development
|category1=Shopping Centers
|category2=
|category3=Midtown
|category4=
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|project=
|address=1120 N Classen Dr. (http://g.co/maps/nnhf4)
|status=complete
|owner=Midtown Renaissance
|cost=
|architect=
|start=
|finish=
|contractor=
|height=2 floors
|sq. feet=38,501
|acerage=1.01
|other=
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|image=http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/plazacourt1.jpg
|

Information & Latest News
Tenants

McNellie's
Irma's
Prairie Thunder
YMCA
Stash (http://stashok.com/)

Links
County Assessor Record (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R045806570)
Midtown Renaissance (http://midtownr.com/ViewProperty.aspx?id=24)
Doug Loudenback article (http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/vintage_plazacourt.htm)
Gallery

Does anyone know where Desmond Mason's art gallery ended up going?

Does anyone know where Desmond Mason's art gallery ended up going?

His studio is in the plaza court building Ground floor

Just left (west) of Subway. Been there a long time.

I always look for it but never spot it. Which side of Prairie Thunder?

Plaza court to get new landscaping plus some improved screen elements for the parking garage and an outdoor seating area:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/plazacourt8713a.jpg

This parking strip has always been a nightmare.

Now if only they could do all of this and build a similar building on the EMSA lot west of it.

Parking re-striped to 85 inches..? 7 foot parking spots is way too narrow.

Now if only they could do all of this and build a similar building on the EMSA lot west of it.

That property was one of the targeted sites for "impact redevelopment" by the new Midtown Plan.

Hope that happens some day.

There is a new retail tenant in Plaza Court called Stash:

http://stashok.com/

https://www.facebook.com/shopstashokc

https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1005938_236489949866312_666282442_n.jpg

Awesome. That is a great store out of Norman. They usually participate in all of the PopUp and other events that Allison Bailey coordinates. I tried to get them to join our marketplace tenants when we had that, but they just weren't ready to do it. Fantastic addition to downtown.

I'm very impressed with how much retail is coming downtown...and it's been a very silent wave, that will keep growing.

I'm very impressed with how much retail is coming downtown...and it's been a very silent wave, that will keep growing.

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

I'm in the process of compiling a directory of urban retailers because it's getting to be a long list.

All locals. A number of years ago, when criticism of specifically Bricktown's lack of retail success was at a fever pitch on this board, I predicted that locals would first have to pioneer retail in downtown, and that their successes - combined with increasing housing in the core - would ultimately the formula for attracting the nationals (the only thing that the other posters were interested in at the time). I was shouted down for my trouble. Times have definitely changed here AND in downtown itself.

^

Very wise.

And suddenly, CVS wants in on the action.

To support retail you have to have rooftops, with the exception being destination retail. Nobody is going to drive downtown to shop at a CVS or a grocery store, but now that there are people living downtown and a lot more coming, it is starting to make more sense.

The irony related to my previous post is that when nationals and destination-type retail do arrive downtown, they are most likely to land in Bricktown or somewhere closely adjacent, for a number of reasons. A few years ago that would have been coveted, but I think most people now understand how much character local retail adds, and how valuable a concentration of good local retail is.

As someone connected to Bricktown, I am of course happy to contemplate the added foot traffic they will generate, but I won't lie; I'm a tad jealous when I see all of the great local stuff popping elsewhere. Well, as envious as you can be while still being excited for them and for downtown as a whole.

I'll be posting my Urban Retail List soon, but not including restaurants and services, I have 82 businesses on the list and I'm sure I've missed some.

Stash has a great selection of stuff. A fair bit pricey perhaps, but totally worth it. We happened on it randomly awhile back bought an awesome hand-cut Oklahoma-shaped cutting board. Can't stop staring at it in our kitchen (and I hardly cook)!

Ive never seen a more ghetto sign than the one at Stash.

Plaza court to get new landscaping plus some improved screen elements for the parking garage and an outdoor seating area:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/plazacourt8713a.jpg

Whatever happened with this proposal?

To support retail you have to have rooftops, with the exception being destination retail. Nobody is going to drive downtown to shop at a CVS or a grocery store, but now that there are people living downtown and a lot more coming, it is starting to make more sense.

No **** Sherlock.

Whatever happened with this proposal?I to would like to know

This was just posted on the Stash Facebook page:


It has been a blast serving you, OKC. We are closing our extended pop-up shop in Midtown. Look for our online shop to go live this summer + for us to pop-up this winter in OKC! Thank you for all the love and support. We hope you'll come see us at the Norman shop very soon!

This was just posted on the Stash Facebook page:

I was just talking to Della and Rebecca about this on Friday night in Norman. They emphasized their struggle in Midtown but I had no idea it would happen this quick, if at all. It's too bad, I wanted them to succeed in that location.

Best of luck to them in the world of E-commerce.

Retail seems to be having a problem in this location. This and Grpfly went in just as fast as they went out. Won't this scare other retail companies away?

^

Plaza Court is still almost completely full.

Right across the street at 1112 N. Walker they are converting former office space for several new tenants: Trade Menswares, Chirps and Cheers (stationery and gifts), a pizza place and a dental office.

If I were ever going to open another retail establishment, right now I would limit my downtown location search to Automobile Alley, which has retail density and ease of access, OR Bricktown, which has the foot traffic of all of the other districts combined. The concept would depend upon which market I was courting, OR the market I courted would depend upon the concept, if that makes any sense. Retail in the other districts is still a pretty dicey proposition, I think. Stash would probably still be rolling in downtown had it located in either AA or Bricktown.

