A downtown developer recently asked what type of retail downtowners want to see in the lower level of the Candy Factory. Please go vote on Home | Urban Neighbors (http://www.urbanneighbors.org) .

I really wouldn't mind seeing a scaled down CVS or Walgreens. Especially with more hotels, conventions, basketball tournaments, ect plus the addition of more people moving down there, I really think it would be a hit.

DEFINITELY a pharmacy as in CVS or Walgreens. This would be a great central location in the middle of the hotels and the residential. We need one BADLY.

o gawwwwd noooooooo! not a chain pharmacy. looooooocaaaaallll!

I'd love it to be local but it needs to have the same kind of selection (we could do w/out the photo lab) and be 24-hours or at least be open very late. I don't know of any local pharmacy like that anywhere in OKC.

A chain pharmacy would be a much bigger catalyst to further retail development as others potential tenants would look at it much more closely than a no-name local pharmacy would. There are already some local pharmacies around the medical center areas and there was one in the First National Center but yet most people don't know about them or could care less.

Sometimes chains are a necessary thing, just look at what Spaghetti Warehouse did for Bricktown.

I completely agree. Think of it as an anchor.

i was only poking fun at every one that says they hate chains and we need more local blah blah....i could care less what goes there, but thats just me.

i was only poking fun at every one that says they hate chains and we need more local blah blah....i could care less what goes there, but thats just me.
I kinda thought that might be the case with the exaggerated words, I thought I would post up the reasons why a national chain would be a good thing anyway.

Steve's blog mentioned crossroads mall today and the stroes with month to month leases and maybe trying to get some of them to bricktown.... so i was thinking why not American Eagle?

I think we need another specialty boutique that caters to a very limited, very elite consumer base that will show how diverse, cultural and "urban" downtown OKC can be and which will shut down within 3 months of opening due to a complete lack of customers willing to pay 300% markup for something they can already get online.

Steve's blog mentioned crossroads mall today and the stroes with month to month leases and maybe trying to get some of them to bricktown.... so i was thinking why not American Eagle?

I made this same suggestion in a thread a few weeks back and everybody pooped on it.

I made this same suggestion in a thread a few weeks back and everybody pooped on it.

i no poop on you

i no poop on you


http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/153/856268~Triumph-the-Insult-Comic-Dog-Posters.jpg

I think we need another specialty boutique that caters to a very limited, very elite consumer base that will show how diverse, cultural and "urban" downtown OKC can be and which will shut down within 3 months of opening due to a complete lack of customers willing to pay 300% markup for something they can already get online.

Oh? I don't recall Firefly or Lit Clothing closing down. They're doing steady. And now Envy Collections just joined them. Now bring in the mainstream stores, American Eagle, Pac Sun, Urban Outfitters and I'll be good.

I think a magnet store like Restoration Hardware. Something on the upper end that is not in the rest of OKC.

Definitely a Walgreens! They have won several urban design awards and have some incredible urban locations.


Pittsburgh:

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6465/walgreensbridgezg1.jpg

Columbus, Ohio (Under Construction):

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3227/columbusmb7.jpg

New Orleans:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5992/walgreens0001cx3.jpg

Walgreens would be dream for the Bricktown Design Committee. They would do it right.

I think a magnet store like Restoration Hardware. Something on the upper end that is not in the rest of OKC.

Good idea and should work, but I believe Restoration Hardware is rumored to go in Classen Curve.

Oh? I don't recall Firefly or Lit Clothing closing down. They're doing steady. And now Envy Collections just joined them. Now bring in the mainstream stores, American Eagle, Pac Sun, Urban Outfitters and I'll be good.

Its good to have hope, but I think we are no less than 5 years away from getting these national retailers to locate downtown. There just arent enough downtown residents yet.

Its good to have hope, but I think we are no less than 5 years away from getting these national retailers to locate downtown. There just arent enough downtown residents yet.

If we do it right, we won't have to have "enough downtown residents yet", if a visionary could put a development in place that would allow tenants to cluster together, (a larger, and hopefully more tasteful version of the centennial) then we could easily support it by tourism and conventions given the proximity to Ford Center and COX Center as long as we get a good tenant mix. There are plenty of cities (some smaller) who have more downtown retail then we do and less downtown residents then we do, you can cater to other crowds such as conventioners and events fans and be successful without having to have tens of thousands of downtown residents (omaha and wichita come to mind).

And if it's national retailers that are unique to the metro, such as Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, etc, then locals will come from all over the city and surrounding areas.

And if it's national retailers that are unique to the metro, such as Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, etc, then locals will come from all over the city and surrounding areas.

Yes, some people would come from farther distances to shop at a store that has no other locations in the metro area. The problem though is that the retailers locate where the people already are, not where they hope they will drive to.

The problem though is that the retailers locate where the people already are, not where they hope they will drive to.

