There are large earth moving machines working at the Aloft site today. I still don't see any demolition machines, however. Maybe they're going to use the IA for storage.

There are large earth moving machines working at the Aloft site today. I still don't see any demolition machines, however. Maybe they're going to use the IA for storage.

Transformers

Demolition permit issued two days ago for that structure (211 N. Walnut).

Awesome! There's going to be a lot of red dirt flow due to rainstorms washing it down the street...

Demolition permit issued two days ago for that structure (211 N. Walnut).

By this time tomorrow, that building will be gone. I just drove by and they've already demolished the back half of it.

From today:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/aloft81611.jpg

This are is just getting more Awesome by the day!I live in dt at the moment but I might consider moving to DD in the near future!

This are is just getting more Awesome by the day!I live in dt at the moment but I might consider moving to DD in the near future!

20 years ago I would have never thought this sentence was possible (unless you were a bum).

Yes, things are good when you scrape an inebriate center for a striking new Aloft hotel, with a London-designed urban apartment complex with grocery rising to the north.

This area is going to be very slick in about a year.

I drove by today and it looks like there might be an office for Aloft in the SE corner of the 2nd street lofts. I guess it is probably either for construction services or for hiring people to service the hotel. When Betts gets back and walks her dogs, perhaps she can tell us. lol

Yes, things are good when you scrape an inebriate center for a striking new Aloft hotel, with a London-designed urban apartment complex with grocery rising to the north.

This area is going to be very slick in about a year.

Agree. Hopefully Oklahoma is extended south from NE 2 to better connect Deep Deuce to Bricktown with new development at the SW corner of NE 2 & Oklahoma. Also infill at the NW and SE corners of NE 3 & Walnut and all along NE 4 west of Walnut to the tracks.

I drove by today and it looks like there might be an office for Aloft in the SE corner of the 2nd street lofts. I guess it is probably either for construction services or for hiring people to service the hotel. When Betts gets back and walks her dogs, perhaps she can tell us. lol
It was announced a few weeks back it is offices, hiring offices, and a model hotel room. Hope that helps.

I Recently stayed at the Aloft in Tulsa. It was enjoyable experience, nice modern trendy hotel, with live music / DJ and very much a young party like crowd and atmosphere throughout. The location in Tulsa is a little strange, but this won't be a problem with Aloft Okc being close to Deep Deuce, Bricktown, Midtown, etc.

When staying there you feel as though you want to party the night away walking club to club or bar to bar, get back to the hotel and sleep until noon lounging by the pool. This is not a family type hotel, unless your family is related to Hugh Hefner or Lil Wayne.

The entrance lobby and bar is actually as soon as you walk in all encompassing the front desk for the check-in / registration area. I wasn't sure if the check-in counter and staff was the bar or the dj booth. I felt as though I should order a mixed drink along with receiving my room keys. Actually I did that, but I did have to walk a few feet over to see the actual bartender. The snack bar if very cool too, open all night with excellent choices of energy drinks, Ben&Jerry's, donuts, sandwiches, fruit, and other various food items if you have the munchies.

Oh yeah, the walk in shower was lots of fun too, something you don't see in most hotels. But that is another story I won't share.

Sounds like something that OKC needs. Awesome.

Skyline, I agree about the one in Tulsa, very weird location, more of a suburban design.

I think that this brand is exactly the right fit for where it is going. It should be a great complement. This area needs hip hotels, not more Holiday Inns.

Skyline, I agree about the one in Tulsa, very weird location, more of a suburban design.

Tulsa has another aLoft under construction a block from the BOK Center.

Back to Oklahoma City's aLoft before we decide to talk about Tulsa's... someone's trying to prove something.

yeah for Tulsa! Good place to stay when going to see the Shock!

yeah for Tulsa! Good place to stay when going to see the Shock!

:congrats:

Ha! the Shock!

Why does this so often deteriorate into a Tulsa/OKC thing? Yes, OKC has the Thunder. Yes, Tulsa seems to get everything before OKC. Rubbing it in each others face is silly. It's easy for OKC people to waive their Thunder flag in the face of Tulsans. It's always easy for Tulsa to make fun of the lack of any creative culture (arts and businesses) or prosperous local districts (Brookside, Cherry Street...) until the last 5-10 years. I'm from Tulsa and have come to love OKC, but some OKC people need to be realistic about how much they have to learn from Tulsa also.

Kilgore, I agree 100%, but I think this is more of a reaction against swake. You shouldn't take it as genuine disrespect for Tulsa..

Once again. Let's keep it to Oklahoma City's aLoft, shall we? I'm not sure why Tulsa is even being mentioned in this thread other than the fact that it has a completed aLoft Hotel that could hold a "preview" of what ours may offer. Now we've got people making mountains out of sand, or an extremely defensive stance to a comment about a suburban aLoft.

