Market at Commonplace

[shawnw]

Total bummer

[Pete]

I keep saying our downtown area is nowhere near ready for a grocer. The only way they have survived at all is through heavy subsidies.

If Braum's wasn't so close on Classen, that would be our best bet.

As it is, landing CVS or Walgreens would be a big step forward but the demographics can't justify a drugstore.


It's really a non-issue anyway; there are plenty of good stores nearby and a ton of ways to have groceries delivered.

[3nglnd]

perhaps this is a naive thought, but if downtown queues up enough "eventual" housing to support a grocery store (projects having gone through real steps and actually likely to happen), isn't this where TIF money would actually be a perfect fit?

You'd end up with something that:
1. doesn't need to be immediately profitable
2. serves a purpose for current residents - even if they don't utilize it very well in the short term
3. might encourage additional development with the idea that there is a draw to living very close to a grocery store

Not saying we are even to that point yet... but the city's done its share of "build it and they will come" projects downtown and I feel this would be at least as worthy as the rest

[Pete]

^

Just so you know, Native Roots was heavily subsidized by their landlord and they still couldn't make it. I suspect the same was true with Commonplace.


When we talk about downtown population, it is still scattered over a very wide area. Not many people are going to walk a quarter-mile or more each way and lug their purchases back in all types of weather when they are in their cars every day anyway and can easily stop at a multitude of places.

We probably need to just give up on this idea; it's likely not going to happen at least on a sustainable basis and it's not really that big of a deal.

[dcsooner]

DT OKC is not an urban space by any measure. OKC is way too spread out, disjointed. Cities (Milwaukee,Louisville,Raleigh, Richmond)of similar population have DT CVS stores, grocers etc because they did not destroy all its building via a doomed plan and because their city size is normal not 600 + sq miles. Don't see OKC reaching density that brings about walking to and fro, significant use of mass transit etc. I have little hope that many of the significant proposed DT area projects will be built outside MAPS 4 maybe.

[Pete]

^

Mr. Sunshine.

There will be plenty more projects built downtown in the coming years but my opinion is the need for a grocery store -- regardless of the density -- is an old idea that has passed.

[Mott]

I talked to the manager and it seemed they might be transitioning to a wine bar, with bottles and cheese to go, that would have been a nice addition to midtown.

[ditm4567]

https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCase...2&cmid=4005281

Looks like the owners of this place are $26,000 late on rent....