This. It is saddening builders in this city have NO VISION, like Randy Hogan the king of no vision. These posters obviously don't get the OPPORTUNITY. It's not about "paying a premium to watch a minor league ballgame from a balcony", it's about creating an experience. It would enhance the human element of urban living, give visitors another option of something to do (very limited options in Bricktown for entertainment), as well as it provides unparalleled views in Oklahoma.

Well stated Metro - however I strongly believe we are turning the corner on this. The Bricktown Design Review rejected Hogan's lame building on the canal when I doubt they would have done so just 5 or 6 years ago. Additionally the city leadership is taking design into consideration rather than just being glad someone is building something downtown - we will eventually reach a critical mass where developers know a higher standard is expected and will mostly quit trying to throw cheap buildings up.

This hotel balcony thing isn't horrible, but you are correct in stating there was an opportunity lost. We will see fewer missed opportunities as the minimum design standards continue to be raised.

Well stated Metro - however I strongly believe we are turning the corner on this. The Bricktown Design Review rejected Hogan's lame building on the canal when I doubt they would have done so just 5 or 6 years ago. Additionally the city leadership is taking design into consideration rather than just being glad someone is building something downtown - we will eventually reach a critical mass where developers know a higher standard is expected and will mostly quit trying to throw cheap buildings up.

This hotel balcony thing isn't horrible, but you are correct in stating there was an opportunity lost. We will see fewer missed opportunities as the minimum design standards continue to be raised.

bricktown design review had and has nothing to do with lower bricktown

bricktown design review had and has nothing to do with lower bricktown

Sorry - I forgot the exact entity. But the point is finally these organizations are looking at projects more critically and rejecting bad ones.

Sorry - I forgot the exact entity. But the point is finally these organizations are looking at projects more critically and rejecting bad ones.

It was OCURA that rejected it, which is an even bigger shift since they were one of the entities most responsible for the suburbanization of downtown.

Thanks JTF.

OCURA's stand was very encouraging and I am hopeful the trend continues.

Here are some progress pics that I took yesterday, 10/11/2012. Click on any pic for a larger view.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown1_10_11_2012_510.jpg (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown1_10_11_2012.jpg)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown2_10_11_2012_510.jpg (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown2_10_11_2012.jpg)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown3_10_11_2012_510.jpg (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown3_10_11_2012.jpg)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown4_10_11_2012_510.jpg (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/hotels/hilton_bricktown4_10_11_2012.jpg)

tower crane emerging. ...

:)

I was at a weird vantage point yesterday downtown, but did I see a 5-6 story crane in that site? Might of been aloft...

Skanaly, refer to 2nd to last picture two posts above. He's talking about the yellow crane base on the site of construction for which this thread exists :-)

Post #609 is disinformation then lol

Thanks for posting our pic! Here's one I took today:

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a507/liquidfish/photo10.jpg

We may need to set up a Liquidfish construction cam. :)

That is a great pic.
Counting this project, I can count a total four construction/ renovation projects underway in this pic.

That is a great pic.
Counting this project, I can count a total four construction/ renovation projects underway in this pic.

1. This project
2. Aloft
3. SandRidge amenities
4. ???

1. This project
2. Aloft
3. SandRidge amenities
4. ???
I think the fourth one is the re-location of that orange cone :D

To the right of Aloft, you can see the top of Calvary Baptist Church. It is being renovated into offices. I saw a large truck load of sheetrock being delivered there this morning.

Soon there could be another renovation project in this pic too. Depending if 229 E. Sheridan gets city/bricktown approval.

2806

2807

2808

LOVE the tower crane coming!!

man, we need more tower cranes. more more more!!!