So, has the Oklahoma City location started on a foundation yet?

So, has the Oklahoma City location started on a foundation yet? I was wondering the same thing? I thought they were to start construction in July? I know I saw where a demolition permit was issued for the inebriate building. Has the actual building permit been issued for the hotel? Have they set an actual date?

Once again. Let's keep it to Oklahoma City's aLoft, shall we? I'm not sure why Tulsa is even being mentioned in this thread other than the fact that it has a completed aLoft Hotel that could hold a "preview" of what ours may offer. Now we've got people making mountains out of sand, or an extremely defensive stance to a comment about a suburban aLoft.

Yeah, I just don't think the two hotels are comparable. You're right, it is a suburban aLoft, and this is an urban aLoft. If the point is that the suburban aLoft is still even kinda cool, then that's awesome.

Progressiveboy, the inebriate alternative is gone and site work is finishing up, I belive.

Please note Pete's picture in post 368 from last week.

From today... Looking forward to them starting to go up:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/aloft92111.jpg

Pad site looks good. Thanks for the pic Pete!

A bunch of materials, including very large bore pipe, have been delivered to the site.

Getting excited for this.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/aloft92111.jpg

I am usually pretty good with identifying photos, but what city is this a picture of?

The Aloft Hotel site in Deep Deuce

The Aloft Hotel site in Deep Deuce

It was actually a rhetorical question meant to imply that this section of OKC is really changing. I know comments like that don't come across on message board very well and I shouldn't have attempted it.

It was actually a rhetorical question meant to imply that this section of OKC is really changing. I know comments like that don't come across on message board very well and I shouldn't have attempted it.

Lol. I'm glad you attempted it because the straightforward response made me laugh. Some misunderstandings on message boards can be pretty funny...

I am usually pretty good with identifying photos, but what city is this a picture of?

+1

It was actually a rhetorical question meant to imply that this section of OKC is really changing. I know comments like that don't come across on message board very well and I shouldn't have attempted it.

For what's it's worth, I knew what you were getting at, Kerry. LOL
I thought about giving you a response that it was Des Moines, Iowa. But I figured someone would accuse me of being crazy.

Let's see...it was a picture of a big flat dirt patch.....I knew it was OKC right away.




Just teasin folks. Glad to see the sign of progress.

Let's see...it was a picture of a big flat dirt patch.....I knew it was OKC right away.




Just teasin folks. Glad to see the sign of progress.


Now that was funny...:laughing_

nm

Let's see...it was a picture of a big flat dirt patch.....I knew it was OKC right away.

Just teasin folks. Glad to see the sign of progress.

The dirt is what threw me off. Most pictures of OKC show surface parking lots.

It looks like they have started the piering today.

Has any progress been made? I had thought this project would have been much further along at this point... Disappointing, but if the project is done well these delays won't matter much...

They're working until after 6 every weekday and worked last Saturday. There's just a lot of work that needs to be done on the foundation for such a large building, I would suspect. Lots of concrete and rebar piers are being put in, and they're also working on utilities.

That is something I have found facinating with all these construction projects. Seems like the 'hole in the ground' part seems to take a long time (as it should, foundations are important and probably more involved then most of us realize) but once it starts to go upwards it moves very very fast. Look at how long we stared at the huge hole in the ground for the Devon tower. But once it started to go up, wow. Level apartments and the new entrance to the arena are the same way. Been really interesting to watch.

So have they started actual construction yet or are they still in the "hole in the ground" stage?

Hole in the ground, from what I saw the other day.

Now a swimming pool.

Before thunder or metro or anyone picks up on that, you mean figuratively with the rain you guys you guys are finally getting down there, right?

It looks like they're starting to put some of the concrete forms in for the foundation on the northwest corner. There are still many, many large bore pipes sitting around, which look like they need large holes dug for them. The area has lots of activity right now. Looking at it, it's kind of mystery as to what is going where. I'm ready for the foundation work to be done so we can start seeing it go up, but it looks like that is a few weeks to a month away.

Nothing going on with this anymore?

Drove by today, looks like they have started pouring columns.

Finally!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah, halleeellluuujjjaaahhh.

Finally!

They've been hard at work on this site for quite a while; the dirt work has been impressive. It's nice they're going vertical, but I'm glad they spent so much prep time, considering the height and size.

NE 2nd St is going to look like a deep canyon once Aloft and Level are completed. A sunrise pic will look pretty cool!

Pics?

There's this from LEVEL's facebook, on the right side:

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297839_212105992195594_114527048620156_546169_9708 74820_n.jpg

Lets do a compare and contrast in about 2 years from now. =)