That is a fair price for that location. One bedroom, 800 sf. starting at $1000. per month, and that includes everything but electric and cable.

I love all the renovation that is taking place in midtown, but i think there needs to be some new development not just restoration. Does anyone else feel the same?

Here's a great video of the Sieber from newsok.com.

Looks like they've done a fantastic job of not only restoring the building, but using high-end materials:

http://newsok.com/multimedia/video/9446736001

I took the downtown living tour last year and the Seiber was part of the tour. They did a great job of renovating the spaces while using materials that totally looked in place for the period. A great space, a great location.

Thanks Pete. We're putting a lot of effort into these videos. I'm definitely multi-tasking these days and we've got a great video crew putting these productions together.

I love all the renovation that is taking place in midtown, but i think there needs to be some new development not just restoration. Does anyone else feel the same?

There will be, if Overholser Green ever gets off the ground.

That is a fair price for that location. One bedroom, 800 sf. starting at $1000. per month, and that includes everything but electric and cable.

I wasn't trying to say that it was overpriced, just that it doesn't fit my budget at this time.

Sieber seeing success as residents move downtown
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record February 24, 2009
The Journal Record - Article (http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=96271)

OKLAHOMA CITY – Marva Ellard took a seat in the lobby of the old Sieber Hotel on Monday and announced that her 12-year labor of love was nearly complete.

http://www.journalrecord.com/_images/articles/t_labskc-midtown_MS.jpg
Marva Ellard sits in a model unit at the Sieber apartment building Monday. (Photo by Maike Sabolich)

Ellard and a group of investors purchased the dilapidated Sieber buildings on North Harvey Avenue in 1997 when the only occupants were pigeons and transients squatting in the vacant hotel. But Ellard had faith that people would want to live downtown and set out to breathe new life into the former grocery store building, built in 1922, and the hotel built in 1928 by the Sieber family.

The result is 38 apartments ranging from 800 square feet to 1,500 square feet, many with views of the downtown skyline and the state Capitol.

The hotel closed in the 1980s and sat vacant until last October, when the first tenants moved in on Halloween.

Funding for the $8.5 million renovation came from a mortgage-guaranteed loan, funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and money from the city of Oklahoma City as part of the Murrah Revitalization District.

The final unit count is 38, with 30 units in the six-story building and eight in the grocery store building.

Ellard has 60 percent of the units leased. Rents range from $1,000 to $1,900 per month.
About 4,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor on the north and south sides of the lobby is available.

“Historically there’s always been a restaurant on the south side of the lobby,” Ellard said.
The lobby features the original mosaic tiles and restored skylights that spill abundant natural light through the lobby, which is fitted with several sitting areas.

Despite a downturn in the economy, Ellard said she is not surprised that there has been so much interest in the Sieber.

Andy Burnett, with commercial real estate firm Sperry Van Ness, said people want to live downtown, but many are watching their wallets. He said projects like the Sieber, and several other rental properties, are alluring to many.

“There’s obviously a lot of demand for downtown housing,” he said. “People want to be downtown, and the product that’s affordable has done very well.”

Burnett said rental units, and condos in the $200,000 range, will continue to do well downtown. Buyers likely will not be lining up in 2009 for condos that cost more than $400,000, several of which have come online in the past year.

“The product that’s suffering is the product that’s at a premium price,” Burnett said.
Kim Searls, marketing director for Downtown OKC Inc., ran through a list of about 700 residential units, both condos and apartments, which have come online in the past few years or are under construction.

Searls said the rental market and lower-priced condos will continue to draw residents to downtown this year, while the high-end condo market likely will slow.

“There is still a market for downtown housing,” she said. “With the economy, it seems like people are interested in that lower price point right now.”

Ellard said she is just glad to have the Sieber nearly done after more than a decade.

“When we got into this in 1997, we would have never dreamed it would be 2009 before we were finished,” she said. “But all of the partners are very pleased with the results.”

First time I had seen this project in person and it's incredible.

