Bricktown Urban Design Committee approves parking garage application

Renderings by Melissa Shelton Goldstein of MMPartnership.

Pamela Grady
2/14/2007

The Bricktown Urban Design Committee today approved an application for a Bricktown Certificate by Martin Goldstein, MM Partnership for Bricktown Canal Properties Inc. and Harding & Shelton LLC to construct a multi-story parking garage at 3 E Reno Ave.
The application also includes a request to construct an elevated crossover above an alley between the garage and two existing buildings.

The committee approved a traditional two- and four-story option for the project as well as a crossover.

Store-front retail space for advertising on part of the garage’s lower level of will be a possible component of the project. Sixty-five parking spaces will be available per story. Seventy-five percent of those spaces will be available for general use while the remaining spaces will be available for office parking and retail patrons.

MM Partnership’s Martin Goldstein estimated the project could “roughly” go for $10,000 to $12,000 per parking space.

The parking garage is part of a mixed-used project with two existing buildings on California Avenue owned by Diversified Historic Properties Inc.

One of the buildings is often referred to as The Red Ball building, 2 E California, and is on the national historical registry. The other building, 12 E California Ave., houses Zio’s Italian Kitchen.

“They (the two existing buildings) are going to be renovated into mixed-use -- restaurants, residential and retail,” John Shelton of Harding Shelton Inc. said.

“Our goal was to get this (garage) approval, and now we’ll want to get the entire project moving forward in the most sensible fashion,” Goldstein said. “What the approval today allows us to do is move through planning and then submit our drawings to the building department. Once they’re approved we’ll begin construction. There are still a couple of hoops we have to go through, but we’re pushing forward.”

The above-the-alley, elevated crossover will be the connector between the office level of the two existing buildings and the parking garage’s upper level.

“We have working on this for months and we had identified this as an important part of the success of the project because parking obviously is no secret issue in Bricktown,” Goldstein said.
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hopefully, it will be four stories to accommodate the populous of tourists and citizens that visit Bricktown and we can begin to get rid of all of the surface parking that currently exists.

I like the design and the fact that they will renovate the upper floors of existing buildings - FINALLY. Hopefully - this will be an all go situation, esp 4 stories.

I am also elated to hear about the Hampton Inn and Suites. The more hotels downtown, the better - especially with lower price positioning. Not every room downtown should be over $150 per night - yet currently there are not many which are below.

Downtown needs a mix of hotels - hi, med, low - to attract all budgets; and of course, we need the rooms. Im glad the HI will be 200 rooms. When will we see the Sheraton's 400 rooms eclipsed with a say 800+ room (hopefully at least 30 storey) hotel downtown that would be the state's largest??

The other day when I was in Bricktown I saw that the building with the water tower on it, had some of the dirt cleared on the canal level part. It seems liket they havent been doing anything for a while and then they come up with that parking garage, I really like that rendering of it.

This creates an opportunity across the street as well. If that surface lot is developed in retail, then you have a nice southern gateway into brick town that would be defined by retail. There is a chance to create a dense retail section of bricktown if the south side of Reno is developed with respect to the north side. We haven't seen that happen, yet, but it's kind of bircktown's last chance for a retail sector, unless east of Joe Carter is allowed to be developed for retail.

and when they build this.... its gonna be built on an existing open parking lot? I wonder when they actually start moving on this entire project.... but I guess its better to take yur time inst0ead of rushin things, they're doing a very good job.

This isn't happening is it? Its a shame too, that Cox Water Tower Building has great potential...great above the canal patio and on the canal patios options. It fronts the canal on two of its sides. Might of helped revitalize that end of the canal. Oh well, maybe we can push Chelino's to use their canal-level seating again. :rolleyes:

hopefully, it will be four stories to accommodate the populous of tourists and citizens that visit Bricktown and we can begin to get rid of all of the surface parking that currently exists.


Yes that is some of the best news of this project. Now if someone would just build over the lot across the street from Abuelos(Sheridan I beleve), that would be a great as well. That hotel by the ballpark took some of the surface parking away too. Hey, at least some of it is going away.

Lower bricktown, on the other hand...

One surface lot at a time...

The next targets should be the ones along Sheridan at Oklahoma, and the one next to Zio's on the canal. If those get developed and the Cotton Exchange is built we will see a MUCH improved (and denser) Bricktown.

My hope is that Oklahoma Ave. takes on a greater importance once the blvd. is completed as it will be the first at-grade intersection as you come off I-35. I'd like to see it become a gateway to Bricktown with mixed-use buildings on both sides around that intersection and the intersection with Reno near where this parking garage will be up to the canal and Sheridan. Is there any future plan to connect Oklahoma with the Triangle development to the north??

I can only hope the "retail" along Reno comes right up to the sidewalk and includes parallel parking along the street. The retail so far along Reno on the Lower Bricktown side has not been done very well from an urban design point-of-view.

My hope is that Oklahoma Ave. takes on a greater importance once the blvd. is completed as it will be the first at-grade intersection as you come off I-35. I'd like to see it become a gateway to Bricktown with mixed-use buildings on both sides around that intersection and the intersection with Reno near where this parking garage will be up to the canal and Sheridan. Is there any future plan to connect Oklahoma with the Triangle development to the north??

.

