Edge @ Midtown

[CuatrodeMayo]

Home Creations...

WTF?

[TStheThird]

My thoughts exactly!

[G.Walker]

anybody but Home Creations, they are the worst, lol...they are soooo cheap in building their homes...they try and cut corners anyway they can...

[BoulderSooner]

Actually, Wiggin's property probably looks the most urban, if you consider grass suburban. It's got the least chance of having white palm texturing and green awnings with white lettering, given the fact that it looks like it's brick and has no awnings. Also, it's a pretty simple design - no faux "old-time urban" attempt at design. Again, after what happened with Legacy, why should we trust Cornerstone to build what they've presented?

And, if you've ever been inside the Seiber, Marva Ellard looks like the one most likely to build a quality product.

it really looks like marva is only going to use the south half of the block .. and have a park/pool area on the north half of the block .. hopefully we can see some site plans soon

[Kerry]

Actually, Wiggin's property probably looks the most urban, if you consider grass suburban. It's got the least chance of having white palm texturing and green awnings with white lettering, given the fact that it looks like it's brick and has no awnings. Also, it's a pretty simple design - no faux "old-time urban" attempt at design. Again, after what happened with Legacy, why should we trust Cornerstone to build what they've presented?

And, if you've ever been inside the Seiber, Marva Ellard looks like the one most likely to build a quality product.

Now we are back to faux again. Faux is only bad if the building material is faux, not the architecture. The US Capitol is faux architecture - do you think it is ugly or out of place?

[MIKELS129]

Looking at some of those plans that show grassy areas and pools along the street - I just have to scratch my head. Since nothing will get built as shown I prefer to pick the most urban of the proposals - Cornerstone Development (the Edge).

Marva's plan shows the interior building,which faces into an inner drive and court. All the other buildings go out to surround the perimeter edge.

[Pete]

• Cornerstone Development (The Edge)
Led by Mike Henderson and Gary Brooks
Proposal: Six stories, includes a mix of retail, with a rooftop terrace and dog park, 500-space garage, featuring 250 rental units with monthly rates between $735 and $1,395.
Cost: $28,219,041
Proposal land purchase: $850,000
Requested tax increment financing assistance: $1.5 million



• Mercy Redevelopers
Led by Marva Ellard
Proposal: Four stories, includes a mix of retail, with a gym, pool, rooftop terrace, underground 300-space garage, featuring 150 rental units.
Cost: $31,310,000
Proposed land purchase: $951,949
Requested tax increment financing assistance: $2.2 million




• Home Creations
Led by Jamal Farzaneh
Proposal: (Two options, both to be built in two phases with the second phase “subject to certain factors”). Option one: 160 residential units, 20 percent rental, 80 percent for sale, with 68,000 square feet set for office or commercial tenants and an underground 220-space garage. Option two: 64 rental and 16 for-sale units with 18,000 square feet set for office space, half rental, half for-sale, 120 parking spaces.
Cost: Option one, first phase $11,434,000, second phase, $7,690,000. Option two, first phase $6,490,000, second phase $5,740,000.
Proposed land purchase: $552,000
Requested tax increment financing assistance: none listed




• Wiggin Properties
Led by Chuck Wiggin
Proposal: Five-story building with 24,000 square feet for restaurants and retail, a 375-car garage, featuring 200 rental units with monthly rates between $600 and $1,900.
Cost: $42,631,596
Proposed land purchase: $1 million
Requested tax increment financing assistance: $3.5 million




• GTH (The Connection)
Led by Richard and Stephen Tanenbaum
Proposal: Four-story building featuring 268 rental units with pool and courtyard.
Cost: $20,408,124
Proposed land purchase: $557,568


Read more: http://newsok.com/5-groups-compete-t...#ixzz1GDfoFCVP

[betts]

I don't like the Home Creations "subject to certain factors" proviso on completing the project. And, at least from a few comments above, the quality of the product is in question? I don't know anything about the company though. There's a lot of disparity in costs and I wonder who has the financing. Will the city take requested TIF into consideration?

[Kerry]

Marva's plan shows the interior building,which faces into an inner drive and court. All the other buildings go out to surround the perimeter edge.

Thank you. That makes me feel better.

[okclee]

What is with Wiggin's not having any retail?

