What would you do to BT?

[warreng88]

If you could do anything in Bricktown what would it be? Act as if you are a planner and not a financer. I would buy one of the larger 4-5 story buildings, hollow it out and build a Dave and Busters. I think that would be a one of a kind location for that company.

[betts]

I would like to see one of the buildings have multiple retail shops on all levels. I'd really love Bricktown to be like the Highlands in Atlanta, but we don't really have the streetside shopping spaces, so one building with multiple shops would be great.

[sroberts24]

i would convert all the open wearhouse space into mixed use first of all... dave and busters would def. be in the plans, an espn zone, chili's, olive garden, and the pappa's franchises', extend the canal and build upward like in san antonio.... i would make everything much more dense and start building up... i would build a lot of condos along the canal, and the back part by okc rocks i would build i big mall in which the canal runs thru much like san antonio.... once a convention center is built i would tie in the canal to it as well, and build a new arena where the U-haul building and parking lot is and also tie the canal into that..... i have a lot more ideas let me ponder.... i will return

[OKCMallen]

Securing just one of the pappas franchises would be a big deal. The main thing I would do is to, and I know this is pretty much impossible, but somehow convince/cajole property owners to lwoer their rent so that startup restaurants/bars/retail would give it a shot down there.

[Pete]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the owners of the taller buildings don't put condos/apartments on the upper floors.

Most of those buildings have restaurants or clubs on the ground floor and then either have offices or empty space above.

We need more people living in that district in order to support retail.

[Karried]

MargaritaVille

(sorry, I'm vacation mode)

[OKCMallen]

Pete, I can't imagine living above a club, even being relatively young and single. Too luod, too many people.

[sroberts24]

it wouldn't be too bad, there is so much out there these days in technology they could easily buffer the noise

[OKCMallen]

Unless you're a major partier, I just don't see that happening...and the white collar downtown crowd ain't gonna like that on Thursday nights, etc.

[kevinpate]

I'd need some very strong buffers for windows walls and flooring to live above a younger crowd bar.

to live above a quiet neighborhood pub, not so much.

[dismayed]

I'd revamp many of the buildings, splitting up the huge warehouses that are the first floor into multiple smaller areas. I think it would be more economically feasible that way. I'd leave a few big mega-warehouses in tact, but not a lot.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Mimes.

[OKCMallen]

A small in-building business that sells beers/daiquiris, etc to pedestrians. Of course, I am one of those that goes to BT for barhopping and not for family night.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Letting people walk around with open containers is probably not going to happen.

The only place I know of that allows that is NOLA. There are probably other places...But outside of special events (like the State Fair), I don't know of them.

[OKCMallen]

Letting people walk around with open containers is probably not going to happen.

The only place I know of that allows that is NOLA. There are probably other places...But outside of special events (like the State Fair), I don't know of them.

You already can on the canal. Also, Norman allows 21+ to walk around with low-point beer if not obviously intoxicated.

So, there you go, two places you didn't know about, both in our metro area.

[Mr. T in OKC]

You already can on the canal. Also, Norman allows 21+ to walk around with low-point beer if not obviously intoxicated.

So, there you go, two places you didn't know about, both in our metro area.

You can in Norman, but only on football game days if I'm not mistaken (6 days per year), and only in the surrounding area of the football stadium. In Bricktown, don't you have to stay directly in front of the establishment that you purchased the "fun" beverage from? I don't think either of these is compares with what you can do in NOLA

[Nawfside OKC]

Letting people walk around with open containers is probably not going to happen.

The only place I know of that allows that is NOLA. There are probably other places...But outside of special events (like the State Fair), I don't know of them.

hey you can walk around with a open container down here in the town of Pensacola Beach ,Florida.Not just the beach but the whole town. but I think your right they probaly would not let that happen DT OKC.You never know though I thought the NBA would never be in OKC or even the lotto becoming legal.

[murphystone]

I would turn the fifth floor of the Mercantile Building into a events center, rentable for any event. Great location for Weddings, company events etc. I would also create a garden on top of the building for events as well. Can you imagine the view from five stories when the ball drops on New Years Eve?????
I would turn the third floor into a huge family fun center with the ole Shakeys feel and serve a product that people would crave to have as well as provide fun for the entire family, maybe full of vintage games, pin ball etc. A place that everyone who visited would want to come back to because they had so much fun and ate wonderful food while enjoying the view Maybe a place where 25 cents could still get a game of pool or a pinball game.
I would turn the fourth floor in to about four luxery condos, windows would be added on the East if at all possible or maybe 12 that are still very nice but less space to buy. Maybe small, well arranged with the view to die for.

AHHHH aren't dreams fun

[Midtowner]

We need a rifle range and a fishin' hole out by Bass Pro shops.

