I'm one to say that im VERY glad to finally see this pile of eyesore finally gone. When i drove down I-40 today, i could actually SEE things again instead of just a wall of metal building.

And that smell, yeah definitely distinct. I can't say it was terrible to me, but definitely odd. Not as bad as those poor soles that live near the Purina plant on Memorial....shudder.

That smell always evoked memories of the times when I was a kid, standing on the platform at the Santa Fe station waiting for the Texas Chief and later Lone Star to Chicago to arrive. I understand change is inevitable, but I'm sad to see it go.

at least back then there were other plants that had pleasing smells to balance things out. Think the old Hostess/Wonder Bread factory and numerous others. ...

Almost completely gone and the last big silo is being dismantled.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop121617.jpg

Pete,

Just idle curiosity, but have you heard whether the railroad tracks within the site are to come out? Seems to me they have a significant footprint and divide the site even if not in use. Their salvage(re-use of rail) value is significant as well.

Pete,

Just idle curiosity, but have you heard whether the railroad tracks within the site are to come out? Seems to me they have a significant footprint and divide the site even if not in use. Their salvage(re-use of rail) value is significant as well.

I'm sure they will be removed because they are merely a spur, don't continue to any other location and haven't been used in some time.

Last time I was in town was September, so it's going to be crazy to be back in January and see almost all of it gone. Obviously that's a huge chunk of land for infill and development in the core, but I always felt that these silos were artistic in a way of representing the old and new of Oklahoma, sharing the skyline with the downtown buildings. Their demolition represents another page turned in this city's history.

at least back then there were other plants that had pleasing smells to balance things out. Think the old Hostess/Wonder Bread factory and numerous others. ...

The Bimbo factory still churns out that nice bready scent but it might not travel far even south to counteract the seed coop odor.

Where was the hostess factory?

The Bimbo factory

The what?

The what?

https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/

The what?

it's pronounced 'beemo'.. before we get any ideas LOL

The what?

*Like*

Where was the hostess factory?

Where the Chesapeake Energy Arena stands today.

14319

It was actually a Wonder Bread bakery. You could smell the bread baking as you passed by on I-40.

I watched from the roof of the Wonder Bread building when they blew the Biltmore. I wonder where I'll be when they blow the Peake?

In the bottom center of the first photo, you can see they have started to pull up the RR track; ties are all stacked up in piles.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122317a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122317b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122317c.jpg

The more photos of this area I see, the more I’m convinced that this should have been the site for the convention center.

The more photos of this area I see, the more I’m convinced that this should have been the site for the convention center.

Are you thinking they should have held off announcing the CC until this land was sold? Because at the time, there was no inkling that this Coop was even remotely close to being sold.

That would be a great spot for a WalMart Supercenter and a Home Depot or Lowes.

Are you thinking they should have held off announcing the CC until this land was sold? Because at the time, there was no inkling that this Coop was even remotely close to being sold.

I thought it was for sale, but the asking price was exorbitant. Is that not correct?

That would be a great spot for a WalMart Supercenter and a Home Depot or Lowes.

Is this sarcasm? A Walmart Supercenter on the largest plot of land in nearly the heart of downtown OKC? Please no...

That would be a great spot for a WalMart Supercenter and a Home Depot or Lowes.

Or all three!

That would be a great spot for a WalMart Supercenter and a Home Depot or Lowes.

Well done. That actually made me giggle.

They are pulling up everything... The old railroad track and ties, steel and the concrete foundations.

There is a small army working out there every day, including Sunday.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122717a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122717b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop122717c.jpg

Forgive me if this has already been asked... but there aren't currently any concrete plans for this area, right? I know the Funks researched a soccer stadium, but I was under the impression those plans were cancelled.

(I find myself in some bizarro-world about these coming down. I've always thought they were a huge eyesore and hated them, yet... now that they're down, I kinna miss them for some reason. )

^

Nothing concrete yet but there is a conceptual plan to extend the canal, add hotels and commercial.

^

Nothing concrete yet but there is a conceptual plan to extend the canal, add hotels and commercial.

A canal extensions has my vote! There is SO much potential for this lot. Let's hope it is done right!

With the amount of work they're putting in clearing it, with people working weekends, you'd think they have a pretty good idea what they want to do with it.

Although extending the canal would be great, the landowner should pay for it as it will be the one reaping the most benefit of improving already valuable land that doesn't need public assistance to develop.

Although extending the canal would be great, the landowner should pay for it as it will be the one reaping the most benefit of improving already valuable land that doesn't need public assistance to develop.

Yes, I agree... I think the downtown area has reached (perhaps passed) a point of diminishing returns for public funds invested in such a small geographic footprint. There are 100's of Sq. miles in the city that need attention.

Reminder the City just passed a whole new slew of TIF's for the downtown area, so you can expect hundreds of millions more in public subsidies.

With out question TIF funds will be used to develop infrastructure for this project. Like the city owned streets utilities and what will be a city owned canal

With out question TIF funds will be used to develop infrastructure for this project. Like the city owned streets utilities and what will be a city owned canal

I have no issue with infrastructure but if the landowners want a canal...they should pony up. After they build it they can enter into a agreement with the city to pay a pro ratio share of upkeep and maintenance on the canal.

They really need to figure out what they're going to do with PCOM 1944, that beautiful GE switcher locomotive on site. As I understand it, railfans who have seen it recently note that the cab appears to be unsecured, which doesn't bode well for keeping copper thieves out of it. PCOM really needs to move this somewhere secure, even if only temporary until it sells, like ORM.

