Very exciting to see this moving forward! I think this is going to be an amazing project.

Seems like this would be a great place for law offices.

Interesting. Indeed it seems like it would be a good fit, now that I think about it.

This is going to represent another big chunk of new Class A space, and it will indeed be perfect for law offices.

Maybe Crowe and Dunlevy should look at it if Continental goes after their current space... I doubt they want to move, but it could be a plus / plus absorption of some class A space.

Someone should suggest that to whoever's doing the leasing for the JR building. Excellent idea.

New rendering for the proposed parking garage that seems to have meeting / event space on the top level:



http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/7970d1401384791-journal-record-building-jrgarage.jpg


Previous version:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/5174d1386248578-journal-record-building-r620-bb791f81edad94c0bd5d6b246535028f.jpg

Nice

I believe Spartan has said before me on this site, but me likey.

Wow. Can a parking garage be called stunning?

Any idea when it will start?

New rendering for the proposed parking garage that seems to have meeting / event space on the top level:



http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/7970d1401384791-journal-record-building-jrgarage.jpg


Previous version:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/5174d1386248578-journal-record-building-r620-bb791f81edad94c0bd5d6b246535028f.jpg


Talk about completely changing a street segment. If this garage and the journal record go through as planned, the combination of them and the new law school will transform those two blocks on Robinson.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow, I love it. I would have been more than pleased with the first rendering they put out, but they managed to outdo themselves with the new rendering.

Let's hope it happens.

As as aside, I think some office space with an exterior like what their first garage rendering showed would be a nice addition in Midtown.

Wow! That is really nice. It is hard to tell if that is retail space of just display windows but either way, it gives some character to the sidewalk. Also, is it just me or is there a hint of the old YMCA in there as well?

http://okcmod.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/image097.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/7970d1401384791-journal-record-building-jrgarage.jpg

That garage should have its own thread.

I believe Spartan has said before me on this site, but me likey.

What did Spartan say?

What did Spartan say?
Young said something like "me likey" on another post and I thought it was somewhat humorous so I stole it. U think it was you anyhow

Glad I can be an inspiration. After all, I do like.

Some things.

Terrorism Memorial Flag Needs New Home - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25929541/terrorism-memorial-flag-needs-new-home)

The old version makes me think of Whole Foods...lol.

It still saddens me that we lost such a jewel of Bauhaus design when the Y came down. The place had fallen under hard times and really was going to need an injection of money to bring it back before the bombing though.

Major props on the garage design. I'm amazed that that kind of effort is being put into a nice design. Just hope they don't charge double to make up for it :)

so what is the deal here? When is this supposed to start? This was awesome along with its garage, is it still happening?

They have received approval for millions in incentives and I suspect they are still trying to finalize all their financing.

They have received approval for millions in incentives and I suspect they are still trying to finalize all their financing.

Are you optimistic they'll be able to secure it all?

I really don't know any details but do know that they recently reworked the design for the parking garage which tells me this is still moving forward.

Also, their incentives were only approved a few months ago.

What happening with this?

They probably saw the parking that Hines is building and decided against doing this project to a high standard.

This project is finally moving forward again; they had to adjust their financing and they are going to do the improvements in phases.

This is from the OKC Economic Development Trust agenda:


On December 5, 2013, the Downtown/MAPS Tax Increment District No. 2 Review Committee convened and approved a resolution recommending approximately $4,750,000 for assistance in development financing for the proposed $26.7 million Journal Record Building Redevelopment Project ("Project") which consists of the redevelopment of 105,726 square feet of office space in the Journal Record Building and the development of a minimum 409 space parking garage. Subsequently, on December 17, 2013, the City Council approved a resolution allocating $4,750,000 in TIF for the Project, with $3,000,000 being allocated for the parking garage and $1,750,000 for the Journal Record Building redevelopment.

On February 11, 2014, the City Council approved an Economic Development Agreement with the Developer of the Journal Record Building and at that time, the Developer planned to access federal and state historic tax credits along with New Market Tax Credits to fill the financial gap for the redevelopment of the historic building.

After months of due diligence, the Developer has determined that tax credits will not work and has revised the Project's funding plan. The Amended and Restated Agreement requires the Developer to increase his original equity contribution from approximately $1.5 million to $7 million in order to fund the build out of approximately 30,000 square feet (sf) of the building. Upon completion of this 30,000 sf, along with the building and subsequent leasing of an additional 20,000 sf, $1,250,000 in TIF funds will be provided on a pro rata basis to accompany private loan proceeds to build out the remaining floor space. TIF funds totaling $3,000,000 will be provided concurrently to build the 409 space parking garage and such funds will be provided pro rata with the private loan proceeds. Upon completion and occupancy of 75% of the building, as well as completion of the parking garage, the remaining balance of $500,000 in TIF will be provided to the Developer.

Bummer... if it was just a few feet to the east, it would fall in a Census tract with 80% poverty.

