Ideas for OKC Towne Centre

**HOT ROD** · 12-04-2004, 11:56 PM

I found a great article that rated Vancouver's Granville Island the best neighbourhood in North America and thought it would be a great read for us as we build OKC Towne Centre.

http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/n...2004_granville

Granville Island is a small island just south of the downtown peninsula. The area used to be very industrial in nature but local residents were determined to reclaim the land for the people. Today, it has a Public Market (similar tho not as popular as Seattle's Pike Place Public Market) and a host of other venues and its own hotel.

It really is like being in a city within a major city and has something to cator to everyone. I think we could take a few tips from Granville Island as we go forward with our version here, as there are similarities. (well, ok - Vancouver is on the coast but hey - both Granville Island and Flatiron district were indistrial areas reclaimed. I just hope OKC Towne centre doesnt become commercialized but could instead model after Granville Island).

Wouldnt it be great on a future ranking to see OKC ranked in the company of Vancouver, New York, San Fran!

Any agreements or other ideas?

**Luke** · 12-07-2004, 09:56 PM

According to this site from BricktownOKC.com (http://www.bricktownokc.com/press/pr65.html):

"OKC TownCenter will continue to purchase land and the first project will be revealed late this year, Garrett said."

It is "late this year"... anyone hear anything?

**floater** · 12-07-2004, 10:23 PM

It's funny that another project is afoot near downtown Cleveland on some riverfront brownfields (yeah, not a pretty picture) called the Steelyard Commons. They're on a former steel mill site, and will be a bigbox development similar to Belle Isle Station, complete with a Wal-Mart -- to the groan of the local urban purists.

Anyway, hopefully OKC's biotech boom will spill into the Flatiron. Cytovance is building a facility in the research park; hopefully more companies will follow westward toward downtown. I don't know if research lab space would be an appropriate fit, but maybe some support services in the biotech supply chain could occupy the space.

At any rate, I think it would be wise for the TownCenter group to have the university involved every step of the way -- some building projects could come along with the help of state and national funding. Who knows? OU could even help with the provision of public spaces, such as the Stanton L. Young park/plaza on the OUHSC campus. They did with Founders Plaza (where the Beacon of Hope light beam will radiate from). So could the Presbyterian foundation.