^^ You’d think they’d got it out of there before the tracks were pulled up. It would have to be craned onto a heavy lowboy now. Not many of those old GE “tonners” left these days.

^^ You’d think they’d got it out of there before the tracks were pulled up. It would have to be craned onto a heavy lowboy now. Not many of those old GE “tonners” left these days.

You got that right. Last I saw, it looked like there was still enough track there to get it out onto the BNSF mainline when the time comes, but I have no idea just what the schedule for track removal is, and whether or not the old gal will get marooned on site out there.

The outlet to that track that encircles the coop is counter-clockwise, which means they are working from the far end to recycle the old track and ties.

It would have to pass inspection before BNSF would even touch it.

Not much has changed here as they seem to be focusing on clearing out the mountains of debris already piled up everywhere.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop010618.jpg

I have no issue with infrastructure but if the landowners want a canal...they should pony up. After they build it they can enter into a agreement with the city to pay a pro ratio share of upkeep and maintenance on the canal.

Sorry, I have to disagree. The canal would be a public project, with public access and sidewalks. It would be owned and operated by the City or a public trust. No developer is going to pony up to pay for construction then turn it over to the city. Just as the original canal, the city should pay for any expansion. Its a city investment that would pay tax dividends for decades to come.

What you're asking is the same as asking developers to pay for a light rail system because there would be development opportunities at each rail stop. It would be impractical in OKC.

I'm not in disagreement with you.

But... technically the very beginnings of our streetcar system were done by developers to get people to their housing additions and then when they tried to raise rates the city said nope, it's a public service (something like that anyway). So maybe just a bad example?

You can see they have started to tear up the concrete foundations.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop012018.jpg

Amazing how much different this looks now. I can see the insane potential much easier now.

It’s as big as all of Bricktown. It’s an amazing opportunity to do something special. Also an amazing opportunity to misfire in a massive way, if not careful.

I'm sad that everything built on this site will consist of just good enough architectural technology developed for the suburbs instead of the "overbuilt" classics that have 100 to 150 years in their bones.

It’s as big as all of Bricktown. It’s an amazing opportunity to do something special. Also an amazing opportunity to misfire in a massive way, if not careful.
What's your best guess as to how this turns out? Amazing or massive misfire?

Reserving judgment until I talk to more people involved and see plans. Cautiously optimistic, but want to be convinced that walkability isn’t given lip service.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop012818.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop012818b.jpg

Is that silo in the lower right corner coming down also?

No. That has actually been renovated into a small office building and wasn't part of the CoOp.

Looks like that old GE Tonner still has a way out of there. Hope it goes to a good home and not to scrap.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop021018a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop021018b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop021018c.jpg

Any word on what the plan for all this is? I find it hard to believe that they'd move so quickly on clearing the site if they didn't already know what they wanted to do.

Here is what I've heard as a very rough, preliminary plan:

4 story parking garage, two 10 story office buildings, two 4 story residential buildings + retail, another 200,000 SF of retail along I-40 and a restaurant area with approximately 7 builidngs.

In the beginning they seemed to be working closely with the Lumberyard (Mazaheri) owners but not sure if that is still in the cards.

Here is what I've heard as a very rough, preliminary plan:

4 story parking garage, two 10 story office buildings, two 4 story residential buildings + retail, another 200,000 SF of retail along I-40 and a restaurant area with approximately 7 builidngs.

In the beginning they seemed to be working closely with the Lumberyard (Mazaheri) owners but not sure if that is still in the cards.

What kind of retail are we talking? Big box or lifestyle center?

Other than that, this development sounds promising!

All preliminary but retail -- and everything else -- will depend on who they can get.

Here is what I've heard as a very rough, preliminary plan:

4 story parking garage, two 10 story office buildings, two 4 story residential buildings + retail, another 200,000 SF of retail along I-40 and a restaurant area with approximately 7 builidngs.

In the beginning they seemed to be working closely with the Lumberyard (Mazaheri) owners but not sure if that is still in the cards.
Understanding that you said it's all very preliminary, it would be nice if we could get at least one residential option in this area that is taller than 4 stories.

It seems if you go much taller you can no longer use wood and a steel structure adds pretty significantly to the cost, which is why you see all these new apartment complexes max out at 4-5 levels.

This development scares me.

Looking at that picture - that's a lot of frigging land. That's like the size of the whole CBD or all of Bricktown. I worry that what we are going to see is low density. The "restaurant area with 7 buildings" makes me think of a highway intersection with national chains surrounding a parking lot. "200,000 SF of retail along I-40" is ridiculous and the only way you are going to get that is by convincing the likes of Home Depot and Wal-Mart to build there, which is absolutely the last thing we want in an urban area. I don't want to see the Kilpatrick Turnpike or the west side of Norman duplicated downtown. I guess the 10-story office buildings and 4-story residential could be fine, if it's concentrated along the boulevard and not spread out.

We have been given an opportunity that is very rare for an urban area. But similar to what others have said in other contexts - it's yet one more thing competing for attention. I almost find myself wishing this hadn't happened and we could focus on completing and densifying the areas that are growing the right way like Midtown. We also have all that land in Core to Shore to fill.

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood this morning.

It's about 38 acres.

See the graphic below for the area superimposed elsewhere in the core.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/coop021318.jpg

Interesting. Thanks for the graphic representation.

So it doesn't include that land along the boulevard? That's really unfortunate, as that is the most highly valuable piece of the whole parcel and the most obvious area for dense development.