Nope, they're all coming down.

I was talking about the strange peaks and brick lines on the bottom level of the existing parking deck. They seem so out of place and unplanned.
From what I remember at the time the garage was built the Bricktown Design Committee review jurisdiction stopped at Mickey Mantle, everything east of there didn't come under the same review process that we had with JDM Place. After the concrete garage was built the review jurisdiction was expanded. I also heard that there was a brick design originally along with the bare concrete design for the garage, they didn't think the bare concrete design would be accepted so they had a backup plan in place to present at the next city meeting...but ultimately it passed with the bare concrete so that is what they built. They added the sticky brick and painted it a brick color after much public scrutiny.

From Steve's article today:


Sheridan Lodging Associates, the same partnership that built the Bricktown Hampton Inn, last month completed a $2.2 million acquisition of properties just east of the hotel for the new dual hotel development. A representative of the group confirmed Monday construction could begin as early as December.

Read more: http://newsok.com/developers-confirm-desire-to-get-busy-again-in-okcs-bricktown-district/article/3574861#ixzz1ObIiM89h

Is there anything new on this front? Anxious to see this underway.

Um, Pete's post prior to yours says December...

LOL, true. However, it was Pete's post of over a month ago. Wondering if there had been new developments since then.

"COULD begin as early as December" which means it probably won't...so we're looking at what, next summer?

It would be good if it could open within a relatively short time after Aloft opens. Two really great projects for the upper Bricktown/Deep Deuce area.

More visitors in the Bricktown area are surely a good thing for me. I'll bring a shovel if that will help speed things along.

Actually they were a response to criticism over the entire facade being concrete. They painted the entire structure and put thin brick one story up. I always thought they should have just taken the thin brick up to a horizontal line instead of the weird peaks, but whatever.

Actually they were a response to criticism over the entire facade being concrete. They painted the entire structure and put thin brick one story up. I always thought they should have just taken the thin brick up to a horizontal line instead of the weird peaks, but whatever.


I completely agree. It looks really weird.

Actually, now that I think about it, they put up the thin brick first. It looked totally weird (mostly because of the peaks, IMO), and so then they painted it to give it a more uniform feel. My thought at the time is you take the thin brick up a couple of stories, put some sort of cap stone on it, and you might not have even HAD to paint. That building, BTW, was largely responsible for Bricktown Urban Design's current purview and design standards.

About the same time as that garage was built a new hotel was completed in Wichita's Old Town (http://www.hotelatoldtown.com/photo-gallery/). The hotel was an adaptive re-use of a historic building (there is also a Marriott Courtyard (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ictdt-courtyard-wichita-at-old-town/) that is ANOTHER adaptive re-use). The hotel at the time built an attached parking garage that was the opposite end of the spectrum. The facade is all recycled brick, with tons of nice archways, etc. Very high-end feeling. Here's a picture (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gograffer/4889303093/).

I'm not sure if there was public money spent on it, but it's very nice. I can't help but wonder if the hotels had been what led the garage project here if it would not have been nicer from a finish standpoint.

Than said, I park in it every day, and I'm glad it's there. It's perfectly functional as a garage.

About the same time as that garage was built a new hotel was completed in Wichita's Old Town (http://www.hotelatoldtown.com/photo-gallery/). The hotel was an adaptive re-use of a historic building (there is also a Marriott Courtyard (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ictdt-courtyard-wichita-at-old-town/) that is ANOTHER adaptive re-use). The hotel at the time built an attached parking garage that was the opposite end of the spectrum. The facade is all recycled brick, with tons of nice archways, etc. Very high-end feeling. Here's a picture (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gograffer/4889303093/).

I'm not sure if there was public money spent on it, but it's very nice. I can't help but wonder if the hotels had been what led the garage project here if it would not have been nicer from a finish standpoint.

Than said, I park in it every day, and I'm glad it's there. It's perfectly functional as a garage.

This may be a nice adaptive use but I'm not sure it looks any better than our downtown Courtyard or the Centennial development in Bricktown.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gograffer/4889915982/in/photostream/

About the same time as that garage was built a new hotel was completed in Wichita's Old Town (http://www.hotelatoldtown.com/photo-gallery/). The hotel was an adaptive re-use of a historic building (there is also a Marriott Courtyard (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ictdt-courtyard-wichita-at-old-town/) that is ANOTHER adaptive re-use). The hotel at the time built an attached parking garage that was the opposite end of the spectrum. The facade is all recycled brick, with tons of nice archways, etc. Very high-end feeling. Here's a picture (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gograffer/4889303093/).

