West Village

[Spartan]

^ Right, fronting Classen with a dog park doesn't make a lot of sense..

[Pete]

The dog park is definitely ground level.

They could always add commercial there later but right now there is no street parking on Classen. Maybe they are hoping that will change.

[Teo9969]

It does if you're going to put your parking on the west-side of the development. Maybe there were some utility issues that made putting the parking in the middle unmanageable.

If the Dog Park is active it's actually a great way to fake interaction with the street, because people interact with people.

That being said, I grow more concerned everyday that the greatest corridor in Oklahoma City (Classen) is never going to come together in my lifetime.

[Pete]

The plans for 21c show just a big courtyard facing Classen and adjoining the space that will be occupied by ADG Architecture.

They could easily put angled parking there as well as the where the dog park is going, but doesn't seem to be the plan:

[Spartan]

It does if you're going to put your parking on the west-side of the development. Maybe there were some utility issues that made putting the parking in the middle unmanageable.

If the Dog Park is active it's actually a great way to fake interaction with the street, because people interact with people.

That being said, I grow more concerned everyday that the greatest corridor in Oklahoma City (Classen) is never going to come together in my lifetime.

I agree that Classen development is elusive. It seems like downtown to 23rd is finally happening, as long as the currently announced developments transpire in the next 5 years. North of Classen though is a separate story that continues to get worse after a false start with some badly executed development in the 2000s.

[Teo9969]

I agree that Classen development is elusive. It seems like downtown to 23rd is finally happening, as long as the currently announced developments transpire in the next 5 years. North of Classen though is a separate story that continues to get worse after a false start with some badly executed development in the 2000s.

It's not that I'm worried so much about it being elusive…but that the street is being ignored for what it should be: A >5 mile stretch that should be *the* street in OKC 25 to 35 years from now. A street that can be walked from Reno all the way to 63rd/Western, built with solid urban principals. The street toward which the urban massing increases from the areas that are developed more like a suburb (think 39th/Penn slowly increasing in density toward 39th/Classen), and the connection from Downtown to One of the most important commercial areas in the city.

There's no doubt that things will develop along Classen. It's a question of whether or not it advances in a walkable, urban form or maintains its auto-centric nature. It's one of those big picture items, like the Cox site, that will be the difference in OKC being a Tier II and Tier III city. Can't front it with bad development now, or instead of being a 30 year timeline, it becomes a 50 year timeline.

I think the problem is that Classen is not a district…so nobody really owns it. But it effectively connects more districts than any other street in the city. That's why it should be our world-class street.

[David]

Assuming that the Hall family are the primary investors, while they do have energy investments that is not where most of their financial resources originated from. They are descendants of Fred Jones, who built an empire of automobile dealerships and manufacturing (specifically heavy in re-manufacturing of auto parts such as engines and transmissions).

The current generation continued to build on this, and in the nineties were substantially invested in an experimental auto group that encompassed the entire metro, before selling their interest to Ford Motor Company at a substantial profit. The company is and/or has been involved in many other aspects of the automobile industry, including insurance, financial services to dealerships, and a massive parts distribution network. They are also heavily (though generally quietly) involved in real estate and venture capital.

In other words, they are very diversified and extremely well-funded. Not sure about the overall investor makeup or the lending circumstances for this project, but I wouldn't worry too much about fluctuations in oil prices changing the Hall family's plans.

Awesome, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

[Spartan]

It's not that I'm worried so much about it being elusive…but that the street is being ignored for what it should be: A >5 mile stretch that should be *the* street in OKC 25 to 35 years from now. A street that can be walked from Reno all the way to 63rd/Western, built with solid urban principals. The street toward which the urban massing increases from the areas that are developed more like a suburb (think 39th/Penn slowly increasing in density toward 39th/Classen), and the connection from Downtown to One of the most important commercial areas in the city.

There's no doubt that things will develop along Classen. It's a question of whether or not it advances in a walkable, urban form or maintains its auto-centric nature. It's one of those big picture items, like the Cox site, that will be the difference in OKC being a Tier II and Tier III city. Can't front it with bad development now, or instead of being a 30 year timeline, it becomes a 50 year timeline.

I think the problem is that Classen is not a district…so nobody really owns it. But it effectively connects more districts than any other street in the city. That's why it should be our world-class street.

I agree, and what's funny is we've already seen how bad development can stymie this vision with some of the crap that got built in the Asian District circa 2006ish. Also the arson fire with that whole block on 30th.. But it's okay we're all holding our breaths still for the replacement.

I agree that creating community ownership of Classen itself would help a lot, so it's not seen as the edge of all those districts but rather where they come together. Classen and Western should be viewed together in my mind, and I'm glad Western is getting some attention, but hopefully that effort can be extended to Classen in short order. A corridor design review would be the minimum that the city could do here.

[bchris02]

It's not that I'm worried so much about it being elusive…but that the street is being ignored for what it should be: A >5 mile stretch that should be *the* street in OKC 25 to 35 years from now. A street that can be walked from Reno all the way to 63rd/Western, built with solid urban principals. The street toward which the urban massing increases from the areas that are developed more like a suburb (think 39th/Penn slowly increasing in density toward 39th/Classen), and the connection from Downtown to One of the most important commercial areas in the city.

