I'll happily enjoy my 132 extra square feet rental rate of $470. Don't mind if I have to drive from NW OKC to enjoy what downtown has to offer.

I'll happily enjoy my 132 extra square feet rental rate of $470. Don't mind if I have to drive from NW OKC to enjoy what downtown has to offer.

Nothing wrong with it, in fact I lived on NW Expressway and paid $499 for about 500 sq. ft for a 1 bedroom. After the rush hour traffic settled, downtown OKC was only a 15 minute drive straight down NW Expressway to Classen.

It wasn't bad, the only thing I didn't like was how small and outdated the kitchen was. Zero counter space, so actually preparing and cooking a meal (as opposed to throwing some things together real quickly) was difficult. My apartment here is smaller, but has a huge kitchen which I love. But the rent is going up. My unit I am in right now, is leasing for $1017.50 (970+47.50 water gas sewer) on the market. So between May and October it has increased by $160 (I am locked in at $857.50 = $810 + 47.50 for water gas and sewer). Incredible and out of control.

Don't get me wrong.. great pricing all around and it depends on everyone's situation. Not all of us have the disposable income or have the opportunity to be in a situation where we can live, work and play downtown which may create the opportunity of not owning a car, or having car payments or paying car insurance. I'd be in a bigger nicer place if it wasn't for that!

I'm paying $875 for 900 square feet, and it is a 15-20 minute drive downtown when traffic is at its WORST. As much as I would enjoy living downtown (and would have if Mosaic hadn't been delayed so much), I am happy with the money I'm saving while still not being far from the action. My commute is easily 20 minutes shorter than when I lived near Rockwell and Hefner.

Nothing wrong with it, in fact I lived on NW Expressway and paid $499 for about 500 sq. ft for a 1 bedroom. After the rush hour traffic settled, downtown OKC was only a 15 minute drive straight down NW Expressway to Classen.

It wasn't bad, the only thing I didn't like was how small and outdated the kitchen was. Zero counter space, so actually preparing and cooking a meal (as opposed to throwing some things together real quickly) was difficult. My apartment here is smaller, but has a huge kitchen which I love.
That is one thing I really dislike about much of the new inventory coming on line in OKC. The kitchens and kitchen storage areas are too small. I couldn't get half of my kitchen things in most of them. I understand that many of the people moving there may eat out a lot, but it just wouldn't work for me.

Expensive, but not unrealistic. People who live somewhere like LIFT generally know they are going to be paying much more per square foot than they would for a place in the burbs. Many millennials, especially those who are single don't need a huge place. People live there to be close to the amenities and be a part of the urban community.

I am actually impressed with the amount of options they are giving. It is a great range and you will see many different types of professionals living here. I am myself thinking of a smaller place and this makes since to me. The smallest one will have a murphy bed as well. All I really need is a place to cook, a place to work, and a place to sleep. This has all of those things for under $1000 a month in the hottest District in OKC. Sounds like a winner to me!

Man you are seeming really bent out of shape lately all over this site, and being very passive aggressive.

That being said, those "young professionals and trust fund kids" are the ones buying those Okie shrits, seeing those artists perform, etc.

Relax. I'm not saying the rents are "too high" or even suggesting that they aren't justified. I was responding to Spartan's comment that their choice of leasing office location, The Plaza, was a fit. i have no doubt the place will be fully rented. My point was that Plaza denizens are not really the target market. They are not. Which is not to say that Lift made a poor choice in locating their office. All I was saying is that people who hang in the Plaza are not necessarily the target market for Lift, in the same way they are not the target market for Whole Foods. I love Whole Foods, I'm thrilled about the Lift, and i hope the are wildly successful in leasing their property. But as they will likely do so, they will not necessarily be picking up artists and bohemians from the Plaza District to live there.

People are uber-refensive on this site sometimes.

I think plaza is a great location for their leasing office; it is one of about three locations in the entire city that draws in a youthful crowd. It's probably the one with the highest foot traffic in a condensed space. Sounds like a fit to me.

The Plaza crowd is more and more mainstream every day, in case nobody's noticed. It's not just a bunch of young hipsters and artists.

"Hipster-ville" doesn't really exist in OKC, but if it did, Paseo would probably still be that district.

No it's just more diffuse at the moment. Is there. Trust me.


The Plaza crowd is more and more mainstream every day, in case nobody's noticed. It's not just a bunch of young hipsters and artists.

This. I think it's benevolent gentrification.

"Hipster-ville" doesn't really exist in OKC, but if it did, Paseo would probably still be that district.