I'm not sure if there was public money spent on it, but it's very nice. I can't help but wonder if the hotels had been what led the garage project here if it would not have been nicer from a finish standpoint.

That brings up the age old question of why can't we have nice things, lol..

That brings up the age old question of why can't we have nice things, lol..

Because we're not worthy.

This may be a nice adaptive use but I'm not sure it looks any better than our downtown Courtyard or the Centennial development in Bricktown.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gograffer/4889915982/in/photostream/
I think "better" is in the eye of the beholder. I like that the effort was made at adaptive re-use. However, I'd rather have our Courtyard because I am in the visitor business downtown and ours represents more rooms and is top-notch compared to the typical Courtyard product.

Regarding the Centennial reference, I'm sure you are pointing to EIFS use on that Courtyard. However, I think the fact that they were adding on to a building that was historically PLASTERED brick makes EIFS use fairly forgivable.

Looks like they (or a holding company) just purchased the remaining property.

http://newsok.com/land-sales/article/3588242?custom_click=pod_headline_oklahoma-companies-news


Sheridan Lodging Associates LLC from Joseph and Katherine Chiaf, 312 E Sheridan Ave., $1,100,000.

Any undates on this?

There was an article that mentioned they hoped to be able to start in December.

So right now, then i'm not really expecting this thing to happen. The delay tactic of "hope to start in XXXXXX" usually means that something is keeping it from happening, meaning that the development lacked adequate prep work to get off the ground. I can't really remember too many projects that started this way and actually completed as planned.

They own the land. We know that much. aLoft is the same way....they haven't really started that much yet.

So if they own the land, why would they abandon the project? I would like to see this built but am beginning to have my doubts.

Aloft has been doing dirtwork for the last few weeks. They've removed a utility pole and there are new pink flagged stakes up today.

Since as long as the project has been announced they have been saying construction to start fall/winter 2011. As far as we know it is still on track.

Since as long as the project has been announced they have been saying construction to start fall/winter 2011. As far as we know it is still on track.

Well that's true and we haven't heard anything about it in a few months, good or bad.

So right now, then i'm not really expecting this thing to happen. The delay tactic of "hope to start in XXXXXX" usually means that something is keeping it from happening, meaning that the development lacked adequate prep work to get off the ground. I can't really remember too many projects that started this way and actually completed as planned.

Come on, the developer has a track record..

Well that's true and we haven't heard anything about it in a few months, good or bad.

Out of curosity, what kind of news update would you be expecting to hear?

Out of curosity, what kind of news update would you be expecting to hear?

Wouldn't necessarily be expecting to hear an update, was just saying that I hadn't heard anything that says the project had fallen through or anything.

I guess we should hear a few blurbs about permitting and stuff of the sort between now and then. Maybe that will suffice the need for constant reminders about this development too?

Well, maybe that would work for people such as myself who have no idea what is going on behind the scenes unless somebody with inside information posts something. I'm pretty sure that would keep uninformed people from creating an uneducated opinion on it... Maybe.

There's a difference between a "developer" doing a fishing expedition via the media -- making big announcements and sitting back hoping investors show up asking to be a part of it -- and a developer being basically quiet on project, only popping up publicly when required to get design approvals, building permits and such. I suspect this developer belongs in the latter group. If they hadn't needed design approval, none of us might even know this project existed at all until construction began.

Well, maybe that would work for people such as myself who have no idea what is going on behind the scenes unless somebody with inside information posts something. I'm pretty sure that would keep uninformed people from creating an uneducated opinion on it... Maybe.

Uninformed people and their uneducated opinions are indeed becoming a problem..

Uninformed people and their uneducated opinions are indeed becoming a problem..

Yeah I agree. Let's kill them off so all the informed people who know everything don't have to mess with those bastards and can move on with their educated lives and continue to make the world a better place.

I apologize on behalf of all the normal people Spartan, hopefully you can find it in your enormous, loving, caring heart to disregard us losers.

Love, an uniformed loser with an uneducated opinion, otherwise known as MDot on OKCTalk.

BTW, do you know anything about the hotel that I don't?

MDot, don't feel bad. There are many "informed" posters here who seem to have "uneducated" opinions. LOL
Keep coming back to give us your opinion.

MDot, don't feel bad. There are many "informed" posters here who seem to have "uneducated" opinions. LOL
Keep coming back to give us your opinion.

Thank you, ljbab728. I totally can buy into what your saying. Lol

I plan to keep on coming back and giving my opinion, I just hope that I don't miraculously get underneath anyone else's skin for stating something so irrelivant. Lol

Thank you, ljbab728. I totally can buy into what your saying. Lol

I plan to keep on coming back and giving my opinion, I just hope that I don't miraculously get underneath anyone else's skin for stating something so irrelivant. Lol

Everyone here gets under someone's skin at one time or another, so don't worry about that.

