Glad it will soon be out of the hands of David Box.

Russell also said he has no plans to demolish and wants to renovate. Hope it all works out. I used to ride along with my dad when he banked at Citizens in the mid-60's.

is he going to leave the paint or try to restore it or?

Well there we go, that sounds like a great development in this story.

New Buyer Makes Offer On OKC's Historic Gold Dome - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/28697894/new-buyer-makes-offer-on-okcs-historic-gold-dome)

Oklahoma City developer buys Gold Dome | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-developer-buys-gold-dome/article/5418533)

Interestingly, Russell paid the exact same amount -- $1.1 million -- as did Box when he bought it a couple of years ago.

I would much rather Land Run focus on developing their land at 4th and Gaylord than worry about restoring the Gold Dome.

I'm hopeful that they consider developing outlying parcels along 22nd and along Western to find additional revenue streams rather than depend on the dome to cover all expenses. There is an incredible excess of parking on the site, and building out to both of those streets would solve some connectivity issues for Gatewood and Mesta/HH.

I would much rather Land Run focus on developing their land at 4th and Gaylord than worry about restoring the Gold Dome.

Rumor has it, they're about to close on the 5th & broadway garage. So there's the parking secured.

On the current topic:
In my opinion, the big discussion to be had here is what to do with the massive bank lobby with the cool ceiling. I think it would lend itself to a bullpen style office setup with systems furniture. Retail around the outside. I agree that something should replace the funky, yet, almost un-usable drive through. The parking though, if this thing gets filled up with a good tenant mix. Will be needed. The only thing that brought any traffic through that lot in 20 years was Prohibition room, so it's hard to get a feel for how many spots are needed.

For example at the rise: (if all our employees were theoretically parking at the rise) I have 15 people on a shift, Gusto has 30, and Drake has 40 - that's half the rise parking gone before a guest or client even pull up.

You don't normally think about the influx of jobs that these urban redevelopment projects bring, but retail is especially helpful in producing low income accessible jobs that really do bring up an area like this. They have also brought an influx of some better-paying jobs, too. The impact of that on an area like Paseo/Jefferson Park/Uptown or Classen Ten Penn can not be understated.

Rumor has it, they're about to close on the 5th & broadway garage. So there's the parking secured.

On the current topic:
In my opinion, the big discussion to be had here is what to do with the massive bank lobby with the cool ceiling. I think it would lend itself to a bullpen style office setup with systems furniture. Retail around the outside. I agree that something should replace the funky, yet, almost un-usable drive through. The parking though, if this thing gets filled up with a good tenant mix. Will be needed. The only thing that brought any traffic through that lot in 20 years was Prohibition room, so it's hard to get a feel for how many spots are needed.

For example at the rise: (if all our employees were theoretically parking at the rise) I have 15 people on a shift, Gusto has 30, and Drake has 40 - that's half the rise parking gone before a guest or client even pull up.

At some point in these districts, parking on the nearby streets becomes a real thing. And businesses, if they want to keep their parking lot open, need to incentivize their employees to not drive to work.

Land Run has put up their sign and covered up the Teemco name (thanks to pahdz for the photo):

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/golddome061515.jpg

New owner of Gold Dome considering turning building into grocery store | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com (http://www.koco.com/news/new-owner-of-gold-dome-considering-turning-building-into-grocery-store/35087424)

This is an interesting idea. I really hope it comes to fruition as I think it would be a great use of the building.

Hard to imagine how any of the interior could be preserved for a grocery store, and the interior is just important as the exterior.

Hard to imagine how any of the interior could be preserved for a grocery store, and the interior is just important as the exterior.

Yeah it would probably have to be gutted.

A themed restaurant or bar like the Prohibition Room used to be would probably be the best choice for preserving the interior as well as having it open to the public. I do like the idea of a grocery store though, especially since I will soon be living in that area and don't like the Wal-Mart or Buy for Less at 23rd and Penn.

New owner of Gold Dome considering turning building into grocery store | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com (http://www.koco.com/news/new-owner-of-gold-dome-considering-turning-building-into-grocery-store/35087424)

This is an interesting idea. I really hope it comes to fruition as I think it would be a great use of the building.

What would Land Run gain by making a soft announcement six months ahead of a real announcement? Scare off others looking to bring a grocer to the area? Build buzz for what the second concept could be Just let it slip?

Hard to imagine how any of the interior could be preserved for a grocery store, and the interior is just important as the exterior.

I agree. But I don't think Russell does.


