Saw some workers here on Friday, not sure if they're starting or if scoping out the place just yet, but the building looks more active than it has been.

They have yet to submit design plans for renovation but that should happen sometime soon.

Steve's update.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5353685?embargo=1


Decades of paint, a “modern” facade added in the 1960s, and other indignities suffered by the Main Street Arcade will be removed over the next few weeks as developer David Wanzer begins work to bring it back to its roots as a retail and office hub.

Such changes will allow for up to 11 retail tenants to open on the 13,505-square-foot first floor. Wanzer also is negotiating a lease with a restaurant group to anchor the east corner of the building. He hopes to attract a single office tenant to occupy the 16,257-square-foot second floor.

Love the renderings!

Woah. This is amazing. Can't believe it hasn't gotten more attention. Don't think it will have any problem attracting tenants.

Renovation of an Oklahoma City downtown retail hub will strip away 'improvements' | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/renovation-of-an-oklahoma-city-downtown-retail-hub-will-strip-away-improvements/article/5353685)

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r620-fdc9491de029353cb6f36e6d60622f81.jpg

Renovation of an Oklahoma City downtown retail hub will strip away 'improvements' | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/renovation-of-an-oklahoma-city-downtown-retail-hub-will-strip-away-improvements/article/5353685)

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r620-fdc9491de029353cb6f36e6d60622f81.jpg

They even rendered a Sid Burgess look-alike into the image.

Renovation of an Oklahoma City downtown retail hub will strip away 'improvements' | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/renovation-of-an-oklahoma-city-downtown-retail-hub-will-strip-away-improvements/article/5353685)

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r620-fdc9491de029353cb6f36e6d60622f81.jpg

Beautiful.

Here are some detailed renderings:



http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/9312d1413565280-main-street-arcade-arcadenewest2.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/9313d1413565281-main-street-arcade-arcadenewest1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/9311d1413565280-main-street-arcade-arcadenewest3.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/9310d1413565279-main-street-arcade-arcadenewest4.jpg

From Steve's chat:

Bob - 11:35 a.m. Can the Arcade Building project be successful without some additional parking in the area. Parking there is very tight right now.

Steve Lackmeyer - 11:35 a.m. Yes. Because we will soon hear of a garage to be built nearby.

Pete, any idea what he is talking about? The parking lot to the south and west is the police parking lot and my wife said they have no plans to do anything with that in the future. It could be the large lot south of this, but I have no knowledge of who owns that. Once the new Municipal building is built, the old one is set to be torn down, I believe. Maybe that is where it would go?

Yes, the police department owns a small surface lot to the east of the Arcade and west of Grace Cleaners.

They are planning to do a small parking structure with retail/office on the ground floor.

Here is the site:

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

Yes, the police department owns a small surface lot to the east of the Arcade and west of Grace Cleaners.

They are planning to do a small parking structure with retail/office on the ground floor.

When you say small, how many stories are you talking about? Five?

When you say small, how many stories are you talking about? Five?

The police lot is only .5 acres; for comparison the 123 Garage in Auto Alley is .64.

I suspect it will be similar in size: 3 to 5 stories.

Fingers crossed for an Einstein Bagel! This would be a perfect place for one!

Steve posted a photo on Twitter showing the ugly paint is now gone, showing the red brick. Already looks better.

Steve posted a photo on Twitter showing the ugly paint is now gone, showing the red brick. Already looks better.

https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/status/539838874915438593/photo/1

Love this building!

And know David Wanzer & Co. will do a fantastic job.

This doesn't get enough pub. IMO this and 21c are the best 2 projects currently underway in OKC. Hard to argue against the steelyard though.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7V-p5ZIQAEITIR.jpg:large

This looks great, but I can't wait to see the pink stacked stone go too.

How is it that smaller projects like this spend the time and effort for restoration yet $100+ million dollar projects would rather demolish what is there and build new?

How is it that smaller projects like this spend the time and effort for restoration yet $100+ million dollar projects would rather demolish what is there and build new?

You answered your own question. Smaller projects can integrate old buildings into it by refurbishing. New projects, especially large scale ones can integrate old buildings but often times it's cheaper to demolish.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7V-p5ZIQAEITIR.jpg:large

Zoowee mama! That looks fan-freakin-tastic.

Amazing we didn't tear this one down too. We're going to have these great districts around downtown and a dead CBD.

Amazing we didn't tear this one down too. We're going to have these great districts around downtown and a dead CBD.

And that's how it'll be. Ive given up on the CBD. Let the oilmen play with their CBD. The things going on in virtually every other district are contributing to our urban revival more than Devon and Co.

The Devon vilification is growing old. Did they drop the ball on this one? 100% yes, but come on...I guess you miss that bland disgusting parking garage they replaced with a world class sky scraper, not to mention the charitable contribution they make for this city and state. Once again not saying what they are doing on the preftakes block is acceptable, but its private property for a private entity being paid for without assistance. Time to move on.

