Um..where's the windmill? :tongue:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111108114716/simpsons/images/7/70/Golf.png

This project was approved this morning by Bricktown design review.

i'm sure it could never happen for safety reasons but this would rock if it was built on top of a multi-story warehouse. -M

Speaking of multi story. Sky Box are rumored to be back looking in South OKC and Norman areas. The renderings look awesome and would be really cool somewhere near bricktown. I posted this in the actual sky box forum, but wondered what all of you interested in these bricktown projects think.

Default Re: Skybox Golf
OKC realtor sources have confirmed that Sky Box principle investors were in town last week to scout properties south of the new HeyDay off 35, and directly adjacent to the Embassy Suites in Norman. Both sites are of interest because the hitting stations have to face East and those pieces of land would be large enough. Investors are very interested in the Norman/Moore/OKC marketplace with all of the new infrastructure and obvious appeal to both corporate and student populations.

Did they give an estimated timetable for this project?

Did they give an estimated timetable for this project?

I believe they want to be open about the same time as Brickopolis, so sometime this spring.

I would think the mini golf part would go very fast; but they are using that lot for staging for Brickopolis so they might not be able to get into full swing until that project is largely complete.

That's good to hear. I am hosting a family reunion here in OKC in the latter part of June so hopefully it will be up and running.

I still think this is a terrible idea. A very valuable piece of land and they're going to stick a crappy mini golf course on it.

Even if it's the worst idea in the world, families having fun on that spot rather than the pit it currently is I think is a net positive for the perception of the immediate area. Now, if it's still a mini golf place in 10-20 years, well than that's just a dumb waste of property tax money on the part of the owner.

Who will be the first member of OKCTalk to have their putt go awry and into the canal?

They have started work; I'm sure they'll try and be open around the same time Brickopolis opens in late June:

https://scontent-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11072591_382899245247069_4147261927586485763_n.jpg ?oh=e9cdc0125cc2b6179c7bde554982adc5&oe=5597A276

So for the first time in over 20 years this will become an income producing property which will hopefully produce enough tax revenue to pay for the maintenance of public assests adjacent to it or required by it. Now if every plot of privately owned land could just do this.

So for the first time in over 20 years this will become an income producing property which will hopefully produce enough tax revenue to pay for the maintenance of public assests adjacent to it or required by it. Now if every plot of privately owned land could just do this.

A lot do..........with a parking lot. I say this is a lot better than a parking lot.

Unfortunately, while being next to a canal makes it valuable. Not being on a real street takes away that value.

So for the first time in over 20 years this will become an income producing property which will hopefully produce enough tax revenue to pay for the maintenance of public assests adjacent to it or required by it. Now if every plot of privately owned land could just do this.

While I am thrilled to see it activated - as I've said a number of times before in this thread - for the record that property has ALREADY been producing taxes to pay for canal maintenance and other BID services at a rate higher than any other property along the canal and higher than most properties downtown. The BID as it relates to Bricktown carries a special assessment for canal-front properties based on LINEAR measurement rather than sq ft. This particular property is double-assessed because it is on a corner lot and has twice the linear footage of other properties its size. Just to reiterate: cost for maintenance of the canal doesn't fall on OKC taxpayers; it is covered by a special assessment on Bricktown property owners through the BID and ANOTHER special assessment zone just for canal-front properties.

#knowingishalfthebattle

:)

Thanks for the info Urbanized but I was thinking bigger picture type stuff.

Big picture would be hotel or mixed use development on that spot. This is just good temporary street-level activation.

Well, even bigger picture, in that OKC has X sq feet of taxable land, Y amount of taxable sales, and Z expenses,

It'd be nice if for the time being, we could get a Rick Sinnett mural on the side of the former Margarita Mama's space.

It'd be nice if for the time being, we could get a Rick Sinnett mural on the side of the former Margarita Mama's space.

I've always thought that would be awesome.

It'd be nice if for the time being, we could get a Rick Sinnett mural on the side of the former Margarita Mama's space.

yes but he would have to have started on it last year for it to be done in time.