LOVE the tower crane coming!!

man, we need more tower cranes. more more more!!!

more more more, how do you like it, how do you like it? (seventies music reference)

answer: very much!

yes more cranes, we need more cranes!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg/250px-Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg

NO NO NO! not that... this

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/pictures/gallery/Stock/cranes.Joern-Pollex.Getty.jpg

:wink:

more more more, how do you like it, how do you like it? (seventies music reference)

answer: very much!

yes more cranes, we need more cranes!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg/250px-Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg

NO NO NO! not that... this

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/pictures/gallery/Stock/cranes.Joern-Pollex.Getty.jpg

:wink:

yes yes yes! so cool Praedura.

The thing I like most about OKC's renaissance is that it is organic and 'home' generated. But I hope we are approaching the point to where momentum of this 3rd wave of downtown development results in a significant amount of cranes to the skyline.

More more more cranes :)

more more more, how do you like it, how do you like it? (seventies music reference)

answer: very much!

yes more cranes, we need more cranes!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg/250px-Sarus_Crane_(Grus_antigone)_at_Sultanpur_I_Picture _151.jpg

NO NO NO! not that... this

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/pictures/gallery/Stock/cranes.Joern-Pollex.Getty.jpg

:wink: You're starting to sound like Radical Moderate ;) lol

Photo by mattbridgesokc • Instagram (http://instagr.am/p/RVIl7rrhAE/)

From this morning.

The jib was already fully installed by this morning.

Yep...it was a full crane yesterday afternoon. Took pics, just didn't get time to load them up.

Yep...it was a full crane yesterday afternoon. Took pics, just didn't get time to load them up.

Load 'em on up!

Camera is at home. Im at work. Sorry...catching up on Sons of Anarchy was much more important for me.

Camera is at home. Im at work. Sorry...catching up on Sons of Anarchy was much more important for me.

We need to get your mind right. Please report to OKCTalk headquarters for retraining.

We need to get your mind right. Please report to OKCTalk headquarters for retraining.

Like. haha

Here's one from BoulderSooner:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/hilton102812.jpg

That would be pretty great. In the meantime I'll post some pictures :)

Ever since they took down the tower cranes working on Devon I have missed the tingly feeling of apprehension I got when regularly driving my car directly underneath the boom of a working crane. Glad to see I will once again be enjoying that particular sensation again on a near-daily basis.

What will be the height of the hotel when it's done? Around the 180ft range?

So are we going to have to rent a room in the Hampton Inn for a construction cam?

Will there be a garage somewhere to go with it?

So are we going to have to rent a room in the Hampton Inn for a construction cam?

I think just getting a table at Ihop would suffice ;)

I think just getting a table at Ihop would suffice ;)Well, someone with have to sit there for about a year and have the all you can eat special for a year. hmmm Wonder who would do that? ;) lol

... hmmm Wonder who would do that? ;) lol


Depends.

Depends.We could take shifts haha.. I get the evening with mah chocolate chip pancakes lol.. thats all I care about. ;)

Well, someone with have to sit there for about a year and have the all you can eat special for a year. hmmm Wonder who would do that? ;) lol

At that Ihop, it may take that long just to get served... Lol

At that Ihop, it may take that long just to get served... LolOh, haha. I've never been to that particular one is it bad?

Notoriously. Whatever season it is, you're always second fiddle to an extremely loud group of prom kids..

Notoriously. Whatever season it is, you're always second fiddle to an extremely loud group of prom kids..Huh, well, I know one time at the I-hop in Edmond I politely asked for orange juice without pulp and it was almost like the waitress just threw a lightly shredded orange in cup. I politely asked again, Ma'am I asked for no pulp and she went ape on me and shouted "how about I go home and get some gold and melt it down..will that be good enough for you GOLD" and I've never gone back to an I-hop since. I couldn't believe it how rude she was though :/ . lol

Huh, well, I know one time at the I-hop in Edmond I politely asked for orange juice without pulp and it was almost like the waitress just threw a lightly shredded orange in cup. I politely asked again, Ma'am I asked for no pulp and she went ape on me and shouted "how about I go home and get some gold and melt it down..will that be good enough for you GOLD" and I've never gone back to an I-hop since. I couldn't believe it how rude she was though :/ . lol

Screw that, I woulda said, "no ma'am I want no pulp." and then left her no tip on my way out.