This main street arcade looks SO amazing though! Love this!

Okc has currently been going through a Renaissance of refurbishment of old buildings, which has led to great districts. Does anybody have any idea in #s how many more buildings in okc could possibly still receive a "star treatment"? Ugly ducklings in the city that could turn in to beautiful swans. We've got to be getting close to the end at least around downtown.

January 15 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157649899630649/

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15668190324_53b2bed36f_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8638/16288820561_190d7a6e3e_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8681/15670738203_1bc740cc3a_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8669/16290605955_57aa8d3dbe_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7499/16289776282_c651727375_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8567/16290606485_2343de193e_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7464/15668193294_1c695747fd_b.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8639/16103076548_3a25b02ea6_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7566/16264683256_faefaa6961_b.jpg

Amazing we didn't tear this one down too. We're going to have these great districts around downtown and a dead CBD.
That's hilarious. I just walked down there and it was full of life today. IT IS A BUSINESS DISTRICT btw.

That's hilarious. I just walked down there and it was full of life today. IT IS A BUSINESS DISTRICT btw. and at night it's dead........

and at night it's dead........Yeah, a lot of CBD's are like that. Same thing with a suburban office complex. There are tons of small districts that aren't dead. I don't see the big deal about the central business district loosing activity after 10.

It won't be because all these parking spaces will open up after 5 and its in a great spot on the streetcar southern loop for park and ride. It will mean a lot more to the success of the streetcar than Santa fe Station, when the only real reason to go there is if you're taking the streetcar to get on the Heartland Flyer...

I love Santa Fe station and the plans as a transit hub but if you leave out what will always be the preferred option of travel for the masses, You're going to greatly limit it...

Yeah, a lot of CBD's are like that. Same thing with a suburban office complex. There are tons of small districts that aren't dead. I don't see the big deal about the central business district loosing activity after 10.

While it's not the end of the world, it's just a shame because it didn't have to be that way. I see this as the PEI plan of this millenium. We've torn down almost every vintage building left in the CBD as well as the Stage Center. And we're replacing them with a bunch of glass boxes with no interaction with the street or pedestrians. I just don't see empty at night as a good thing personally.

While it's not the end of the world, it's just a shame because it didn't have to be that way. I see this as the PEI plan of this millenium. We've torn down almost every vintage building left in the CBD as well as the Stage Center. And we're replacing them with a bunch of glass boxes with no interaction with the street or pedestrians. I just don't see empty at night as a good thing personally.

And at a time when our states economy is very fragile. There is no guarantee any of these buildings get built.

Having no life in the CBD after work hour matters because:

1. You have a decent amount of people staying in hotels in and near the district (which is only going to increase) and it gives visitors a very bad impression.

2. It's creates a big black hole, barrier and lost opportunity to fuel the other districts.

3. Tens of thousands of people who work in the district generally just get in their car and leave after work instead of staying, spending money, creating life.

Having no life in the CBD after work hour manages because:

1. You have a decent amount of people staying in hotels in and near the district (which is only going to increase) and it gives visitors a very bad impression.

2. It's creates a big black hole, barrier and lost opportunity to fuel the other districts.

3. Tens of thousands of people who work in the district generally just get in their car and leave after work instead of staying, spending money, creating life.

The best thing about last night, besides the fact that I got to eat with friends at what many are now calling B-10 (Broadway 10), is that when I looked around the restaurant I saw that well over 50% of the people in it were likely residents of Edmond, Quail Creek and Nichols Hills. It was a Thursday night, there was no big event downtown and people were either staying downtown (unlikely because of all the older women there) or coming back downtown to have dinner. That's a sea change that I've not experienced at any other restaurant in OKC, including Red Prime or any other the other better restaurants downtown. It's easy to get to, Broadway is an inviting street without blank glass walls and the food is excellent. Places like it change attitudes. Just wait until they can eat there and take the streetcar to a Thunder game or the Civic Center. Maybe we are getting closer to downtown being a destination for a lot of people again, not just the millenials who mainly live there.

^

Good Egg's dinner business at Kitchen no. 324 is picking up, and that's another good sign.

Having no life in the CBD after work hour matters because:

1. You have a decent amount of people staying in hotels in and near the district (which is only going to increase) and it gives visitors a very bad impression.

2. It's creates a big black hole, barrier and lost opportunity to fuel the other districts.

3. Tens of thousands of people who work in the district generally just get in their car and leave after work instead of staying, spending money, creating life.

The First National Center sized hole smack dab in the middle of the CBD along with the empty Dowell Center down the street aren't helping things. If First National can become a living and breathing part of the CBD again as a mixed use development and Dowell was converted to residential, I think the street life would greatly improve.

