I was driving through I-240 and Walker, and was wondering what they are building there. This is on the SW corner of the intersection.....Any clue of what this is going to be?

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/100_1208.JPG

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/100_1210.JPG

Also, this is just north of Chuck E. Cheese's. Right now it is a large area of dirt. Does anyone know what this is suppose to be?

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/100_1209.JPG

I was taking my daughter to Chuck E Cheese's on Sunday and I noticed on the south side of the new shopping strip, that is parallel to Walker, that there was a sign saying that SHORTY SMALLS was coming soon. Most of those around OKC are stand alone, but this one seems like it will be in the strip itself. It'll be interesting to see what is planned for that area. Also, I'll be glad when they FINALLY tear down the old Taco Cabana on the northside of the strip.

The very small building in the very first picture is going to be a coffee shop. There was a sign in the window to that effect a few weeks ago, but it has since been moved during other construction, etc. Don't know the name or variety; there's already a Java Dave's over at SW 89th and May.

The new building is, indeed, going to be a Shorty Small's Restaurant. There are already some shops going into the new stripmall, and I'm not entirely sure why they didn't tear down the Cabana - they've been *very* deliberate to build *precisely* around it, as though they plan to incorporate it in some way. Don't know about that.

When all that building started after the last of the awful old plaza there was torn down, the ghastly bingo parlor finally moved away, leaving an unattractive concrete box. I'd love to think the bingo hall's departure wasn't a coincidence - would either like to see it razed or at least converted into something less hideous. Have to believe there's something else planned for that corner, because the stripmall and two restaurants can't possibly generate enough traffic to explain the huge parking lot they've built...

-SoonerDave
-SoonerDave

Shorty's is going to be different from the usual Shorty Small's. It will be more of a fast food enviroment like Johnnies. From what I understand there will be no wait staff, a scaled back menu and self serve seating. Here is a link to the menu from Wichita.

http://www.shortysmalls.com/Wichita%20-%20Shorty%27s%20Express%20Menus%20081205.pdf

I am sure the one in OKC will serve the same items.



The bingo hall moved out a year or two before the old center was torn down. They built a free standing building behind the old center when it was still standing.

That whole entire center was just old and worn out. I worked at the Pratts store that used to be there back in the early 90's. Back then the roof was bad and the foundation was sinking. That center was old and needed to be torn down.

Some of you may remeber way back when Mcartney's, Waterbed Showroom and Toy City used to occupy that center.

From what I understand the Walker store was McCartney's flagship store which housed there corporate office. The upstairs of that store housed a large board room, a reception area, two large offices and about six small offices. It ran the length of the store from the front to the back with a staircase that led down to the back storage room. It was the ugliest thing you ever saw, everything was black, orange and brown with carpet everywhere including the walls.

It was somewhat freaky to go up there when the lights were turned out. To turn the lights on you had to go upstairs around the corner to the switch that worked. There were no windows or outside light of any kind. You would hear the roof creaking and the wind blowing through the rafters.

On one of really windy nights one of the front end managers asked me go upstairs with her. She needed me to help her carry down some boxes of receipt tape. She had stop along the way to answer a phone call. I went up and hid in one of offices near the supply room. When she came upstairs, I said in a loud ghoulish voice "Get OUUUUUT". She screamed and ran toward the stairs. I busted out laughing and she called me every four-letter word in the book.

It was funny I never seen someone run so fast.

Heck, I'll go you one better than McCartney's: I remember when that plaza originally opened back, I believe, in 1974, and the grocery store was called "Wehba's Grand Bazaar." It was designed as a very upscale grocery store. The front area that became the video rental place was actually a [i]covered[/o] drive-through loading area where they would load your groceries into your car for you. The bagboys would put your grocery bags in a tub with a number, hand you a claim number, then push your tub out a little conveyor system. You'd then drive through, hand them your check, and they'd load them.

I remember that quite vividly, because one of their stockers more or less threw one bag into the trunk of my mom's *brand new* car (as in maybe four or five weeks old), and broke a huge jar of pickles. The stench was incredible, and Wehba's either paid for a new trunk liner or at least to have it cleaned.

I also remember Wehba's for two primary things: one, the horrendous stench that hit you walking in the door, because it guided you right past the fish market on the west end; two, it was one of if not the first grocery store in town to use electronic UPC bar-code scanning for price checking.

I spent many, many hours in old Toy City, and next door to that was the original "Showbiz Pizza" that became Chuck-e-Cheese years later.

I suspect the original plans for that strip were much more grand, but just never materialzed. There's no question that its demise was LONG past due.

-SoonerDave

Update...

Shorty Small's now has a sign on the stripmall next to the old Taco Cabana advertising their "quick service" (words to that effect) store opening there soon, as is a Hair Rage on the opposite side, and an ice cream store (ice cream AND coffee shop?) at the north end.

