Automobile Alley

[Pete]

I think the plan is to make that building nice.

[Spartan]

Well, what I mean is, I'd expect a larger building for their corporate office, but I don't know what kind of arrangement they have with Firestone..

[metro]

Well, what I mean is, I'd expect a larger building for their corporate office, but I don't know what kind of arrangement they have with Firestone..

Not all big name companies have tons of administrative and executive staff...and many functions can be outsourced for cheaper. I work for a national retailer but we have a small executive staff, myself included.

[bombermwc]

Look at how small the Sonic HQ's is compared to how big the company is.....They don't even fill their own building.

[Kerry]

Look at how small the Sonic HQ's is compared to how big the company is.....They don't even fill their own building.

That is the magic of franchising.

[betts]

I'm hoping someone with a good camera will post pictures of Mel's garage. I believe the artwork on the exterior is complete, or close to it and it looks pretty incredible. My camera is nonfunctioning right now or I'd post some.

[Spartan]

I would really appreciate a Hideaway picture also.

[metro]

Ok, I'll get one in the next few days

[dankrutka]

This sounds promising:

http://newsok.com/automobile-alley-n...adlines_widget

I think a live music venue and mixed use would do really well on that street. I actually think 9th street could anchor the growth for the rest of Automoobile Alley. It already has the kind of great local flavor and energy with Iguana, ShopGood, Sara Sara's Cupcakes, and Panchinko that people flock to. The fact that the street is so small also gives it an excellent opportunity for success. Hope it works out...

[dankrutka]

Here's the article if you're too lazy to click:


Automobile Alley, Ninth Street developer Steve Mason pursues master plan for new properties
Automobile Alley developer Steve Mason is adding another block to his Ninth Street project, and is enlisting public input into the area's future.
BY STEVE LACKMEYER slackmeyer@opubco.com Oklahoman 0 Published: June 9, 2011


Automobile Alley developer Steve Mason is adding another block to his Ninth Street project, and is enlisting public input into the area's future.


To learn more about master planning for the NW 9 development, visit www.plainurban.com/okc/charrette/

Mason recently bought three buildings at 11 NW 8 from Automobile Alley pioneer Meg Salyer. He admits he is unsure what to do with the buildings, which are unique for the area in that they also face a parking lot and a stretch of shops and restaurants he has developed in recent years along next block of NW 9.

“This is just a bigger chunk of land we can do development in,” Mason said. “One question is, for the three buildings on Eighth, do you do the main entrance on that street, or along the alley facing Ninth? Or both?”

Mason has yet another quandary — existing parking in the area is already often filled to capacity.

He originally bought the blighted buildings along NW 9 with the intention of clearing the area to create parking for buildings he renovated along the 1000 block of Broadway. He scrapped that plan after further consideration and turned the mix of homes and garages into a thriving mix of restaurants and retail anchored by his own restaurant, the Iguana Mexican Grill.

“Parking is a huge problem,” Mason said. “We're having to dedicate half our surface area to parking and half to buildings. As we develop our urban core, it's our desire to see less land dedicated to surface parking … I do have a parking shortage.”

Planner hired

To solve those challenges, Mason hired 29-year-old Blair Humphreys, a 2009 city planning master's graduate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose transit-oriented development plan for Denver's light rail system won top honor in the national ULI Gerald D. Hines Design Competition. Humphreys is currently a fellow at the Institute for Quality Communities and an urban design theory instructor at the University of Oklahoma College of Architecture.

Mason said he has no preconception of what Humphrey's ultimate plan might be, and has only heard good-natured dueling interest from his wife and son on how best to use the third floor of the building on NW 8.

“I don't know what Blair's assignment is — I've left it very vague,” Mason said. “I asked Blair, ‘Help me plan. Help me plan what to do with this stuff.' He's arguably the best-trained young planner in the city right now, and his training is in the last five years. I'm excited to see what a young person with recent education and more experience suggests.”