He said there has been national and local interest from grocers already. He’s not sure how much of the inside will stay intact. The building has the original bank teller stands and a large vault with heavy doors. Russell said it would be up to the renter to decide what will stay or go, but the outside will remain unchanged.“It’s critically important to this community that this be maintained,” he said.
He has a second plan on the shelf if the grocery store idea doesn’t work, but he’s optimistic it will. He will announce who’s moving in in the spring of next year.

Is the Gold Dome even large enough for a full line of groceries?

I think it might work for a Sprouts or something like a Natural Grocers which aren't quite a large as a full-line supermarket.

At under 18,000 square feet on the ground floor, it's not big enough for any type of grocery, apart from maybe a Trader Joe's.

For comparison, the new Sprouts at 122nd and MacArthur is 30,000 SF.

I'm going to catch hell for this, but the Gold Dome could be an AMAZING club.

At under 18,000 square feet on the ground floor, it's not big enough for any type of grocery, apart from maybe a Trader Joe's.

For comparison, the new Sprouts at 122nd and MacArthur is 30,000 SF.

True. The only way it would be remotely feasible would be to build a complete second floor inside the dome. Some groceries are on two floors. I doubt that would be worthwhile though. Otherwise it would basically be a convenience store.

How big is the homeland at 18th and classen? Does land run own other adjacent property?

With Homeland (granted NOT what we'd prefer), Super Cao, and the Braum's fresh market (the places I shopped when I lived in the Classen, at least for small to medium trips) I'm not sure I see this as the best, highest use for this property (Gold Dome becoming a grocery). If you want to dominate the grocery market in this area, buy the land north of Homeland (where the little strip mall with the barber and locksmith are), build an uptown grocery or similar and run the Homeland out of business. In other words because of the usable space/form factor limitations, while I applaud the thought, I feel like they might be setting themselves up for another failure at the Gold Dome. With as many of those as we've had, I kinda feel like we need a homerun here.

All of that said I'll joyfully eat my words should they press forward with a grocery and do well. I just want the best for our Gold Dome.

What if instead of a grocery store there was more of a "public market" establishment? Small eateries and booths for meat/produce/cheese in an enclosed open space.

A few examples from other cities...

Milwaukee Public Market - Fresh Food. Local Vendors. (http://www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org/main.html)
West Side Market in Cleveland (http://www.westsidemarket.org/)
Home - Reading Terminal Market (http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/)
Oxbow Public Market (http://oxbowpublicmarket.com/)

Oh man I would love that. Apparently a concept like that will be going to Chisolm Creek, of all places.

Keep in mind that any retail use (as opposed to restaurants, office or something creative like a public market) would almost certainly mean gutting the interior and removing all or most of the 2nd level.

I don't see how retail is a good use of this structure, at least if saving any of the interior is a priority, which it certainly should be.

Convert it into "Thunderdome". We don't need another hero. :D

That interior is just too spectacular in my opinion to be gutted. not that someone wouldn't but WOW that would be a waste.. I even hated that prohibition room didn't really have the best space in the building. that main lobby is great and to have some good food and spirits there would be great.

The key to making the dome cash flow is in building other structures on the vastly oversized parking area - fronting Western and/or 22nd - which could/should include demo of the teller lanes. This would have the side benefit of better connecting the site to Gatewood and HH/Mesta (and those places to each other). The site itself currently just has incredibly poor land use. One big retailer inside would not remedy this, and on top of that would require major demo/reconfig inside as Pete points out, which spoils much of the dome's character, regardless of retaining the exterior.

If the outparcel was developed properly the cash flow would cover a multitude of the dome's sins (primarily ACTUAL functional obsolescence). If there were less pressure on the dome itself to perform financially, it could be home to a combination of office and restaurant/bar/retail. If it's just a big gutted/repurposed structure in the middle of a sea of parking I wouldn't consider that a win.

I think it would make a good dance club, but I am not sure that is the best and highest use of the property.

If retaining the inside is essential, then a themed bar or restaurant would be perfect. In regards to the grocery idea, if the owner does have interest from both local and national names, then they must have confidence that it can work as a grocer. I know the Harris Teeter in downtown Charlotte has a relatively small footprint but is two levels. It could be done in the Gold Dome but it would take significant reconfiguring of the space.

The key to making the dome cash flow is in building other structures on the vastly oversized parking area - fronting Western and/or 22nd - which could/should include demo of the teller lanes. This would have the side benefit of better connecting the site to Gatewood and HH/Mesta (and those places to each other). The site itself currently just has incredibly poor land use. One big retailer inside would not remedy this, and on top of that would require major demo/reconfig inside as Pete points out, which spoils much of the dome's character, regardless of retaining the exterior.

