Deep Deuce II, the new apartment development just east of Deep Deuce apartments, got the green light today. This is good news for Deep Deuce, Bricktown, and all of downtown! Urban Renewal is looking for developers for this proposed apartment complex! I bet it won't take long to find a developer for the site! Sounds like they're entetaining proposals from national developers, not just local developers!

It's exciting to see all of the residential development going on downtown! With all of this development, retail will follow, and downtown will again be a 24 hour destination!

I'll bet a small grocery store of some sort gets built soon. There's an empty lot just southwest of the Bus Station. I thought it would make a great place for a downtown supermarket similar in nature ot Crescent Market, or maybe a nice Albertsons or something. This would be the perfect location for such a grocery store, because it wouldn't put another big box retailer in Bricktown or the CBD. Plus, it wouldn't be a discount store like Wal Mart. But it would still be a good size grocery store to service all of downtown.

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Here's the article:

Urban Renewal seeks developers for The Hill
by Darren Currin
The Journal Record
7/22/2004

A commercial and residential development may soon be coming to the area known as Walnut Hill or "The Hill," just east of downtown.
The Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority on Wednesday agreed to send out a request for proposals from potential developers interested in undertaking a redevelopment project in the area that is bounded by Interstate 235 and Stiles Avenue on the west and east, and between NE Second Street and a railroad right of way on the north and south.

"There is approximately six acres in that area and we hope to pick up a little bit more from the ODOT right of way that is against I-235 by the railroad tracks," said JoeVan Bullard, executive director of the authority.

Additionally, Bullard noted that it was important to make the request for proposals known so that the project can be fueled by the momentum that is under way in the central core of Oklahoma City in terms of urban redevelopment.

With the wave of downtown housing under way in such projects as Deep Deuce, The Montgomery and the proposed Legacy at Arts Central, Oklahoma City officials have said that they believe "The Hill" could be another attractive area for developers to target for additional housing units.

Robert Annis, deputy director of the authority, explained that the guidelines for the proposals are broad and the authority expects to see a variety of proposed developments that will most likely include a mix of single-family housing, multifamily housing and commercial uses.

Bullard also added that because Oklahoma City is being recognized nationally because of its downtown redevelopment efforts through the MAPS program, he expects to receive a number of proposals from not just local groups, but out-of-state developers as well.

"I know of two local groups that are interested, but I also think there is going to be interest from developers in the Fort Worth/Dallas area and around the country," he said.

To attract a diverse group of developers to "The Hill" project, the authority will market the request nationally. Once the request is officially sent out, developers will have 90 days to respond. Bullard said that the period could be extended to allow the authority more time to negotiate with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for its right-of-way land.

During Wednesday's monthly meeting, authority member Jim Tolbert told the group that once all of the proposals have been received it was important that the local architectural community have an opportunity to review the designs and share their input.

"They should be injected into the review process at a stage where they can have an impact," said Tolbert.

Last year, the authority hired M&M Wrecking Co. to demolish and clear the Walnut Hill site for development. The company removed some concrete and construction material infill that at a previous period had been buried on the site.