I agree with you. Hopefully someone is telling people that. But yet Trade is moving from AA to MT.

If I wanted to open up a retail location in Midtown, I would personally wait until the Edge, Lift, and the Metropolitan are all online. Retail will soon become a lot more successful very quickly once you have all those people living there.

I'm sure people staying at the Ambassador hotel want to see some strong retail options within walking distance to where they're staying. All the food options nearby are nice, but you can only eat so much...

The trouble is that you can't expect to succeed in retail appealing to such a relatively tiny group of potential customers. Retail has to be where the people are. Or where the other retailers are.

I'm sure people staying at the Ambassador hotel want to see some strong retail options within walking distance to where they're staying. All the food options nearby are nice, but you can only eat so much...

Unfortunately there aren't enough people staying at that small hotel consistently enough to support retail. There has to be more permanent residences in the district to be able to support it. Fortunately, that is coming very soon.

Retail seems to be having a problem in this location. This and Grpfly went in just as fast as they went out. Won't this scare other retail companies away?

LOL, let's be honest, it's not exactly a great retail location, retail needs a cluster to survive, unless your a destination retailer with a large advertising budget, or a reputation (general chains, but also they usually have both!). When I eat a hamburger for lunch at Irma's, I'm not going to want to go by a T-shirt or niche gift every time I eat lunch. But if I work at say St. Anthony's, I may eat lunch out 5 days a week in Midtown (but may shop at a niche/boutique retailer MAYBE once a month.

Now if there were 10 retailers next to each other, it might give me reason to shop in a certain area more often. Developments need to be planned out, tenant wise. No surprise when something doesn't make it when it's haphazard/poor location planning either by fault of the SMB or the developer/landlord. Food is a high frequency purchase, retail less so, and niche retail even less frequent purchasing pattern, so it needs critical mass to survive. As Urbanized would say, a rising tide raises all ships and theres simply not enough tide yet for niche retail to work w/o retail anchors and more rooftops (in progress on the latter).

Right on metro

The problem with Stash is that I never felt like it belonged in Midtown. I can go to the Plaza District and find two or four retail establishments just like Stash. A hipster cluster, if you will. In the Midtown Plaza somehow it didn't make sense.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt092515.jpg

So, none of the improvements are being followed through with? I work at Irma's, and about the most they've done recently is lay down some new asphalt in the parking lot.

Bad drive-by photo but they've started work on the landscaping and improvement project:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt021116.jpg

I've noticed this work driving by, and hopeful that they are replacing that redundant driveway entrance with some outdoor dining perhaps? A patio would work great there.

This is the approved plan:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/plazacourt8713a.jpg

Excellent. It appears that is the intent.

So, does this mean a patio for McNellies? Great news of so.

^

I believe that is correct.

That one area is specifically for outdoor seating but might be for general use, such as people who get things to go from Irma's or Prairie Thunder.

This is the new patio outside of McNellies... Quite a bit bigger than I had thought.

Should add a lot of life to the area and roundabout:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt022716.jpg

Great move on their part. A patio with people on it is the best type of open sign.

I still wish they (or a different operator) would do a rooftop bar there. It is the best unrealized opportunity for a rooftop in downtown, IMO.

The old Plaza Court sign might be in the way of a rooftop bar. But yes, I think it'd be very cool, too. It appears they used to allow parking along the top of that building. There's already a second level of parking, but up there you can see another vehicle ramp going to the top of the building that's been chained off for some time.

^^^^^^
The sign only takes up a small footprint compared to the massive, unutilized deck, and could probably even be worked somehow into the design. And yes, that rooftop used to be used for parking but has been chained off since redevelopment of the building several years ago. Use would require some HVAC reconfig and probably a deck of some sort, as I think there is now a traditional roof membrane laid down on top of what once was parking deck.

Looks like the patio is paved in time for tomorrow's colossal St. Patty's day festivities at McNellie's (from https://twitter.com/AmbassadorOKC ):

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

This is the area under the parking ramp along Walker where they are creating a new retail space.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt053016.jpg

Not sure if this is all part of a master plan or just individual developers maximizing their properties, but I really love how this addition and the addition of the space next Louie's will enhance the walkability along Walker. Fantastic work on both projects.

^

All those properties are owned by Midtown Renaissance and they most definitely have been working towards making Walker the Main Street of Midtown.

Very neat use of space - and it will definitely add more to this section of Walker. I like it!

Out of curiosity, is there any chance that they'll reopen the rooftop parking? I bet not since satellite pictures show a ton of HVAC and building mechanical up there, but the parking over here is nearly always a hot mess and it would be nice to have the extra spaces.

Here's the new retail space created in the garage area.

12782

These are the two new retail spaces they have created along Walker.

On the left is Nhu Avenue, a woman's store. On the right will be Commonplace Books. Above on the 2nd level is McNellie's.

In Dan's picture above, that will be a shoe store called The Laboratory, also newly created along Walker.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt091516.jpg

This is along Walker looking south with the Laboratory space in the foreground:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/plazacourt091516b.jpg

Any chance the patio was designed for a deck? Possibilities of McNellies opening up and creating a patio?

Any chance the patio was designed for a deck? Possibilities of McNellies opening up and creating a patio?

No, that is not part of this design -- at least the one that approved by design review.

They do have that large patio facing the round-a-bout but no tables or chairs out there.

Such great work. Adding these spaces will really start to make retail more viable along Walker.