I took this a couple of days ago. They should have this done pretty soon:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/minigolf042515.jpg

Unfortunately, while being next to a canal makes it valuable. Not being on a real street takes away that value.

Then, wouldn't that mean that an urban canal is just a bad idea to begin with?

Again I will point out that Brickopolis (built by the same property owner) was designed in such a way that it can provide street access (on Mickey Mantle no less) to this property when a deal comes together for hotel or other development.

This corner has been uniquely challenged from a development standpoint for its entire canal-front history. It is large, prominent, and deserves a large showpiece development of some type, but such development requires better access than it has on a narrow, one-way alley. Brickopolis now provides such access.

Again I will point out that Brickopolis (built by the same property owner) was designed in such a way that it can provide street access (on Mickey Mantle no less) to this property when a deal comes together for hotel or other development.

This corner has been uniquely challenged from a development standpoint for its entire canal-front history. It is large, prominent, and deserves a large showpiece development of some type, but such development requires better access than it has on a narrow, one-way alley. Brickopolis now provides such access.

Won't the remodeled Santa Fe station be a boon for canal development as well, once complete? I think I remember you saying that canal-front property hasn't been as prime as it would seem in the past due to limited access, but Santa Fe station will change all that.

If so, how long do you foresee it being before we finally se a permanent development at that location?

I'm not convinced that the new access from Santa Fe Station will be a game-changer. It will certainly an improvement, but the type of access I am talking about is going to take more stairs and ramps, which are things being discussed but would of course be down the road. The Santa Fe portal will also have somewhat limited hours. I still believe most pedestrians will enter Bricktown via the Sheridan and Reno entrances under the viaduct.

Where I think the Santa Fe Station helps is not as much through improved access but in the likelihood of activating the plaza that runs above the canal along the viaduct. What I mostly said is that the canal's biggest failure is that it is a place to go TO rather than a place to go THROUGH. If we can encourage an activity node at the west terminus of the canal it will entice people to leave the raceways of Sheridan and Reno, which in turn will encourage them to interact with the canal. Right now there is no reason to go that way, which is why especially the Oklahoma-to-BNSF block suffers a lack of development at canal level.

I do think that the grand staircase to canal level will be great (though I wish there had been more thought given to ADA and strollers), but for it to be REALLY great we need for there to be people at the top of it to begin with.

I was quite sure that at our last Streetcar Subcommittee meeting we were told there would be extended hours for the Santa Fe portal. If they find restaurants to go into the station space and there are extended hours I think we'll see a fair amount of foot traffic, but I don't think that route would be preferential for most people because Reno is such a logical route. Streetcar stops on Sheridan and Reno adjacent to the station will also funnel traffic along those two streets.

^^^^^^^
You are correct in that extended hours will be tied to tenants. The hope is that they will lure tenants who will open the doors early and close the doors late. Otherwise the doors will likely be open around departure time and arrival times of the Heartland Flyer and locked during other times. The hope would be that you get one tenant that is open early (breakfast, coffee, etc.) and one that is open late (restaurant with bar, etc.).

This lot will be developed once the streetcar is in. When you remove the automobile from the equation a lot of developments make more financial sense.

I turned around and snapped a few pics of this while I was getting shots of Brickopolis today.

10754
10755
10756

Pond going in.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x378/KerryinJax/OKC%20Stuff/CAM03849_zpsjcntsbyi.jpg (http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/KerryinJax/media/OKC%20Stuff/CAM03849_zpsjcntsbyi.jpg.html)

From their FB page:

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11752529_421035711433422_2000911809888864746_n.jpg ?oh=ed0692a3a688bf6845ca8ba4f2e029a7&oe=564FF18F

I think it is a great addition to Bricktown another thing to make this district unique to other DT entertainment districts found in other cities across the country. Still wish they got that Starflyer approved for BT. The Plow looks sharp in the background. Just need to get a nice touristy trap family friendly restaurant to go in the former Mango Joe's building. Maybe a national name like Fat Tuesday's, MargaritaVille, Hard Rock Cafe, Rainforest Cafe, or Magic Time Machine to go into that building right next to the miniature golf. Seems like the building been vacant forever and a day. I know those restaurants are wishfull thinking. LOL It would be nice to have something eventually be built in that old building. The whole Miniature Golf and Brickopolis was a great addition to BT I can't wait to pay this place a visit before a game.

