Do they still allow smoking?

That is a total deal-breaker for me.

i haven't been there in several years... from what i remember, the main restaurant is smoke-free but there is an upstairs bar area where you can smoke.

In the upstairs bar area when it was open you could order food from the downstairs restaurant and they would bring it up and there was a small area of the bar that the allowed smoking but not the whole room. There were stairs in the bar that would take you right into the restaurant. The downstairs restaurant has a small bar area with a few tables right where you walk in but I've never seen anyone smoking in that area either.

The bar upstairs at Belle Isle is now run by a separate entity.

Back in late 2023, Belle Isle let Beam live move in and run the upstairs bar and live music venue. You can still get food from Belle Isle, but it is a separate entity. Beam allows smoking in their area, but Belle Isle (Downstairs) does not.

Belle Isle is one of the restaurants in the metro that I am worried about closing. To GJL's point, I have been there for lunch and dinner and rarely ever see it busy any more.

If they do close I'm going to miss it. I think they have the best bacon cheese burger of anyplace I get them at. It's the honey pepper bacon they use. All their burger meat comes from OKC Meats unless you get the angus burger. I've never had a bad meal there and I love their fries. Never seen fries like that anywhere else. They have such a variety. Burgers, sandwiches, typical entrees. salads, pasta, pizza, mexican and a daily lunch and dinner special that's something not on their regular menu. And it's all good. They have their own beers too along with domestics and a full service bar for mixed drinks.

If they do close I'm going to miss it. I think they have the best bacon cheese burger of anyplace I get them at. It's the honey pepper bacon they use. All their burger meat comes from OKC Meats unless you get the angus burger. I've never had a bad meal there and I love their fries. Never seen fries like that anywhere else. They have such a variety. Burgers, sandwiches, typical entrees. salads, pasta, pizza, mexican and a daily lunch and dinner special that's something not on their regular menu. And it's all good. They have their own beers too along with domestics and a full service bar for mixed drinks.

I went to a ULI event there a few months ago and the bartender said they stopped brewing their own beer but still have the tanks. I am not sure if that's true or not, but I am not sure why they would say it if not.

Oh and worked there in college and can confirm how addictive the honey pepper bacon is. Oh and the rolls and honey butter... When you worked a double, that was your lunch and it wasn't bad...

It was either 2008 or 2013 (fuzzy memory) my PCHS Class of 73 had a class reunion in the upstairs bar. I had never heard of the place before then. When I looked to see where it was I saw they had a restaurant there too. So we got there about an hour before the reunion was to start to eat dinner first. We were so pleasantly surprised with the food and the place we've been regular customers ever since.

Wasn’t there a cosmetic store announced for this development?

Wasn’t there a cosmetic store announced for this development?

Blue Mercury just north of Williams Sonoma is still moving forward.

Belle Isle is one of the restaurants in the metro that I am worried about closing. To GJL's point, I have been there for lunch and dinner and rarely ever see it busy any more.

My partner and I went there just a couple months ago on a Friday night and there were only 2 tables from which to pick. It was packed, but I've also been and only saw a couple tables occupied. It's hit or miss. I would agree with everyone that the food is solidly delicious and the prices are great. It's on our regular rotation - especially when we want a great pizza.

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Great pics, Pete!

I know the hotel is supposed to open within a month, but I wonder how the central area will look by then. Hopefully they are able to get a ton done by then!

The Park should be open when the hotel opens on 9/19.

The small building in the southern section will still be under construction.

Pete, are they still planning the live music thing?

What is the small pavilion supposed to be?

What is the small pavilion supposed to be?

It will be a restaurant; rumor is Shake Shack.

It will be a restaurant; rumor is Shake Shack.

I went to Shake Shack at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga the other day and the structure it was in is very similar to the pavilion in OAK. Just going off of that, I could absolutely see the pavilion housing a Shake Shack.

I went to Shake Shack at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga the other day and the structure it was in is very similar to the pavilion in OAK. Just going off of that, I could absolutely see the pavilion housing a Shake Shack.

Went to one with a similar set up in NYC, same.

The last photo is Williams Sonoma.

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Shake Shack is a really good place to eat! Hope this is true. I am hoping when they demolish the Red Carpet CW, maybe a La Madeleine. Closest one is in Norman. This seems like it would be a good fit.

Here’s the OAK sign. First time I’ve seen it lit up!
This was around 5:00 Wednesday (09-04) afternoon
https://i.postimg.cc/3NKgbdqd/IMG-0995.jpg

Here’s the OAK sign. First time I’ve seen it lit up!
This was around 5:00 Wednesday (09-04) afternoon
https://i.postimg.cc/3NKgbdqd/IMG-0995.jpg

So nice to see some verticality in the area with a modest amount of visual. Here's to hoping that more developments with similar height or taller gets put up in this area.

