just another Commons, Edge, or whatever you want to call it with a gate and a pool. How about some originality for once in this town. If the "quite zone" is real, how about developing some old industrial sites in core Norman? Now that's a loft I would live in.

Why are you guys hating on this?! How about you pony up the money and build something that you want. Don't insult what they are trying to do. geez

Err... with all do respect, OUguy, it is because TheLoft is asking us to pay 150k to live RIGHT NEXT to the railroad tracks, (whilst I live near the same tracks, within walking distance to the exact same resrataunts for $6k per year) W/O ANY gaurantee that the ever-present Norman train will be quited at 3:15 AM, or convincing their potential market that they have done due diligence on this matter.
We all love and romanticize the train here in Norman, however, few of us plan to pay such a high price for the privilege over 30 years. My point is, maybe this ad is better placed on St.LouisTalk.com,or some such place.

lastly, i don't need a smug lecture on what "upscale urban living" entails, especially when it sounds A LOT like "poor-ass east side living".

NEWS FLASH--if you don't like what they are offering, don't buy, if you do like what they are offering, give them a call. No need to get your Hanes in a wad over something so trivial.

Hanes in a wad? I have no idea what that means. You're right, if I don't like it, I won't buy into it. But that's not the point. The point is runaway development in this city is costing everyone. Not necessarily in actual dollars, but the community suffers each time a developer swoops in with a "great idea" to make money. This is the root of all problems in the modern world. So, as OUguy suggests, I am putting my money down, for real, sustainable, enjoyable, quality living. Not some game day condos for the ultra rich, that's certainly not what Norman needs.

Fair enough, rc. But it's not just a matter of what i buy or don't buy. When affordable residential and commercial spaces in central Norman continue to be demolished and actual students are left with no options other than the giant (very expensive) apartment complexes and regular folks continue to be priced out of rents and buying options, well, it just doesn't sit well with me. That being said, i do support people bringing new ideas and visions to this town and hope that the lofts are the begining of an exciting archectual and commercial boom. I just hope there is something left of Old Norman when it's done.

401 can we get any pics yet?

It's going up. They don't have a lot of it, but just give it a few weeks. I'll take some pics myself next time I go eat at The Mont..

When affordable residential and commercial spaces in central Norman continue to be demolished and actual students are left with no options other than the giant (very expensive) apartment complexes and regular folks continue to be priced out of rents and buying options, well, it just doesn't sit well with me.

From what I've been able to glean paying attention to city workings, the unspoken plan between OU with its recently increasing student population and the city of Norman is to allow giant multi-story residential units aimed at the college crowd to be built to the south and southeast of campus. Witness OU Traditions, Campus Bungalows down by hiway 9, that new apartment/golf development south of hiway 9 by cedar lane, etc. I'm sure there are others...

The plan is to run low-end college kids away from core Norman and let OU develop that stuff across from the Duck Pond. Rumors of a retirement cottage neighborhood. And to let the core close-in neighborhoods become filled with affluent alumni parents of OU children/game day enthusiasts/rent queens(!)/single families etc...

don't believe me, check out what they are getting for "lofts" near campus and downtown :
Magnolia Apartments -::- Native Roots (http://www.nativerootsmarket.com/pages/magnolia_apartments)

I'm trying to get a digi camera to take pics of the damn 401 one of these days if there aint some other person with a cam out there!

Fair enough, rc. But it's not just a matter of what i buy or don't buy. When affordable residential and commercial spaces in central Norman continue to be demolished and actual students are left with no options other than the giant (very expensive) apartment complexes and regular folks continue to be priced out of rents and buying options, well, it just doesn't sit well with me. That being said, i do support people bringing new ideas and visions to this town and hope that the lofts are the begining of an exciting archectual and commercial boom. I just hope there is something left of Old Norman when it's done.

Nothing was demolished to make way for this project, again if you don't like this project, theres several choices in the immediate area.

there was an older 2 story house that may have been a law firm iirc that was razed and otherwise the overflow parking lot for the Mont. This project will be an improvement nonetheless, that is if they actually get it finished!

Do you mean the mustardy house behind the big evergreens? If so, I thought it was owned by Professor I-can't-remember, a David Ross Boyd Professor of something. Darn this middle-aged brain!

I think the various housing topics being discussed here are important. I do think housing should have its own thread. This one is topic-specific. Norman housing in general, central Norman, OU housing, party houses in residential neighborhoods - all of these are viable topics, just not here, I think.