[BDP]

I'd make all the upper floors boutique hotels. The larger buildings with clubs could use the space above the clubs for meeting areas that would be used for corporate meetings during the days and receptions and parties at night. Hopefully, this would reverse the trend of adding rooms through cookie cutter extended stay hotels and add some really interesting places and visitor density in the heart of bricktown.

Can we redo lower bricktown for retail on the canal while we're at it?

Pete, I can't imagine living above a club, even being relatively young and single. Too luod, too many people.

That's just living in a city. People are noisy, but some people like the action and energy of a 24 hour neighborhood. There are tons of neighborhoods in the country that are filled with ground level clubs, bars, shops, etc. and upper level residential. When people talk about urban living, that's essentially what it is.

[OKCMallen]

I'd make all the upper floors boutique hotels. The larger buildings with clubs could use the space above the clubs for meeting areas that would be used for corporate meetings during the days and receptions and parties at night. Hopefully, this would reverse the trend of adding rooms through cookie cutter extended stay hotels and add some really interesting places and visitor density in the heart of bricktown.

Can we redo lower bricktown for retail on the canal while we're at it?



That's just living in a city. People are noisy, but some people like the action and energy of a 24 hour neighborhood. There are tons of neighborhoods in the country that are filled with ground level clubs, bars, shops, etc. and upper level residential. When people talk about urban living, that's essentially what it is.

Understandable, but do you want to take the financial risk to find out?

[chuckdiesel]

Make it all dense multistory real brick buildings with more trees landscaped along the canal and sidewalks. Make it all resemble this part of bricktown:




Require all new buildings to be built between 4 and 10 stories with 100% brick exterior (to keep things authentic). Ban parking lots within the district and have the city fund 1 or 2 more parking garages on either side of Bricktown. Require all buildings to designate the bottom floor of buildings as strictly retail/restaurants/bars/entertainment. Require at least one story (preferably more) of all buildings to be housing of some kind. With people living it Bricktown it creates a lot more action and "nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd". Ban office buildings and HQ's from the district (Sonic I'm looking at you). Allow bars to stay open later on the weekends only in the district and as was mentioned earlier allow open containers on the streets but increase friendly police presence. Demolish Bass Pro and everything in lower Bricktown and start over with strict development codes. With required housing, required all brick, required first floor retail, banning of parking lots, the district would remain authentic, become more active and thrive once things got going.

[David Pollard]

Make it all dense multistory real brick buildings with more trees landscaped along the canal and sidewalks. Make it all resemble this part of bricktown:




Require all new buildings to be built between 4 and 10 stories with 100% brick exterior (to keep things authentic). Ban parking lots within the district and have the city fund 1 or 2 more parking garages on either side of Bricktown. Require all buildings to designate the bottom floor of buildings as strictly retail/restaurants/bars/entertainment. Require at least one story (preferably more) of all buildings to be housing of some kind. With people living it Bricktown it creates a lot more action and "nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd". Ban office buildings and HQ's from the district (Sonic I'm looking at you). Allow bars to stay open later on the weekends only in the district and as was mentioned earlier allow open containers on the streets but increase friendly police presence. Demolish Bass Pro and everything in lower Bricktown and start over with strict development codes. With required housing, required all brick, required first floor retail, banning of parking lots, the district would remain authentic, become more active and thrive once things got going.

Wow! Somebody with insight!! I fully agree with everything you said except perhaps for the headquarters issue. There can be room for them too, but they have to respect the preious requirments that you outlined. Density is ineed is the solution to the current dilema of bricktown. This is such a classic urban design formula, that it astounds me that it not yet been fully implemented in Bricktown.

My hat off to you Chuckdiesel!

[CuatrodeMayo]

Wow! Somebody with insight!! I fully agree with everything you said except perhaps for the headquarters issue. There can be room for them too, but they have to respect the preious requirments that you outlined. Density is ineed is the solution to the current dilema of bricktown. This is such a classic urban design formula, that it astounds me that it not yet been fully implemented in Bricktown.

My hat off to you Chuckdiesel!

[chuckdiesel]

Once I-40 was rebuilt as a boulevard then I would build a football stadium on the south side of the Blvd modeled in the brick "prairie gothic" architecture found on OU's campus and bid for Big 12 conf championship game and a bowl game. Also host all of the state high school playoff games and possibly attract a preseason NFL game or two or create a neutral site for the Bedlam game to be played.

Once this place really got going they could attract the things that are popular in entertainment districts--ESPNzone, Hard Rock Cafe, Dave and Busters, Planet Hollywood for the tourists. This place currently has none of these obvious tourist attractions because it is hanging on by a thread. The Sonics relocation is a golden opportunity to really turbo charge this area with smart development before it peaks and dies.