Raising the stakes: OKC Council changes incentives to refurbish Journal Record Building
By: Brian Brus The Journal Record June 2, 20150

OKLAHOMA CITY – City Council members approved Tuesday an amended agreement worth several million dollars for the redevelopment of the Journal Record Building downtown and construction of a nearby parking garage.

Developer JRB Holdings LLC is increasing its original planned investment from $1.5 million to $7 million, officials said, while City Hall’s financial commitment remains the same, with changes in how payouts are timed.

City Manager Jim Couch said the project is one of the best examples of the “but-for” policy underlying the use of a tax increment financing district – redevelopment in the area is unlikely to occur but for the city’s investment in the property.

“This is one of the harder projects we’ve done; this may make the Skirvin look easy,” he said, referring to the historic downtown hotel that sat vacant for years before the city arranged for a $54 million renovation in 2006. “We’ve had I don’t know how many false starts on this building. It’s upside-down financially. It’s a marginal building.

“But it’s a building that has to be saved because of the emotional ties to the memorial (park next door),” Couch said. “It’s a very challenging project, and it would not be redeveloped without TIF.”

In late 2013, a review committee recommended that the City Council approve about $4.75 million in assistance for the $26.7 million redevelopment of the Journal Record Building, which was badly damaged in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. That project outline involved 105,000 square feet of office space and a new 400-space parking garage at NW 10th Street and Broadway.

Officials with JRB Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heritage Wealth Management, said at the time that they planned to get federal and state historic tax credits to cover the funding shortfall in their plan. But council members were told this week that the JRB group discovered tax credits will not work after all.

The amended agreement requires the developer to increase the original equity contribution from about $1.5 million to $7 million. Upon completion of a 30,000-square-foot expansion and the leasing of 20,000 square feet, the city will provide $1.25 million in TIF funds on a pro-rata basis to accompany private loan proceeds to build out the remaining floor space.

Also, TIF funds totaling $3 million will be provided for the garage. Upon completion and 75-percent occupancy, City Hall will turn over the remaining balance of $500,000 in promised assistance.

Heritage plans to add 100,000 square feet of Class A office space. The building also houses the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
Responding to Councilman Ed Shadid’s questions about whether the garage should also be part of the package, Couch said surface parking lots are inadequate to attract additional development.

“That’s one of the challenges of building in the downtown area,” Couch said. “They can’t lease out this building without parking.”

I like to see the equity investment increased. A strong signal that this developer genuinely wants to partner with the city to make this happen.

I have learned from a source that the developers plan on removing the facade that was added around the east doors in the 40s and restore the original facade surrounding those doors. I am glad to see them returning this to the original design. Additionally, my source said that they have not plans to modify the north side.

Recently there has been a "For Lease" sign up and the lights have been on inside so I presume things are happening.

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/7970d1401384791-journal-record-building-jrgarage.jpg

Would be cool if all the new parking garages planned for the core could take on this look.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
This! This is how parking garages should look.

doesnt even look like a garage.

Wasn't able to get pictures, but the renovation is well underway.

Pete, do you know if the parking garage is still on track?

Any update on this garage?

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/7970d1401384791-journal-record-building-jrgarage.jpg

The entire project is still moving forward, just slowly.

Glad to hear that. They have started renovations of the building.

They have formally applied for the renovations and should be starting work soon.

Article in the Oklahoman said that Renzi Stone's PR firm will occupy the new top floor: LINK (http://newsok.com/former-journal-record-building-getting-new-name-new-face-in-oklahoma-city/article/5492604)

Nothing has been mentioned for a while about the proposed parking garage, but it seems to be outlined in the one site plan (lower right corner).



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jr042016.jpg


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http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jr042016e.jpg

A new story for an old building: Sixth floor of The Heritage to be all glass

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record May 19, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – Heritage Trust is planning about $40 million in renovations to the former Journal Record Building, now called The Heritage, at NW Sixth Street and N. Robinson Avenue, including the addition of an all-glass sixth floor. Robyn Zurfluh with Smith Dalia Architecture presented the addition at Thursday’s Downtown Design Review Committee meeting.

She said the addition is needed to make the building’s finance structure work.

The sixth floor will not be centered on top of the building because the unusual structural grid makes that impossible.

Built in 1923, it served as a Masonic Lodge, then the Home State Theatre, and later the office for the Journal Record Publishing Co. In 1995, it was in the backdrop of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing coverage.

Additionally, Zurfluh said, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum leaders didn’t want the addition to disrupt the site line from the memorial grounds. Therefore, the addition was set farther to the north, making it asymmetrical on the front.

The glass addition will provide light to the fifth-floor offices. Closed-off windows on the south and north sides will be reopened, and the front doors are being removed and replaced with doors more in keeping with the historic building.

“I’m very appreciative of the effort to bring the main entry back to the historical entry,” said Cory Baitz, DDRC member.

The Planning Department’s historic preservation officer, Katie Friddle, said she did not have any objection to the addition. She said her only concern was its size and how it fit in proportion to the existing building.

