Remaking Midtown: Projects invigorate long-depressed area
by Brandice J. O'Brien
The Journal Record
9/30/2005

The once neglected, boarded-up and dilapidated Midtown area is starting to become a trendy, chic, mixed-use district fitting snugly between Western Avenue and Bricktown.
Encircling St. Anthony Hospital, Bone & Joint Hospital and McBride Clinic, the community could become the city's next medical row.

St. Anthony's is in the midst of an extensive renovation. When the 10-year, $220 million project that will improve the grounds and its facilities is complete in 2014, the new campus will be bordered by NW 11th Street to the north, NW Eighth Street to the south, N. Walker Avenue to the east and N. Shartel Avenue to the west.

The remaining area extends to the Kaiser Ice Cream building at N. 10th Street and Walker Avenue and the Plaza Court building across the street.

Part of the city's process is to study the best use of the land. A medical corridor would be natural with St. Anthony's and the OU Medical Center right there, said Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.

Within the last year Rudy Construction, appointed by the Oklahoma City Council, added a traffic circle at the intersection of Kaiser's and Plaza Court at NW 10th Street, N. Walker Avenue and N. Classen Boulevard.

The project was estimated at $1.4 million and cost closer to $1.7 million, said Doug Walker, vice president of Rudy Construction.

The project also included new landscaping, curb and gutter work, pavement resurfacing and sidewalks. Several streets including NW 10th between Classen and Broadway Avenue, Classen between NW 10th and NW 13 streets and Walker from Robert S. Kerr Avenue to NW 13th also received improvements.

Construction began last September and is expected to be finished in two weeks.

"I think it will promote new business coming in and enhance property values," Walker said.

While many area business owners agree, the beautification process took a toll on several companies and buildings.

The Grateful Bean Café, which is in the Kaiser building at 1039 N. Walker, closed during construction. The café is expected to reopen Oct. 27.

The day the windows started rattling from construction on the traffic circle, the café closed its doors, said Pete Schaffer, coordinator for the café who acts as executive director.

"(The corridor) is going to be successful. It's been quite some time since the area did well economically," Schaffer said. "There will be an influx of office, restaurants and retail stores."

Scott Smith, general partner of Corsair Caughron LLC, which owns the Plaza Court building, agreed.

In the past six months since acquiring the 39,000-square-foot building, Smith is ready to sign tenants to the vacant property.

Upstairs, Smith said he hopes to find lawyers to occupy the office space and downstairs he'd like to see retailers including coffee chains and restaurants move in.

Within the first week of October, Smith intends to sign a lease with a regional restaurant. Rent is approximately $12 per square foot.

"It's an interesting area," said Greg Banta, chairman and CEO of the Banta Cos., which owns about 20 properties in the area. Rents range between $12 and $20 per square foot. "Six years ago it was depressed. It's making a huge comeback. It's downtown but you don't have to pay for parking; you can pull up at your door and go to work."

St. Anthony to build three-story office complex
by Brandice J. O'Brien
The Journal Record
9/30/2005

St. Anthony Hospital started another significant project at its 1000 N. Lee Ave. campus as part of a 10-year, $220 million renovation.
Within the first quarter of 2007, St. Anthony's will open a new 60,000-square-foot building with three floors of office space. Construction is set to start next spring and cost between $10 million and $12 million. ADG Architects was hired to design the facility last week.

"The medical office building will provide some new space for the hospital but also contain additional space for physician practices," said Richard Wicka, principal at Frauenshuh Health Care Real Estate Solutions of Minneapolis and developer on the project. "It's going to be a tremendous enhancement to the area. There will be a new public front entrance to the campus. There will be ample parking and it will relieve parking congestion in the area."

Physician spaces could be for doctors expanding or coming from off-campus sites as well as for physician-ambulatory programs or out-patient treatments.

Space can be leased or purchased through a partnership with Frauenshuh.

"It's a win-win," Wicka said. "It enhances their revenues, they can bring expertise to the table and it gives them the opportunity to invest."

Frauenshuh is a real estate development firm that has done work on and off hospital campuses for more than 25 years. Although this is its first project in Oklahoma City, it has developed projects in 18 states.

"Frauenshuh was selected because the hospital will not have equity in the building; it's a physician-driven venture" said Cynthia L. Archiniaco, regional vice president of planning and marketing for St. Anthony Hospital. "Frauenshuh has unique experience in projects in which physicians have equity, and our physicians felt immediately comfortable with their selection."

The Grateful Bean Café, which is in the Kaiser building at 1039 N. Walker, closed during construction. The café is expected to reopen Oct. 27.

The day the windows started rattling from construction on the traffic circle, the café closed its doors, said Pete Schaffer, coordinator for the café who acts as executive director.

"(The corridor) is going to be successful. It's been quite some time since the area did well economically," Schaffer said. "There will be an influx of office, restaurants and retail stores."

I'm really thrilled to hear this. I was afraid that the Greatful Bean Cafe was going to be closed for good. That's the way the owner had made it sound at the time, anyways. Something told me though that he'd be back to open the restaurant/ice cream shop. Midtown wouldn't be the same without this historic establishment.