Humphreys is working on the master plan with Shane Hampton, graduate student at University of Oklahoma, and Sarah Komppa, a fellow MIT planning graduate. The three will begin their planning with a design charrette Friday and Saturday that will seek public input into the area's master plan.

“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity to bring this block a lot more mixed use,” Humphreys said. “We already have some restaurant, retail and office uses. But with this we can do a larger scale development that incorporates more commercial space but also living space and potentially some great public spaces.”

Humphreys has invited civic and business leaders to the planning session Friday morning, but is also welcoming the public to drop in at the charrette, on the first floor of 1015 N Broadway, and share ideas as well.

“What we want to do is to make sure people invested in this area, people who use this area, whether they eat at the Iguana or visit Slingers, we want them to share their ideas,” Humphreys said. “The more you cater an area to those who use it, the more successful it will be.”


Read more: http://newsok.com/automobile-alley-n...#ixzz1OklZz9LU

[metro]

Um, what time is the design charette, that would be helpful to list.

[Steve]

Kilgore, please don't repost entire stories from NewsOK. Please give NewsOK the same courtesy you would give a blogger.
Thanks - Steve

[dankrutka]

My bad. Lo siento.

[Urban Pioneer]

Um, what time is the design charette, that would be helpful to list.

I believe it is 7am - 10-12 ish. A morning thing both Friday and Saturday directly next to Coffee Slingers.

[metro]

Thanks Urban, I'm not sure why the DOK and others often forget to post times of events.

[shane453]

Here is a photo of some visitors participating this morning. The space next to Coffee Slingers will be open through the business day today, and all day Saturday with a special session from 10 AM-Noon which will probably involve some outdoor walking and touring in the neighborhood.

If you can't make it to the space, or want to stay involved over the next week or two, the website is a great way to submit more input and tune into the conversation. http://plainurban.com/okc

[Urban Pioneer]

Here is a photo of some visitors participating this morning. The space next to Coffee Slingers will be open through the business day today, and all day Saturday with a special session from 10 AM-Noon which will probably involve some outdoor walking and touring in the neighborhood.

If you can't make it to the space, or want to stay involved over the next week or two, the website is a great way to submit more input and tune into the conversation. http://plainurban.com/okc

Lot's of people through here today. We office on the ground floor behind Slingers. Between Dead Center and the neighborhood design input forum, lot's of people.

Yes, it seems they will be taking input all day and are still doing so and have the morning walk around 10 AM tomorrow.

[betts]

There is definitely construction going on at 1101 N. Broadway. No signs though.

[Pete]

For 1101 N. Broadway, these changes were approved last month by the Downtown Design Review Committee:

"...replace storefront frames and glazing at
east and south elevations; replace existing overhead door at east elevation
and install storefront, double entry, and cast stone or limestone base;
remove existing infill at transoms and install new transom windows; and
install canopies at east and south facades."

[betts]

There's new lighting installed as well, I believe, and it looks like there is interior work going on too. Would interior changes need to be approved by the DDRC?

[Pete]

No, interiors don't need to be approved but I also couldn't find a building permit.

[Pete]

The Flaming Lips put their psychedelic stamp on a dusty old brick building at 25 NW 9 over Memorial Day weekend, not long after leasing it from owner Steve Mason.

Read more: http://newsok.com/the-flaming-lips-s...#ixzz1Pd08eJEf

[Double Edge]

I don't know if this plays in with Steve Mason's parking problems but there appears to be a paving contractor working over the formerly fenced and vacant lot 1/2 block east of 8th and Broadway on the south side. I believe that was a Salyer property if not still.

[Architect2010]

I've pretty much given up on this city ever being smarter than paved parking lots.

BTW. The old towing garage looks amazing. I love the girl in the front window throwing up the deuces. Very cool!

[PhiAlpha]

Paved parking lots are better than empty lots. At least someone is getting some use out of them. Something will probably be built on them eventually but it is idealistic to believe something will be built immediately on every empty lot.