There is much recent activity on the site and I hear groundbreaking is scheduled for October 1. Anyone with anymore information?

For your use .

https://journalrecord.com/2020/09/22/oconnor-homeland-to-start-construction-on-new-northeast-okc-store/

Wine and beer by the glass along with prepared food, the store at NW 18th and classen doesn't have that service.

not sure they could have fit those extra things into 18/Classen without busting out of their current footprint more so than they already did for the vestibule.

Moving fast:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland122020a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland122020b.jpg

Trying to get my bearings...is the Homeland store going to be fronted by a large parking lot bordering Lincoln?

Trying to get my bearings...is the Homeland store going to be fronted by a large parking lot bordering Lincoln?
looks like it. the top picture is facing east with ne 36th on the right side. the second picture is facing ssw with lincoln entering the photo on the right heading into the capitol complex. i presume that's lindsey entering the shot from the bottom.

Trying to get my bearings...is the Homeland store going to be fronted by a large parking lot bordering Lincoln?

Yes, and to the north of the parking lot will be a new MAPS 3 Senior Wellness Center.

Here is a site plan.

The office building was to be the new HQ for Homeland but they have since scrapped that idea:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland122220a.jpg

What my wife has heard is that the office move was pretty much tied to moving the distribution warehouse that's on the same property as the current office building. They haven't been able to find better warehouse space so the whole move doesn't work.
Disclaimer: This is office talk and might or might not be accurate.

^

The Homeland CEO also said they couldn't justify the expense and would rather stay put and invest more in their stores.

^
He is very well liked. Much better direction than before. And he actually talks to employees instead of living in an ivory tower.

First things first, I'm glad NE Oklahoma City is getting a grocery store. They have been a food desert for far too long.

Still, I find myself wishing that they would have sited that lot differently. Lincoln Blvd going south from 44 is the "gateway" to the capital. In a perfect world, it should be lined with significant architectural structures and have an urban form with as little visible parking bordering the boulevard as possible. They could have located the office building along Lincoln like the wellness center and put the grocery store parking where the office building is.

And yes, I'm aware there is a lot of empty, open land in the area and it'll probably be decades (if ever) before that boulevard will be dense. It'll never be the Champs-Elysees approaching the Arc De Triomphe. But a journey of a million miles starts with a first step.

And not a sidewalk in sight. So much for that connectivity to transit.

Typical OKC.


Here is a site plan.

The office building was to be the new HQ for Homeland but they have since scrapped that idea:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland122220a.jpg

There will be sidewalks along both Lincoln and 36th.

There will be sidewalks along both Lincoln and 36th.

Doesn't pretty much every new construction project have to build sidewalks now?

Doesn't pretty much every new construction project have to build sidewalks now?

Yes.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland013021a.jpg

They are moving super fast on that.

They are moving super fast on that.

It'd just be hilarious (in a really sad way) if people could buy groceries there before they could get vaccinated at the new testing and immunization center...

It'd just be hilarious (in a really sad way) if people could buy groceries there before they could get vaccinated at the new testing and immunization center...
Not sure which will happen first. But we've had really good weather except for the one ice storm and the new store seems to be ahead of schedule.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland030621a.jpg

There will be sidewalks along both Lincoln and 36th.

There are already sidewalks along the east side of Lincoln. Tree shaded to boot.

Signs will be going up soon:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland032221a.jpg

interesting... i wonder if that branding will be unique to this store or if it will be eventually pushed to all their locations and marketing materials.

definitely odd that the Classen store didn't get that branding having been renovated so recently

interesting... i wonder if that branding will be unique to this store or if it will be eventually pushed to all their locations and marketing materials.

They are using it on the street sign at 122 and rockwell already. I think I saw it maybe at the May store as well

They are using it on the street sign at 122 and rockwell already. I think I saw it maybe at the May store as well
I think some of the Homeland branded products are using it too. I'll have to look next time.

a bit small, no?

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland040321a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland040321b.jpg

Signs will be going up soon:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland032221a.jpg

That is going to look nice when it is done.

Noticed the new logo with "Home" in white and "Land" in green.

Some of the older stores still have the all green bold italic or sunset orange "Homeland", most of the updated ones switched to the lighter blue current scheme.

The new branding looks nice on their May Ave gas station

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland050121a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland050121b.jpg

i still can't get over how small it is. ...

Looks bigger than 18/Classen?

It's a typical size (30,000 SF) for a typical grocery store. It's not a Walmart.

18th and Classen is smaller (22,000 SF) because it was an old Safeway.

Yeah I drove by yesterday (and do a couple times a week, usually) and it's definitely not small. Not a massive megamart, but far from tiny. Would guess it's a bit smaller than Whole Foods?

