Hill, The

[dankrutka]

I've always wondered why they didn't turn the area that was scheduled to be developed last into a small little park or dog park... I mean, the residents could have had that amenity for the last 15 years... and several most years to come.

[Rover]

The interior finishes at the Hill are designed for the old man yelling at the clouds and his third wife "Karen". They aren't looking to be in a dense urban area with no space and too many scary people. If the developer at the Hill would go look at the Wheeler District or Kayla Baker's work on 6th Street and incorporate one of those finishes his product would start selling again. Different people want different things and people that intentionally chose an urban lifestyle often want true historic, modern or Scandinavian.
The gaudy interior style in the Hill isn't a natural fit for the existing customer base. Obviously the market has spoken because homes keep selling in Sosa, Heritage, Mesta, and the Wheeler District.

LOL. Gotta love the stereotyping without facts. First of all, this is a way denser development than Wheeler or Sosa, and I love both. I don't know of the "scary" people you speak of. The only ones I hear talking this way are people with an agenda. The reason's many don't live downtown are varied and mostly valid. Scary people is not one of them. I hear way more about scary people in suburban areas like around Penn and 30th or 36th, not DD or AA.

Your really think the finishes at the hill are "gaudy". Well, they may not be the style hipsters like, but they definitely aren't gaudy. Simple trim molding, wood floors, stone counter tops, traditional fixtures, are not gaudy, they are just a style choice. They aren't minimalism, but not gaudy. Urban in the rest of the real world does not equate just to modern or Scandinavian. If you visit real urban areas you see a lot of choice of styles and all are valid. Frankly, it is cheaper to use no trim, concrete floors, open ceilings, and flat panel cabinet faces anyway, and that is why a lot of urban building uses that style... it is cheaper to build.

That said, I think the problem at the Hill is basically price, not style. Unless you can pay cash, condo financing is more difficult. The other problem is that the floor-plans of many are unworkable for many.... OKC still hasn't been really receptive to 3 story houses with lots of space taken up by stairs and hallways. It also limits some who simply don't want to go up and down stairs all the time.

[Rover]

I've always wondered why they didn't turn the area that was scheduled to be developed last into a small little park or dog park... I mean, the residents could have had that amenity for the last 15 years... and several most years to come.

That would be a great idea. How is the homeowner association set up to pay for that upkeep? What is the cost to the developer?

I also think the railroad right of way between dd and bt would be a great park/trails area until (if ever) the railroad owner actually is prepared to use the tracks.

[hoya]

Another 20 years and they might even finish.

Positioned too close to I-35. The mystic aura of slow construction has enveloped it.

[TheTravellers]

LOL. Gotta love the stereotyping without facts. First of all, this is a way denser development than Wheeler or Sosa, and I love both. I don't know of the "scary" people you speak of. The only ones I hear talking this way are people with an agenda. The reason's many don't live downtown are varied and mostly valid. Scary people is not one of them. I hear way more about scary people in suburban areas like around Penn and 30th or 36th, not DD or AA. ...

Sorry for the tangent, but this jumped out at me - Penn/30th is not suburban.

[Martin]

Sorry for the tangent, but this jumped out at me - Penn/30th is not suburban.

in terms of density, i don't see how nw 30th and penn is materially different than sw 65th and penn. seems to me both are suburban.

[TheTravellers]

in terms of density, i don't see how nw 30th and penn is materially different than sw 65th and penn. seems to me both are suburban.

Depends on your definition of suburban, I suppose. Most definitions say "outlying", "outskirts", "within commuting distance of a city", etc. I consider suburban anything past the Kilpatrick, I-35, and I-240. Density-wise, it's pretty much the same all inside that loop except when it gets to literally downtown, so is all of OKC except the CBD suburban, going by density measurements?

[Rover]

Sorry for the tangent, but this jumped out at me - Penn/30th is not suburban.

I guess technically it may be urban as it isn’t at the edge or outskirts of the main OKC. But then again, so would 50th and Penn be and 63rd, etc

[Pete]

7 new units to be approved by the Urban Renewal Authority:

[kevin lee]

I wonder if you could get one of these bare bones if you wanted a modern home. Then pay another contractor to complete it.

[Rover]

I wonder if you could get one of these bare bones if you wanted a modern home. Then pay another contractor to complete it.

My guess is that if you commit to purchase before finished out they will finish it however you want. I doubt you could bring in another contractor though. But, it would be worth asking them.

[Plutonic Panda]

That’s pretty ambitious. Wonder if they will be able to pull it off.

[kevin lee]

I hope so. I've looked at these really hard about three different times. I couldn't pull the trigger because I would have to gut the house. I like the elegance but it's not me.

[ComeOnBenjals!]

Any plans to add a Bodega/some sort of shop(s) in this area? I know it's built for residential, but a few businesses would make it feel like a real "urban" neighborhood.

[dankrutka]

Any plans to add a Bodega/some sort of shop(s) in this area? I know it's built for residential, but a few businesses would make it feel like a real "urban" neighborhood.

It would be cool, but the place do it would have been in the front of this development, not in the back. I'd still love to see it work, but can't imagine it happening.

[Pete]

Native Roots is only 2 blocks away and it is going to be shuttered for lack of business.

There is also a Circle K 3 blocks south.

Bricktown Express was in the Power Alley parking garage but closed.

[Anonymous.]

I wonder if the current HOA would allow the developer to sell the remaining lots on the east side for private development? It seems insane that the oldest homes here are now 12 years outdated and the neighborhood isn't even complete.

Is the current HOA footing the bill of the non-built units? Or is the developer responsible for kicking that in each month?

[Pete]

OCURA owns the undeveloped lots. They only pass title when the developer is ready to build the next row of units and it seems we have reached the end of the road with William Canfield.

Not sure how the HOA dues work but someone has to be paying for the pool and clubhouse and common areas.

[HOT ROD]

ridiculous

[Pete]

The Oklahoman is reporting the city has finally cut ties with the developer, Bill Canfield, and will be putting out an RFP to finish the project.

He won development rights in 2004 and promised to finish by 2008 with units that were much less expensive than what he ended up charging. In the end, he didn't even finish half the development in 16 years.

https://oklahoman.com/article/567903...-in-deep-deuce

[Plutonic Panda]

How is that even possible?

[Pete]

How is that even possible?

They gave him like 12 extensions.

Should have pulled the plug a long time ago.

[soonerguru]

It's about freaking time. He should never have been awarded the development in the first place.

[Pete]

It's about freaking time. He should never have been awarded the development in the first place.

No he shouldn't have. It was scandalous from the beginning and look how it's turned out.

[Lafferty Daniel]

So this is the guy that was chosen to develop this? A scientist who is a college professor?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Canfield

This does sound scandalous.