There is empty retail space on the southeast corner that has the same original tile. The small building immediately north looks full leased.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber2.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber3.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber4.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber5.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber6.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber7.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/sieber8.jpg

About two months ago when I was looking for a new apartment, I had contacted Marva to get some info on prices, square footage, etc. and to set up a viewing, but after only replying to one e-mail, she never responded to me again. Called and left messages, no response. E-mailed a few more times, no response.

Love the work she's done on that building, but color me unimpressed with my experience.

I think she has the building booked solid?

If that's original tile work it looks amazing.

Agree...sharp looking stuff

I think she has the building booked solid?

Maybe, but still not very professional not to respond. All they have to do is respond back and tell them so. You shouldn't just be attentive when you need them, but ignore them when you are through with them. Not a way to run a business or gain support for other projects.

That really turned out to be a fantastic project. My husband and I toured some of the units on the downtown living tour a few years ago. The units are very nice. My husband would love to live there. I am sure they are 100% leased but there must be a waiting list that wdj could get on if he/she could get a call back.

Point taken. I get the impression that Marva had read this board before, so hopefully she'll get the message. I met her once during the SR fiasco and thought she was super nice, and I know she's well-liked within the downtown developer community.

Hello... I'm back (been off for a while): Marva doesn't visit the online forums or blogs. I'll let her know about the call. It doesn't sound like her, so I suspect there's more to this than what's being said (a missed return email or call, other modern communication glitches). I think it's jumping the gun to suggest she's unprofessional because one poster reports they didn't get a response to an inquiry.
By that measure, with all the trouble I've had the past couple weeks with lost emails and voice mails, I'm a complete amateur!

awww man, not that ol' lost email v-mail glitch story again.
:wink:

On a more serious note, been enjoying what you're writing. Welcome back!

Thanks Kevin. But ... "awww man, not that ol' let's judge a person because one person reports they had a problem story again...." (I know Marva. She is professional, I see her repeatedly answer and return calls, and someone in this thread is a bit quick to cast judgment).

Sorry, I did not mean to overreact. But I had similar experience about 6 mos ago. Never did get any info. I thought it was her staff, not necessarily her. Don't mean to disrespect her. If you say she is golden, I am sure she is. Stuff happens.

Marva's good people. Downtown needs more like her.

ditto

Include me as a fan of Marva. She is a lovely person with incredible vision and fortitude.

Retro Metro OKC had its debut coming-out party there on July 15, 2010. Several party pics showing the entry-whatever-it-is-called area are in my blog piece about that event (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2010/07/retrometro-okc.html#debut). Most pics focus on people present, but a few show of the area, as well.

Marva is in the 3rd photo, below.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/retrometro/rmokc_debutparty_16.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/retrometro/rmokc_debutparty_09.jpg

Marva is the lady in yellow, below

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/retrometro/rmokc_debutparty_13.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/retrometro/rmokc_debutparty_17.jpg

She is a very classy lady.

Visited some friends that have a loft in the annex building to the north last weekend. Apartments are very nice - beautifully decorated and full of light from windows. Very nicely done.

Recent photo of the Sieber, with the Palo Duro thrown in at no extra cost :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8526517317_4209c10047_h_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/73409321@N00/8526517317/in/photostream)

Photo by Laban West (http://www.flickr.com/photos/73409321@N00/)

No No, that's Palo Duro II.............LOL

Right. Don't you remember the plans for how they were going to pay homage to the original and build a "quality" Palo Duro II?

About a year ago, there was a building permit for the ground floor space on the south end. It's about 2,775 square feet and the permit indicated a restaurant use.

Today in his chat, Steve mentioned it was to be a wine bar run by Andrew Black.

I've peaked inside there and it's great space with some of the same tile floor as the lobby:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/4023d1372978451-sieber-apartments-sieber3.jpg

About the right size for that book store too if the wine thing falls through.

Andrew has been working on that for a long time.

Scrolling through this thread a bit and seeing Praedura's name. It's been almost a year since he last logged in. We never did find out why he left, right?

Scrolling through this thread a bit and seeing Praedura's name. It's been almost a year since he last logged in. We never did find out why he left, right?I asked that awhile back and no one seemed to know.