City Garden (formerly Bleu Garten)

[dankrutka]

This food truck court (same concept / ownership of the now abandoned NE 50th project) will be on the vacant lot on the NW corner of Harvey and NW 10th.

7/2/14: Officially broke ground
3/20/14: Oklahoman article
3/18/14: Just filed their application with the Downtown Design Review Committee -- see renderings below.

Some quick facts (all from the main proprietor):

• Signed the ground lease agreement on 2/19/14
• Property owner is the Midtown Renaissance group
• Term is for three years and may extend beyond that.
• Seems to indicate has no immediate plans to develop that entire block; however this project could be relocated to one of their other properties if/when that time comes.
• Number of trucks on any day / time will be determined by demand and ability for the trucks to make money
• Full bar to be operated by proprietors with beers on tap
• "Beer barn" will be troughs around existing billboard pylon for quick pop-and-go beer
• Hours will likely be 10AM to 2AM.
• Live music is planned but there are likely issues with the residents at Hadden Hall and The Cline (also owned by MidtownR)
• May also show outdoor movies
• Other ideas include featuring home brewers and other beer events
• Plans to feature local artists, craftsmen and retailers as well
• Originally considered 8th & Oklahoma but was aced out by the Metropolitan development
• Hope to have plans considered by design review in April
• Construction will take 2-3 months
• Hope to open by July 2014
• Visited many other similar projects in other cities and expects the same pattern where this type of facility is a catalyst to growing the number of trucks in the area.

[AP]

I was just about to post about this. Beat me to it.

[Pete]

This is the food truck court originally proposed for NE 50th.

I'll have details soon.

[dankrutka]

This is the food truck court originally proposed for NE 50th.

I'll have details soon.

Well, this seems like a much better location. Where exactly is that building?

[Pete]

I updated the article above to reflect the correct location.

[PWitty]

MUCH better location IMO.

[musg8411]

Great Location! Walkable from Auto Alley, Midtown, and the historic neighborhoods. Some more retail would create an amazing atmosphere. Keep it up OKC!

[AP]

MUCH better location IMO.

I agree. This will be a great location for this concept.

[Pete]

The only downside to this is that we now know Midtown Renaissance won't be developing this block for a while -- at least a couple of years.

[Spartan]

We tore down the Red Cross bldg for this?

[Pete]

^

This is temporary until they do their big, permanent development.

[Spartan]

Oh I see...

[musg8411]

We tore down the Red Cross bldg for this?

I would rather see some more of this than more mid rise apartments. There are plenty of those in progress at the moment and plenty of empty lots laying around. As someone who works and lives in this area, it desperately needs more things to eat on the quick and cheap but not fast food. We have seen a lot of upscale development (Packard's, Broadway 10, Stella's, etc.) which to me doesn't fit the desire of the age group working and living in this area. Packard's has not been that busy for a restaurant still in its honeymoon period and Broadway 10 could see the same thing happen. Bring on Food trucks! We have seen the success of h & 8th and delicious cheap eats such as Waffle Champion, S&B and Go Go Sushi. So for now and at least the next couple years this should work well.

[Pete]

Yes, this will be essentially H & 8th in a permanent location.

Will be interesting to see their hours.

[catch22]

I would rather see some more of this than more mid rise apartments. There are plenty of those in progress at the moment and plenty of empty lots laying around. As someone who works and lives in this area, it desperately needs more things to eat on the quick and cheap but not fast food. We have seen a lot of upscale development (Packard's, Broadway 10, Stella's, etc.) which to me doesn't fit the desire of the age group working and living in this area. Packard's has not been that busy for a restaurant still in its honeymoon period and Broadway 10 could see the same thing happen. Bring on Food trucks! We have seen the success of h & 8th and delicious cheap eats such as Waffle Champion, S&B and Go Go Sushi. So for now and at least the next couple years this should work well.

I would hardly call Waffle Champion cheap eats.

[HangryHippo]

On the one hand, this is a very cool development. On the other, it's a bummer to have confirmation that whatever is planned for that block is still years away from getting started.

[musg8411]

I would hardly call Waffle Champion cheap eats.

I was thinking something better than delicious and low key. Cheap may not be the word of choice. Waffle Champion is pretty slammed around lunch time and on weekends. More options like this with evening hours would be amazing.

[Urbanized]

I love the location too. However, I do wonder if this will be the death knell for H&8th. Are the H&8th peeps involved in any way?

[AP]

I was thinking the same thing. Really hope it doesn't kill it.

[musg8411]

I am good friends with the people who started h&8th and they always wanted it to spur the community and demonstrate what is possible. I think they would be happy to see this, even if they do not have a hand in it.

[Roger S]

I would hardly call Waffle Champion cheap eats.

Kind of what I thought too.

[Urbanized]

Yeah, one of my good friends was a founder of H&8th too. I just texted him and they are not involved.

[thetallshot]

H&8th is not involved in any way and was never even consulted...but this is far from a death knell, don't you worry.

[Spartan]

Yeah, one of my good friends was a founder of H&8th too. I just texted him and they are not involved.

What were his thoughts on this?

[Teo9969]

On the one hand, this is a very cool development. On the other, it's a bummer to have confirmation that whatever is planned for that block is still years away from getting started.

I'm kind of okay with this. It would be nice to see more development, but I would really like to see most of everything already proposed to come online first and let it sink in so that we can 1. Learn from our mistakes 2. Have development that can address issues/needs that don't exist downtown at the moment but will exist after this current slew of block-scaled apartments 3. Give Midtown Renaissance more time to bankroll a fantastic development. If this can announce something in 2016 and have it finished by 2019, that trails the street car only a little bit.