From what I've been able to glean paying attention to city workings, the unspoken plan between OU with its recently increasing student population and the city of Norman is to allow giant multi-story residential units aimed at the college crowd to be built to the south and southeast of campus. Witness OU Traditions, Campus Bungalows down by hiway 9, that new apartment/golf development south of hiway 9 by cedar lane, etc. I'm sure there are others...

The plan is to run low-end college kids away from core Norman and let OU develop that stuff across from the Duck Pond. Rumors of a retirement cottage neighborhood. And to let the core close-in neighborhoods become filled with affluent alumni parents of OU children/game day enthusiasts/rent queens(!)/single families etc...

don't believe me, check out what they are getting for "lofts" near campus and downtown :
Magnolia Apartments -::- Native Roots (http://www.nativerootsmarket.com/pages/magnolia_apartments)

I'm trying to get a digi camera to take pics of the damn 401 one of these days if there aint some other person with a cam out there!

It's a vision that will be interesting to see Norman obtain. A lot of college towns, including Stillwater, are actually ahead of Norman in terms of sending the low-end student housing further out and replacing the closer-in housing with upscale-only development.

**Updated Photos to be Regularly Posted on our Facebook Page** Login | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=93033817722)

Well, after approaching the City of Norman about the proposed "quiet zone" and getting no answer I contacted BNSF directly. Here is the response:

************************************************** *******
Good Morning Karen,

I have not received any proposals from the City of Norman at this time. Should I hear of any proposed quiet zones within the City limits, I will be sure to share that with you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to give me a call.


Thanks, Kamie Minor| BNSF Railway | Public Projects Manager- KS, NM, OK
| * kamalah.minor@bnsf.com | * 913-551-4484 | **913-551-4285
************************************************** *******

I think it's safe to say that the horn will continue to blow and the sales representatives at 401 Lofts are misleading Norman residents, what a shame.

I would bet the City itself is misleading residents, including the loft folks. If you type "quiet zone" into the Transcript site you get several articles. The City is "investigating." The City is "checking it out." The City is "seeing what would be involved."

The articles say that the City will need to make official requests and actually do things. Apparently they are still in the "checking it out" phase, unless the railroad has lost our applications.

It's like when the government was giving out stimulus money for rail, and folk thought Norman had been working on proposals for years to get the train between OKC and Norman back. Ha ha ha,,, erm, excuse me, I meant...Ha ha ha!!! Apparently we had been "investigating" again, instead of actually working.

Mayor Rosenthal was SHOCKED at the complexities of the grant forms! We had NO idea!! We were so not ready it is sickening.

Not to worry - the mayor said it was a "wake-up call" and next time we will be ready!! Next time what? Next time the economy collapses?

Thank God for our marvelous Destination Shopping.

"By law, an engineer operating a train traveling 60 mph or less must sound a whistle 15 seconds before the lead car passes through a crossing. The whistle has to start a quarter mile ahead of the crossing if the train is traveling faster than 60 mph.

Norman has 17 at-grade crossings, which means a fast train may have to blow its whistle continuously as it passes through the city to comply with federal regulations, traffic engineer Angelo Lombardo said."

more in the article

Read more: Train whistles disrupt residents, set the dogs to howling | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/train-whistles-disrupt-residents-set-the-dogs-to-howling/article/3464154?custom_click=pod_headline_norman-news#ixzz0pG61lE70)

The article is informative, however, Jane Glenn Cannon (author), Tulsa has already successfully implemented a quiet zone. And you know what? Downtown is thriving. People and businesses are moving back in, go figure.

I realize it takes time and money to bring the remaining crossings in Norman up to scratch, perhaps they need to be made a higher priority (according to Lombardo it's not).

The original purpose of this post was to point out that if anyone from 401 Lofts tells you the train will be quiet, it's not true.

Well stated, JC. However, i do think that WE ARE ALL AT THE SAME PLACE HERE, i.e. let's bring in the development, bring on the inovation and growth that is part and parcel of an up and coming community. Let's do it all for this town that we love/have a vested economic intrest in, but let us do it with our eyes wide open, while sitting down at the "grown-ups table". NOT with our fingers over our eyes, our hand over our mouth and a pillow over our ears!

I went and looked at the site today. Its got rebar shooting up skyward out of the ground and looks ready for concrete soon. I couldn't figure where the pool would be, the site looks kind of cramped with the layout of the rebar currently. oh well. best wishes!

I appreciate everyone's comments...

Please understand that we are not in the business of misleading anyone. We were and still are of the understanding that the city of Norman is pursuing the quiet zone and we will do everything we can to assist in the process to help expedite the completion of a quiet zone at the intersection of of Boyd and Classen. Of course, we are at the mercy of the city but we support their efforts and believe the quiet zone will be accomplished, although we are not knowlegable of when it will be completed. We have never promised that this would be completed but the information we have received from the city is promising that it will one day be completed. Our fingers are crossed.

