development
|category1=Midtown
|category2=Office Buildings
|category3=Current
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|address=NW 10th & Hudson (http://goo.gl/maps/e5ScR)
|status=proposed
|owner=Midtown Renaissance
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County Assessor Record (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R042446000)
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So much for a mixed use development?

http://newsok.com/valir-health-will-develop-midtown-site-in-oklahoma-city/article/3557865?custom_click=headlines_widget

Based on what I've seen of new medical buildings in Midtown(aside from St. Anthony's expansion), this can't be good for the continuity of 10th street. Not sure why they don't just wait for the loser of the Mercy competition and let them build mixed use on this site, which from my understanding was always the goal for this location and the reason it was demolished in the first place.

Yes this is very disappointing. I really don't have any confidence in the "planners" of the development of Downtown / Midtown. A Very big Waste! Have you seen their other Midtown site. Hideous!

Wow. What a failure, unbelievable.

I remember placing several calls, emailing every address the city listed for the Medical Business District, Inc., and even asking around about this site. Now I understand why I got the runaround and why people got testy when the site was brought up. This was an utter failure from the perspective of the city's involvement. This is not the kind of project that the city needs to be involved in. And either there were not project parameters about the kind of project the city would seek, or (more likely) the city tried to create some opportunity for residential and failed, and took the best proposal it could get.

When the city demolished that building, cleared the site (at taxpayer expense, although I know someone from the MBD will probably get very emotional about that accusation, but it's true), and opened the process up for bids they talked largely about wanting to attract a mixed-use development, and residential was going to be an important part of that mix. So in anticipation of a likely response to this post, I don't even want to hear about how another medical facility "compliments the mix of medical services that anchor the opposite ends of the "MBD". It was clear from the start that the goal was a mixed-use development with lots of housing and street interaction.

Drive by this current company, Valir Mental Health or whoever they are, where there current facility is on the edge of SoSA and you'll see that this is not exactly a glamorous development. It probably won't be a very large project, but that's just a guess on my part. I think we'll be lucky to have something as urban as the new dialysis clinic on the other side of St. Anthony.

Wow!! Really Valir Mental Health facility?!?!

What a mess! Okc consistently takes one step forward and two steps back. NW10th is a main corridor and HAD the possibility to become a great inner city street for MidTown.

Makes you want to run to Midtown, lease a loft at Hadden Hall or better yet the Cline, so you can live next door to Valir!

To be clear, I am not knocking Valir, because they do serve a purpose in Okc. I am blown away at Okc planning that thinks 10th and Hudson is a good location for Valir or anything other than a mixed use development. I can't wait to see the huge surface parking lot and building setback that will go along with this project too.

Booooooo!!!!!

Isn't Classen Drive supposed to be extended through this site?

Isn't Classen Drive supposed to be extended through this site?

no classen drive will be much further south

http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/787262/lead620/

NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com/groups-hope-to-heal-citys-medical-district/article/3426257)

this is terrible this is what was hoped for on this site ..

Wow!! Really Valir Mental Health facility?!?!

What a mess! Okc consistently takes one step forward and two steps back. NW10th is a main corridor and HAD the possibility to become a great inner city street for MidTown.

Makes you want to run to Midtown, lease a loft at Hadden Hall or better yet the Cline, so you can live next door to Valir!

To be clear, I am not knocking Valir, because they do serve a purpose in Okc. I am blown away at Okc planning that thinks 10th and Hudson is a good location for Valir or anything other than a mixed use development. I can't wait to see the huge surface parking lot and building setback that will go along with this project too.

Where did you get mental health? It's a in and out patient physical rehab facility. My friend was badly injured in an accident and lived there for 3 months, it's a great facility. Also, they didn't build the facility they are currently in so trashing them for a hideous developememt is stupid.

Hate to say it but this is the perfect place for this. Very close to there other facility and st anthony hospital (which many of you forget is the primary tenant of midtown). It makes perfect sense. This is the typical "sky is falling" response I would expect from people on this board. It is 10 times better to have a business on the lot then nothing at all. Quit crying and acting like its the end of the world everytime a development ismt exactly what you want. Not every development can be mixed use, downtown is first and foremost a business district. This will bring more jobs downtown.

Where did you get mental health? It's a in and out patient physical rehab facility. My friend was badly injured in an accident and lived there for 3 months, it's a great facility. Also, they didn't build the facility they are currently in so trashing them for a hideous developememt is stupid.