I have no idea what the new building going up directly in front of Chuck-e-Cheese is...anyone know?? Appears to have some unusual architecture, couldn't place any familiar shapes...kiddo suggested possibly a Friday's, but that's purely a guess.

-SoonerDave

Update...

Signs are up for the new "custard shop" in that small building pictured above, as well as Shorty Smalls and Hair Rage.

The new building in front of Chuck-e-Cheese is an "On the Border" Mexican restaurant. I posted this info in a different thread before I realized I'd forgotten about this one. Apologies for the duplication.

-SoonerDave

Sweet Mercy opened in June of 2006 at I-240 and Walker. They serve Frozen Custard, Hot Cocoa, and Specialty Coffees as well as Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies. Sweet Mercy began offering free wifi in January 2007. So now you can enjoy your tasty treats while logged onto OKC Talk and making post. If you are in a hurry you can use their drive-thru.

Several other new business will be moving in over the next year. Business currently in the area include Shorty Smalls, great food quick and easy. Hair Rage is a great salon, plan on getting the works, Chuck E Cheese, all the kids love this place including the big ones, and On the Border, for a souther flavor.

I might also mention that Life Church has been in the area now for several years. They have a tremendous youth program with Saturday and Sunday services.

South OKC is a gold mine in the rough, but things are looking great for the area!!!

Wow, I didn't know there were any Shorty Smalls left.

Don't worry. Given the food I had the last time I was at that new Shorty Smalls, there won't be any of them left. I just had a basic hamburger and it tasted awful. My wife had some variety of chicken salad and she didn't like it either, and she's not nearly as picky as I am. We were with friends, so we didn't make a big deal about it, but we have no intention of going back.

In a word, bleeeecccchhhh.

I had heard a rumor that TGIFriday's was going in between the old bingo parlor and that Smalls place, but they're now building a City Bites and medical place there. City Bites used to be pretty good, but somewhere along the way they just went south without warning. Oh, well...

-soonerdave

Sooner Dave,

I agree with you about City Bites. It has certainly gone downhill. Have you tried Jersey Mike's? They now have a south and north location.

TGIFriday's is always is involved in rumors. The local franchisee seems to have their eyes set on Bricktown. But I've been hearing that for a year or more. It seems a natural.

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writerranger,

You BETCHA I've tried Jersey Mike's. I LOVE it. I haven't had a sandwich there yet that wasn't just awesome.

What's great about it is that I was born in Buffalo, NY, and my mom used to tell me about the deli-style sub sandwich shops that dotted the area in that part of the country, and none of the places down here really made anything that was quite the same - good, but not the same - until Jersey Mike's came along.

Friday's has evolved a bunch over the years. The first Friday's I ate at was in Dallas when my wife and I were first married, and it was TERRIFIC. We were excited to see one open in the old Chi Chi's spot on NW Expressway, but it was *terrible*. The service was slow, food was subpar, and that was over several trips (just never got any better), and we finally gave up. We tried the new Friday's on Memorial Road and it was pretty good, but nothing outstanding.

We went to a Friday's in the Fort Worth area a few years ago, and it was really strange - they were remodeling it as a "concept" restaurant to reorient the chain as an upscale establishment - they literally had changed the name to "Friday's," and it was nothing like the typical TGIF's you're used to seeing. The concept apparently didn't go anywhere, because the new Memorial Road location is more like the traditional TGiF's...

I don't know what happened to City Bites. We really used to enjoy it, and they had good sandwiches and cookies and stuff, but we started going there at a time when they seemed to lose interest in keeping the place clean, the portion/sandwich sizes went down, the stuff didn't seem as fresh, just wasn't as good. I won't swear to this, but I believe the "decline" started right at thte time they started outsourcing their breads.

After a few blah experiences, we haven't been back in a long time; I think the location on 74th & South Western is going to close and move to the new SW 89th and Walker venue...

-SoonerDave

I don't know what happened to City Bites. We really used to enjoy it, and they had good sandwiches and cookies and stuff, but we started going there at a time when they seemed to lose interest in keeping the place clean, the portion/sandwich sizes went down, the stuff didn't seem as fresh, just wasn't as good. I won't swear to this, but I believe the "decline" started right at thte time they started outsourcing their breads.
I thought it was just me. Glad someone else finds City Bites has gone downhill.

I would agree about City Bites. I hate to see a local place go downhill like that. Yet they seem to be expanding like crazy.

And Jersey Mike's is fabulous. Love the Roast Beef and Provelone grilled. MMMM

I live in Moore. Now where is the closest Taco Cabana? Norman?

i think there's one still open on i-40 & rockwell. not exactly close. -M