Not necessarily. It's called destination retail, or regional retail. When Quail Springs was built, it was built very much in ANTICIPATION of housing growth. Sound familiar?

And if it's national retailers that are unique to the metro, such as Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, etc, then locals will come from all over the city and surrounding areas.

Absolutely. People will drive across the state for Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

Absolutely. People will drive across the state for Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

I hate to keep sounding negative, but if people will drive from all over to go to Anthropologie in downtown, they will also drive from all over if Anthropologie went in Penn Square. And which one would make the most sense for Anthropologie? Penn Square obviously would.

For big time retail to come to downtown, first there needs to be a collection of successful local, specialized retailers that create a small, yet thriving retail district. Then downtown might be able to catch the eye of national retailers

I hate to keep sounding negative, but if people will drive from all over to go to Anthropologie in downtown, they will also drive from all over if Anthropologie went in Penn Square. And which one would make the most sense for Anthropologie? Penn Square obviously would.

For big time retail to come to downtown, first there needs to be a collection of successful local, specialized retailers that create a small, yet thriving retail district. Then downtown might be able to catch the eye of national retailers


This is a valid point and also, in my opinion, argues for a store that can pioneer and serve as a retail anchor, as I think Metro mentioned. This would be a store that is a supplier of quickly turning over consumables, Walgreens fits that bill.

I hate to keep sounding negative, but if people will drive from all over to go to Anthropologie in downtown, they will also drive from all over if Anthropologie went in Penn Square. And which one would make the most sense for Anthropologie? Penn Square obviously would.

For big time retail to come to downtown, first there needs to be a collection of successful local, specialized retailers that create a small, yet thriving retail district. Then downtown might be able to catch the eye of national retailers

My daughter is in management at Anthropologie. She says they don't like to go into malls, and it's always a last choice for them. Classen Curve is actually probably the best choice for an Anthropologie, as they like upscale open air shopping areas best. I don't know if that lifestyle center behind Quail Springs is still going up, but that would be another type of place they'd put a store, with its' proximity to Edmond and Edmond demographics.

However, I agree. They'd not go into Bricktown as the first store, and would want associated retail in the immediate area, although parking would not be as much of an issue with them. Urban Outfitters would probably be a more logical option for the downtown area, and she's frequently said that there are some buildings in Midtown that look perfect for an Urban.

betts, I agree and so have I. The two buildings on the NW and NE corner of 10th and Broadway are perfect Urban Outfitters buildings and would be a huge anchor for Automobile Alley in making it a destination.

What if the City were to offer them a sweetheart deal to locate at 10th and Broadway, much like that of Bass Pro??

What if the City were to offer them a sweetheart deal to locate at 10th and Broadway, much like that of Bass Pro??

I wish they would, but not sure how the city would, considering it's privately owned property. I suppose the City could buy it or pay the rent to the investor. It would definitely spur downtown retail far more than a $19 million Bass Pro didn't. We could probably get by on less than a quarter of a million incentive for such retail too, compared to the pork that was Bass Pro. We should turn Bass Pro into an IKEA.

betts, I agree and so have I mentioned such. I even emailed Banta's company a year or so ago about it. He wanted to put office space in there from how I understood it. Man those buildings are ripe with retail potential!! The two buildings on the NW and NE corner of 10th and Broadway are perfect Urban Outfitters buildings and would be a huge anchor for Automobile Alley in making it a destination.

Speaking of the Candy Factory, it's coming along and there are a lot of visual changes now. I look forward to hearing what they get in the way of retail.

Not to be a "negative nance", haha, but I am having a hard time visualizing retail in Bricktown as we know it.

I know there are a few shops in new bricktown and a few little shops near the canal. But to really see retail in Bricktown, I don't see it.

Now I can visualize retail all up and down Broadway in auto-alley.

Having said that, the Candy Factory is coming along nicely and I hope this project meets the expectations of the owners. Wish them best of luck and I will continue to support anything that is happening in and around downton Okc.

okclee, I'll ask what I just asked in another thread.

Have you been to The Plaza in Kansas City? It has all the national retail of Penn Square and more, with virtually no surface parking and no residential or hotels in the district proper.

Not to be a "negative nance", haha, but I am having a hard time visualizing retail in Bricktown as we know it.

I know there are a few shops in new bricktown and a few little shops near the canal. But to really see retail in Bricktown, I don't see it.

Now I can visualize retail all up and down Broadway in auto-alley.

Having said that, the Candy Factory is coming along nicely and I hope this project meets the expectations of the owners. Wish them best of luck and I will continue to support anything that is happening in and around downton Okc. Why are you having a hard time visualizing retail in Bricktown? What would be retail as "you" know it in Bricktown? Just curious????

At the risk of sounding like a shill for Walgreen's, I think with the right location and signage, they could pull people off the Interstate while I-40 is still there and by then, downtown and midtown could support one without the traveler traffic. I think they're the perfect anchor for center city retail.

