Broadway Park

[Teo9969]

I love it.

Not perfect, but compared to some of the ...less than stellar things that have been built in downtown the last 5 years, this is a homerun.

5 stories with built in parking...balconies...decent street level interaction.

[HOT ROD]

I think it is modern and very nice overall design. I ONLY wish there was something to break up the monolith feeling about the renderings; perhaps the alternate use of color for different sections of the building or perhaps more GLASS fronting Broadway. It just appears to be quite closed/cold for an otherwise successful modern mid-rise design.

[Pete]

Balconies on Broadway: Safdar pleads for building design approval
By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record May 19, 2016 0

OKLAHOMA CITY – Muhammad Safdar wants to build a four-story building at 1122 N. Broadway Ave. But the Downtown Design Review Committee wants him and his architecture team from GSB Inc. to revise the design.
This is the second time the DDRC has asked for revisions, based on recommendations from the city planning department.

In its review of the project, the planning department asked for changes to the fourth-floor balconies, elimination of the second-floor balcony, and an alternate brick color to the proposed onyx.

GSB Inc. architect Haven Mankin came to Thursday’s DDRC meeting with a new brick color, Endicott ironspot. He said he had previously used the brick in Automobile Alley. He also eliminated some of the second-floor balconies, but not all of them. The DDRC was pleased to see the new brick color.

“We are unwilling to change the fourth-floor balcony,” he said. “It severely impacts the layout and the circulation.”

A white-tablecloth restaurant is expected to fill the top-floor spot.

The building’s height was not addressed by the DDRC, but brought to the floor by architect Rand Elliott. He was speaking as a representative of the Automobile Alley Design Committee. The three-person committee consists of Elliott, Bob McDonald and Brian Dougherty. Elliott said the historic district is successful because of the design guidelines in the area.

“If we changed something every time someone came into the neighborhood, we wouldn’t have Automobile Alley, we’d have the suburbs,” he said.

The Automobile Alley design guidelines require that a new building be no more than 25 percent taller than a neighboring structure. He said the guidelines also ban balconies.

The building adjacent to the four-story project is only one story. But DDRC member Cory Baitz said the four-story structure was similar in size to the Buick Building down the street, at NW 10th and N. Broadway Avenue.

“There’s no way we’re going to reduce the building height,” Mankin said.

The DDRC wasn’t asking for that. Committee member GiGi Faulkner said she thinks more buildings will come in that area that are similar heights. However, it wasn’t willing to approve the building without the architect and the owner working more with city staff on the design.

Safdar spoke to the committee and pleaded for the group to approve the project. He said he had been working on the building for two years. Twelve years ago, he bought the 1950s-era service station and surrounding 0.2 acres. He owns the Downtown Plaza gas station on N. Broadway, across from the site he’s trying to develop, as well as other sites around the city.

The DDRC moved the building to its June docket, though it did approve demolishing the existing gas station.

“This will be a beautiful building,” Safdar said. “Everyone I’ve talked to is so excited to see this project coming in. Please give me a chance to do this in the city. This building is going to be married to me. This building is going to be my passion.”

[AP]

We get the Chase bank down the street no problem but this has issues? I'm so confused.

[Pete]

Chase didn't Rand Elliott working against them.

[sooner88]

Chase didn't Rand Elliott working against them.

So are there two committees that review this? DDRC and Automobile Alley Design Committee?

[Pete]

The AA Design Committee has no official authority.

[Anonymous.]

Wow he is literally pleading. What is the deal here, what about this building goes against the framework of the district? Balconies?!

[David]

Steve kind of hilariously pulls no punches about this project versus Elliott's Oklahoma Contemporary project immediately to the north. http://newsok.com/automobile-alley-p...rticle/5499209

Muhammad added blade signs and screening for the structured parking as requested by the design review committee during a hearing last month. And when color of the brick was added as a new concern, Muhammad's architect, Haven Makin, brought brick samples to match the desired “lighter” look cited by the committee.

Those efforts fell short for Elliott, who is designing a new home for Oklahoma Contemporary across the street which will have balconies and surface parking.

“Clearly what we find happening is as Oklahoma City changes, which we're all excited about, if we change something every time something new comes into the district, it's no longer Automobile Alley, it's the suburbs,” Elliott said. “But it's not the suburbs, it's an area that has a design that has been established, maintained, and is the character of the neighborhood.”

[pickles]

This is weird.