Got an email from pottery barn announcing the opening of their new location on October 4th.

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I went into Pottery Barn today to find most of their smaller items already boxed up, and larger items marked down for final sale. I was looking for a smaller item, and while they offered to go through boxes, they clearly preferred that I order the item online (which I did). Their last day at Penn Square is September 19, and they’ll open October 4 at the Oak.

They are gutting the west half of what remains of the Registry building, which will be renovated and repurposed as office and commercial space. The east half will be demolished to make way for more restaurants.

Signs are up on Pottery Barn, but as the one photo shows, nothing inside as of yet.

The video board on the side of the Lively Hotel is now active.

The RH Gallery building has been topped out, complete with a flag and tree. The tree thing has become common and is believed to be based on this:


The practice of "topping out" a new building can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits of their ancestors that had been displaced.


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This all looks amazing! Great shots, Pete!

Really looks like a "quality" development! This is stuff you see in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston. Any more updates on more retail and tenants? This development is close to where I live so hoping property values will increase too!

Cloud Puncher Restaurant was posting about a soft open and they were doing photography for their menu items. They will be ready for October opening!

They are spending a fortune on landscaping and hardscape.

They are spending a fortune on landscaping and hardscape.

This is such a notch above the norm in OKC and greatly appreciated.

They are spending a fortune on landscaping and hardscape.

When I went to the ULI walking tour several months ago, Ryan McNeil said they spent $1 million dollars in something you can't see and that is the area between the hotel and the apartments below ground.

If this development has the financial success it wants then it will go a long way towards other developers doing similar. OKC just hasn’t had a record of paying the costs, so will see if support is just rhetoric or whether it gets supported when people are asked to frequent the merchants, fill the apartments, and pay the prices needed to make it a success. I think they will, if for no other reason than there really is no other development like it in OKC.

I agree with everything Rover says above, and at the same time I strongly believe this will be a slam dunk. I think the combination of the location and the overall design - dense, walkable, and decidedly upscale - is going to blow the minds of the many Oklahomans who don't travel much if any, plus the appreciative loyalty of those who do. Much like Wheeler, I think this will be a model that will cause people to ask "hey, why don't we have more of THAT here?"

I love this development. But, having seen what has been allowed to change with the Alley North development, I hope it changes minds about these types of developments.

They are all over the place in cities smaller than OKC, so I hope this shows people these developments can be a good thing, even without oceans of parking.

I agree with everything Rover says above, and at the same time I strongly believe this will be a slam dunk. I think the combination of the location and the overall design - dense, walkable, and decidedly upscale - is going to blow the minds of the many Oklahomans who don't travel much if any, plus the appreciative loyalty of those who do. Much like Wheeler, I think this will be a model that will cause people to ask "hey, why don't we have more of THAT here?"

People really have to experience it in person to fully appreciate how nice and different it is.

I hope this is another in a long line of "why don't we have this?", then we get one and a bunch of others follow. Remember when we said this about breakfast places, dense apartment complexes, Brazilian steakhouses, and quality grocery options??

It's been proven time and time again in this market that once someone makes the first leap and has a successful track record, many more follow.

People really have to experience it in person to fully appreciate how nice and different it is.

I hope this is another in a long line of "why don't we have this?", then we get one and a bunch of others follow. Remember when we said this about breakfast places, dense apartment complexes, Brazilian steakhouses, and quality grocery options??

It's been proven time and time again in this market that once someone makes the first leap and has a successful track record, many more follow.

Have there even been examples of new to market type of concepts for upscale restaurants/developments/etc. in OKC that were massive failures?

Have there even been examples of new to market type of concepts for upscale restaurants/developments/etc. in OKC that were massive failures?
That's a great question. I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head; most of the places that have come here with surrounding hype and eventually closed were failures across an entire chain. Usually when new-to-market and known/coveted places (both dining AND retail) arrive in OKC the demand outstrips expectations. Sometimes it results in a place becoming the top performer in the region or even the nation for a while. OKC generally has tons of pent-up demand, which is probably a result of often being overlooked in favor of other markets.

I strongly believe this will be a slam dunk. I think the combination of the location and the overall design - dense, walkable, and decidedly upscale - is going to blow the minds of the many Oklahomans who don't travel much if any, plus the appreciative loyalty of those who do. Much like Wheeler, I think this will be a model that will cause people to ask "hey, why don't we have more of THAT here?"

Very much agree.

