I am still bitter about the completely missed opportunity this area had with Belle Isle Lake. Just imagine if the lake still existed in its glory and had retail and residential surrounding it.

I really hate that they filled it in and we have this commercial village REI is going into. Happy about REI but still bitter about the loss of Belle Isle ....

I agree. I remember watching the power plant demolition on the news when it happened. If I remember correctly, an actual upscale shopping center centered around Belle Isle Lake was originally proposed, but in typical bait-and-switch fashion it was downgraded to the Wal-Mart strip center that was eventually built.

Well like any commercial development, you can only have what leases your space. If Walmart and the random make up of what's there is that will lease, then that's what you have. It's in the wrong area for upscale in terms of something like Classen Curve. It's 50 years too late for that.

It would have required a WHOLE LOTTA CASH to make something work with the water there. Water features dont pay rent and it was just an echo of what the lake used to be back in the amusement park days. Lots of concrete drainage changes killed that off (and Penn Square is partially to blame). And there wasn't the space available to have structure and parking with the water. I think a lot of near by residents are not sad to see the mosquito problems gone from that stagnant water.

No, it's not exciting as a development and there's nothing particularly special that leases the space anywhere in there either. But that's sort of the point right? Nothing special has leased the space. It's just a strip mall. It serves its purpose though and it's been able to keep enough demand that even some larger spaces filled up pretty dang fast. So in terms of how healthy the development is, i'd say it's very healthy.

I agree. I remember watching the power plant demolition on the news when it happened. If I remember correctly, an actual upscale shopping center centered around Belle Isle Lake was originally proposed, but in typical bait-and-switch fashion it was downgraded to the Wal-Mart strip center that was eventually built.

That was 20 years ago, things were a lot different in OKC back then. If the power plant could have avoided demolition for 15 more years, maybe things would have been different.

Aiming for an early November opening.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/rei071319a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/rei071319b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/rei071319c.jpg

It's in the wrong area for upscale in terms of something like Classen Curve.

Classen Curve is 0.3 miles from Belle Isle.

Yeah and OCU is about 200 yards from crack town. One of the lovely things about OKC and why it's difficult to get retail in here. A little distance means the world. That .3 miles is the difference of Bell Isle and Nichols Hills.....

OCU is retail? Man, crack has really helped push up those home values in Gatewood.

Also, Classen Curve isn't Nichols Hills.

It's about 0.3 miles from NH. lol.

You would think they would want to be open before the holiday shopping season but they don't seem to be in any hurry.

They really picked up the pace after you posted this. Exterior work is practically done now.

They really picked up the pace after you posted this. Exterior work is practically done now.

Right and they just let the contract for interior finish. My understanding is they plan to open in early November.

Yeah and OCU is about 200 yards from crack town. One of the lovely things about OKC and why it's difficult to get retail in here. A little distance means the world. That .3 miles is the difference of Bell Isle and Nichols Hills.....

Aww man i didnt know i lived in Cracktown :(
Hopefully one day i can get clean and ill finally be able to move to MWC. Fingers crossed.

Aww man i didnt know i lived in Cracktown :(
Hopefully one day i can get clean and ill finally be able to move to MWC. Fingers crossed.

People tend to toss around "lol"- I literally laughed, out loud, at this comment. :D

Aww man i didnt know i lived in Cracktown :(
Hopefully one day i can get clean and ill finally be able to move to MWC. Fingers crossed.Ah so that’s why you love streetcars so much!? It all makes sense now ;)

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/rei090219a.jpg

Hmm, a little sad at how it looks compared to other REI locations

The interior finish out should start moving pretty quickly now.

Hmm, a little sad at how it looks compared to other REI locations
The building doesn't look that bad. Everything else around it? Yeah. Pretty off-putting.

Pete, do you know when they are trying to open?

11/15

REI is now open. Pretty cool store for all your outdoor adventures.

When I was at the Member' Open House event on Thursday night they said they said the grand opening was the 15th.

I went here and was impressed. I couldn't really tell a difference between it and some of their other locations, but I normally just shop the camping and hiking sections. An employee told me they are still getting inventory and will have to rearrange some things to accommodate a large kayak display. They'll also begin having more classes in the future and it should be a great way to show people how much outdoor recreation Oklahoma has.

I went this past Sunday. I rather enjoyed the wall background behind the registers (Charon's Gardens at sunset in Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge). They also used the same for their member's catalog I received in the mail the other day for the upcoming grand opening. I am gonna try to make it on Sunday afternoon.

I went here and was impressed. I couldn't really tell a difference between it and some of their other locations, but I normally just shop the camping and hiking sections. An employee told me they are still getting inventory and will have to rearrange some things to accommodate a large kayak display. They'll also begin having more classes in the future and it should be a great way to show people how much outdoor recreation Oklahoma has.

I was wondering about the lack of kayaking stuff in-store. Glad to hear they'll be squeezing some of that in.

A friend was looking for a particular product they have on their website (a particular brand/type of cycling shoe) and the salesperson commented that the OKC store was too small of a store to carry everything and so that particular product would not be available at this store...

A friend was looking for a particular product they have on their website (a particular brand/type of cycling shoe) and the salesperson commented that the OKC store was too small of a store to carry everything and so that particular product would not be available at this store...

As web commerce grows & physical retail contracts, it isn't uncommon for an item to be available on the website but not in a retail store. I wouldn't knock OKC on this at all. The last cycling shoes I bought from an LBS had to be ordered.

I was kinda sorta replying to the comment about lack of kayak stuff by saying it's a smaller store that doesn't have as much stuff....

I dont think there's ANY store that has everything. ...