If the outparcel was developed properly the cash flow would cover a multitude of the dome's sins (primarily ACTUAL functional obsolescence). If there were less pressure on the dome itself to perform financially, it could be home to a combination of office and restaurant/bar/retail. If it's just a big gutted/repurposed structure in the middle of a sea of parking I wouldn't consider that a win.

Agree with all of this but you can tell that Jonathan Russell is angling for the idea of putting in retailers which would almost certainly mean destroying most the interior.

This is how things start and people need to understand where this is likely headed.

I miss the Prohibition Room. It's probably been functionally replaced at this point by all the new offerings around town, but it was a pioneering place in its time.

Agree with all of this but you can tell that Jonathan Russell is angling for the idea of putting in retailers which would almost certainly mean destroying most the interior.

This is how things start and people need to understand where this is likely headed.

If he does this he and/or his tenant will believe they need all of that parking - regardless of whether that is true - to support that use. This would institutionalize the parking and make it impossible to redevelop on that land, at least as long as that use exists. So you miss a golden opportunity to better connect HH/Mesta with Gatewood, you miss a chance to make the are more appealing and walkable, you miss a chance to further the mission of the Classen improvement project, and you gut a great mid-century interior all for a less-than-optimal tenant who will probably be run out of the area by other purpose-built groceries a few years down the road. Pretty bad tradeoffs, IMO.

Hopefully the people who care about the respective futures of Mesta, Classen, Uptown etc. will get together with him and help hatch a better plan.

^

Leasing to a single retailer is also by far the easiest and cheapest route for Russell.

He doesn't have to build anything or put any money into the structure until it is full leased to one likely national credit tenant.


I don't like the direction this is heading.

been pondering all day on the property and how to be useful.. here is my pie in the sky that nobody will like. but its my dream. a 5 to 6 story mid century looking hotel wrapping around 1/2 of the dome and the dome being the center. using it as the common space and lobby. a boutique type place in uptown.

I'm going to catch hell for this, but the Gold Dome could be an AMAZING club.

I was about to suggest the same thing. It would make a cool looking club. I must admit I have not been on the inside since it was a bank so I have little idea of what the interior is like now.

A recent video shows the roof is badly leaking in this structure:

W1kcs8gZj3c

Steve said in his last chat that a deal for a grocery store in the Gold Dome is getting closer. Pete, do you know what grocers are interested?

Don't know but quite sure that if that deal happens the amazing interior will be gutted.

Don't know but quite sure that if that deal happens the amazing interior will be gutted.

Do you think there will be major push back from the community if they were to try it?

Personally I am torn. I think a grocery store there would better serve the needs of the community than another themed bar or restaurant (which there are tons of just down the street with more to come). However, I definitely understand the concern with losing the interior and I hope they try to keep some of it intact.

I really think it's an awful building for a grocery store. The location is perfect but the building really isn't ideal for it.

I think some type of museum would be a better use of the Gold Dome space. Homeland needs to redo their store down the street and use that as a neighborhood grocery.

I really think it's an awful building for a grocery store. The location is perfect but the building really isn't ideal for it.

We must have posted at the same time ^, agree with you.

I really think it's an awful building for a grocery store. The location is perfect but the building really isn't ideal for it.

To be sure, the location is perfect for just about everything. That absolutely should not be used as an argument for ANY use of this building.

To further my argument for the club: With the way the interior is currently laid out, you could have multiple rooms for different types of music (turn one into a Latin Music lounge :eek:), and different types of VIP suites on the second floor.

To promote not drinking and driving, they could have a (few) party bus(es) that runs back and forth every 30 minutes to various hot spots in downtown during the weekends.

I think it's one of the few places where a stand alone club would absolutely crush it and it's located such that no sort of club district is going to develop in the immediate area. With the right developers and managers, it could easily be the best club in OKC for 10 - 20 years.

Don't know but quite sure that if that deal happens the amazing interior will be gutted.

What makes you think that?

What makes you think that?

Because a grocer would never make use of the 2nd level or the original teller windows or really any part of the original layout.

It would also be an incredibly inefficient use of the space, even if reconfigured. Nothing about that building lends itself to grocery. What would likely happen is that they would gut the building, put in an inefficient tenant, and when another grocery lands in the area with a traditional layout - as will surely happen - the grocery in the dome would eventually fail. Now you have a building that lacks its architectural integrity and becomes easily labeled as "functionally obsolete". We all know where it's headed at that point.