I agree with this. Paseo is probably as close as you will get in OKC to a "hipster" neighborhood. That's why I disagree when some have said that the Plaza has become the new Paseo. The Paseo has its own vibe that is unique compared to anything else in OKC. Gentrification is happening as many distressed 8-plexes are being renovated, but overall the neighborhood has not received the attention that Midtown and the Plaza are getting and therefore has retained its "hipster" feel a little more.

Oh Jeez. I give up. I will just completely disregard the actual conversations with Plaza people who are well invested about the Lift. Some of you people would argue with a fence post.

Urbanized, you know me better than to suggest I'm not aware of the Plaza District demos. I probably spend more time in that hood than anywhere else in OKC.

I recently moved from a suburban house to an apartment in downtown Jax and after everything shakes out it will cost me half as much to live downtown. Yes my place is smaller, but that just means there is less to clean and less to heat and cool. I went from paying $4,400/year in property taxes to paying $0. My electric bill went from $300/mo to $50. My yard maintenance went from $125/mo to $0. My pest control went from $65/every 6 weeks to $0. My homeowners insurance went from $1680/yr to $192/yr, and if some thing breaks - I pay $0. I was paying $500/3 months in homeowner association fees and now I pay $0. Except for taking the kids to school I don't pay anything for gasoline. At the same time my quality of life went way up. I can walk to my favorite restaurants, my kids can walk to the store, sporting events are a bike ride away, and I when I go somewhere I almost never have to look for a parking space. On the flip side, my car insurance went up $5/mo (which pretty soon I hope to eliminate the entire car saving me $500/mo).

Welcome to The H+T Affordability Index (http://htaindex.cnt.org/)

There is a lot more than rent vs. house payment to consider.

What are we arguing over?

I don't think we are arguing about anything. Some people look at the cost per sq foot and determine something is too expensive. Others are just point out that price per sq. foot is not a good measurement because there are many other factors to consider.

Hi all,

I've been watching this thread for some time. If all goes as planned, I will be a tenant at LIFT in the near future.

My decision to go for LIFT was multifactored. First, I do not own a car. I depend solely on my bicycle for transportation. I work in the Health Sciences District and have always tried to keep my living space within a 2-3 mile radius. LIFT’s proximity to work, and also to many restaurants / establishments I frequent, makes it perfect in that regard.

Second, I lived in Gatewood for a year in one of these newly “renovated” 8-plexes. It looked nice in the outset but the quality of the renovations was extremely poor. If we talk briefly about cost, you might think it’s worth it to have a 600-sq ft studio for $700 because it’s so close to the Plaza. However, when you are paying upwards of $130 /month in electricity to heat said studio, that changes how you look at things. Nearby properties of acceptable build quality would have been the 18th street studios by the Fitzsimmons group ($1000) and the “Blue Alamo” on NW 16th ($1300). Considering that the floor plans I was interested in at LIFT were priced lower than these properties, but included more amenities (pool/grill/etc), I was sold.

Third, I get good feedback from colleagues living in the urban hotspots like the Deep Deuce/Level/Edge. I’ve spent the majority of my life in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, and the vibe in OKC’s urban communities is much more what I’m accustomed to than what I feel from Edmond. I’m excited as most of you are about Midtown’s ongoing expansion and I think things are moving in the right direction. I have seen a lot of improvement in OKC even within the timespan of 1 year. I see LIFT as a well-executed extension of this ongoing process.

Having said all that, I am nervous whether the delays will keep me from actually moving in on time, or at all. The “Fall 2015” move-in date was originally presented to me as late October, and then later became “early November”, “late November” and now “early December”. It is my understanding that the fire marshal has yet to clear the mostly-completed northeast corner of the complex for occupancy, potentially because finished portions of the floors to be occupied are connected by catwalks to unfinished portions of the same floors, which may not be fire-safe. From what I could figure out, the floors must be finished as a whole before any portion can be certified for occupancy. To me, it sounds like (foreseeable) technicalities. I hope they will overcome this soon.

I haven’t heard anything new from them for a month, but much visible progress is being made on the exterior, so I continue to keep my fingers crossed. At the same time, I wish I wouldn’t have to make a backup plan, but I’ll need to. For those who are interested, LIFT does schedule individual & group hard-hat tours by request, which I will be doing soon.

^

Welcome SnackTime!

I go by LIFT almost every day and they are making good progress on that NE section and I really like the exterior finishes. Some sort of panel system we've yet to see in OKC. Looks unique and sharp.

Hope you get in by December. I've noticed they've brought in those huge construction lights and have been working evenings.

They are getting very close to finishing the units on the NE corner:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/lift111515.jpg

Should have taken that bet with HHE!!!

I'm sure it's posted up above but does Lift include any retail? And if so, do we know who?

I'm sure it's posted up above but does Lift include any retail? And if so, do we know who?

