Cool! First I've heard of this one. New concept? Who is the operator?

It's being done by the long-time owner, Teresa Tran. Owns that abandoned store to the west.

They aren't even completely sure of the menu... It's going to be a work in progress.

Any idea whats going on with the old family dollar on 23rd next to the soon to be Syrup? That makes 4 or 5 empty buildings in that area now.

I believe it was going to be converted to a Dollar Express (sign permit in March) but then that company was bought out and closed all their locations.

Dollar Express was bought by Dollar General, so perhaps that's what this site will become.


Holy cow, these dollar stores must make tons of money because there are tons of different flavors and thousands of stores.

Registration is now open for the inaugural Uptown 5k - Registration (https://www.uptown23rd.com/5k)

Fun fact: We created the logo!

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I believe it was going to be converted to a Dollar Express (sign permit in March) but then that company was bought out and closed all their locations.

Dollar Express was bought by Dollar General, so perhaps that's what this site will become.


Holy cow, these dollar stores must make tons of money because there are tons of different flavors and thousands of stores.

Please please no dollar store! There is already enough "characters" with the dollar tree at 23rd and Penn.

Registration is now open for the inaugural Uptown 5k - Registration (https://www.uptown23rd.com/5k)

Fun fact: We created the logo!

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Love the design.

Two happenings on 23rd between Penn and Villa. Shepard Mall is getting a paint job-grey and green combo. Also, the Blue Jay wireless building is getting an overhaul. Sorry the Shepard pic doesn't quite do it justice...

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^

They are also changing out the signage at Shepherd Mall.

I'll find and post the images later.

Please please no dollar store! There is already enough "characters" with the dollar tree at 23rd and Penn.

Welcome to urban living. All are welcome.

I believe it was going to be converted to a Dollar Express (sign permit in March) but then that company was bought out and closed all their locations.

Dollar Express was bought by Dollar General, so perhaps that's what this site will become.


Holy cow, these dollar stores must make tons of money because there are tons of different flavors and thousands of stores.

I thought it was a dollar general in my hood next to brow parlor w/ the deco store front but it's a FAMILY dollar. These places are the plague. They even lease the little cute little storefront next to them for storage. But I am even guilty of the convenience. Can't find the scissors and don't want to trek to the office supply store? Dollar store's got you covered. Seriously where is the office supply store?

Dollar stores and Walgreens/CVS are the modern day dime store.

Looks like the old Family Dollar at 1525 NW 23rd will be a Dollar Tree.

Building permit application filed today.

Looks like the old Family Dollar at 1525 NW 23rd will be a Dollar Tree.

Building permit application filed today.

Literally the worst!! There is already one down the street! I'm sure Syrup is going to be real happy with the investment now.

Literally the worst!! There is already one down the street! I'm sure Syrup is going to be real happy with the investment now.

Given that it was a Family Dollar when Syrup decided to make their investment, I doubt they'll regret anything based on it converting to another dollar store brand. They made the investment to be in the core and in Uptown. It's not the ideal situation but there's no need to be so dramatic.

Isn't Family Dollar and Dollar Tree ran by the same people anyways? I bet their expectations will be about the same after this announcement.

Literally the worst!! There is already one down the street! I'm sure Syrup is going to be real happy with the investment now.

If they add verbiage to the DOLLAR TREE sign on the bottom saying they are a "convenience store boutique", they will fit right in.

Noticed yesterday while driving by "Shepherd Mall" that it has been renamed "Shepherd Center" which is a lot more accurate nowadays...

Not everything on an urban street needs to be a yuppie hipster joint. That kills the life of a city.

Yes, they are re-branding. Meant to post these some time ago.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/shepherd082117a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/shepherd082117b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/shepherd082117c.jpg

Planned Parenthood:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/parenthood091017.jpg

Looks like the old Family Dollar at 1525 NW 23rd will be a Dollar Tree.

Building permit application filed today.

