I heard that too CaptDave. I am looking forward to frequenting them for lunch since I work near 49th and Western.

Vintage Coffee is moving from 150th in Edmond to 49th and Western. I hope they are successful - the owners are very nice people and will be missed in this area.

In the Igelsia center?

I am not sure about that Teo. They are renovating the space now and will open toward the end of this month.

Vintage Coffee is moving from 150th in Edmond to 49th and Western. I hope they are successful - the owners are very nice people and will be missed in this area.

They should do well there. But it was a great neighborhood place and I agree, they will be missed.

New restaurant 3,110 square foot restaurant at 4309 N Western, next to Sipgano.

They have applied to serve beer, wine and mixed drinks and will be called the Cork & Bun:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/corkandbun1.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/corkandbun2.jpg

Building permit issued today for this project.

Poked my head in there last week and they were already doing work.

Interesting study done by OU about the walkability (or lack thereof) in this district:

7 Western Avenue Walkability Challenges | The Institute for Quality Communities (http://iqc.ou.edu/2013/03/06/7-western-avenue-walkability-challenges/)

It is horribly unwalkable there. Western is very difficult to cross as well. I frequently shop at Movkingbird Manor and Heirloom Shoes, but sometimes move my car to shop across the street because it's so unappealing/feels unsafe to cross as a pedestrian

It seems like the pictures are from way distant parts of western, kind of devaluing their study. I am strongly opinionated that we need sidewalks on western from the core to Hefner RD

It seems like the pictures are from way distant parts of western, kind of devaluing their study. I am strongly opinionated that we need sidewalks on western from the core to Hefner RD

That's actually one of the better parts of Western, with several good antique stores, Heirloom Shoes, Urbane, a Date with Iris, Ketch Designs, French Cowgirl and more. It's also decidedly unwalkable, so I think it was a great choice for photos, actually.

That's the part of Western I spend the most time on. I park once and walk to all of my destinations, but I'm brave and operate on the assumption that a car wont hit me on purpose.

That's the part of Western I spend the most time on. I park once and walk to all of my destinations, but I'm brave and operate on the assumption that a car wont hit me on purpose.

This is always my working theory whenever i'm walking around in that area. I couldn't imagine having a functional or access need and safely navigating the traffic, broken sidewalks, and dirt paths.

I used to rent a home on the 1100 block of 49th st. I regularly walked/cycled everywhere from the corner store (now demolished) to VZD's which was my neighborhood pub in those days. The disjointed sidewalks and no marked pedestrian crossing zones are ludicrous in that area. There are many bus riders, shoppers, school children, diners, church goers, and neighborhood residents that are underserved by the ridiculous conditions along that part of western.

Looks like there is also a survey and more to the study: Western Avenue | The Institute for Quality Communities (http://iqc.ou.edu/western)

The stretch of Western between I-44 and 23rd is one of the more walkable areas in terms of businesses, but in terms of infrastructure it's really lacking. It has the potential to be a really really cool street if the city can get its **** together and fix all those issues.

Vintage Coffee needs your help in order to open up at their new location at 1101 NW 49th Street. Please consider being a part of this campaign.

the Renaissance of Vintage Coffee by alan k swan ? Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1087165915/the-renaissance-of-vintage-coffee)

thanks for the love! didn't know we still had fans here at okctalk, awesome!

This was a very interesting and informative article, by numbers kind of thing, about the space being wasted on Western. Lost Space on Western | The Institute for Quality Communities (http://iqc.ou.edu/2013/04/06/lost-space-on-western/)

Very interesting. Western has so much potential, but it does need significant help. I'm glad to see this analysis.

Vintage Coffee needs your help in order to open up at their new location at 1101 NW 49th Street. Please consider being a part of this campaign.

the Renaissance of Vintage Coffee by alan k swan ? Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1087165915/the-renaissance-of-vintage-coffee)

You also view and/or download the video from here:

Vintage Coffee Kickstarter on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/62823160)


http://dl.dropbox.com/s/4nxe60g9rodok7i/vc1.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/s/25haebrzsjydy37/vc3.jpg

It's been a month since the video was posted, so it's probably further along.

