I noticed they are finally tearing down the old Holiday Inn at 39th and St. Clair. Anyone know whats going to happen with this property, it's a great location for a new mid-rise hotel or apartments.

I did some research it looks like they are extending Portland Plaza to the site of the old hotel. I am exactly sure what they have planned. I found several plans for the site. One has a retail box store, another has a drugstore, another has a hotel and a bank. It looks like the biggest obstacle they are running into is closing St. Clair Avenue.

Thanks for the information oneofeone, you must be a better surfer than I am because I couldn't find anything about that property. What site did you find the plans on?

I'm guessing that they would have a very difficult time closing St. Clair due to all the housing just north of there and the limited access that neighborhood already has. I did find somewhere; OKC.GOV I think, where they are planning on reworking the intersection, or maybe just retimiing the lights. The light at that intersection is notoriously off time with the light at 39th and Portland. So any improvement will be welcome.

As far as the plans I imagine the hotel and bank (my personal choice) is out due to the economy. Developers seem to be having a hard time coming up with financing and a hotel would definitely need that. So I guess it'll be a big box drugstore....since there isn't one within 50 yards of that location. Hell, they'll probably try to cram both (CVS and Walgreens) on there since they always seem to be right across the street from each other. Thanks again.

I would so much prefer a decent hotel in that area!

the closest along 39th & portland are NOT an option and at I-44 and May they are not so great either and hard to navigate with the access only on one side and not supposed to exit May from Eastbound.

makes it very difficult for me to suggest lodging for out of towners!

but "they" aren't asking my opinion

I was going to post this a few days ago but have been sick in bed for the last tow days. I happen to live in this neighborhood and the developers have been keeping us up to date mostly. The develpoers are JAH and perhaps you can find something out about it on their web site.
St. Clair will be closed directly north of the addition to the mall. The neighbors were not especially for this but we were totally for the tearing down of the old hotel. I believe there were quite a few of my neighbors who went to the city council meeting in support of the change just to move this thing forward. I use this street almost daily to get to I-44 and all points south but I am sure I will get used to an alternative route.
The developers were hoping to bring us a grocery store and perhaps a national chain restaurant although they stressed they had nothing lined up. The first meeting we had about this was over a year ago. That just goes to show you how slowly projects like this can take. I am all for infill of the inner city so I see this as a positive thing.

Yeah, I've been meaning to post this for awhile as well. It's called Portland Plaza II which as others stated, is an extension of the strip mall directly west of here. In fact, there have been big billboard type signs out front with renderings for several weeks now. The demolition on the old "Hollywood" motel is taking forever though, not sure why so long. Anything will be an improvement over what was there before, but sad to see they won't have a low-rise or mid-rise towering over that important I-44/Hefner Parkway interchange. It would be a great location for one. I would love to see a 10-15 story all glass hotel built there.

The demolition on the old "Hollywood" motel is taking forever though, not sure why so long. Anything will be an improvement over what was there before, but sad to see they won't have a low-rise or mid-rise towering over that important I-44/Hefner Parkway interchange. It would be a great location for one. I would love to see a 10-15 story all glass hotel built there.

When I was a kid my family and I stayed at the Holiday Inn several times. I think once or twice when our AC went out at home, and a few more times just as a mini vacation for my parents. We'd get the obligatory connecting rooms for the weekend and my brother, sister and I would play mini-golf on their course or just swim all day while our parents "chilled". The restaurant was great, and if I remember right it had a small arcade in the lobby.

Anyways to make a long story a little shorter it was a really nice Holiday Inn. So when I drove by the other day and saw it being demolished it kinda sucked. I had a lot of fond memories of that place. From what I could tell though it had turned into a real dump recently and it needed to come down.

Metro, I was thinking the same thing about that location, its perfect for an upscale mid rise hotel. Something similar to the ones along I-35 in Dallas. Theres no real competition in the area except a few small hotels on 39th. And its just 10 minutes from downtown and 10 minutes from the northside/memorial rd. area. Its a great central location and would have awesome views. Lots of glass but if Im in a hotel I want a balcony too.

Thanks again for the info on the property

There's also apparently a new shopping center going in on the old Lynn Hickey Dodge property on the other side of LHP. The signs listed a website, but I can't remember it now.

May Avenue Square - At I-44 and May (http://www.mayavenuesquare.com/)

I went to the county assessor's site and retrieved the property owner's name. I then plugged the name into google. That led to a document bank on OKC.gov for the planning commission.

In fact, there have been big billboard type signs out front with renderings for several weeks now.