Hate to say it but this is the perfect place for this. Very close to there other facility and st anthony hospital (which many of you forget is the primary tenant of midtown). It makes perfect sense. This is the typical "sky is falling" response I would expect from people on this board. It is 10 times better to have a business on the lot then nothing at all. Quit crying and acting like its the end of the world everytime a development ismt exactly what you want. Not every development can be mixed use, downtown is first and foremost a business district. This will bring more jobs downtown.

You just glossed right over the specifics of the deal. Why is the government engaged in things like this? It does not make sense. Valir Rehab is at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of people we would actually go out of our way to help move downtown, and I don't mean that we don't want them, that's why I say at the bottom of the list we actually do want. We have such staggering lack of development in residential and especially retail, those are the things that city activity needs to focus on drawing. Raze sites for those kinds of developments. Don't raze sites and then give a sweetheart deal to a rehab clinic because you can't get any housing prospects. What kind of sense does that make??

They awarded them the site, it seems, without even getting any idea what kind of development it will be. No architectural review, whatsoever. Just here you go, we like you're name, and we already know who you are, it's yours. That's an approach I wouldn't even want to see if it WAS housing, which, unless you need rehab for a very long time, suffice it to say this is not downtown housing......

This goes into the infamous Okc file of... "Well, it's better than what we had before". I always love that line, makes me feel so much better.

Yeah just file this development under File 13... which is getting be a pretty thick file.

Isn't this only .6 acres?

Or does it involve the other parcels that directly border the old Red Cross site?

It involves another parcel I believe. It's a pretty good size site.

The only other parcel owned by this group is directly north.

Together, they would be about 1.3 acres on the NE corner of Hudson and NW 10th.


I'm not too worried about this... There is so much vacant and abandoned property around there, there are many more sites for residential.

Well now we know what this "Medical Business District, Inc." is really worth..

I think the NW corner of 10th and Harvey is a more important site for mixed-use development, based on its proximity to the Banta properties.

You just glossed right over the specifics of the deal. Why is the government engaged in things like this? It does not make sense. Valir Rehab is at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of people we would actually go out of our way to help move downtown, and I don't mean that we don't want them, that's why I say at the bottom of the list we actually do want. We have such staggering lack of development in residential and especially retail, those are the things that city activity needs to focus on drawing. Raze sites for those kinds of developments. Don't raze sites and then give a sweetheart deal to a rehab clinic because you can't get any housing prospects. What kind of sense does that make??

They awarded them the site, it seems, without even getting any idea what kind of development it will be. No architectural review, whatsoever. Just here you go, we like you're name, and we already know who you are, it's yours. That's an approach I wouldn't even want to see if it WAS housing, which, unless you need rehab for a very long time, suffice it to say this is not downtown housing......

You glossed over the fact that this is largely a medical district and that this development completely fits with what's all ready there. It is a business expansion which means more jobs downtown. There is nothing wrong with this, it is a good thing. I agree with Pete, there is pleanty empty lots around there for housing. Developing any of them, especially one with a good medical facility, is a plus.

You glossed over the fact that this is largely a medical district and that this development completely fits with what's all ready there. It is a business expansion which means more jobs downtown. There is nothing wrong with this, it is a good thing. I agree with Pete, there is pleanty empty lots around there for housing. Developing any of them, especially one with a good medical facility, is a plus.

So why did we need CITY ACTION on THIS site to spearhead development?? Especially when this site was originally planned to be a park, in the Tenth Street masterplan that is now useless. That's another thing that is confusing.

Oh, and I hate to break it to you, but it's "Mid-town" not the "Medical Business District." This site was originally hoped to be mixed-use. They did not specifically seek out a medical use. If you want a true "medical district" keep going down 10th Street. The "Medical Business District" is just a confusing moniker that was developed by the city for the purposes of keeping St. Anthony happy. Yes, it's a cute coincidence that there are hospitals on both ends of 10th..

The two sites (about .63 acres each and both vacant) are highlighted below in yellow.

I chose a wider perspective on the aerial to illustrate how many vacant parcels and parking lots there are in every direction.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/redcross1.jpg

Seems to me a medical oriented area and path is not the enemy of housing and mixed use development in the area. This is such a low density area now there is room and a place for both and to feed off each other. This use will have technicians and other reasonably paid personnel who might like to live in the area and can afford to spend some money. Everything can't be coffee shops and pubs.

Here is a closer look at the two properties. The old Red Cross buildings on 10th have since been demolished.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/redcross2.jpg

It would make infinitely more sense for Valir Rehab to build somewhere in Mid-town that was not a city action block that was previously slated to become a park, as well. The city involvement in this is just what's frustrating. We should expect much more impressive, or at least not down-right disappointing developments, when the city steps in to raze the site and then offer it to a developer.