Screw that, I woulda said, "no ma'am I want no pulp." and then left her no tip on my way out.Oh yeah I did. I got really mad and said how rude and disrespectful and you are very lucky I am not the manager of this place cause I would fire your ass. I also called corporate and complained. I don't know if it did much good though. But, then again sometimes people can be surprised how much corporations DO care about your experiences with them.

The Edmond IHOP is probably the best in the metro as far as quality and service go. The Bricktown one is the second best in my opinion. Service is a little slow at the Btown one though.

The Edmond IHOP is probably the best in the metro as far as quality and service go. The Bricktown one is the second best in my opinion. Service is a little slow at the Btown one though.It wasn't for me. I think the best one is off of I-35 near Frontier City.

Huh, well, I know one time at the I-hop in Edmond I politely asked for orange juice without pulp and it was almost like the waitress just threw a lightly shredded orange in cup. I politely asked again, Ma'am I asked for no pulp and she went ape on me and shouted "how about I go home and get some gold and melt it down..will that be good enough for you GOLD" and I've never gone back to an I-hop since. I couldn't believe it how rude she was though :/ . lol

And they scream diner waitress jargon at each other right over the table tops..

And they scream diner waitress jargon at each other right over the table tops..OHHHH yeah. That's just part of the good ol' american diner(in this case breakfast) experience. lol...

We go to the Bricktown IHOP quite a bit (hey kids eat free in the evenings so yeah, it works). I also go there late at night since it is the only place open with 851352131 miles of downtown OKC that is open past 10pm.

I actually like this one. Been to many and I usually have a positive experience. I'd never shy anyone away from it.

I actually wonder what some of these hotels are going to try to do to capture some of the late night dinner opportunities -- if anything. Think someone will do a decent room service offering till 2am?That and the hangover special at like 4am

Will there be a garage somewhere to go with it?
The Power Alley garage (next to Hampton) is dramatically underutilized. They will also now be using it to park in the two new hotels. It's perfectly adequate for all three, though I expect it to ramp up the hassle factor somewhat for those of us who are monthly parkers there.

Also, @Sid, Tapwerks, Mickey Mantles and (I think) Flint all have pretty late kitchens. Definitely past 10 PM on the first two, most every night.

Au contraire, mon frère...Mickey's does indeed have Wi-Fi...

Drove by today, they are moving fast! They have most of the first floor framework up.

For people that drive or bike that route often, I think that it would be nice to see a visual every two or so weeks. I'll try to pitch in to lol. Just some of us suburban livers haven't seen it in a month or so.

Here's a photo from yesterday... They are already moving right along:



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/homewood12612.jpg

I have to stop being mesmerized by pretty pictures :(

Does anyone know why most of the tower is setback from the street?

It's not set back from the street any more than the Hampton Inn.

The concrete barrier and fence in the lower right of the photo is taking one lane of traffic.


The renderings in the article above are the final versions approved by the design committee and clearly show the setbacks.

Only the first floor is at the sidewalk. The 11 story tower is setback.

Only the first floor is at the sidewalk. The 11 story tower is setback.

not on the east end .. . the tower is all the way to the street at reno

Only the first floor is at the sidewalk. The 11 story tower is setback.

Nothing has changed from the renderings.

And on all sides, the building comes right up against the sidewalk and street. Big improvement over the neighboring Hampton Inn.

Nothing has changed from the renderings.

And on all sides, the building comes right up against the sidewalk and street. Big improvement over the neighboring Hampton Inn.

I understand nothing has changed. The renderings looked so good I didn't even question it until I saw the picture you posted above. The alley will have a better streetwall than Sheridan. Oh well, not a big deal I guess but I would have prefered to see the 11 story tower at the sidewalk all the way across instead of just the east wing. Its all good though. Its just something to keep an eye for next time.