We are committed to building a first-class, beautiful condiminium project that will compliment Norman's landscape. Should anyone have any questions or concerns, please call us at (405) 249-4442.

The site is changing daily, concrete work is going well and we are working diligently to get this building off the ground! We appreciate everyone's support.

"By law, an engineer operating a train traveling 60 mph or less must sound a whistle 15 seconds before the lead car passes through a crossing. The whistle has to start a quarter mile ahead of the crossing if the train is traveling faster than 60 mph.

Norman has 17 at-grade crossings, which means a fast train may have to blow its whistle continuously as it passes through the city to comply with federal regulations, traffic engineer Angelo Lombardo said."

more in the article

Read more: Train whistles disrupt residents, set the dogs to howling | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/train-whistles-disrupt-residents-set-the-dogs-to-howling/article/3464154?custom_click=pod_headline_norman-news#ixzz0pG61lE70)

Freight trains do not travel that fast in urbanized regions such as straight through Norman.

Fingers crossed? I sure hope that's not how development in Norman will continue. How about fact checking and not relying on rumor and innuendo.

We don't/can't know what Loft-person was told by the mayor, just as with Henry Baskeyfield, who withdrew the union support of Ezell only to have his workers cut after the election. What did she tell Baskeyfield and Loft-person?

The mayor writes a lot of checks she can't, or has no intention, of covering.

Trying to find out real facts in this town is like pulling mammoth-teeth. You will know what you need to know when David Boren tells Cindy it is OK and she tells Andy Reiger.

Loft-person is very likely ripping his hair out and cursing himself for trusting her. He can't say that, though, because he still needs Norman to sign off on all of the inspections.

I rode my bicycle by the site this evening, and in the three weeks or so that have passed since my last bike-by, the rebar sticking out of the ground now has squarish concrete surrounding it. Max height of the concrete forms would be maybe 10 feet. pretty sluggish progress is how i'd characterize the project. i stopped at the C-store next door and asked the gent working the register about the project next door and he told me they were to be apartments, but what does he know...!

it'll be nice to see them actually put more concrete down...at this point i'd be surprised if they are ready by summer 2011.

Blangtang- Thanks for checking out the site. The weather has really made things tough for us, but look for about 6 more weeks of concrete work. Then the framing above the podium begins, which will progress very quickly.

Loft-condos under way in Norman
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record

NORMAN – Developer and architect Mark Risser is counting on well-to-do Sooner fans to buy luxury condominiums at his Loft401 development overlooking Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.

The 35-unit, $5.8 million complex at Classen Boulevard and E. Boyd Street is under construction and slated for completion in spring 2011.

Now based in Dallas, Risser grew up in Norman and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s College of Architecture. He came up with the idea of bringing urban-style dwellings to Norman after living in a loft on E. Main Street in Norman. There was a waiting list of people who wanted to get in the door of the building, Risser said.

“Norman has never had any type of loft-condo development and people are always looking to be closer to campus,” Risser said.

Set on 1.25 acres a few blocks from Campus Corner, the 52,000-square-foot, four-level complex will have parking on the ground floor and feature one- to three-bedroom units priced in the $150,000-to-$250,000 range.

In a chilly lending climate when similar projects have struggled to get financing, Loft401 benefited from strong pre-sales. Risser had 12 of the condos sold before securing construction financing for the project. Now 18 of the units are under contract or reserved.

“We developed a concept we could go out and test the market and make sure the buyers would be receptive to the product and the price,” Risser said.

The lofts feature black oak floors, 10-foot ceilings and stainless steel appliances. Balcony units at the development will have views of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

A wide range of buyers have been attracted to lofts, said Andy Ridley, who is part of the sales team for the Loft401 development.

“They are everyone from parents of OU students to game-day buyers who will be there a few days a year to people right out of college who want a cool, unique place to live,” Ridley said. “What we’re trying to do is create something in Norman that caters to people who have an affinity to Norman and want to be closer to Campus Corner and all of the things that Norman has to provide.”

I would like to live in a condo near OU, but not next to the tracks.

I would like to live in a condo near OU, but not next to the tracks.

Same here. A condo tower further west by Campus Corner overlooking campus would be a big hit.

It sounds like this project has been a hit, too. 18/35 units already sold and not even close to completion.. not bad at all. Good job, LOFT401. I love how you guys have come back to Norman to help give back to the community that this guy went to school in. This stretch of Boyd from 12th over to Flood is IMO the best street in all of Oklahoma, and getting better all the time.