Although the plan calls for nothing but office space, DDRC Chairperson Betsy Brunsteter said the addition reminded her of additions to historic buildings in Washington, D.C., which are used as restaurants. She said she appreciated that it did not match the historic façade because then it was clear it was an addition.

Heritage Trust Co. co-chairman Bond Payne said construction on the new floor will start in July, and he expects it to be finished by early 2017. He said the building is 30 percent occupied, with tenants including his company and Saxum public relations firm. He said he expects occupancy to be at 50 percent by the time construction starts.

Work has finally started on this project.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/journal082816.jpg

Did they really take up the entire sidewalk with the construction fence? :rolleyes:

Did they really take up the entire sidewalk with the construction fence? :rolleyes:

Yep. I typically run down that sidewalk and they have the entire sidewalk blocked

Yep. I typically run down that sidewalk and they have the entire sidewalk blocked

Were you running in this area Sunday around 10:30AM?

Were you running in this area Sunday around 10:30AM?

Nope, not this weekend.

Renovation work has revealed the original sign:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/journalrecord100416.jpg

Parking garage planned for Journal Record building (http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=334-Parking-garage-planned-for-Journal-Record-building)

Plans have been submitted to construct a 420-space parking garage across the street from the Journal Record building which is currently under renovation.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216a.jpg

Now dubbed The Heritage, the remodeled structure will add a glass top floor and be fully redone inside and out.

The $33.2 million project received $4.75 million in tax increment financing part of which to go towards the parking structure, which will be located on the northeast corner of NW 5th and Robinson and adjacent to the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Smith Dalia Architects of Atlanta is the designer for the garage and the building.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216d.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216e.jpg


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http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/journal082816.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jr042016f.jpg

So not only is the garage completely different, they are keeping the prime corner as a surface lot for "future" building? Is there an indication of what the future building would be?

http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7970&d=1401384791

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jrpark101216a.jpg

This was an earlier image and seems to show an office building on that remaining surface lot.

It also seems to closely mimic the new garage design.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/journalrecord2new.jpg

So no retail component? Really baffles me considering the amount of people that visit the area daily and the fact that there will be a streetcar stop a block away. Here's hoping the future development on the surface lot incorporates at least some sore of street level interaction.

As far as parking garages go that's very nice; love the sandstone and black offset.

As far as parking garages go that's very nice; love the sandstone and black offset.

Agreed. It's too bad there's no retail component. I'd love to see the building from Pete's post (#110) built!

Yep, the lack of any retail or street level presence makes this a failure in my opinion.

I don't think other cities would allow this fronting the National Memorial without retail, but it all goes back to whatever the zoning/code requires on this site.

If 100% parking is allowed by the zoning, then this is it. If not, then there's a lot of wiggle room, and somebody is going to get that wiggle room (either the city or the developer)

My question, how well do we support our downtown street level stores? The metro concourse captures its share of OKC's downtown retail.

OKC isn't even trying to make CBD retail work. That said, we have some pretty decent locally-based retail in Plaza, A-Alley, and other ancillary districts that make up for it, but as far as the CBD goes, nobody can really argue OKC is even trying. The promoted highest-and-best use is SandRidge Commons and Devon garages.

Even Chicago's Magnificent Mile has parking garages here and there. You don't even notice them because they're screened and there's a ribbon of consistent ground floor retail with critical mass that you're more focused on. They didn't always have "magnificent" retail on Michigan Ave, but they started from somewhere, made a plan, and stuck to it.

excellent points ^^.

I've always suggested that OKC develop and stick to master plans WRT downtown development. ....

I'd also point out that this garage is incredibly ugly and value engineered. On one exterior side it looks like they have no screening. Even "temporary" facades (I assume they hope the corner will develop) should have decent screening.

It's little details like this that don't actually save a lot, but bring down the quality of the physical environment, and consequently constrain the investment potential of CBD real estate. That's also why Brockton/Deep Deuce/A-Alley/Midtown are more interesting and profitable than the CBD. The market has a scarcity of urban real estate that hasn't been marred by ugly parking garages. That's why there's a wasteland surrounding all the transportation land uses around Hudson//Harvey/RSK/3rd/4th/etc in the northwest corner of the CBD. There would be another dead zone in the southeast corner of the CBD if it weren't for the BNSF tracks.

I've said this before but other cities just don't tolerate bad parking garages. They have had to strictly enforce tough standards to slightly elevate the design quality. A parking garage makes so much revenue that it can't incorporate other (even profitable) uses. Said other uses are only "money losers" to the extent that you can't just park cars in the storefronts. That's why the city has to enact AND ENFORCE strong design standards for them, or else they will be built to absolutely maximize profits. Nobody goes into the parking business because they think it's beautiful or cool.

The garage will be up for review at the Downtown Design Review Committee meeting this Thursday at 10:00 am. If you aren't happy with the design of the garage please attend the and let your voice be heard. :)