The First National Center sized hole smack dab in the middle of the CBD along with the empty Dowell Center down the street aren't helping things. If First National can become a living and breathing part of the CBD again as a mixed use development and Dowell was converted to residential, I think the street life would greatly improve.

This is true.

Parkside Building opening will help as well.

While it's not the end of the world, it's just a shame because it didn't have to be that way. I see this as the PEI plan of this millenium. We've torn down almost every vintage building left in the CBD as well as the Stage Center. And we're replacing them with a bunch of glass boxes with no interaction with the street or pedestrians. I just don't see empty at night as a good thing personally.
I understand and I actually agree with you.

...
3. Tens of thousands of people who work in the district generally just get in their car and leave after work instead of staying, spending money, creating life.

True, as far as it goes. A fair number of those people do however hit other nearby dining or entertainment or shopping venues on the way home, or while it doesn't benefit OKC proper, do the same sort of spending once they return to the community where they sleep.

When I worked in south OKC for a couple of years, I tried to split up my spending. Felt a bit of obligation to contribute both to the community where the work hours were spent, but also had my obligation to where I resided and still had one child in school.

Looks like they are kicking things into gear. Thanks to Will for the photo.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade081815.jpg

And thanks to Steve for his video interview with David Wanzer about this project.

OKC Central blog player (http://bcove.me/d96hyutt)

From https://twitter.com/dtOKCbuilds:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPIMrftU8AAVwPk.jpg

Walked by this yesterday. It is going to look so great with the glass front! Cannot wait for this! Main street is on a roll!

The facade already looks beautiful.

Note the horrible P180 painted sidewalks that have *still* not be fixed.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade092415a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade092415b.jpg

Hey Pete now that you mention it I was going to post a while back but it wasn't only p180 crosswalks they messed up. There were multiple roads on the north side that the same thing happened and my dates could be wrong but I think it was still being applied after they knew the mix up on p180. Specifically at 150 and MacArthur they widened it and it finished almost 2 years now and the segment that had concert the paint compeletly chipped away. They just repainted it about two weeks ago, another road widening for 164th between May and penn you can barley see the middle stripe because the same thing has happened for a road that is only a few years. Again I could be wrong but I don't think they ever admitted this wasn't just a p180 mix up but something that happened all over the city.

Oh wow, that looks nice.

It's interesting how much seeing the before and after of pictures like this over the six years I've been reading this site have changed my opinion on historic preservation version demolition. Once you recognize what is possible, it becomes hard to see the valid arguments for tearing down buildings like the Film Exchange when you see what could otherwise be accomplished.

Looks fantastic.

I always forget the name of the types of fireplaces that were popular in 1920s eras homes all around the city, but I was lucky that none of my previous owners ever painted over the tile, which has several tiles which are just gorgeous. I've never understood how you can paint something that looks so good as it is.

I don't know, perhaps in the case of some of these older buildings, it ended up being a god-send because otherwise the building would have deteriorated much quicker…but it ultimately is amazing to see such an "ugly" building clean-up into something quite beautiful.

Usually painting brick is a very bad idea and offers no protection. In fact it often causes spalling, which is when moisture gets between the paint and the brick, and then through the freeze-thaw process in winter expands to crack the face off of the brick. Paint also requires upkeep, whereas brick is mostly maintenance-free for many, many decades, only requiring grout tuck pointing every 50-75 years or so. If paint isn't re-applied every few years the building takes on the appearance of decline and/or failure, so applying paint locks you into a vicious cycle. You're creating a long-term maintenance need where one did not exist previously. A terrible idea, and an expensive one too.

Paint also necessitates paint REMOVAL further down the road, and this is sometimes done too harshly by inexperienced sandblasters who permanently damage the brick's protective kiln-fired glaze, again hastening damage to the brick.

This building was probably painted in the fifties or sixties during a widespread movement to "modernize", as old brick buildings were at that point looked upon as hopelessly dated and crummy. It should be a lesson as to the intrinsic value of historic buildings vs a current trend, but unfortunately it isn't for many.

The facade already looks beautiful.

Note the horrible P180 painted sidewalks that have *still* not be fixed.

RE: bolded part. I find this infuriating. What is the story here? What are Jim Couch / Eric Wenger saying about this? This is the kind of unaccountable mediocrity that defines so much of OKC. No reason to sugar coat it.

Some new-ish renderings from Gardner Architects:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/11617d1444850576-main-street-arcade-arcade101415a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/11618d1444850576-main-street-arcade-arcade101415b.jpg

Classy!!

I've always loved this building, glad to see it is getting the type of restoration it deserves!

Beautiful.

This building is completely gutted now.

Will be fun to watch it start to be reconstructed from this point forward.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade102515a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade102515b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arcade102515c.jpg

Since we have recently discussed the perils of painting brick, what process was used to remove the paint from this building, does anyone know?