I don't know if anyone else noticed this...

I was looking through real estate listings at yahoo.com and found three listings for Block 42. One was at $495000, one was at $395000 and the last was at $270000.
Here is what they posted under each listing:


"Block 42, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
View All Photos


Price: $270,000 For sale by: New Homes
Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2.50
Garage: -
Square Feet: - Lot Size: -
Year Built: - MLS Number: BLOCK42A
School District: -
Open House Date: -
Open House Time: -
Date Posted: October 10, 2005

Description
Block 42 is Oklahoma City's hottest new upscale town home and condo development just north of Bricktown! While you've already seen information in the local newspapers and business journals, additional marketing materials including floorplans, pricing, amenities, financing and more should be available Nov-Dec, 2005. The Allen Group with RE/MAX First has the exclusive on this exciting new development. Please call or email us to be placed on the waiting list, 405-843-8448 / 800-749-8866 / chrisallen@remax.net! ..."


So, there isn't much info but there a few drawings on the listing. Here is a link to the renderings:
http://www.chrisallenhomes.com/MyHomeDtl.asp?HomeID=284836

There are 4 pictures apparently.

In somewhat related news, the first model at the Classen will be available for viewing January 1st. You can see a partially finished model earlier if you pay for a ticket to the Mesta Park December homes tour.

Finally, I thought I would update people on the conditions downtown. I live at the Montgomery and have complained in the past of the panhandling problem. :fighting2 Well apparently someone listened because the entire area has been cleaned up. A local police officer told me they were instructed to patrol the Arts district several times a night. It's been a nice improvement! :tiphat:

Here are the pics of Block 42:

http://www.chrisallenhomes.com/asp/homes/3188/284836_3318332.jpg

http://www.chrisallenhomes.com/asp/homes/3188/284836_3318335.jpg

http://www.chrisallenhomes.com/asp/homes/3188/284836_3318336.jpg

Noticed that too on real estate listings just now. Should be a good sign that it's really going to happen if it's up on real estate listings. You can't sell a townhome you're not going to build.

Pretty expensive though. You can buy a mansion in Crown Heights for $300k.

A mansion?

300k gets you a little under 3000 sq feet on average in Crown Heights. More or less depending on the house. That's big enough, but I don't know if it's a mansion.

It would be interesting to see what the square footage of one of these condos is.

here's an update on Block 42, you can go to www.newsok.com in the business section today for pictures.


Downtown showroom displays new addition

By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

Riding his scooter home from work, Chad Huntington abruptly stopped at NW 8 and Broadway to check out Automobile Alley’s newest resident.
The first-floor of the former European Motors Building, 824 N Broadway, has been home to plenty of temporary tenants selling everything from medical smocks to discount items. But in the past month, passersby have been treated to a full screen computer animated clip of the future Block 42 housing project planned for nearby Deep Deuce.

“I definitely did a double-take,” said Huntington, who operates Bricktown’s water taxis and is shopping for a downtown condominium. “It just draws you in.”

That’s just the response being sought by Grant Humphreys, who opened downtown’s first housing showroom last month. At night, the animation, created by Skyline Ink, plays on a 10-foot by 6-foot reverse projection screen in the front window.

During the daytime, the animation can be viewed on a plasma screen inside the showroom - also visible from the sidewalk and street.

Music is piped out onto the front walkway, and once a person goes inside, they first see a mock-up of a bamboo-wood floored living area decorated and furnished by Tulsa-based SR Hughes Interiors.

Humphreys is planning to start construction on the $11 million mid-rise development in March. But he knows that he will be facing competition from other for-sale housing being constructed at the same time - including The Hill at NE 2 and Stiles and The Triangle at NE 3 and Oklahoma Avenue.

“Downtown residential product is something I might have a real clear vision of, and I can see it in my mind’s eye,” Humphreys said. “But to transfer that understanding and vision to someone off the street who might be familiar with downtown but has spent most of their life in the suburbs is a challenge. And you don’t have a product that is finished out.”

The Automobile Alley location, Humphreys said, was ideal for communicating his vision.

“We needed the exposure to the traffic flow, and this space offered that,” Humphreys said.

Huntington is still shopping - he’s renting just north of downtown and is willing to wait and look at all of the upcoming projects. But Humphreys has had a couple other passersby turn into sales - and has presold six of the 42 units, which are priced between $165,000 and $535,000.

Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc., thinks Humphreys’ showroom is just the start of a marketing effort previously unseen in downtown Oklahoma City. He said future efforts will include home tours and cooperative advertising campaigns.

“We’re blessed to have these developers who are innovative in how to market housing,” Lopez said. “What these showrooms do for us is they help us to imagine with more precision what the opportunities for downtown housing are going to be.”

I just can’t believe the price they are asking for these residences. I currently live downtown (rent) but there is no way I will be able to afford a $200,000+ condo or townhouse. That price is outrageous. I could buy a condo back in Florida, on the water for a little bit more than that. I think that price is going to be out of the range of young professionals like myself, and that seems like the crowd the bricktown area is trying to attract.

all of the condo's proposed downtown are 175+ up to the millions. They will easily fill the one's planned but will eventually reach a saturation point. They will fill it with Health professionals from the research park and empty nesters and rich suburbanites. I wish there was more lower to mid-range stuff planned on the for sale side, but not yet. Hence the corrupt Urban Renewal and Canfield and Stanton Young who have ties to the research park yet are on the board of Urban Renewal

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the executives in downtown considered moving in these residences either. Some I've talked to will be buying them for their "temporary residence" when they have to stay late at work, and don't want to have to drive all the way back to their mansions in Edmond. Must be nice.

We will have to explore more housing developments that will suit young professionals....more in the 100K range.