A much wiser choice would be to make use of the excessive land on that property by building new retail storefront structures to the street on both Western and 22nd (requiring removal of drive-thru lanes, which are not critical to retain and which ARE functionally obsolete).

This approach would activate the property, provide better pedestrian connection between HH/Mesta and Gatewood, AND would cash flow enough to allow the Dome itself to be leased to a tenant who wouldn't be required to fund the entire property. The developer would have MUCH more tenant flexibility, and the dome would have a much broghter, more secure future.

I'm also curious what type of grocer would attempt to use this type of space.

They all use big rectangular shelving and refrigerators/freezer cases.

I hope it's some cool and interesting grocer but otherwise this does not sound like a good fit at all.

It's just such a band-aid approach. The challenge (and opportunity) with this property is the current inefficient use of the excess of land. Make better use of the land and there is less financial pressure on the dome itself, which protects it in the long term. A poorly-considered grocery would be the next step in this building's long march toward demolition. That corner is too valuable for marginally-successful development, let alone UNSUCCESSFUL development.

I think it all depends on the grocer and what kind of layout they go with. Let's wait and see what gets proposed before saying this is another step towards demolition.

Teo's club idea is interesting, but would any nightclub operators have deep enough pockets to do it right?

When land use is inefficient it can't be fixed by putting in a nightclub. They are by their very definition temporary tenants. Again, the answer to activating/protecting this building is proper reconfiguration of excess land, not yet another spaghetti-against-the-wall tenant for the dome itself.

When land use is inefficient it can't be fixed by putting in a nightclub. They are by their very definition temporary tenants. Again, the answer to activating/protecting this building is proper reconfiguration of excess land, not yet another spaghetti-against-the-wall tenant for the dome itself.

No doubt this is true. To be sure, a club would not unilaterally prohibit improving land-use. But we're not talking about land-use really. We're talking about how to actually make this specific building function at its highest and best use.

The land-use issues will solve themselves in time. Once the streetcar is up and running right by this lot from downtown, the need for parking will be greatly reduced, and heck, if Dowell goes at his usual pace, the lot @ 21st would be plenty in the mean time.

On the subject of land-use, what exactly would you have in mind for buildings on the East and North elevations of this lot? You risk obscuring the view from the East by building there…not that that would be a deal breaker. Indeed, it would be pretty cool to have a restaurant with a rooftop patio with a 360° over looking the Dome (especially if they lit it up) and with a view of downtown as well.

...we're not talking about land-use really. We're talking about how to actually make this specific building function at its highest and best use...

I disagree. The issue is quite clearly economic. The parcel itself is worth way more than any conceivable tenant the dome houses will ever justify, so why place all of that pressure on the dome? This is actually very similar issue to Stage Center, with the important exception being that you could infill around the dome without harming the architectural intent of the structure. If you are worried about preserving a sight line from the east, fine. Just set the new building lining Western back about 25-50 feet from 23rd. You'll be able to see the dome during the approach from east, no problem. Nothing I am proposing would block the view of the dome from anywhere on Classen or while at the 23rd and Classen intersection, which should be of primary concern.

Nobody seems to grasp how big this parcel is. A massive amount of the parking on site could be converted to built space and there would still be ample parking for all uses, including whatever ends up inside of the dome itself. Much of the new structure I am proposing would replace the existing drive-thru lanes, so no parking would even be lost there; in fact it would probably create more because the new building would front the street instead of floating in the middle of the parking lot.

What I am proposing is a strip of buildings that would accommodate retail and/or restaurant, probably best served by doors on the streets (Western, 22nd) and ALSO be accessible from a common parking lot on the back sides of the building, shared by the dome and the commercial strips. There is plenty for everybody. There are ample examples in the world of this type of arrangement, including the dome's ownership's own development at The Rise. Those spaces are accessible from either 23rd or from the parking lot behind. There are even better examples elsewhere that I can think of; for instance portions of Mockingbird Station in Dallas.

For an example of the footprint I am suggesting (though without the suggested front/back access), look no further than across the street to the strip that houses T-Mobile, Jiro Sushi, etc. Flip that footprint and you have roughly what I am suggesting here, with a sea of parking remaining between the strip and the dome, including ALL of the spaces that circle the dome in a spoke pattern. Parking is NOT an issue here.