Drum Room at 42nd & Western should be open in about a week:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/395691_502132876508135_169223877_n.jpg


https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/946937_500890706632352_1363275523_n.jpg

It's nice that Western Avenue was able to snare this development. It'll be a great cymbal for the area
and help drum up more visitors. Be sure to dress snappy and wear a hi-hat to the opening. You can't beat it!

:sofa:

Hearing that when the Drum Room opens, Nova will be closed for remodel and open as a new concept. I was told it'll be more of a neighborhood pub, which is good news.

Good. So where will all the yuppies go?

Hearing that when the Drum Room opens, Nova will be closed for remodel and open as a new concept. I was told it'll be more of a neighborhood pub, which is good news.

I remember with John Paul Merritt (owner was talking about how NOVA was the future of OKC in 5 years). Glad he was way wrong.

I thought the food at Nova was good and not the same-o-same-o.

I have not been there in a few years but the last time I went the food was basically inedible and the service was atrocious. I have not been back.

I have not been there in a few years but the last time I went the food was basically inedible and the service was atrocious. I have not been back.

You probably weren't dressed right so they ignored you.

That is highly likely. I have never been very fashion forward. Shopping is just not my thing.

That is highly likely. I have never been very fashion forward. Shopping is just not my thing.

Me neither. That's why I only ever went there a couple of times.

Drum Room tweeted that they are now open for business. Every day til 2am, kitchen open til 1am.

Drum Room looks like the have an interesting and inventive menu, even if it is comfort food.

Look forward to a review.

The OU Institute for Quality Communities has been working with this district for pedestrian improvements.

Western Avenue | The Institute for Quality Communities (http://iqc.ou.edu/western)

Here are some of their recommendations:




http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/westernave1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/westernave2.jpg


http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/4_24WESTERNPLAN.png


http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Gatewaybeforeafter-1024x340.jpg


http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Spiralbeforeafter-1024x340.jpg


http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sipbeforeafter-1024x340.jpg


http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/novabeforeafter-1024x340.jpg

I really like what they've proposed. P180 for Western, but hopefully better managed. I like it.

As a homeowner in the area, I'm interested in what I can do to help get this plan come to fruition. Should I contact the city, or just contact the OU institute?

As a homeowner in the area, I'm interested in what I can do to help get this plan come to fruition. Should I contact the city, or just contact the OU institute?

You should plan to attend the meeting below and recruit some of your neighbors.

You might also want to contact Blair Humphreys directly.


Western Avenue Town Hall – July 11
A final town hall presentation on the Western Avenue Placemaking project will be held on Thursday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m..

When: Thursday, July 11, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Westminster Middle School Auditorium, 600 NW 44th Street
RSVP Via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1385124391700374/

Please join us as we share the results of this study with the public, including survey results, walkability audit, parking analysis, and recommendations for streetscape design and development regulations. A downloadable copy of the plan will be available for review prior to the meeting

I thought there was already a funded streetscape plan for Western?

You should plan to attend the meeting below and recruit some of your neighbors.

You might also want to contact Blair Humphreys directly.


Western Avenue Town Hall – July 11
A final town hall presentation on the Western Avenue Placemaking project will be held on Thursday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m..

When: Thursday, July 11, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Westminster Middle School Auditorium, 600 NW 44th Street
RSVP Via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1385124391700374/

Please join us as we share the results of this study with the public, including survey results, walkability audit, parking analysis, and recommendations for streetscape design and development regulations. A downloadable copy of the plan will be available for review prior to the meeting

Dang, I'll be in Wien when that meeting happens :(. I'll definitely contact Blair though.

The pedestrian improvement suggestions from OU remind me of many of the street redesigns seen in this video:

Complete Streets: It's About More Than Just Bike Lanes on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/22886687)

Which, though mainly is about the addition of bike lines to certain high volume neighborhood streets in New York , also includes changes for better pedestrian activity, such as the crosswalk islands and pedestrian plazas.

http://iqc.ou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sipbeforeafter-1024x340.jpg

[/center]

I like the baby stroller parked in front of Sipango.