I finally drove by there yesterday evening and sure enough the billboard sign is still there, plain as day. Even though I had guests with me at the time and I couldn't stop I could see from 39th street the words "Portland Plaza II". I should have seen that before but I guess I was always looking at something else...and oneforone thanks for reminding me about the county assessors site, I've used that before. I don't know why I didn't think of it this time.

May ave. sq sounds like an improvement too, but their link sure doesn't tell you much

No it doesn't. It almost looked as if they planned to put the buildings on the street with parking behind them, but I think that is wishful thinking.

So...wait a minute. Does this mean that you won't be able to get to I-44 from 39th anymore? Or are they just closing St. Clair for a while?

No St Clair is just closing for the one block where the new addition to Portland Plaza is being built. It will only affect those of us living in the neighborhood to get to the light there to get on 39th and then on to I-44. We will just be diverted around the North side of the addition east for a block or so and connect to the street that is already existing on the south side where the old hotel was. I hope that makes sense but I have no idea how to paste a map with directions on it like some people here know how to do. Maybe in my next life.

No St Clair is just closing for the one block where the new addition to Portland Plaza is being built. It will only affect those of us living in the neighborhood to get to the light there to get on 39th and then on to I-44. We will just be diverted around the North side of the addition east for a block or so and connect to the street that is already existing on the south side where the old hotel was. I hope that makes sense but I have no idea how to paste a map with directions on it like some people here know how to do. Maybe in my next life.


Maybe this link will help. http://www.okc.gov/agendapub/cache/2/esmmxa55nt3do32h3lnfdm55/200260920200801301546.PDF

New retail construction returns to NW 39th Expressway
Journal Record
October 1st, 2008

After having remained one of Oklahoma City’s most stable retail corridors for the past two decades, the NW 39th Expressway is finally seeing some much-needed new construction. The corridor has experienced a steady high retail occupancy for many years with only a few minor declines. The strength of this area has been the result of a combination of high traffic counts, stable housing demographics and the nearby location of Southern Nazarene University in Bethany.

Now, John A. Henry Realty is in the process of bringing some new shopping center space to the corridor. The commercial real estate company, which primarily owns and manages shopping center in Oklahoma City and Texas, is preparing to expand its Portland Plaza shopping center located at the northeast corner of NW 39th and N. Portland by tearing the vacant hotel property located just east of the shopping center at 3535 NW 39th. John A. Henry acquired the hotel in 2007 for $1,450,000 shortly after it closed for the final time. The hotel had been operated under several different national brandcs since its construction in 1971, the longest of which was Holiday Inn during much of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Once demolition is completed, Henry plans to construct a phase two of Portland Plaza that will compliment the center’s existing tenant base, which consists of a mix of national and local retailers and restaurants.

In addition to Portland Plaza, the owners of the MacArthur Court shopping center at N. MacArthur and NW 39th are also in the process of repositioning their property. The former anchor space that once housed Luby’s Cafeteria has been torn town and will most likely be replaced with new retail space.

This influx of new construction and renovation along the NW 39th Expressway corridor is great news for the retail market and shows that historically stable retail corridors in Oklahoma City like NW 39th Expressway are retaining their strength during the current economic storm that is being seen in the retail market.

Nothing about 39th & May?

New retail construction returns to NW 39th Expressway
Journal Record
October 1st, 2008

In addition to Portland Plaza, the owners of the MacArthur Court shopping center at N. MacArthur and NW 39th are also in the process of repositioning their property. The former anchor space that once housed Luby’s Cafeteria has been torn town and will most likely be replaced with new retail space.


I've been wondering about Macarthur court as well. They tore out the old Lubys and started construction this spring (I think) but like Portland Plaza II it seems to be going at a snails pace. Weeks go by and nothing at all changes. I drove by both yesterday and I don't think anything has changed as far as the demolition at the old Holiday Inn, or the construction at the old Lubys. Theres a temp trailer from some phone company outside the Lubys (sorry I cant remember which company) Im guessing thats what will go in the Lubys slot.

I believe Cricket Wireless.

any updates on what is coming next for the 39th & Portland (St. Clair) development?

The lot is almost clear of the old hotel debris

as mentioned earlier, it's phase 2 of the Portland Plaza strip mall, they are basically just continuing the strip mall further east. No tenants have been announced that I'm aware of. The billboard out front has a rendering of the project.

I hope and pray that "Wally World" isn't in the plans!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard of a beautification project that will be coming soon to this area (LGBT). Can't give any further details yet, but info should be coming out soon or I will have access to post info one of the two.