LIFT includes retail space, and they have expressed a desire to move a local business in. On their facebook page, they indicated they had discussions with people at Jazmo's Bourbon St. Cafe, currently in Bricktown.

As far as the progress goes, the exteriors are looking much more improved than the interiors. The buildings are still unpowered, a prerequisite to installing the flooring and appliances. They have yet to obtain a certificate of occupancy. I'm not sure how long that will take.

LIFT includes retail space, and they have expressed a desire to move a local business in. On their facebook page, they indicated they had discussions with people at Jazmo's Bourbon Cafe, currently in Bricktown.

That would be disappointing if true, especially since Bourbon Street Cafe's current canal side location is one of the few businesses on the canal that actually makes proper use of it. Personally I don't think the food is that great, but I enjoy going for the location.

I can't imagine Bourbon Street Cafe would move from their current location. If anything, they would run a hybrid secondary business.

I can't imagine Bourbon Street Cafe would move from their current location. If anything, they would run a hybrid secondary business.

Yeah that would be really cool if they opened a second location at LIFT, but I don't want to see them move from their current location.

It would probably be a different concept run by the same group.

I really like the color on the exterior. Hope they used durable materials for the long-haul, re: LEVEL.

It's some sort of painted panel system.

Looks super sharp in person. Very impressed.

Looks like a pre finished hardie plank type material.

Hardie board would be good... a similar product not so much...

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/lift122015a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/lift122015b.jpg

Lookin schnazzy!

I took a tour of the Lift a few weeks ago. I must say my husband and I were quite impressed and are seriously thinking of reserving a two bedroom unit for move in this summer. Hopefully we can have our house fixed up and ready to sell by then.

I took a full tour earlier this week and this is going to be a very impressive complex.

They are getting close to finished on the far NE section and hope to have their first move-ins in February.

They are spending a bunch of money on the kitchens and bathrooms. The units either have white cabinets with dark quartz coutnertops or dark cabinets and a light colored quartz. The units I saw all had great windows that either faced the street or internal courtyard. It's all very well planned out.

Having been in the LIFT and the Metropolitan you can see that these out-of-state developers definitely bring something new and slightly different to the market. Both complexes feel somewhat European but not as minimalist as Level or Mosaic. Both are a departure from the more traditional designs of the Edge and MidtownR properties, for example, and will give renters yet another option.

I think people are going to be impressed with this project in particular because it feels quite different than anything else I've seen in OKC.

I can't wait to see the finished product. Is leading strong for this complex?

They've had a ton of interest but due to delays are being conservative on their pre-leasing.

Also, they will only be finishing small blocks of apartments at a time due to the rolling finish-out. There are parts of this project that are still being framed.

Sign is up:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/lift010216.jpg

Just think if we got two more of these, one close to where Lift is being built and one by Fassler Hall on one of those surface lots with a Sprouts underneath it how cool it would be.

nm

sorry, but that round-a-bout just kills it for me. How ugly. ...

sorry, but that round-a-bout just kills it for me. How ugly. ...

I really like the way it looks in person. I was actually just walking through there a couple of hours ago. If the auto-oriented development directly South and East of LIFT are one day replaced by more urban development, it could make that traffic circle a very special place.

That round-a-bout is cool... Just brown due to being in the dead of winter.

LOL you think this is the dead of winter... ...wait until we see some single digits.

Welcome to Oklahoma!

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With the Edge, I really like the look and quality of materials. It looks like the Metropolitan is a slight downgrade in that aspect, from what I can tell so far. But I have to say that the Lift's exterior materials looks pretty cheap. Very little stone or masonry of any kind, only the first level, and the siding looks pretty cheap with a weird mix of many colors.

Today.

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This place is looking very sharp. Love the color palettes.

This place is looking very sharp. Love the color palettes.

Very much agree. This is a nice looking development

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From the top of St Anthony Parking Garage today.

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From the top of St Anthony Parking Garage today.

Nice shot! It's shaping up nicely.

doesn't even look like OKC. wow!

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Some details are starting to take shape... I like the bike racks. Do they have a tenant(s) for the retail space because it looks like there's some decent room for a patio.

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They are still trying to lease the large retail space to a restaurant.

And yes, there will be a sizable patio facing the roundabout.

And, by the way, sorry that some pictures posted sideways... Some just randomly do that when posted to the site. I'm not sure why.

And, by the way, sorry that some pictures posted sideways... Some just randomly do that when posted to the site. I'm not sure why.

It may have to do with the way you take the picture -- whether it's horizontal or vertical.

It may have to do with the way you take the picture -- whether it's horizontal or vertical.

I don't think that's it. It only happens randomly when uploaded to OKCTalk.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/lift082818.jpg

Looks very cool, round-about is a nice touch!