Again, make the outbuildings work economically and it secures the future of the dome. It could then be something really cool (but perhaps not hugely profitable) and still make sense. THAT is the highest use of the property. Stop trying to make the dome pay the bills for the whole parcel and you can avoid a repeat of Stage Center.

Urbanized, I 100% whole-heartedly agree with you.

But if the economic viability of the dome in and of itself doesn't matter, there's zero reason to protest a grocer there or anything else for that matter.

What is the highest and best use for the Dome? Start there. Nothing about fixing property use is unique. Any owner for any purpose can do that. But finding a viable use for the Dome DOES matter because if it's going to sit lifeless (if not empty) while the auxiliary properties you're proposing are paying the bills, let's go ahead and demo it and build something truly spectacular on this block.

For grocers I could have seen Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Natural grocers moving into the space, they seem like the type of grocers that could have appreciated the building, but since they already have their locations set, not possible. It would be cool if SCN and the tenants could move into that space and make it a grocer/restaurant/entertainment venue since it is in Chinatown.

Maybe make it a US Historical place, and turn it into a US-66 museum run by the National Park service or the Smithsonian.

I've scratched my head for years trying to understand how the rent income on such an awkward space could justify the value of the parcel. 85% of the building is a big central bank lobby. The only thing I could think of would be a bullpen style office setup. But then it wastes all the parking and that drive through teller window?

Plus TEAMCO really jacked it up. They removed and reduced the remnants of prohibition room into some kind of half assed office break room. They painted the brick and concrete silver, which is already pealing off due to moisture. The awful yellow coating they put over the anodized (I'm guessing stainless) metal is all chipping and peeling at the points where the bracing is fastened to the skin. And it appears to have no hvac. It's kind of a mess. So your talking probably a million or two to get it to a white box NNN in a market that's trending towards $25-30/ft. But in a building where you can only lease the outter rim to small tenants that have the highest rate of failure? I won't pretend to know anything about financing a development like that. But I'd have a hard time loaning that money, even to Johnathan, who I hold in high regard.

As far as a grocery store: I worked in a few as a kid, associate managed a homelandand in high school, and there's just no way, no way! it would work in that space. You gotta have "the back" for the loading dock, and the walk-in cooler, the walkin freezer, the dairy cooler, the meat locker, the produce section, the bakery, the deli area, the box bailer, the 30' long dumpster, the break room, the locker room, the offices...I'm going to stop now. There's a few places like trader joes that cut a lot of that out. But like a high volume restaurant, it's sometimes as high as a 60/40 split on front of the house vs back of the house.

It's a head scratcher, and maybe at the end of the day, it goes the way of stage center. I don't think you can justify keeping a crumbling empty or underused building because it "looks cool." I can't imagine anyone is going to come along and pay Landrun fair market value to do so.

Would be cool to see something like this

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12208848_10206677839297164_5833327824835076893_n.j pg?oh=4d97340dad8d4600f660e2bf12825f2d&oe=56B34481

I'd have the gas station be a small 3-4 pump gas station with a retro them, full service, and be where the drive thru was. If there was enough space, I'd like to have soda bar and ice cream parlor. I'd also like to have a spiral staircase leading to the top of the gas station(currently top of the former drive-thru overheads) and have a patio up there for the Ice Cream Parlor.

These are just to give an example
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/12096024_10206677839817177_7823875402469654423_n.j pg?oh=4863db5afec956c4182d05534621a8d2&oe=56BE9873

Pumps like this but would be converted to be automatic
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11215172_10206677840057183_5523727826123662484_n.j pg?oh=bb44952d089026d477eff87c09633699&oe=56CA066E

Then an old diner along Classen
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/1506691_10206677842977256_4045310449201900279_n.jp g?oh=7cfa8b5c94e6e1797438db2e4425d74a&oe=56C5E6E4

The Ice Cream parlor in the gas station would be a smaller version of this
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12191867_10206677863897779_7580396070418254382_n.j pg?oh=4a5ea84f3ddc72396023b864cb3c63a6&oe=56ACB29A

TJ on the corner
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/10996350_10206677864337790_2243886626994476671_n.j pg?oh=45ad4b78a6c84165b1fe82aefed238c2&oe=56C137AE

As for the Gold Dome, this might sound bad, but I'd put in a bank on the ground floor and offices, and then have a restaurant on the second. Also, the diner would have to have a kitchen and to maximize space and if possible, there is a door that could be converted into an extension where the kitchen could be partly built into the Gold Dome.

