This project has really slowed down since the start of the year. I drive by daily and haven't seen any kind of work being done in a while. I wonder if they are re-evaluating the project after having to demolish a lot more than they had planned?

This project has really slowed down since the start of the year. I drive by daily and haven't seen any kind of work being done in a while. I wonder if they are re-evaluating the project after having to demolish a lot more than they had planned?

I'm sure that's true.

The last plans I shared came after a conversation with the current owners who thought at that time they were close to stripping all the rot. Since then, they've had to almost completely demolish the place.

And I'm sure they are way over budget.

They had crew yesterday, looked like further demo.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle051324a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle051324b.jpg

They have apparently decided on a design and begun construction! Dug and installed rebar from the west end of the south wall back to the north wall. Also, I am pretty sure inspector just left so they probably will form up then pour the new foundation.
Wondering if there might be a link for the updated plans?

^

As far as I know, they are still planning to rebuild according to the last renderings I posted.

I'll get out there with my drone this weekend.

the house looks nice.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle071324a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle071324b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle071324c.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle071324d.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle071324e.jpg

They've got to be so nervous about those two nearly freestanding walls.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle090424a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle090424b.jpg

I know they tried to resurrect as much of it as possible, but I think it would have been better to scrape it and pay tribute to the former building with a new design that incorporated some of the features.

^^^^^^^^^^^
Well, too late for that. They are clearly now moving forward with their existing plan.

Though I delivered papers in that area many moons ago, I never set foot in that club. It is nice they are preserving and improving this iconic OKC business.

19182
There was a crane on site this morning with steel beams going up

Was just coming to post the same. And they’ve made even more progress since your photo.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle101224a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle101224b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle101224c.jpg

Awesome to see forward progress here!

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle111224a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle111224b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle111224c.jpg

MAJOR kudos to Nick Preftakes and Caleb Hill for spending the time and MILLIONS of dollars saving this space from being bulldozed. Cannot thank them enough for preserving this little corner of Oklahoma City.

MAJOR kudos to Nick Preftakes and Caleb Hill for spending the time and MILLIONS of dollars saving this space from being bulldozed. Cannot thank them enough for preserving this little corner of Oklahoma City.

Could not agree more. These guys deserve a ton of credit - not only for doing the project itself, but also for sticking with it even when they realized they had to remove quite a bit of what was there. There were so many doubters in the beginning, a lot of folks who thought it wouldn't preserve any sort of feel of the Donnay Building. Well, looks like those doubters were wrong.

It's a big part of the reason I bristle when people criticize what this development team has done at Mayfair, where they've taken a horribly run-down and nearly empty strip shopping center and redeveloped the entire property to where it is now completely full of new businesses while they retained a few of the older ones.

Very few have an appreciation of how bad Mayfair was before they came along. It was an ugly, nearly empty eyesore and a gathering place for the homeless.

At the same time, they poured millions into Classen Circle and it will soon be built back properly. And by the way, they've done all of this without any public assistance.

It's a big part of the reason I bristle when people criticize what this development team has done at Mayfair, where they've taken a horribly run-down and nearly empty strip shopping center and redeveloped the entire property to where it is now completely full of new businesses while they retained a few of the older ones.

Very few have an appreciation of how bad Mayfair was before they came along. It was an ugly, nearly empty eyesore and a gathering place for the homeless.

At the same time, they poured millions into Classen Circle and it will soon be built back properly. And by the way, they've done all of this without any public assistance.Great points, Pete. I live about 2 miles to the east of Mayfair and frequent it much more often nowadays. The Empire Slice there is a new favorite. I invariably stop at Aldi on my way home too just to pick up a few veggies and such.

Great points, Pete. I live about 2 miles to the east of Mayfair and frequent it much more often nowadays. The Empire Slice there is a new favorite. I invariably stop at Aldi on my way home too just to pick up a few veggies and such.

I miss Ron's, but at least I can still get Ron's at Northpark (if Hacienda doesn't lure me away). I also like Falcone's better than Empire, but they are both good. Can't wait to try Taco Casa for the first time (if they ever open)... see how they compare to Taco Bell and Del Taco.

I miss Ron's, but at least I can still get Ron's at Northpark (if Hacienda doesn't lure me away). I also like Falcone's better than Empire, but they are both good. Can't wait to try Taco Casa for the first time (if they ever open)... see how they compare to Taco Bell and Del Taco.

I was surprised at how much Ron's at Northpark still feels like Ron's at Mayfair. Food's still great, too.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle112624a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle112624b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle112624c.jpg

Exciting to see what the future holds for this space. Has anyone heard if Chris is going to put the HiLo back in?

Exciting to see what the future holds for this space. Has anyone heard if Chris is going to put the HiLo back in?

I've talked to him a couple of times and he may be interested but the landlord has been nowhere close to being able to solicit tenants.

I'll follow up with him in a couple of months.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle122624a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle122624b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/circle122624c.jpg

Some recent photos. No tenants as of yet per the developers.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle013025a.jpg

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/classencircle013025b.jpg

Saw the construction site a few weeks ago, a reminder of when Big Beef BBQ and Vern Echols' Patio IIRC sat on that spot. Great BBQ and diner operations. Big Beef according to former owner Wiley York was a franchise he bought apart of Memphis' Little Pigs of America. Good spots on Route 66, lots of tourists frequented those establishments.

The Big Beef BBQ restaurant is now Jimmy's Egg.