Putting surfaces being installed this evening.

Estimation of completion date? Shouldn't be longer than a month, right?

One word comes to my mind after seeing that photo above ...... Mural

Estimation of completion date? Shouldn't be longer than a month, right?

The putting surface is now down on every hole (done over past two days). As far as I can tell all that is left to do is fence and landscaping, which goes very quickly. I think Chris and his crew would like to get Brickopolis AND Bricktown Mini Golf both open within the next 1-2 weeks.

One word comes to my mind after seeing that photo above ...... Mural

It's possible, but the owner of the building is once again actively courting developers (he has seen increased interest thanks to Brickopolis), so timing might not be right at present.

Hurry along now developer, hurry along. G-babies are leaving the 'lopes behind in WY and moving back to OK real soon.

In the interim, I could totally dig a nice Okie mural on that building for all to see who walk by and putt.

I definitely would like to see a "big" project there, but this is so much better than that grass lot.
And I think this putt putt course will prove to be popular, so when it comes time, hopefully he can relocate the operations somewhere down the canal.

In the interim, I could totally dig a nice Okie mural on that building for all to see who walk by and putt.

I agree. Every time I walk by there I have the exact same thought. A mural would be perfect there.

Also, looking at the banner on the side of the building, I didn't realize the building was for sale.

Yes, it has been for many years. The owner is Gary Cotton, who previously also owned the properties where Bricktown Mini Golf and Brickopolis are now located. A number of years ago he proposed the Cotton Exchange development for all of this property, but couldn't get financing done.

From https://twitter.com/OkcPics:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CK4pJROUEAAgEmR.jpg:large

This is really turning out to be one cool setup!
Now imagine in the picture if the proposed Starflyer was in the background.

Like many.. I'd have loved to see a hotel build on that property, however that being said its good to see something there.

Like many.. I'd have loved to see a hotel build on that property, however that being said its good to see something there.

The good news is that this in no way precludes a hotel or other great mixed use project from going in at a later date. Again, I would cite Bleu Garten as a similar example of temporary activation of an open space while development opportunities mature.

By the way, you can see the four southernmost bays of Brickopolis very easily. They are at street level, which is one floor above canal level in this part of the canal. The wood you see are planters placed inside the openings, but planters that can be removed in a few minutes to accommodate a bridge or bridges between Brickopolis and any development that appears on the mini golf site. This allows anything built on the mini golf site to benefit from Mickey Mantle street frontage, and effectively makes the mini golf site many, many times easier to develop, long-term.

Man, that hole in the foreground looks tough.

Landscaping going in from https://twitter.com/_Bricktown:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLFv5tRVAAActX7.jpg:large

Wow that's a drastic change from just a few days ago.

I'm sure they want to be open ASAP with the summer fast slipping away.

I guess they are also hoping to open the mini golf at the same time as Brickopolis.

It's kind of astonishing how big a difference all the green makes.

Just put on twitter

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLMVZWPWoAE85zp.jpg:large

I really dig it now, be nice if we could get some rain to help with those plants

Getting closer:

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11693991_423340434536283_6342884370487515167_n.jpg ?oh=1820ddfab884f54e9ef4ab719ef5ea0c&oe=563BD407

Any notion of prospective opening date? Has to be pretty close, I'd think/..

I'm so excited for this to open love the idea that this will bring more people down to the Canal level.

Open for business. Main Brickopolis building should be open in another week or so:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CL_x2z7UsAAgKRt.jpg:large

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11836819_425995337604126_4601294831401452815_n.jpg ?oh=24a81b1e586e6907b61ffdfd9ceb0c28&oe=563939B9