Boarded-up uptown building to get new life (http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=583-Boarded-up-uptown-building-to-get-new-life)

Plans have been submitted to fully renovate a long-abandoned apartment building just north of the popular Pump Bar.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva021019.jpg


The building at 507-509 NW 24th is owned by a group headed by local preservationist Marva Ellard, who restored the Sieber Hotel into apartments and who is now a principal in the Villa Teresa project.

The group has been methodically renovating the cottage homes to the west of the former 4-plex, which are all leased as rental property.

This project has been dubbed Paseo Plex and floor plans reveal 4 apartments on the 2nd level, 2 on the first, laundry and storage in the basement and restoration to a free-standing garage structure to the north.

The group also owns the empty lots around the Paseo Plex.

The highly-visible property sits between the Uptown/23rd Street District and The Paseo Arts District. The two popular areas have been drawing together due new development and redevelopment in the area.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519e.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519f.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519g.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519d.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva020519b.jpg

Any idea what long-term plans are for the additional lots they own next to it?

It would be nice to see these sidewalks widened a foot or so.

Great news. Now, hopefully we will see a plan for the other land in the near future.

It would be nice to see these sidewalks widened a foot or so.

Before that happens, all of the sidewalks on Paseo itself need to be fixed, they're in pathetic shape.

Before that happens, all of the sidewalks on Paseo itself need to be fixed, they're in pathetic shape.

Agreed. I'd like the Paseo to become an actual Paseo at that!

Before that happens, all of the sidewalks on Paseo itself need to be fixed, they're in pathetic shape.

Yes. I live off of NW 30th and it's embarrassing what I have to walk on to get down to the good sidewalks in Heritage Hills and Mesta Park. This is my #1 hope for what might actually get fixed with Cooper on the City Council now. Even just updating the sidewalks on either side of Walker between 23rd and 30th would be a huge improvement. There's no reason why a street with a popular bar on NW 24th and a soon-to-be-popular restaurant/bar on NW 28th should be so unfriendly to pedestrians.

Yes. I live off of NW 30th and it's embarrassing what I have to walk on to get down to the good sidewalks in Heritage Hills and Mesta Park. This is my #1 hope for what might actually get fixed with Cooper on the City Council now. Even just updating the sidewalks on either side of Walker between 23rd and 30th would be a huge improvement. There's no reason why a street with a popular bar on NW 24th and a soon-to-be-popular restaurant/bar on NW 28th should be so unfriendly to pedestrians.

Since he lives in the Paseo, that should help with getting sidewalks there that don't look like they've been hit by mortars...

Yes. I live off of NW 30th and it's embarrassing what I have to walk on to get down to the good sidewalks in Heritage Hills and Mesta Park. This is my #1 hope for what might actually get fixed with Cooper on the City Council now. Even just updating the sidewalks on either side of Walker between 23rd and 30th would be a huge improvement. There's no reason why a street with a popular bar on NW 24th and a soon-to-be-popular restaurant/bar on NW 28th should be so unfriendly to pedestrians.

And extended north to at least 36th! The greatest irony is that Walker is not Walkable.

I live on 37th, and walking down Walker to the Paseo or 23rd is laughable.... I would love for new, wide sidewalks to be put in on both sides of Walker from 36th to 23rd.

Both the Paseo and Walker from 23rd to 36th are listed as receiving "Street Enhancements" on the Better Streets, Safer Cities map. Hopefully this will also include sidewalk replacements. Start date is still listed as TBD.


EDIT: the BSSC website defines Street Enhancements as: "improvements may include landscape, amenities such as benches and/or trash receptacles, lighting and sidewalks." So would seem there should be reason for optimism. Hopefully they get started sooner rather than later.

This links shows some renderings of what the street improvements may include:

http://www.acogok.org/green-design-okc/

Here are some renderings of proposed street improvements including Walker:

https://i.imgur.com/XXJMItd.png

https://i.imgur.com/oxr497I.png

https://i.imgur.com/0jA1oDi.png

I LOVE the roundabout at the entrance to the Paseo on Walker! I hope that happens.

yep yep yep. Hope this gets built. Are the areas between the sidewalk and the street rain gardens?

Both the Paseo and Walker from 23rd to 36th are listed as receiving "Street Enhancements" on the Better Streets, Safer Cities map. Hopefully this will also include sidewalk replacements. Start date is still listed as TBD.


EDIT: the BSSC website defines Street Enhancements as: "improvements may include landscape, amenities such as benches and/or trash receptacles, lighting and sidewalks." So would seem there should be reason for optimism. Hopefully they get started sooner rather than later.

From what I've seen on 50th, 36th, and now 30th with the Better Streets project, all they do is strip the streets down, then repave, with no sidewalk replacement or any other kind of improvement other than a new street. If someone knows otherwise, please contradict me, I'd love to be wrong.

^^^ Looks like there will also be improvements to Edgemere Park.

Hopefully all of this pans out. I think the area that encompasses Uptown, the Paseo, Jefferson, and Edgemere contains the strongest urban fabric in OKC outside of Bricktown. What it's lacking is modern, well maintained infrastructure but if that changes, the area is set to become pretty impressive in my opinion (and not just by OKC standards).

Yeah sign me up for that - looks great! Hopefully the final product will actually look similar to that! Excited for the Edgemere/Crown Heights green belt improvements as well - just stinks its not anticipated to start until 2025.

^^^^ with the MAPS and Better Streets initiatives maybe some monies can be found to expedite that project.

^^^^ with the MAPS and Better Streets initiatives maybe some monies can be found to expedite that project.

Hopefully so. That date comes from the Better Streets website but no idea how set in stone it is. Would selfishly love to see that part of town get made over sooner as I live nearby and am in the area often.

IMO, Edgemere Park easily takes the crown as the most beautiful neighborhood in the OKC metro. Every person I have shown that neighborhood to(especially if they’re from OKC) had no idea it existed and they all said they didn’t feel like they were in OKC.

I would like to see these projects happen sooner than later. I’ve said before, but I’d also like Paseo Dr. to be shut off to cars and become an actual pedestrian Paseo.

What is the best way for nearby residents to encourage the city to take those "proposed renderings" and make them a reality?

What is the best way for nearby residents to encourage the city to take those "proposed renderings" and make them a reality?

I would contact James Cooper who will soon be the city councilman for Ward 2, of which this area is a part.

Here are some renderings of proposed street improvements including Walker:

https://i.imgur.com/XXJMItd.png

https://i.imgur.com/oxr497I.png

https://i.imgur.com/0jA1oDi.png

I want this! Wow. This is the kind of beatification I would like to see around the city on major corridors. That would truly transform our city -- way more than a minor league soccer stadium.

I want this! Wow. This is the kind of beatification I would like to see around the city on major corridors. That would truly transform our city -- way more than a minor league soccer stadium.

+1000

Work has started here.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marva6plex031919.jpg