If you drive down 2nd street, you can see part of the walkway that has been constructed from Oklahoma Ave. that will go into Bricktown. The Maywood Park developers have put in a wide sidewalk where Oklahoma deadends at 2nd with multiple street lights and inset trees.

is anything ever going to happen here?

There are renderings on Newsok, but I can't seem to save them correctly. If someone knows how, please post them.

Oilmen unveil $35M development plan to make renovations around Bricktown
By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

After more than two years of design work and planning, oilmen John Harding and Charles Shelton plan to begin a $35 million development that will include renovations of three buildings and construction of a 376-parking-space underground garage.

Ted Keeney, president of Harding and Shelton's Diversified Historic Properties, said Timberlake Construction is set to begin work within 30 days on renovations including:

•Converting a 99-year-old four-story warehouse, 2 E California Ave. (the Bricktown Canal) historically known as the Red Ball building, into offices and retail.

•Renovating an adjoining building at 12 E California Ave. that will add housing atop the existing tenant Zio's.

•Converting the Rock Island Plow Building at Reno and Oklahoma avenues into housing and retail.

•Building a two-level underground garage that would serve all three properties and allow for future potential development above the parking.

Keeney said the stretch of properties along Reno Avenue is ripe for development, and Harding and Shelton see the real estate investment as less risky than their day-to-day business.

"It's the new gateway to Bricktown,” Keeney said. "It's the first access point for people coming in from the west — they get off of I-40, pass Ford Center and travel into Bricktown. And with Lower Bricktown being on Reno, Ford Center being on Reno, you just have a natural funnel here into the entertainment district.”

Keeney said financing is in place and a public accustomed to seeing projects announced and then not begun in Bricktown will see this project reach fruition.


Development project waiting for last sale to close
Project architect Martin Goldstein said the two-year wait was due to a long process that included applying for tax credits, obtaining approval from the Bricktown Design Review Committee, the state Historic Preservation Commission and the National Park Service. The properties also successfully applied for $3 million in tax increment financing for the underground garage.
The only variable in what Keeney and Goldstein say is the "first phase” of their plans is the sale closing on the Rock Island building, which is owned by Phil Scaramucci. Keeney said the Rock Island building was on the verge of collapse when Scaramucci bought it several years ago and then spent "a considerable amount” to re-enforce the building's structure and replace its roof.

"He really saved it,” Keeney said. "It's a gem of a building. I'm not sure people really recognize what a fabulous residential structure it can be.”


‘Blessing in disguise'
Goldstein noted all but the building occupied by Zio's have been empty for decades — which he said has provided designers the opportunity to highlight original wood columns in the Rock Island building and rare concrete columns and ceilings where the lines from boards used to form the structures are still visible in the Red Ball building.
"The fact they sat dormant for so long is a blessing in disguise ... because they were vacant, you didn't have 20 to 30 years of people inside monkeying around and ruining stuff,” Goldstein said. "They're in pretty original condition.”

But Goldstein also had to get permission to change window locations that otherwise would have resulted in openings too high for most occupants to enjoy a good view of the outside.


Working with city
The city plans a $1 million canal extension, meanwhile, in conjunction with Harding and Shelton's development. City officials are weighing a proposed design by Goldstein that would create an amphitheater-style entrance and a raised gateway that would greet pedestrians walking along Reno Avenue.
Jim Cowan, director of the Bricktown Association, said the canal extension and development is eagerly anticipated by surrounding merchants and property owners.

"It makes you wonder what else is possible when it comes to a canal extension in the future,” Cowan said. "To have a canal opening there and development there is extremely exciting.”

My Downtown OKC page

Dreams changing, growing
When planning started on John Harding's and Charles Shelton's development, they sought to build an above-ground garage. Instead, they are building an underground garage that they say is key to potentially pursuing a "second phase” of development that they hope could include a parking lot at the southwest corner of Oklahoma Avenue and the Bricktown Canal that is owned by Bricktown property owner Jim Brewer.
Unlike the first phase of development that is about to begin, Ted Keeney, president of Harding and Shelton's Diversified Historic Properties, said the second phase is just an idea — a project the pair do not have financing for and one that involves "a lot of variables.”

"We think of it as a pipe dream, but it's got potential,” Keeney said. "You could put in anything from a shopping mall, hotel, high-rise condominium tower to an NBA practice facility.”

http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2008/09/05/17/Img/Pc0170200.jpg

http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2008/09/05/22/Img/Pc0220800.jpg

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/files/2008/09/harding-photo.jpg



Ah, but here’s a bonus rendering not in the paper - plans for a “Cheer’s” style restaurant or bar entrance from Oklahoma Avenue just north of Reno Avenue. - Steve Lackmeyer
http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/files/2008/09/hardingcheers.jpg

Also, from what I can tell, it looks like the kids play area where the canal is supposed to be extended will no longer exist. Is this correct Steve? If so does the city have plans to locate the play equipment elsewhere in Bricktown or CBD?

Is there retail along the lower level of the parking garage facing the canal?

Also, from what I can tell, it looks like the kids play area where the canal is supposed to be extended will no longer exist. Is this correct Steve? If so does the city have plans to locate the play equipment elsewhere in Bricktown or CBD?

I noticed that as well. I think I'd rather see something like that on the south end of the canal. That area is already more park-like and it would be another thing to draw people down to that end of the canal, besides the Land Run Monument.

I'd rather see something a little more inventive than just a basic jungle gym and slides though.

Looks good. Now if it will just happen. We've been down this road before.