Not that it matters much, but it's a Dollar General and now open.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/uptown091717.jpg

^ This was one of the nicer Family Dollar stores, but I like this option too. I normally shop at the DG down by the airport coming home from work. The FD further down east on 23rd is good too, but the on Classen & 11th is closer for me (but smaller it seems)

https://vimeo.com/233387126

:congrats::congrats::congrats:

Huh. There was. Vimeo player in that post. I'll see if I can find the link later today.

It's still there. It disappeared for a second, but it's back.

Huh. There was. Vimeo player in that post. I'll see if I can find the link later today.

It's there! I actually shared it with my city rep who I've been bugging about these issues since his election. :)

Important to note that data has repeatedly shown that such reconfiguration can improve the driving experience too, and not reduce the level of service (an all-important parameter for traffic engineers and a potential point of contention for people who drive on 23rd). Essentially, by eliminating the inside-lane stacking on left turns you eliminate quick lane changes, speeding around stopped cars, etc.. This lowers the average speed of moving cars (important for everyone's safety), yet travel time through the area remains the same or in some cases even improves. On the first blush that seems counter-intuitive but once you understand the mechanics of it the whole thing makes so much sense.

Since 23rd in that area has the median you already have extra width to work with. Sacrifice the median and you have your turn lane or at the very least turn lanes with reduced median. This means that one traffic lane on each side could be eliminated in favor of wider sidewalks and/or bicycle lanes and/or angled parking (personally I would forgo angled parking in favor of more pedestrian/bike amenities.

The last line of dialogue in the video is the most important:


A study of dozens of North American road diets shows dramatic increases in safety with ZERO increase in congestion delays.

https://vimeo.com/233387126

I've always liked the idea of a protected bike lane like in this video. I wish we would do that road diet here. Especially downtown.

The last line of dialogue in the video is the most important:

Or did it simply move to another road and increase traffic there? Did the daily traffic counts stay the same? The video didn’t work for me. . .

Or did it simply move to another road and increase traffic there? Did the daily traffic counts stay the same? The video didn’t work for me. . .

If I understand correctly, traffic wouldn't have to go to another street because the improved street doesn't drastically reduce capacity and allows traffic to flow without being obstructed by left turners and people changing lanes quickly to dodge people stopped to turn.

^^^^^
That is correct. However, dispersing traffic to other streets due to the PERCEPTION that a street is slower is not necessarily a bad thing. Dealing with such re-routed traffic efficiently is the beauty of the grid system, which OKC is lucky to have.

OKC needs dedicated left turn lanes on way more streets than just 23rd, the drivers here are some of the most obnoxious I've witnessed when they get behind someone turning left - they will literally jump out in front of you (going super-slow because they're starting from a complete stop) if you're in the right lane going the speed limit, causing you to slam on your brakes if they get behind a left-turner, even if the left-turner can go in about 5 seconds, the idiots are too impatient for that and just can't drive beyond their front bumper...

The owners have formally applied to restore the storefront at 319-321 NW 23rd, which now houses Queen's Beauty Supply and is directly west of Rockford and directly east of the new construction at 323 NW 23rd for Dunkin Donuts.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/queens102617a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/queens102617b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/queens102617c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/queens102617d.jpg

Oh wow! I love seeing historical photos like this. Absolutely fascinating.

Oh wow! I love seeing historical photos like this. Absolutely fascinating.

Agreed... Cool pic.... I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was taken on a Sunday.... Right after church let out.

Haha. Did the ladies in church hats give it away?

Nah... They all looked like they were standing in line peacefully.

Always astonished by how well people dressed in the early 20th century. Reminds me of this SI cover from an OU football game in 1954.

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^I absolutely love that. I wish that was still the norm.

Always astonished by how well people dressed in the early 20th century. Reminds me of this SI cover from an OU football game in 1954.

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My only brother, 15 yrs older than I, took me to my first OU football game in 1961. It was against I-State. I was 10 yrs old. My brother wore a suit and tie and I wore some dress pants and a sport coat. I was spared the tie, because I probably didn't have one. My how the world has changed.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sonic120518.jpg

I happened to drive by that on Sunday and noticed it was shut down, I was wondering.