I would favor "The Edge", if it weren't for the previous Legacy bait and switch proposal and I don't like the residential hip roof looking designs. I do like placing the maximum amount of units 250 into this area, building right up to the street, adding retail and I like the building to be 6 stories tall (Although I only count 4 stories tall in their rendering, looks like they are already trying to mislead OCURA, haha.)

I don't know what to say about the Home Creations rendering!

I think if the Mercy Re-developers (Marva Ellard) were to add at least 50 more units (making the total a minimum 200, while going up to 5 or 6 stories), build up to the street, we would have a winner.

[earlywinegareth]

What retail do you need there besides maybe a dry cleaner? Plaza Court is a stone throw away. I like the Marva style alot.

[betts]

What is with Wiggin's not having any retail?

"24,000 square feet for restaurants and retail"

I don't know what to say about the Home Creations rendering!

It's unique. And not very attractive. That's what I have to say about it.

[Pete]

Ellard's proposal has underground parking, which I like a lot. Makes for better use of the property overall. Has a reputation for quality work.

Henderson: NO! Took forever with the Legacy development (have people already forgotten multiple missed deadlines??), final product almost nothing like original proposal, existing buildings are ugly EIFS with peaked roofs much more suited to suburban development and hideous 6 foot lettering on green awnings. Having said all that, he'll probably win because he's buddies with OCURA; was referred to as "Mike" in several interviews.

Wiggin: NO! Had his shot which was completely unrealistic; don't want to hear about the economy, it was just a bad proposal. New proposal is square and unattractive.

Tanenbaum: attractive proposal and good track record of downtown properties. I'd put this one number 2 behind Ellard.

Home Creations: strange design and complicated proposal.

[okclee]

"24,000 square feet for restaurants and retail"

I meant GTH, Tanenbaum...no retail proposed.

It's unique. And not very attractive. That's what I have to say about it.

Haha, "unique", good choice of words.

[okclee]

Shouldn't Marva add about 50 more units to make this work?

[Pete]

This is really a beautiful piece of property within easy walking distance of St. Anthony.

It would make sense to add retail along Walker (hopefully in addition to at least 13th) to continue what has been happening just south of there with the restaurants and Plaza Court:

[betts]

I wish we could shake OCURA, but that's not happening. I agree, this is a beautiful and important piece of property. It's the first real multi-family housing that's been constructed in Midtown for a long time and it's presence will be an important part of the Midtown Renaissance. When you have 5 bidders, you have a key piece of property and it's a seller's market. I just hope OCURA doesn't sell the site short. Marva would probably already have her building up if they'd given it to her last time.

[Pete]

There is room for all these developers in Midtown. Look at all this vacant land in the immediate vicinity.

For all the potential of this area, there are still huge gaps everywhere.

[okclee]

Good map Pete,....I do think that the highlighted areas at 10th and Shartel have projects already. One is another medical office and the other escapes my mind.

Now the parcels at both 10th and 11th along Hudson should be the first to go. I think they are listed by a commercial broker and the asking price would seem reasonable for any of these 5 developers and their current Mercy proposals. I will see if I can pull up the listed prices for a few of these highlighted areas.

[Kerry]

I agree Pete but look how many different property owners someone would have to deal with. Pick anyone of those green squares and you will find 3, 4, or 5 different lot owners. This makes land assembly very hard.

[BoulderSooner]

you can actually shade the entire area from 10th to 11th between hudson and harvey .. the city has agreed to close park for a development the south west part of that block in the old redcross site .. and NorthCare in the north west corner has agree to sell and move if needed.

also remember that between 10th and 9th west of hudson classen will angle down and cut through the middle of that property

[Pete]

look how many different property owners someone would have to deal with. Pick anyone of those green squares and you will find 3, 4, or 5 different lot owners. This makes land assembly very hard.

That is OCURA's job -- or it should be.

[Kerry]

I hate to say this, but all that green along 10th is why I thought 10th would be a better choice for the streetcar line than an 11th/13th couplet.

[Kerry]

That is OCURA's job -- or it should be.

None of it is owned by OCURA and as long as the owners keep their property taxes up to date there is nothing OCURA can do about it. That is why the City needs to find a way to 'encourage' people build or sell to someone that will.

[metro]

I'll say it, the Home Creations proposal is garbage. It looks like a giant Dallas Style suburban house on steroids, and cheap construction at that.