People really have to experience it in person to fully appreciate how nice and different it is.

I hope this is another in a long line of "why don't we have this?", then we get one and a bunch of others follow. Remember when we said this about breakfast places, dense apartment complexes, Brazilian steakhouses, and quality grocery options??

It's been proven time and time again in this market that once someone makes the first leap and has a successful track record, many more follow.

Which always begs the question, why are new concepts so slow to be developed here by local developers like this? Is it lack of capital.

I hope this is another in a long line of "why don't we have this?", then we get one and a bunch of others follow. Remember when we said this about breakfast places, dense apartment complexes, Brazilian steakhouses, and quality grocery options??

I can remember when people said that about the Cheesecake Factory!

Seriously, though, I wonder if it could spawn some redevelopment, at least housing, farther up the expressway. Are their any tenants in those small office buildings on the south side between Villa and May?

Are their any tenants in those small office buildings on the south side between Villa and May?

No, it was bought by Citizen Potawatomi Nation for their Sovereign Bank and they had a plan to scrape everything and build new, but now they bought Union Plaza so I don't know what is going to happen there. (Side note: growing up, my family doctor was in that middle building and he was super old school; would often make house calls.)

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That's a great question. I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head; most of the places that have come here with surrounding hype and eventually closed were failures across an entire chain. Usually when new-to-market and known/coveted places (both dining AND retail) arrive in OKC the demand outstrips expectations. Sometimes it results in a place becoming the top performer in the region or even the nation for a while. OKC generally has tons of pent-up demand, which is probably a result of often being overlooked in favor of other markets.

OKC also has very little "big city" traffic so people are very willing to drive 20-25 min (which in OKC covers tons of the metro) so the retail projected retail audience target circle is usually way way smaller then the actually retail audience

(i understand these are not the correct retail terms)

Cloud Puncher posted on Instagram that they are now open.

Cloud Puncher Interior shot from: Laure Majors

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Looks like a nice hotel bar/restaurant, cant wait to give it a go.

I still think the name is hilarious and probably not very good for a nice-ish hotel bar, but excited to check it out!

I still think the name is hilarious and probably not very good for a nice-ish hotel bar, but excited to check it out!

Like it or not it did its job which was get your attention. Personally I love it! very Unique and works with the art in the courtyard area.

I just left the dedication of the Art at the OAK. 19172 The Place is coming along nicely. the Lively is amazing.19173

It's cool that the art was the first thing dedicated and not an afterthought like a lot of developments

First image is of the hotel lobby; nothing on the first level other than elevators; there are separate retail bays facing the park.

You go up to the second level for hotel registration and Cloud Puncher restaurant and bar. Cloud Puncher is the name of the sculpture with the cowboy lassoing the cloud that is adjacent to the huge outdoor deck and pool area.

The floor in Cloud Puncher looks like carpet but is actually really cool tile. The bar has a big roll-up window that opens to the outdoor space, ala Jones Assembly. The ballroom is at the far north end of the 2nd level.

2nd to last photo is the storefront for Williams Sonoma. The entire site is still a full-on construction zone. 50th is only open on the far east end; just enough to provide entrance to the parking lot next to Pottery Barn. I'm sure 50th will be completely open soon.

Really satisfying after all these years to see the first business open. The rest of the dominos will start to fall in October.

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Like it or not it did its job which was get your attention. Personally I love it! very Unique and works with the art in the courtyard area.

I just imagine a heavy metal band every time I hear it. Won't keep me from going in any way and of course understand the reference...it's just...a choice. (Really wish we could add .gifs here, as the angry man yelling at clouds Simpsons meme would be perfect here.)

Game changer. Coming for the OU/TN game this weekend. Plan to visit this and other new buildings etc in OKC. From all appearances very well done

If anyone goes to the restaurant or bar in the hotel, be prepared.

The entire site is still a construction zone and it's a pretty big mess.

Not discouraging anyone from going because the hotel setup is very nice, just manage your expectations.

If anyone goes to the restaurant or bar in the hotel, be prepared.

The entire site is still a construction zone and it's a pretty big mess.

Not discouraging anyone from going because the hotel setup is very nice, just manage your expectations.

Is it safe to assume everyone parks to the south next to Pottery Barn at the time?

Also, I am going to the soft opening of the new PB on 10/3. I will send Pete pics.

Is it safe to assume everyone parks to the south next to Pottery Barn at the time?

Yes. Then you just walk along the park and turn right into the hotel lobby and take the elevator up to the 2nd level.

Thanks Pete for the instructions

Lively Hotel has some great lighting that is particularly visible as you round the curve on I-44 westbound.

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That’s great. Can it change colors?