Mama needs her juice!

I like the baby stroller parked in front of Sipango.

Mama needs her juice!

Thanks for the laugh!

I think Western could become very similar to Bardstown Road in Louisville - but better with these improvements.

After a long delay, Vintage Coffee opens tomorrow at 6am. They are on the NW corner of 49th and Western.

What's the latest on the streetscape progressing forward?

Here is an update by Molly Fleming with the Journal Record.


OKLAHOMA CITY – The Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma has looked at what it would take to make part of N. Western Avenue a walkable area of the city.

It has numbers. It has graphs. It has survey results. Starting next week, IQC Executive Director Blair Humphreys and Western Avenue Project Manager Shane Hampton will be meeting with city engineers to discuss the implementation of the results of the study.

But putting that plan into action could take a little longer than expected. The district between NW 36th and NW 48th streets sits in the zone of Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid, who is also running for the office of Oklahoma City mayor.

“It’s very political,” Humphreys said.

As part of the 2007 General Obligation Bond Package, the institute was hired by the city to examine what could be done to improve Western Avenue and make it more pedestrian-friendly. An initial meeting with residents, Hampton said, revealed that they wanted the area to be a place where they could walk around, do some window shopping, and enjoy dinner on a patio.

“They hired the right people because that’s exactly what we wanted it to be as well,” Humphreys said.

Hampton said one of the biggest changes that would help the district – with very little cost – would be changing the speed limit and putting up signage for the major shopping corridors, such as between NW 41st and 46th streets. He said the signage would alert people that they are entering a specific area and need to be cautious for activity.

In a survey with shop owners, Humphreys said, one of the biggest concerns was parking. Metered parking with the money from the meters could go to Western Avenue improvements, he said. The shop owners seemed to be on board with the idea.

Humphreys said the idea could be adapted in other districts that are seeing parking issues.

The existing parking in the district is not helping with walkability. Some designated walking areas are blocked by vehicles, causing some people to walk along the street.

Widened sidewalks would not only help meet compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but also provide space for restaurants to place tables outside. They would be able to add more seating without construction costs.

The study found there is enough space for 5,540 feet of sidewalk, or 200 outdoor tables, between NW 41st and 46th streets.

The institute keeps a blog of its work on the project, which can be found at Western Avenue | The Institute for Quality Communities (http://iqc.ou.edu/western).

As much as free parking is a great thing, this would be a step in the right direction. I can only hope this happens and is carried over to Uptown, Midtown, and other emerging districts. If we could only keep politics out of this...

Cool map of shops and services:

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1471919_769875419705547_267338672_n.png

Any updates on the streetscape plan?

Also - Nova closed, I heard Deep Fork is keeping the lease and will open an "Irish Pub", calling it their "superior concept to Whiskey Cake." Pete any info?

...Also - Nova closed, I heard Deep Fork is keeping the lease and will open an "Irish Pub", calling it their "superior concept to Whiskey Cake." Pete any info?

Check the Barrel thread.

Any updates on the streetscape plan?

Also - Nova closed, I heard Deep Fork is keeping the lease and will open an "Irish Pub", calling it their "superior concept to Whiskey Cake." Pete any info?

Yeah, as Urbanized hinted to, it's called Barrel, it's open and I don't know if I'd call it an Irish Pub.

In Oklahoma City, Western Avenue merchants marketing on community | News OK (http://newsok.com/in-oklahoma-city-western-avenue-merchants-marketing-on-community/article/5368129)

Western renovation: City provides $1M for shopping district streetscapes | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/12/19/western-renovation-city-provides-1m-for-shopping-district-streetscapes-general-news/)

Western renovation: City provides $1M for shopping district streetscapes | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/12/19/western-renovation-city-provides-1m-for-shopping-district-streetscapes-general-news/)Can anyone post this article? I still don't have sub.

Can anyone post this article? I still don't have sub.

