The Hub

[Pete]

Mixed-use project planned for NW 13th & Broadway

Broadway Avenue north of NW 10th continues to be a hotbed of activity with yet another project in the works.

A group led by local attorney Richard Labarthe is planning The Hub, a new 6-story office building with ground floor retail and anchored by a branch for Core Bank and their corporate offices.

The design by RBA Architects also shows a drive-through for the bank and a future phase that would include apartments and a parking structure on the 3.5-acre parcel.

Just to the south, the new campus for Oklahoma Contemporary museum is pushing towards an opening in early 2020, while the Midtown Renaissance group is deep into renovation of the former Mercedes Benz dealership into office space.

Benz Building


Oklahoma Contemporary

At 11th & Broadway, the 6-story Broadway Park office building is nearing completion. To the east of The Hub, Dolese Brothers currently has its sprawling 14-acre headquarters for sale as they construct a new building near Britton Road and Broadway Extention.

Broadway Park

Amy Dunn, Brent Conway and Joe Summers of CBRE are handling leasing for The Hub.

[Rover]

Is the first floor extra tall? The rendering looks like 6 floors, not 5.

Given the base tenants are announced, is this a sure go.

[sooner88]

Is the first floor extra tall? The rendering looks like 6 floors, not 5.

Given the base tenants are announced, is this a sure go.

Article says its 6 stories.

[jonny d]

I like that the apartments are wrapped around the parking garage. Should be nice infill in that area, as well as adding a fair bit of residents to the area.

[Sooner.Arch]

Not a fan of the architectural design of the building. Just worried they will use the same awful blue glass that they used at Gulfport Energy Corporation near Quail. The design is very suburban IMO, I say this because of previous works by RBA, They do suburban design well, but not sure if this stands with the identity of Automobile Alley. Also what is up with all those parking spots in the plan....

[Anonymous.]

I like it. But let's be honest. The "future apartments" are not happening.

[jonny d]

I like it. But let's be honest. The "future apartments" are not happening.

Not with that attitude. There is hardly any housing along Broadway, so I think these will happen. Especially with Heartland opening in a year or so.

[hfry]

Not a fan of the architectural design of the building. Just worried they will use the same awful blue glass that they used at Gulfport Energy Corporation near Quail. The design is very suburban IMO, I say this because of previous works by RBA, They do suburban design well, but not sure if this stands with the identity of Automobile Alley. Also what is up with all those parking spots in the plan....

What parking spots are you seeing? Because unless you're referring to on street parking or the possible future parking garage then I'm missing it.

[BoulderSooner]

Not a fan of the architectural design of the building. Just worried they will use the same awful blue glass that they used at Gulfport Energy Corporation near Quail. The design is very suburban IMO, I say this because of previous works by RBA, They do suburban design well, but not sure if this stands with the identity of Automobile Alley. Also what is up with all those parking spots in the plan....

there is nothing suburban about this design

[Sooner.Arch]

there is nothing suburban about this design

https://www.google.com/search?q=subu...w=1920&bih=969

I leave you with this... look into it buddy. This design is suburban.

[David]

Built right up to the street, good interaction with street level retail, looks like nice urban infill to me.

And on an important corner, too.

[kevin lee]

That's definitely urban but it would be even nicer if a cafe or deli of some type were added. Im pleased regardless.

[PhiAlpha]

https://www.google.com/search?q=subu...w=1920&bih=969

I leave you with this... look into it buddy. This design is suburban.

Yeah by definition this is definitely an urban design by every measure . If you're talking about the architecture/the way it looks, it may look like a building in the suburbs but the design (fronting both Broadway & 13th, retail on street level, all but street parking in the back or in a parking structure, and multiple floors for density) it is in every way an urban design.The layout does not look anything like any of the buildings in the google search you posted.

[BoulderSooner]

Yeah by definition this is definitely an urban design by every measure . If you're talking about the architecture/the way it looks, it may look like a building in the suburbs but the design (fronting both Broadway & 13th, retail on street level, all but street parking in the back or in a parking structure, and multiple floors for density) it is in every way an urban design.The layout does not look anything like any of the buildings in the google search you posted.

^^^^

[Sooner.Arch]

If you reference my response, I state how the architectural design is suburban. I am not talking about the layout ( which actually idk why anyone would think that surrounding a full block with parking om ALL sides is urban design) . I am solely talking about the architectural design. Lets evaluate it. Several details of this building are just out of scale. The "brise soleils" seem to not have any function really. The design takes elements of the Gulfport Energy Corporation ( which architecturally is a "modern" suburban office ). If the glass is the same as Gulfport, it is going to be an awful shade of blue that I personally see as tacky. The windows even have unnecessary detailing that don't allow the human eye to rest. This building isn't architecturally pleasing in an urban area because it also has no regards to the site context or district. But once again, this is my personal opinion.