Why are you having a hard time visualizing retail in Bricktown? What would be retail as "you" know it in Bricktown? Just curious????


I have mentioned more than once the San Antonio Riverwalk and that all of the retail along their canal is located in a central location, the Riverwalk Mall.

I do like that there are a few shops in "new Bricktown" near the Harkins, but even that area is limited with space.

I just think until there is a very large space somewhere in Bricktown that is dedicated to retail, we really won't ever get the retail that most people are looking for.

People will shop in Bricktown, but to really get a shopping experience there needs to be multiple shops strung together that will generate real foot traffic. That is why Auto Alley has more potential for retail then does Bricktown. One could easily string together multiple retail shops from one end of Auto Alley to the other and have an endless amount of foot traffic.

I am no expert and these are just my opinions, and I could be convinced otherwise.

At the risk of sounding like a shill for Walgreen's, I think with the right location and signage, they could pull people off the Interstate while I-40 is still there and by then, downtown and midtown could support one without the traveler traffic.


If they went in Candy Factory, they could get a sign on the top of the building. That would give them a lot of visibility--from I-40, from sidewalks all around, from the hotels all around, etc.

I have mentioned more than once the San Antonio Riverwalk and that all of the retail along their canal is located in a central location, the Riverwalk Mall.

I do like that there are a few shops in "new Bricktown" near the Harkins, but even that area is limited with space.

I just think until there is a very large space somewhere in Bricktown that is dedicated to retail, we really won't ever get the retail that most people are looking for.

People will shop in Bricktown, but to really get a shopping experience there needs to be multiple shops strung together that will generate real foot traffic. That is why Auto Alley has more potential for retail then does Bricktown. One could easily string together multiple retail shops from one end of Auto Alley to the other and have an endless amount of foot traffic.

I am no expert and these are just my opinions, and I could be convinced otherwise.

I agree. And again, until we see a cluster of successful local retailers, we wont get the attention from nationals. And obviously AA is best suited for this, and as of now there is very little retail so far. At the very least aother bar or restaurant needs to open along Broadway.

I agree. And again, until we see a cluster of successful local retailers, we wont get the attention from nationals. And obviously AA is best suited for this, and as of now there is very little retail so far. At the very least aother bar or restaurant needs to open along Broadway.

At least one more is planned for NW 9th just off Broadway and one planned next door to Red Prime.

At least one more is planned for NW 9th just off Broadway and one planned next door to Red Prime.

Can you elaborate or is it an I know something you don't know kind of thing?

warreng, it's an I already posted it months ago sort of thing. I'll see if I can dig up the old thread.

Ah, yes...... http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/13955-new-restaurant-next-red-prime.html

Now, it's been so long, I can't remember the concept, I want to say it was sushi or japanese/seafood or something. I'm willing to bet the concept might evolve/change by the time they are ready to launch this project (especially since several new sushi places have opened up downtown recently). I know tuck said it was on hold for awhile, I'm guessing the economy isn't helping that right now. Maybe tuck can correct me and/or elaborate.....?

The building just north of Red Prime had a "for lease" sign on it when I drove by last week... is this the area you are talking about?

o gawwwwd noooooooo! not a chain pharmacy. looooooocaaaaallll!

But a chain has more potential to solve the Mom & Pop crises.
:lol2:

Oh? I don't recall Firefly or Lit Clothing closing down. They're doing steady. And now Envy Collections just joined them. Now bring in the mainstream stores, American Eagle, Pac Sun, Urban Outfitters and I'll be good.

teehee

Shutup. Lol.

Well, Firefly hasn't closed down yet.

Most national retailers look for clusters of retail areas to locate in. I see very few stand-alone Anthropologies for example. We need someone with a vision in mind to create a dedicated area of concentrated retail downtown.

Most national retailers look for clusters of retail areas to locate in. I see very few stand-alone Anthropologies for example. We need someone with a vision in mind to create a dedicated area of concentrated retail downtown.

True, but there is no one individual that has the amount of property to do something like this, at least that Im aware of. And trying to acquire more property from a neighbor just isnt financially feasible.

So what area is best suited for retail? Bricktown? Auto Alley?

I think most agree that Automobile Alley is the best suited and likely candidate for true urban retail.

Also what is the status of Candy Factory, it appears they are about done, but haven't heard anything in quite awhile, not to mention, I see no signage on the building.

I think most agree that Automobile Alley is the best suited and likely candidate for true urban retail.

...our 5th Ave. or Newbury Street.

How about Midtown?

How about Midtown?

I dunno... possibly...
...of course I'm always of the argument that Auto Alley IS in Midtown...

That is a source of growing confusion, isn't it?

I'd like to see local/Oklahoma businesses instead of national chains.

I'd like to see local/Oklahoma businesses instead of national chains.

It's gotta be a mix or they won't survive.