That's what I'd do if I had the money. Someday. :)

Teo, the dome is the DEFINITION of the term "functionally obsolete". As we all know, it was built as a bank...when banks operated completely differently than today. It is nearly impossible to elegantly adaptively reuse as anything else, without tearing out everything inside that makes it special. Even if you completely gut it, as mentioned above it is a TERRIBLE fit as a grocery store.

So the real question is, is it important enough architecturally, historically and as a landmark to justify preservation. If it is (and I personally believe this to be the case) then it should be preserved. But the ONLY way to preserve a functionally obsolete building without completely compromising what makes it special is to find income from somewhere else. In the case of some buildings, that comes in the form of a nonprofit/trust, donations, etc.. I still say that if this approach had been taken to Stage Center 30 years ago it would today be a jewel standing in downtown, irrespective of whether a theater group was able to make it work. But we didn't take that approach, and we see where Stage Center is today, on the ash heap.

In the case of the dome - which is nowhere near as unusual or architecturally significant as SC was - the answer is plainly evident. Make the rest of the available, unused and unutilized portion of the property cas flow. Do this and you can put whatever the heck "feels" right in the dome without worrying too much about the money it generates.

But keep lurching around, focusing ONLY on the dome and trying to put square pegs into round holes and at some point an owner will throw up his hands, call the whole thing unworkable and start demolition proceedings. And the economics will surely support that position. This path you are suggesting plays Russion roulette with the future of the building, and I for one think this is unacceptable so long as an easier and better solution is so obvious.

Would be cool to see something like this

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12208848_10206677839297164_5833327824835076893_n.j pg?oh=4d97340dad8d4600f660e2bf12825f2d&oe=56B34481

I'd have the gas station be a small 3-4 pump gas station with a retro them, full service, and be where the drive thru was. If there was enough space, I'd like to have soda bar and ice cream parlor. I'd also like to have a spiral staircase leading to the top of the gas station(currently top of the former drive-thru overheads) and have a patio up there for the Ice Cream Parlor.

These are just to give an example
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/12096024_10206677839817177_7823875402469654423_n.j pg?oh=4863db5afec956c4182d05534621a8d2&oe=56BE9873

Pumps like this but would be converted to be automatic
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11215172_10206677840057183_5523727826123662484_n.j pg?oh=bb44952d089026d477eff87c09633699&oe=56CA066E

Then an old diner along Classen
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/1506691_10206677842977256_4045310449201900279_n.jp g?oh=7cfa8b5c94e6e1797438db2e4425d74a&oe=56C5E6E4

The Ice Cream parlor in the gas station would be a smaller version of this
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12191867_10206677863897779_7580396070418254382_n.j pg?oh=4a5ea84f3ddc72396023b864cb3c63a6&oe=56ACB29A

TJ on the corner
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/10996350_10206677864337790_2243886626994476671_n.j pg?oh=45ad4b78a6c84165b1fe82aefed238c2&oe=56C137AE

As for the Gold Dome, this might sound bad, but I'd put in a bank on the ground floor and offices, and then have a restaurant on the second. Also, the diner would have to have a kitchen and to maximize space and if possible, there is a door that could be converted into an extension where the kitchen could be partly built into the Gold Dome.

That's what I'd do if I had the money. Someday. :)

I really like this idea.

One thing I would change is in the Dome itself I would do an urban market. Something like this one in Little Rock. It has mutiple kiosk vendors all under one roof. Something like this is planned at Chisholm Creek but it would be a great fit in the core and would be a great use of the Gold Dome space.

http://assets.inarkansas.com/34513/little-rock-river-market-ottenheimer-hall-convention-tourists.jpg

PluPan - I love it. Nice visioning job there. Maybe a plaza space could maintain visibility of the Dome from the corner, while also reduce the required footprint to fill the site. Makes it a more feasible project if you can get it down with 1 debt source (rare than a large, multi-phased project).


I'm also curious what type of grocer would attempt to use this type of space.

They all use big rectangular shelving and refrigerators/freezer cases.

I hope it's some cool and interesting grocer but otherwise this does not sound like a good fit at all.

Heinen's (compare to Reasor's, Uptown Market, etc) in Ohio did it. This is a full service grocery store inside the old AmeriTrust Bank HQ rotunda. The complex's Marcel Breuer tower is condos, where Manziel and countless other celebs and pro athletes live.

http://www.heinens.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Sharkbank-Competition.jpg

Just gotta be creative. The big banks all have shiny new HQ complexes, so the northeast and rust belt cities all have this surplus of banking halls and rotundas. It's become an adaptive reuse category all on it's own, and I've never seen one where it was easy and required zero creativity.