Remaking Midtown: Projects invigorate long-depressed area
by Brandice J. O'Brien
The Journal Record
9/30/2005

The once neglected, boarded-up and dilapidated Midtown area is starting to become a trendy, chic, mixed-use district fitting snugly between Western Avenue and Bricktown.
Encircling St. Anthony Hospital, Bone & Joint Hospital and McBride Clinic, the community could become the city's next medical row.

St. Anthony's is in the midst of an extensive renovation. When the 10-year, $220 million project that will improve the grounds and its facilities is complete in 2014, the new campus will be bordered by NW 11th Street to the north, NW Eighth Street to the south, N. Walker Avenue to the east and N. Shartel Avenue to the west.

The remaining area extends to the Kaiser Ice Cream building at N. 10th Street and Walker Avenue and the Plaza Court building across the street.

Part of the city's process is to study the best use of the land. A medical corridor would be natural with St. Anthony's and the OU Medical Center right there, said Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.

Within the last year Rudy Construction, appointed by the Oklahoma City Council, added a traffic circle at the intersection of Kaiser's and Plaza Court at NW 10th Street, N. Walker Avenue and N. Classen Boulevard.

The project was estimated at $1.4 million and cost closer to $1.7 million, said Doug Walker, vice president of Rudy Construction.

The project also included new landscaping, curb and gutter work, pavement resurfacing and sidewalks. Several streets including NW 10th between Classen and Broadway Avenue, Classen between NW 10th and NW 13 streets and Walker from Robert S. Kerr Avenue to NW 13th also received improvements.

Construction began last September and is expected to be finished in two weeks.

"I think it will promote new business coming in and enhance property values," Walker said.

While many area business owners agree, the beautification process took a toll on several companies and buildings.

The Grateful Bean Café, which is in the Kaiser building at 1039 N. Walker, closed during construction. The café is expected to reopen Oct. 27.

The day the windows started rattling from construction on the traffic circle, the café closed its doors, said Pete Schaffer, coordinator for the café who acts as executive director.

"(The corridor) is going to be successful. It's been quite some time since the area did well economically," Schaffer said. "There will be an influx of office, restaurants and retail stores."

Scott Smith, general partner of Corsair Caughron LLC, which owns the Plaza Court building, agreed.

In the past six months since acquiring the 39,000-square-foot building, Smith is ready to sign tenants to the vacant property.

Upstairs, Smith said he hopes to find lawyers to occupy the office space and downstairs he'd like to see retailers including coffee chains and restaurants move in.

Within the first week of October, Smith intends to sign a lease with a regional restaurant. Rent is approximately $12 per square foot.

"It's an interesting area," said Greg Banta, chairman and CEO of the Banta Cos., which owns about 20 properties in the area. Rents range between $12 and $20 per square foot. "Six years ago it was depressed. It's making a huge comeback. It's downtown but you don't have to pay for parking; you can pull up at your door and go to work."