Here you go, sorry I am so late:

Western renovation: City provides $1M for shopping district streetscapes

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record December 19, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – Years of research, merchant feedback and planning came to a head Tuesday as the Oklahoma City Council approved $1 million toward a streetscape project for the N. Western Avenue retail and restaurant corridor.

The funds represent Ward 2’s portion of $8 million set aside in the annual budgeting process that allowed each representative to identify a project to receive funding. Councilman Ed Shadid said market research on Western suggests the corridor has become a significant gathering point for the community, so the streetscaping will have a much larger effect than just the merchants between NW 41st and NW 45th streets.

Shadid said the planned package of upgrades, which includes street resurfacing and sidewalk enhancements, will significantly transform the area in much the same manner as Project 180 revamped the downtown business district. He said that painful experience on the latter project will help shape the work schedule on Western: Only one block will be under construction at a time in order to reduce the effects on customer traffic.

Shadid said the Western corridor differs from streetscape work in the Plaza District because Western had already proven itself as a vital business magnet, whereas the Plaza was still attracting builders and occupants.

Kim Cooper-Hart, program manager for the city’s Commercial District Revitalization Program, said the Western corridor is a good example of the challenge city planners face as business development drives the need to retrofit corridors to handle more traffic than initially envisioned.

“The city has planning processes and zoning that tries to anticipate trends and impact,” she said. “Some areas grow a little faster than we have funds to adapt. Certainly with Western Avenue, this was foreseen back in 2007.

“These corridors develop into wonderful magnets for people, and our response is that we want to keep those areas as safe and walkable as possible,” Cooper-Hart said. “All of these areas want people to come and stay for a while, and we can help with that by giving them public spaces to congregate.”

Cooper-Hart said City Hall must be responsive to market forces and help shape the infrastructure that stakeholders need rather than using strict policy to force development into a preset plan.

“It’s important to support a unified vision in which people believe something can actually be done, that it’s in their power to help an area transform,” she said. “Sometimes people think there are invisible forces at work behind the scenes, but when you look more closely, it happens because a lot of people rolled up their sleeves and made it happen.”

For a list of the city’s recognized commercial districts and destinations, visit http://www.okc.gov/Planning/cdrp/.

By the way, if you ever come across a JR article and it hasn't been posted yet, feel free to message me and ask me to do it. Pete has done it multiple times and I am happy to do it. Depending on what is going on, it might take me a day or so, but I will get around to it. This isn't directed specifially at you PP, but anyone that wants to see an article from the JR.

I guess the JR is cool with posting articles behind the paywall and the DOK is not with articles that are "free"?

From Oklahoma City's Facebook page:


Beginning Feb. 16, Western Avenue between NW 41 and NW 42 Street will be reduced to one lane, south bound traffic only.

Crews will be working on the Western Avenue streetscape project, which includes construction of an enhanced streetscape from NW 41 to NW 45 Street.

Crews will begin on the east side of Western Avenue between NW 41 and NW 42 St. Construction will be completed one half-block at a time before proceeding north to the next block. Once the crews complete the east side, they will switch to the west side moving north to south.

Each half-block is anticipated to take six weeks.

The Western Avenue project is funded by the City’s 2007 Bond Issue and the City’s General Fund.

- https://www.facebook.com/cityofokc/posts/10152588475472312

I like the way they are phasing it. This is an improvement from P180. I cringed hard when I read where Shadid said this streetscape was gonna do P180 to Western Ave. Lol...

I just hope it is in cement. If they asphalt, that will suck.

I attended a meeting yesterday regarding the beginning stages of street music festival. It will be called West Fest and is planned for Saturday, September 19th. It will be located on Western between the blocks of 42nd and 45th.

Very cool to see something like this come to Western Ave.

The project manager for the redesign - Shane Hampton from the OU Institute for Quality Communities - worked for me during his undergraduate and graduate work at OU. I take full credit for any awesomeness that he is a part of. You're welcome, OKC. ;)

I just hope it is in cement. If they asphalt, that will suck.

I prefer concrete...