Everyone here gets under someone's skin at one time or another, so don't worry about that.

Fair warning. In my short time here I've sorta noticed. But I guess if everyone agreed, the world would stop spinning and the sun would never go down. Lol

Steve said on his blog 9/17/2011 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/ that the Bricktown Hilton will begin construction this winter.

There is other good info on the Saturday blog too.

Any updates on this? I am hoping it is still on track.

... I guess if everyone agreed, the world would stop spinning and the sun would never go down. Lol

Nah, but we'd either all watch FOX or all watch CNN and nobody would notice the others were gone.

Still set on a December launch date on this? It's November 20th.

I heard the other day that this project is still on tract but now it will be a 1Q 2012 ground breaking

Is early 2012 still the projected groundbreaking for this project?

Since we are now in 1Q 2012, groundbreaking should not be that far off, but I don't expect it anytime soon, last construction bid I saw for this project didn't have it starting until August 2012, so who knows?

Starting to lose interest in this project, because they keep pushing back the start date, then it will be considered "on hold".

Currently projected for a groundbreaking around March. It is in no way on hold. Barring international financial meltdown or some like circumstance, this one is going to happen.

Glad to see it's still on track.

There are a ton of behind the scenes work that must go on. You can't start building from the rendering and there are often still a lot of paperwork to be done to file permits, complete contracts for financing/construction/supplies/etc., a ton of things have to happen before. I think we are all aware of that, sometimes it may seem as if other projects move more quickly, but often times a lot of the work may have already been done before the announcement was made. Making it appear to go straight from announcement, to permitting, to construction. We all know this, I think we just get impatient on here at times, and that is perfectly okay. We are enthusiasts, we're expected to be impatient and eager.

Starting to lose interest in this project, because they keep pushing back the start date, then it will be considered "on hold".

Project is certainly not on hold.

J.Pitman, any estimate when you might be breaking ground?

J.Pitman, any estimate when you might be breaking ground?

June(ish).

Nothing to report, other than 45 million dollar projects take longer than people want them to, including the developers. The project is on track.

June(ish).

Nothing to report, other than 45 million dollar projects take longer than people want them to, including the developers. The project is on track.

Last I heard it was a $32 million project, so now its $45 million?

Last I heard it was a $32 million project, so now its $45 million?

Last you heard, huh?

Ok.

Just stopping in to let you guys know this project is on track.

Just stopping in to let you guys know this project is on track.

Thanks, it will be a great addition to downtown.

Last you heard, huh?

Ok.

Just stopping in to let you guys know this project is on track.

yes, last construction bid said $32.5M http://www.constructionwire.com/projects/project_detail.asp?project_id=2086506&searchandor=2&searchin=1&searchprojecttype=1011&searchstate=OK&searchdate=0&searchsortby1=uploadeddate&searchsortorder1=desc&searchproduct=1&searchoption=2&searchleadtype=-1&searchcity=Oklahoma%20City&searchproductmultiple=0&resulttotal=37&page=&provider_id=1000&category_id=1000&product_id=1000&subscriptiontype=0&UID={38CF6FF4-4CCD-432D-BF2E-08BA9A4B3E40}

yes, last construction bid said $32.5M http://www.constructionwire.com/projects/project_detail.asp?project_id=2086506&searchandor=2&searchin=1&searchprojecttype=1011&searchstate=OK&searchdate=0&searchsortby1=uploadeddate&searchsortorder1=desc&searchproduct=1&searchoption=2&searchleadtype=-1&searchcity=Oklahoma%20City&searchproductmultiple=0&resulttotal=37&page=&provider_id=1000&category_id=1000&product_id=1000&subscriptiontype=0&UID={38CF6FF4-4CCD-432D-BF2E-08BA9A4B3E40}


This will be my last post on this.

Do you know what F F & E means?

This will be my last post on this.

Do you know what F F & E means?

furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). $32.5 million to construct and $12.5 million for FF&E. Total cost of project = $45 million.

This will be my last post on this.

Do you know what F F & E means?

No

furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). $32.5 million to construct and $12.5 million for FF&E. Total cost of project = $45 million.

Oh ok, even better...sounds good to me

And I thought Spartan was pushy. LOL

June(ish).

Nothing to report, other than 45 million dollar projects take longer than people want them to, including the developers. The project is on track.

well I guess we can retire our speculation, since we know now when we can expect groundbreaking, see you at this thread in June!