This is the kind of thing that some pop 100,000 city shouldn't even be involved in.. it's not anything against Valir, this is a reaction against the CITY.

Spartan, I understand your frustration especially since the city was so heavily involved and basically they are providing incentives for a company to relocate from just a few blocks away.

BUT: 1) Midtown, above all, needs critical mass. Employers, apartments, condos, retail... It's all needed. 2) Looks like they must be expanding, and that's good for OKC. They will be keeping the long-term care hospital on NW 7th. 3) Developing 10th as mainly medical uses has always been part of the Midtown master plan. 4) Bringing more people into Midtown is a good thing.

I'm just not going to sit here in front of my screen and congratulate the city planning department (which as far as I can tell is who the MBD is structured undernearth) on their wasting of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on the clearing of this site, including expensive asbestos abatement before they could tear down. Or maybe that's exactly what we should be doing?

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSW-hsBrOClbkuxnV1anTZgHs1mwTvk3MLflyWBgJZiS1hJ2_5J6A

The best development you can leverage taxpayer resources to attract right at the heart of bustling 10th Street is a rehab clinic that is already located in Mid-town.

I think the NW corner of 10th and Harvey is a more important site for mixed-use development, based on its proximity to the Banta properties.

To clarify, Banta has no properties in Midtown.

I'm actually okay with this as long as they get an urban design. As Kerry would say, we need density and once the vacant lots are filled in, better developments will come.

I really wish the government was not involved in this.

However, there is so much land in Midtown for developments.

To clarify, Banta has no properties in Midtown.

Sorry, I thought he was the principal investor in Midtown Renaissance. Who is behind that?

Sorry, I thought he was the principal investor in Midtown Renaissance. Who is behind that?

Bob Howard and Mickey Clagg are the money, Banta was just managing it for them a few years ago.

Is Valir progessing along with this project? When do we expect to see development?

Not yet

This project if done correctly, could really be the missing piece for 10th street and help solidify the 10th street density.

Are there any project renderings or description for the future building?

None.

Except for this rendering from a local elementary school, lol.


http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/787262/lead620/

NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com/groups-hope-to-heal-citys-medical-district/article/3426257)

Is there a OCURA deadline for this project to begin, much like the Old Mercy Hospital location at 13th & Walker?

Will Okc be waiting years from now wondering if anything ever is built, only to start the process over again with a new project and new developer?

There is no OCURA deadline because it is not an OCURA deadline.

Excuse me, I assumed that this was OCURA.

I do recall this being some type of City owned land being held exclusively for an economic development project. I would think that there would be some type of deadline set in order to expedite a development on this land or either move on to another developer. Much like OCURA has done with the Mercy re-development project.

I know it's only been a few months since this deal was made with Valir and I am not suggesting that they are stalling on this project. I am only more curious as to the details of this project and if it is expected to break ground anytime soon, say by early next year?

Valir has nothing about this deal on their website.

Yet another building gets torn down, without anyone questioning it, and the site sits vacant for years...

It's 2012, and we're still doing it. Is nobody else shocked by that? I thought we learned our lesson on doing that.

Is Valir progessing along with this project? When do we expect to see development?

I asked this question almost a year ago. No answers, no info.

I asked this question almost a year ago. No answers, no info.

I asked someone with the city a few weeks ago about this. She had worked on the RFP for the site . It is definitely progressing. She said it had some muti use, but is a predominetely medical development.
As such they have to receive numerous permits related to that specific use and it will take a while.
I don't think we will see anything start till next year.

Next year? It would be really great if OCURA would just put more of their land up for sale for whoever could start construction within a few months. There was recently a deal come my way that if were possible, I could have bought a small parcel of OCURA land and had a new business open there before this time next year. Now it will sit empty for multiple years.

I get the whole RFP thing but some of these properties are taking way longer to develop with OCURA in the way.

I asked someone with the city a few weeks ago about this. She had worked on the RFP for the site . It is definitely progressing. She said it had some muti use, but is a predominetely medical development.
As such they have to receive numerous permits related to that specific use and it will take a while.
I don't think we will see anything start till next year.

To my knowledge there are no outstanding permit applications waiting for review.

Yes, there is definitely nothing in front of the Urban Design Committee for this project.

All they really need is rezoning (if even necessary) and design approval. Both are straight forward.