[BoulderSooner]

If you reference my response, I state how the architectural design is suburban. I am not talking about the layout ( which actually idk why anyone would think that surrounding a full block with parking om ALL sides is urban design) . I am solely talking about the architectural design. Lets evaluate it. Several details of this building are just out of scale. The "brise soleils" seem to not have any function really. The design takes elements of the Gulfport Energy Corporation ( which architecturally is a "modern" suburban office ). If the glass is the same as Gulfport, it is going to be an awful shade of blue that I personally see as tacky. The windows even have unnecessary detailing that don't allow the human eye to rest. This building isn't architecturally pleasing in an urban area because it also has no regards to the site context or district. But once again, this is my personal opinion.

style of a building is not urban or suburban

[Pete]

The architect is RBA and their most notable project is the Gulfport Energy building near Quail Springs:

[Plutonic Panda]

I love the design and think it will fit in perfectly. I like diverse architecture in a city.

[Plutonic Panda]

I usually am NOT one to advocate for street diets but this road seems prime. It is a hotbed for speed traps with a road design that seems to perfectly handle speeds of 50MPH. The road should be redesigned with BRT lanes for an Edmond to DTOKC route heading down the 235 to Downtown Edmond.

I'm designing a street now but it will take me a minute as this software is more complex than other street design tools:

http://streetplan.net/MyState/MyOrg/MyProj/18785

[PhiAlpha]

If you reference my response, I state how the architectural design is suburban. I am not talking about the layout ( which actually idk why anyone would think that surrounding a full block with parking om ALL sides is urban design) . I am solely talking about the architectural design. Lets evaluate it. Several details of this building are just out of scale. The "brise soleils" seem to not have any function really. The design takes elements of the Gulfport Energy Corporation ( which architecturally is a "modern" suburban office ). If the glass is the same as Gulfport, it is going to be an awful shade of blue that I personally see as tacky. The windows even have unnecessary detailing that don't allow the human eye to rest. This building isn't architecturally pleasing in an urban area because it also has no regards to the site context or district. But once again, this is my personal opinion.

Urban vs suburban design is about how the building is laid out and interacts with it's surroundings. None of the details you mention indicate that it is a suburban vs. urban design. it actually looks pretty similar to the Aloft in Deep Deuce which is definitely considered an urban design. Angled street parking isn't poor urban design either and it isn't on all sides of the main building...just on 13th and matches what is already there with the Garage Lofts next door which would be considered an urban design. It would be much stranger from an urban design standpoint to not use the same setback as the Garage Lofts or to have a massive grass lawn in front of the building where the Garage Lofts have angled parking.

[Plutonic Panda]

I usually am NOT one to advocate for street diets but this road seems prime. It is a hotbed for speed traps with a road design that seems to perfectly handle speeds of 50MPH. The road should be redesigned with BRT lanes for an Edmond to DTOKC route heading down the 235 to Downtown Edmond.

I'm designing a street now but it will take me a minute as this software is more complex than other street design tools:

Stretch between 13th and 23rd.
http://streetplan.net/MyState/MyOrg/MyProj/18785

This design would incorporate bus only and two way protected bike lanes and foster a BRT route to Edmond and such a route could be reality long before the proposed commuter rail comes to reality.

[OKC Guy]

Times are good. We used to complain about even getting businesses to build in downtown area and now that its happening we are only left to complain about the building itself. Nevermind this is more jobs and more taxes, we don’t like the look lol.

I think it looks great but more important its more growth in the outer core.

The bigger long term problem is getting to this area coming from north (not Classen). If driving from 235N the only exits are 23rd and 10th. 23rd will require going on Broadway south which will continue to see traffic growth. Or get off on 10th and backtrack. Due to the 235 going over 23rd there is no room to create an off ramp at 13th street. So its likely this pushes more traffic to 10th but then you have to cross railroad to get to Broadway. Its not a big problem right now but if this area keeps seeing buildings like this then it will create traffic problems. That to me is the bigger picture, not the “looks” of the building.

[Dob Hooligan]

For all the 1990s I owned the house in the bottom right of Pete's drone shot. I'm still familiar with the area.

Robinson and 13th have always had angle parking in the block proposed. 14th and Broadway have not.

I would like to see views of all directions; both phase 1 and phase 2. I am concerned it will dwarf the 3 Circles Art building (the existing 1 story on the NW corner of the block). If Dina Madole still owns and resides there, I am concerned a little 80 year old lady is being isolated by wrap around development.

I see they plan to build over the existing alley on the north half of the block. This makes me wonder what is involved in abandoning an alley.

I recall that in the 1990s the development area shown was beginning to consolidate ownership. IIRC, the SE corner had been owned by the Brown's Bakery family for many years, but they lost it to foreclosure due to a failed expansion into Edmond during the bust era of the 1980s; the rest of the land belonged a lady who was heir to the "Norton Buick" property (names I recall are Doug Lady Buick, Mark Putnam Buick and Rock Richardson Buick). Even more trivial, the Loft Garage Apartments were originally built as the Norton Buick building, and somewhere during the Post War Era the Buick dealership moved into more modern quarters on the rest of the block and the existing building wound up being sold to Ralph L. Bolen, who used it for the Oldsmobile and Mercedes-Benz body shop. By the early 2000s the Bob Moore group had exercised their options and acquired the lots.

[jonny d]

https://oklahoman.com/article/563884...tomobile-alley

Oklahoman article about the upcoming development. Mentioned 225 apartments in those "future apartment" buildings. Wanting to get started soon, after financing and permitting are obtained.

[AP]

Any update on this development, Pete?