Quote Originally Posted by Rover View Post
Lifestyle centers haven't been a popular concept here. Actually, Aubrey was working towards it at 63rd and Western area. And, one was blocked at 36th and Bway Extension. Until the urbanized lifestyle is shown and adopted here, downtown is the best and seemingly only area where it is totally embraced. As people see the value in it they will be more understanding and accepting of the quasi urban suburban life centers. But, rather than artificially create one, I think they will come from places like Capitol Hill, Britton, Bethany, 63rd, and May, etc., where there is already a concentration of people and business. While I agree Belle Isle would have been a great location for one, I don't really think one was ever planned for.
What makes OKC different from smaller markets like Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock, etc that have all embraced the lifestyle center concept? That's not even considering what similar-sized cities have. Memphis, Louisville, Birmingham, Charlotte, etc have lifestyle center developments that are but a pipe dream in OKC. Personally, I don't think its OKC's fault for not embracing that type of development, but its developers' fault for not getting anything proposed until shortly before the 2008 crash, which of course resulted in the proposed projects being cancelled. Lifestyle centers aren't being built in the numbers they were built before 2008 anywhere. I wonder if maybe OKC missed its chance to ever have a real one.