Alright... what's happening here is that it's difficult for even people like myself who are paid to track this day to day to keep up with the ups and downs of development, and I'm sure it's even more difficult for those who aren't.
So here's a quickie in the interim:
- Yes, Gary Cotton did have a crack team set up for the Cotton Exchange. But there was one weakness: Gary Cotton. Cotton was not a developer, and still isn't. And his plan required some heavy duty financing at a time when the banking industry was starting a freefall.
- The Candy Factory went all office (first floor will be retail) because that's where the money was for the developers. It's still business at the end of the day.
- Harding & Shelton: this one is still proceeding, but is scaled back, again due to the economy. They are remodeling the buildings that face the canal, something Spartan is seeking. But the underground parking and canal extension, for now, are on hold. Unlike Cotton's project, this one would have happened in full for sure if the economy hadn't nosedived.
- Lofts... I don't see large scale for-sale condos or lofts being developed anytime in the near future anywhere downtown. But we might see apartments...
- CoCo Flow: the space was empty for one year, not two. Go there tonight and report back on what you see (big hint here).
- Bricktown Holiday Inn. It's on hold as are hotel projects nationwide. The hotel industry is in its worst slump in decades.
- Overall leasing is UP in Bricktown. To be blunt, Spartan, you're operating on year-old information. That's not to say it's all rosy. French Hickman and Gary Cotton's properties stand out as being embarassments to observers I've spoken to.
Bricktown isn't perfect and it still has problems. But your prognosis is a bit too bleak.