I suspect it's a matter of scraping together the money more than anything.

Are there any plans for the rest of lot(s?) bounded by NW 10th St and NW 11th St between Harvey and Hudson? There seems to be a decent amount of momentum surrounding this block, but this empty block stuck out during my drive around today.

I think it will be a while before anything new will be built in Midtown considering there are still a lot of buildings that can/will be converted. I personally think that lot would be great for a pocket park, assuming they will clean up those old foundations.

adaniel, I assume you're excepting The Edge, which is an unbelievably fantastic new development for Midtown.

adaniel, I assume you're excepting The Edge, which is an unbelievably fantastic new development for Midtown.

Ah, yes. MAJOR brain fart on my part. I should know better since I live in Midtown!

I still think going forward there will be more emphasis on converting old buildings into live/work spaces, versus more new construction, i.e. Deep Deuce. But if the Edge is wildly successful then who knows, it could definitely peak interest in new construction, especially since Deep Deuce is just about built out.

Yes, there is definitely nothing in front of the Urban Design Committee for this project.

All they really need is rezoning (if even necessary) and design approval. Both are straight forward.


I suspect it's a matter of scraping together the money more than anything.

I hear that Valir is moving forward with a substantial expansion of thier existing campus on 7th street. This is just a guess on my part, but it would appear that whatever they initially had planned for 10th street site did not pan out, so they're expanding their existing site. I noticed on their web site they apparently remodeled and expanded their corporate offices at the rehab hospital back in 2011. Maybe their plan is for further expansions at the 10th street site in the future, but the direction at this time is for about a 60,000SF addition connecting the 2 building on 7th street. They do appear to be growing by leaps and bounds in the healthcare sector with clinics all over the state.

i hope there plans for this site die and don't come back ... mixed use apts would be much much better for this block

i hope there plans for this site die and don't come back ... mixed use apts would be much much better for this block

No doubt. Would be a much better use of this lot than medical offices

This was originally reported on 4/13/11:


The Oklahoma City Medical Business District announced Tuesday it has selected Valir Health LLC as the developer of the former Red Cross site at NW 10 and Hudson Avenue in Midtown.

Read more: Valir Health will develop Midtown site in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/valir-health-will-develop-midtown-site-in-oklahoma-city/article/3557865#ixzz2CJsaOJcS)


To date, absolutely nothing has happened and the district needs to reevaluate it's selection.

No doubt. Would be a much better use of this lot than medical offices

Ditto. I never agreed with the selection. Didn't understand what the City (contracted to help plan for the District) saw in Valir.

Which corner of 10th and Hudson are we talking about?

Ditto. I never agreed with the selection. Didn't understand what the City (contracted to help plan for the District) saw in Valir.

I think they were trying to stick to the 10th Street Medical Business District masterplan since it was the "Medical Business District, Inc." whose bad idea this was. Not trying to attack the city, but the whole MDB, Inc. thing just didn't seem like that great of an idea. Please correct me if I'm wrong cafeboeuf ;)

I think they were trying to stick to the 10th Street Medical Business District masterplan since it was the "Medical Business District, Inc." whose bad idea this was. Not trying to attack the city, but the whole MDB, Inc. thing just didn't seem like that great of an idea. Please correct me if I'm wrong cafeboeuf ;)

It was certainly a stretch when conceived.

I may be wrong, but I think the MDB discontinued its contract with the City for a planner, by the way.

Ah, okay. For some reason I thought its funding derived from the city as well as a quasi-public board? Similar to the BUDC? Or is it more like the Bricktown Association, totally private (in which case all of the news reporting got it totally wrong)?

Ah, okay. For some reason I thought its funding derived from the city as well as a quasi-public board? Similar to the BUDC? Or is it more like the Bricktown Association, totally private (in which case all of the news reporting got it totally wrong)?

Well, my understanding was that it was private, maybe some grant funding along the way. I could have been wrong... it happens. :)

They had hired the City to have a planner assigned to them essentially full time. They cut that in the last budget cycle... not sure why.

Well, my understanding was that it was private, maybe some grant funding along the way. I could have been wrong... it happens. :)

They had hired the City to have a planner assigned to them essentially full time. They cut that in the last budget cycle... not sure why.

i think the 10th st MBD now hired DOKC to run some of their stuff ..

I just can't comprehend how the MBD thing, whatever it is, can get the right people involved, a full-time planner, or DOKC, whatever ... and zero results 4-5 years later, at a time that development has exploded. They can't be very serious about redevelopment of this site, and I'm curious why?