[Bellaboo]

This is a crazy insane thought, but maybe Elliot doesn't like the fact this project may be better than his ?

[AP]

It actually kind of pisses me off that this guy is getting the run around when he is begging to invest in a quality development.

[BillyOcean]

my take and I could be way off:

rand seems to be butt-hurt that he did not get the project and is wielding his perceived power to make it as difficult as possible. from the outside, it sure seems like the owner and architect are trying to comply as best they can without ruining the functionality of the building for their future tenants.

[Pete]

The city and committee needs to be careful here because they could end getting sued over this.

They are there only to make sure the guidelines are followed for the downtown area, and there are none that are specific to Auto Alley.

I don't recall ever seeing anything about not allowing balconies, so they can't just arbitrarily not approve because they don't happen to like the look, or because they are being influenced by Rand or anyone else.

As hard as the developer is trying here, he may just try and go around the DDRC and he would probably be successful doing so.

[TheTravellers]

The guidelines about a bldg being no more than 25% higher than its neighboring bldgs seems arbitrary and kind of stupid. 5 stories doesn't seem excessive and would fit right in to the rest of AA's architecture, I believe - aren't the Buick, Hudson, and other similar bldgs about 4-5 stories (or 3, at least, and Steve's article says this - "...the design committee acknowledged Thursday zoning actually required a height of at least three stories.")? Rand seems to be kind of a dick about this, agreed...

[soonerguru]

I find this situation maddening. The developer is trying to build an amazing property, and the arbitrary opposition smacks of favoritism, if not subtle racism.

[bchris02]

It's very maddening, especially considering what else has been approved in the immediate area without any backlash. Hopefully it doesn't jeopardize the project getting built.

[Teo9969]

I want to like Rand Elliott, but the dude makes it soooooooo hard.

I really hope Safdar just gives the finger to the DDRC and goes straight to City Hall who should be able to see through the political antics of the DDRC and do their job which is to approve quality development.

I hope someone reaches out to him and tells him of other successful developments that have been able to ignore silly Design Review committees to provide development that will greatly benefit this city.

[dankrutka]

I have a lot of respect for Rand Elliot's work, but since when does he understand placemaking or district identity/coherence? He mis-designed Classen Curve as a walkable shopping that is so sprawled out that it largely fails in its function. It's basically a suburban shopping center. And now he's criticizing others for being suburban. And that's aside from Oklahoma Contemporary which is 100% disconnected from everything around it (which I'm okay with). C'mon. The design should be approved. Rand really comes off looking bad in this deal.

[warreng88]

I want to like Rand Elliott, but the dude makes it soooooooo hard.

Oh, if you only knew the half of it... He has gotten way to big for his own britches.

[2Lanez]

The guidelines about a bldg being no more than 25% higher than its neighboring bldgs seems arbitrary and kind of stupid. 5 stories doesn't seem excessive and would fit right in to the rest of AA's architecture, I believe - aren't the Buick, Hudson, and other similar bldgs about 4-5 stories (or 3, at least, and Steve's article says this - "...the design committee acknowledged Thursday zoning actually required a height of at least three stories.")? Rand seems to be kind of a dick about this, agreed...

Buick basically right across the street is 5 stories. The height here is actually a benefit to the neighborhood. It extends the block to the north, and despite what Rand thinks, helps make the green space at Oklahoma Contemporary feel more like green space, and less like a random open lot by the railroad tracks.

There is literally no reason this shouldn't be approved. DDRC needs to hear displeasure from the public. Total crap has been approved without question, while this, a key lot with a solid plan in an area primed to boom, gets raked over the coals.

[LuccaBrasi]

This issue really has nothing to do with the architecture as much as it does about the politics and personalities. It's predominately a bully type scenario.......not an uncommon move for the the one blocking this development. I have no dog in the fight either way and have nothing against either side, just commenting on what's been seen before in the past on various issues.

Mr. Elliott has been the Godfather of AA since it's beginning, we all should know that. One would have to know the personalities of the firms and individuals involved to totally understand some of the likely behind the scene dynamics. My guess is the developer will have to go around the DDRC.

[soonerguru]

This is a good ole boy town, and in a weird twist of fate, Rand Elliott is now one of the good ole boys and this developer is a perceived "outsider," despite the fact he is respecting the process and is a successful businessman. It's really pretty disgusting.

[bchris02]

So what are the chances this project actually gets killed because of this?

[bradh]

None, I met one of the owners of this proposed development today and he told me in no way are they backing down .