Folks,
The latest report about the demand for downtown housing has got me thinking. Why hasn't the development of downtown housing taken off? I realize this all takes time, but ground has not been broken on one single new project. For the last year, we've heard one plan after another for downtown housing appear and then slowly fade away. Consider...
The Factory: a grand plan to build housing in the middle of Bricktown that has now been shelved.
The Steelyards: another plot of land in Bricktown, was supposedly going to be developed for housing, but that too seems to be going nowhere. It's probably still "in the works" (read: someone thinks it is a good idea but isn't acting on it).
Legacy Summits: may or may not ever be built...who knows?
The Triangle: an ambitious project to redevelop east Downtown, but an unknown quantity. My fiance recently called the developers of the Triangle for some info on buying a condo, and was told by a secretary that they would not be ready for a "very long time".
Deep Deuce 2, ie the Hill: OCURA has approved the project but I have doubts as to when it will ever be built. And even then, the plans are for some super expensive condos that will price out all but the richest downtown residents.
Other various project: Will they also slowly disappear after another year has passed?
Is it possible that in 5 years from now, the only new living downtown will be a row of super expensive condos isolated in the upper corner of downtown? I think it is possible. We have seen a large number of projects come and go, and very few results. It's a shame, because the rest of Downtown (well, mostly Bricktown) has grown quickly, with hotels, restaurants and so forth coming in.
We have to strike while the steel is hot folks. Or it could all fizzle out. Any thoughts?
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