Yeah I drove by yesterday (and do a couple times a week, usually) and it's definitely not small. Not a massive megamart, but far from tiny. Would guess it's a bit smaller than Whole Foods?

whole foods building is 41,775 SqFt according to the county assessor

im thinking with the huge subsidies and the fact that it's in a designated food desert, this would have been a great opportunity to build a modern supermarket more than 40,000 square feet, with modern deli and classrooms, and other space. A showcase Homeland - giving back to the community. Also on Lincoln Blvd - the gateway to the state govt. ...

again, not necessarily criticizing Homeland but am in a way due to the subsidies received and the missed opportunities for basically just another smallish grocer.

I mean, if it's built consistent with what's been reported, it's going to have all those things and more. Deli with custom butcher, fresh bakery, hot grab and go food with indoor and outdoor seating and beer/wine by the glass, food truck connectivity, florist, pharmacy, etc.

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=710-Homeland-starts-work-on-elaborate-new-store-at-NE-36th-Lincoln

Traditional grocery stores are really struggling, being squeezed at the top end by Whole Foods and similar up-scale places and on the bottom end by Walmart and the myriad of deep-discounters.

That Homeland is doing a new store at all is a small miracle and aided by civic help.


I'm sure they want to keep it all manageable because they are never going to see the volume of many of their competitors, simply because of the store type.

I can speak from personal knowledge that Homeland has been moving record amounts of product last year and this year. Their ability to expand had some to do with the level of business they've been doing. BTW, they've been taking VERY good care of their employees since doing such increased sales.

Ok, a stupid question. I don't drive anymore and can't go and look. I worked in the 36th and Lincoln area for several years and for the life of me, I don't recognize where the store is. I am assuming the North East corner where the old Sussy's/Prow Lounge was located. Let me know please, it's driving me nuts.
C. T.

Ok, a stupid question. I don't drive anymore and can't go and look. I worked in the 36th and Lincoln area for several years and for the life of me, I don't recognize where the store is. I am assuming the North East corner where the old Sussy's/Prow Lounge was located. Let me know please, it's driving me nuts.
C. T.
Correct. It’s right on the NE corner, set back a bit from Lincoln.

New murals planned for the store.

The first one will be on the west, facing Lincoln. The other two will the on the south, facing NE 36th.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland051221a.jpg

^^^ Very cool, looks like maybe the same artist that did the one on Katt's Korner Hair Salon a bit further east on 36th.

Seeing your drone shots Pete makes me wonder if the city is going to do something about the terrible pavement on NE36th running east from Lincoln. Also wouldn't hurt to put in a 5th lane or dedicated turn lane there.

Seeing your drone shots Pete makes me wonder if the city is going to do something about the terrible pavement on NE36th running east from Lincoln. Also wouldn't hurt to put in a 5th lane or dedicated turn lane there.

I just checked and the plan is to resurface 36th from Lincoln east all the way to I-35.

Not sure if part of the same project, but they just got done redoing the intersection at 36th and MLK. Nice, concrete road as well. The rest of that stretch definitely needs to be redone sooner rather than later.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland062721a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland062721b.jpg

Definitely going to try them out when they open, the 18th/Classen HL has been kind of sucking recently with item selection (don't have standard things a grocery store should), deli personnel, produce quality...

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland062721a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homeland062721b.jpg

The plot of dirt (mud) between the parking lot and Wendy's - is that part of the Homeland property, or is that something else altogether?

The plot of dirt (mud) between the parking lot and Wendy's - is that part of the Homeland property, or is that something else altogether?

MAPS NE Senior Center just starting construction.

That seems super weird to me. They built a finished, fully striped and everything parking lot before the building was anything other than an empty dirt lot? It even has the handicapped spots marked out.

That seems super weird to me. They built a finished, fully striped and everything parking lot before the building was anything other than an empty dirt lot? It even has the handicapped spots marked out.

I think the Senior center has been set for this location for a while, like, a long while. Could be wrong, but seems they set these locations aside years ago.

That seems super weird to me. They built a finished, fully striped and everything parking lot before the building was anything other than an empty dirt lot? It even has the handicapped spots marked out.

Maybe the paver has the contract to paint the entire center and that part was just ready to go? idk

https://twitter.com/CMSWillowbrook/status/1414624270781763585

^

Looking good!

When was the last time a brand new, non-discount and non-specialty grocer was built in OKC?

You could probably include Uptown Grocery in The Village, but even that is an upscale offering.

Almost 20 years I think...

Homeland/Albertsons on North May and Britton was built 2003, I think that was the last non-discount (Crest/Winco) and non-super center (Walmart, Target) grocery store built in OKC?

On my way to work I saw a banner out front advertising a September 1 grand opening!