Monday, July 02, 2007 3:10:31 PM OKCBusiness Article
OKC developer says Crown Heights will not neighbor a Wal-Mart
Grant Humphreys.
Photo/Mark Hancock
Heidi Rambo Centrella
7/2/2007
In the wake of rumors regarding a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market moving in next door to a well established residential neighborhood, developer Grant Humphries assures that is not the case for the northwest corner of Interstate 235 and NW 36 Street.
However, Humphreys Real Estate Investment group does plan for “a Whole Foods or an HEB Central Market or a Wild Oats or something of that caliber that is not in the market presently,” along with retail and residential development. Humphreys said the intent is for the area to service not only the surrounding neighborhoods, but also downtown residents.
“It can service the downtown (area), but it doesn’t ruin the downtown block grid by bringing kind of a suburban-style grocery product into a small block system,” he said. “Our hope is that we can keep the downtown (clientele) with more urban land use with a smaller market…and keep the surface parking and the large, big-box just outside of downtown where it’s still just about four minutes from a lot of the development you’re seeing in the Flat Iron area.”
In addition to promising a Wal-Mart will not happen, Humphreys -- an Edgemere Park resident -- says he plans to involve Crown Heights and Edgemere Park neighborhood associations and be “real open-book” with them.
According to the conceptual site plan, the grocery store would encompass 60,000 square feet, surrounded by surface parking. The multi-family structure would encompass 72,000 square feet, and the office/retail space would encompass 42,000 square feet.
“The contract has been approved by the congregation and the executive board at the church (First Christian Church at NW 36 Street and Walker Avenue),” Humphreys said, adding they are still negotiating a few terms. “I think both Crown Heights and Edgemere Park (residents), as well, will like what we have.”
Humphreys anticipates having everything put together within the next two weeks, and expects to close on the land in 2008. Due diligence should take the rest of this calendar year, he said.
Other potential plans for the area include a coffee shop and a restaurant on the ground floor of a two- to three-floor office building, as well as the higher-end housing.
“On the residential side, I’m trying to get away from any more surface parking and trying to look at a way that we can hide some of the parking, possibly structured parking with a residential façade, possibly with some ground-floor retail,” he said.
Humphreys said he does not believe traffic to the area would disturb the surrounding neighborhoods, especially once the Oklahoma Department of Transportation finishes its reworking of the I-235/NW 36 Street interchange, which is scheduled to be complete in 500 days.
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