There's no doubt that things will develop along Classen. It's a question of whether or not it advances in a walkable, urban form or maintains its auto-centric nature. It's one of those big picture items, like the Cox site, that will be the difference in OKC being a Tier II and Tier III city. Can't front it with bad development now, or instead of being a 30 year timeline, it becomes a 50 year timeline.

I think Classen has the potential to be a cool, unique thoroughfare but from a pedestrian-oriented standpoint, there are few roads in the urban core of OKC that I can think of that have farther to go. There is currently very little pedestrian-oriented development along the entire thoroughfare. It also doesn't seem like there is a lot of development or even potential development happening oriented towards it. It mostly serves as a way to get people from the inner-suburbs into downtown. What would you propose to help push Classen towards the kind of street you envision?

[Urbanized]

ULI Oklahoma: A Better Classen Public Presentation - ULI Oklahoma

[Spartan]

I think Classen has the potential to be a cool, unique thoroughfare but from a pedestrian-oriented standpoint, there are few roads in the urban core of OKC that I can think of that have farther to go. There is currently very little pedestrian-oriented development along the entire thoroughfare. It also doesn't seem like there is a lot of development or even potential development happening oriented towards it. It mostly serves as a way to get people from the inner-suburbs into downtown. What would you propose to help push Classen towards the kind of street you envision?

Classen is a proposed light rail corridor under the OK GO! regional transit plan. Classen actually has seen a lot of development in the past fifteen years that you may not be aware of, and most of it is Asian businesses (including the awesome Super Cao Nguyen supermarket. When Prohibition Room was in the Gold Dome at was the place to be. That awful green belt that replaced Classen Circle is also a recent mistake that was made. That McD's at Sheridan is also new, built at the end of Old I-40's lifetime.

Revitalizing Classen would be easy. Not only do we need to just follow existing plans, we also need to stop inflicting unforced errors on ourselves.

[ChrisHayes]

Along with Classen, I hope this development ignites development up Shartel, past the police department and sheriff's office. There's a LOT of buildings that could either be retrofitted or tore down for something much better. It's a shame the sheriffs office won't be moving anytime soon, that building is butt ugly.

[s00nr1]

Oh boy.....

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/s...47557484589056

[bchris02]

Oh boy.....

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/s...47557484589056

What did KOCO report that was wrong?

[s00nr1]

I believe they might have referenced the story as being new developments for the 21c hotel specifically, and not surrounding properties.

[Eddie1]

Here we go...

[bchris02]

Per Steve's twitter, it looks like KOCO reported the Hall Capital project as being the 21c Hotel itself, not a development that would surround the hotel.

[Teo9969]

If you subscribe to the idea that the Oklahoman is worthless, then it's that much worse for Local Broadcast News. At least with the Paper you get more detail and an occasional story that has not surfaced on the internet at a prior time. With Local TV, all they do is pretty much regurgitate what was recently read in the paper or online.

[soonerguru]

The Oklahoman sucks, but it is important for us to have actual journalists employed to keep a check on government. However, after observing the paper closely for many years, they rarely report on the casual corruption of our government, display a decidedly partisan bent to their coverage, and NEVER do any enterprise reporting on major local companies that is negative, unless it is reported elsewhere first. For all of their power and resources, they actually do a pretty crappy job. It is far more likely to see a story in the OK about a lowly state employee getting a DUI or cheating on a travel claim than it is to see a story about financial malfeasance at Chesapeake. It is a good ole boy paper with a dying audience. Their lack of coverage on the imbroglio at TEEMCO is very enlightening. Honestly, if they aren't willing to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, what good are they?

[OkieNate]

Oh boy.....

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/s...47557484589056

I've been calling out his cry-baby-ism and unprofessional behavior for a few years now. Glad to see he continues proving me right. There is a reason he has been with the Oklahoman his entire career...

[Pete]

Moved several posts about the music venue here:

Jones Assembly - OKCTalk

[Pete]

At yesterday's DDRC meeting, Burnett & Beffort did their information-only presentation to the committee and several new details emerged, although they emphasized everything is conceptual at this point:

1. They hope to do all 5 blocks simultaneously, including the two on the north side of Main Street. Said they the main issue is staging for the 7 separate projects (these 5 blocks plus 21c plus the music venue) but were hoping to find an off-site staging area.
2. They would like to close Fred Jones north of Main, then have apartments on the west and east ends of the block with a parking structure in between.
3. There would be about 8,500 square feet of retail space on the NE corner of Classen & Main; said they are "far along" in discussions with a tenant to take all the space (perhaps Walgreens or CVS? Although that is small for their stores, could be an urban version)
4. They already have an LOI signed for the 4,000 SF restaurant space on the NW corner of Sheridan and Fred Jones
5. 320 total units, 800 spaces which would included parking for all their development plus 21c and ADG and the music venue
6. There would be a large water feature were Fred Jones would terminate on the north side of Main Street
7. The reason for the dog park along Classen are huge OG&E power lines and easement along the strip that are cost-prohibitive to relocate
8. They hope to submit finalized plans to the DDRC in August

[sooner88]

Any ideas on the restaurant that signed a LOI?

[UnFrSaKn]

FILM ROW SCRIPT | News OK

[hfry]

Pete on #4 do you mean NE? Unless i'm looking at it wrong, which is always possible, the NW would be the music venue/ restaurant which is already happening. Also, 4,000 sq/ft doesn't sound like a huge space does anyone have any local comparisons on size so I can picture it.