Prairie Surf Studios (formerly Cox Center)

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm with Pete on this one. What does the CC host other than hockey, Red Earth and the occasional graduation in the spring? And what does the Peake host other than basketball, a few concerts and other events like the circus? I'm sure there are plenty of events that I'm unaware of, but I truly doubt that there are so many that the Peake could not handle them all (and the cost of staff to handle them would be far less than the cost of keeping the CC open). As far as the rent for the Barons, I'm pretty sure the Thunder have a sweetheart deal so there is no reason not to give the Barons an affordable deal.

You left out monster trucks. I like monster trucks

It almost seems like you can just see them on the streets now though

[Pete]

The City just paid a consultant a bunch of money to give their recommendations, and they were pretty strong about the idea of reinstating the street grid and doing high-rise office near the park and mixed use throughout the rest of the block.

Breaking up that block takes on even more importance due to the transit hub project that is going to happen at Santa Fe Station. As it is now, you disembark and walk right into a huge concrete wall at the Cox Center.

[bchris02]

The City just paid a consultant a bunch of money to give their recommendations, and they were pretty strong about the idea of reinstating the street grid and doing high-rise office near the park and mixed use throughout the rest of the block.

Breaking up that block takes on even more importance due to the transit hub project that is going to happen at Santa Fe Station. As it is now, you disembark and walk right into a huge concrete wall at the Cox Center.

What about a street that is pedestrian only? I think that block would be an excellent place for it if it ever were to happen.

[HOT ROD]

good point, it'd be great to see California between the Transit Center and MGB be pedestrian only. The extended Broadway could be vehicular but constrained to just two lanes + parking to allow for significant pedestrian retail frontage.

[traxx]

What about a street that is pedestrian only? I think that block would be an excellent place for it if it ever were to happen.

I tried to like this post but I guess I have no more likes to give.

So..."like"

[Pete]

Announced today the Barons will cease operations at the end of the season.

I'm also hearing plans are ramping up to redevelop this block. I doutbt the two things are completely unrelated.

[NWOKCGuy]

Pete, you tease. What are you hearing?

[warreng88]

They need to tear down the entire thing along with the underground parking and redevelop it into four blocks with the streetgrid being pedestrian access only. If there is a hotel, the valet could be on one of the other sides of building. This would help promote walkability, retail access and interaction.

[Teo9969]

Announced today the Barons will cease operations at the end of the season.

I'm also hearing plans are ramping up to redevelop this block. I doutbt the two things are completely unrelated.

This is scary.

This is a property worthy of $1.5 to $2B of investment, but I don't think OKC has those kind of resources yet.

[Pete]

They need to tear down the entire thing along with the underground parking and redevelop it into four blocks with the streetgrid being pedestrian access only. If there is a hotel, the valet could be on one of the other sides of building. This would help promote walkability, retail access and interaction.

As you may recall from the recent study the City commissioned, this is exactly what the consultants recommended.

[Pete]

Perfect spot for Continental.

The could buy the Renaissance Hotel like Devon did with the Colcord and connect the hotel, current and future buildings very easily.

[warreng88]

This is scary.

This is a property worthy of $1.5 to $2B of investment, but I don't think OKC has those kind of resources yet.

Maybe we will in five years? If all the stuff gets built to plan on the Preftakes block, SG and SGS (Stage Center South), that figure could increase as it is the last remaining area surrounding the MBG. If OKC can continue on the course that we are on, we could see some major redevelopers coming into the area and this would be prime development.

[NWOKCGuy]

Maybe Continental or some other company really wants this space and that's why they had such a big push for new CC to be top priority.

[UnFrSaKn]

Came here to say the same as Pete. Looking forward to what they come up with. Since there's nothing worth saving on this block, anything would be an improvement.

[Just the facts]

So the east side of MBG will also be office space. Talk about doing less with more. Let me guess, building 11 is going to be the Oil Patch Hall of Fame.

On edit - thank goodness they labeled Devon Tower so we could all get our proper bearings .

[Just the facts]

They need to tear down the entire thing along with the underground parking and redevelop it into four blocks with the streetgrid being pedestrian access only. If there is a hotel, the valet could be on one of the other sides of building. This would help promote walkability, retail access and interaction.

They are planning on covering the 4 blocks with parking garages. That should do wonders for walkability. At least now we know where the 90,000 cars per day on the new boulevard are going to park.

[UnFrSaKn]

Some here I'm sure wouldn't mind a minimun of three parking garages on this site plus whatever else gets built.

[Anonymous.]

I concur, I know it is just a general massing concept. But shoving all the residential south of the Boulevard is weird. I would not even be mad if the entire Cox block turned out to be residential towers.

It's like forcing the CBD to expand into the crucial linking area that is basically the last hope for interacting Bricktown and DD with all the new stuff. The new park, Film Row, the Arena, the Convention Center, Riverfront. Please give this area life 24/7 - not just 8-5 weekdays.

[Teo9969]

This spot can't just be corporate. If the public, which currently owns this property, is not the main focus of the most important piece of real estate in the entire state of Oklahoma, then it will be hard to convince me to maintain the amount of passion I have for this city.

The importance of how this development occurs cannot be over stated. It's *the* first thing you see coming out of the intermodal hub. It's the most visible block from the 40/35 interchange…It's the literal heart of the city, and we need to building something that any person in the world would come up to and say "This is a great city".

A Devon like complex would be just one more obstacle between the person leaving the Santa Fe station and literally anywhere else.

One more time I'll post this as a good starting point for what this block should become:

Sony Center:

This block should be the definition of Mixed-Use (Residential, Office, Retail, Restaurant, Entertainment, Hotel, Public Space) and a place that locals and tourists alike want to visit. It should have a very clear line of sight between the Santa Fe Station and the MBG's Crystal Bridge.

[Bellaboo]

Perfect spot for Continental.

They could buy the Renaissance Hotel like Devon did with the Colcord and connect the hotel, current and future buildings very easily.

You beat me to it. But that corner just south of the OPUBCO building would be excellent.

[Pete]

You beat me to it. But that corner just south of the OPUBCO building would be excellent.

I know they are not going there. It will be mid-rise mixed use of some sort.

I was just thinking that with all the Mystery Tower spots now pretty much spoken for, where does that leave Continental?

The Cox site would make perfect sense.


As far as parking, there are already almost 1,000 spaces at the Cox Center that serve various buildings downtown and provide parking for The Peake. So, those would have to be replaced and more would have to built to serve the new construction on that site.

[Bellaboo]

I know they are not going there. It will be mid-rise mixed use of some sort.

I was just thinking that with all the Mystery Tower spots now pretty much spoken for, where does that leave Continental?

The Cox site would make perfect sense.


As far as parking, there are already almost 1,000 spaces at the Cox Center that serve various buildings downtown and provide parking for The Peake. So, those would have to be replaced and more would have to built to serve the new construction on that site.

I'm talking about the NEW OPUBCO (Century Center) location, block 9A of the study for CLR. I should have been more clear.

[bchris02]

Completely agree with Teo9969. Also NOW is the time to start pushing for this and getting the vision established, not 5-10 years from now when some developer proposes something underwhelming. Establish the importance of this block now and the precedence that nothing less than a first class development will be acceptable there. This is OKC's opportunity to create something super special and show that it is not the same city that let Randy Hogan suburbanize the lower canal in the late '90s and early 2000s.

[Just the facts]

You know - it is almost as if no one at the City is actually planning for any mass transit to use the transit hub.

[Pete]

I'm talking about the NEW OPUBCO (Century Center) location, block 9A of the study for CLR. I should have been more clear.

Oh, right! Sorry, my mistake.