I had noticed it shut down as well and it really makes that area even more shabby with the Old Buy for less boarded up and it as well its pretty sad looking. be interesting to see what they do with it.

I'm not convinced Sonic is going to rebuild.

There is nothing wrong with the current structure.

I suspect they may plan to sell.

I'm not convinced Sonic is going to rebuild.

There is nothing wrong with the current structure.

I suspect they may plan to sell.

that was kind of what I was pondering as sad as the area looked it made me wonder if perhaps someone was looking at the Buy 4 less site and this one together. Maybe trying to get all those parcels combined

I'm not convinced Sonic is going to rebuild.

There is nothing wrong with the current structure.

I suspect they may plan to sell.

The Sonic in Choctaw was recently demolished and rebuilt with a different layout. The canopies are now all on one side of the building. I expect this will be a similar rebuild.

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^

Interesting.

Thanks for sharing.

The Sonic in Choctaw was recently demolished and rebuilt with a different layout. The canopies are now all on one side of the building. I expect this will be a similar rebuild.

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That is what they have been building here in the Denver area. They have moved the focus to the drive-thru business.

These are the plans for the replacement Sonic on the NE corner of NW 23rd and Penn.

If you notice by looking at the existing config in the bottom photo, they are effectively removing a whole row of park-and-order slots.

For the company as a whole, I suspect their business is strongly shifting to the drive-thru, as this is a big expense to replace a structure that is relatively new.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sonic121918a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sonic121918b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sonic121918c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sonic121918d.jpg

I don't fully understand what's wrong with the existing config from a drive thru sense.

I don't fully understand what's wrong with the existing config from a drive thru sense.

The current config has the drive-thru approach behind the drive-in stalls.

I suspect that can create a problem with people trying to get into and out of the stalls when cars back up.

I get that, but it just doesn't seem like *enough* to justify spending all that money to destroy/rebuild. Have backed out of those stalls without issue many a time over the last 20+ years.

I get that, but it just doesn't seem like *enough* to justify spending all that money to destroy/rebuild. Have backed out of those stalls without issue many a time over the last 20+ years.
While I have seen layouts very similar to this one.. not exact.. I know many times Sonic tries new concepts and layouts in the OKC market and maybe that is part of it as well

^ Yeah I suspect that this being a corporate-owned store (this is my understanding at least) plays a big part in it - allowing them to test new configurations without working with franchisees.

My extended family own quite a few Sonics, in a couple years pretty much every location will be on a similar layout. They require remodels quite regularly already, that may change with the new ownership, but they are shifting to a greater emphasis on drive through. We are really hoping that they reevaluate the menu, decrease the number of menu options and tighten up the quality. Growing my family absolutely loved the onion rings, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents made so many of those damn things over the years. The brand needs to get back to basics and focus on what made it successful in the first place.

Yes, this is a company-owned Sonic.

At least they own the land and building.

23rd between Indiana and Gatewood Ave has been narrowed to two lanes for the past 3-4 weeks for resurfacing. There have been absolutely zero traffic issues during this time. I've noticed this while driving this stretch multiple times a day including 8am and 5pm rush hour.

Is there any type of discussion or desire at the city level to implement a road diet for streets like these? Two way traffic with a center turn lane and new bike lanes would be perfect for this area. Crossing 23rd or Classen is still a daunting task and a hindrance to the success of Uptown.

One of the guests on Steve's chat inquired about the old pawn shop next to Pizza 23, asking if it was still to become a cycling fitness center. Steve's answer:

"Dallas-based Zyn 22 signed a lease and landlord Andy Burnett reports the cycle studio has paid rent for the past two years. But the building remains empty. Burnett reports he is now in talks with two other prospective tenants to take the place of Zyn 22."
This is utterly baffling to me. Zyn 22 has paid rent on this place for two years, but then, after having never even opened, they decide they're not interested?? Does this happen more than I realize? Because it seems like a collosal waste of money for Zyn. While we're taking about this property, anybody know of who might be going here instead?