Eventually, I want to see development go from 23rd street down to the river, and go as far west as Exchange and Classen, all the way east to I-235. I want it to connect to a revitalized Stockyards City and Capital Hill, and cross over the interstate to the Capitol and the OU medical center.
That's what I'd like to see. We are probably 25 or 30 years from that being completed. But we've got to plan for it now, and if a unique opportunity arises in one of these areas, we have to be ready to seize it. I'm not worried about having a few empty spaces in each area. Those are small scale problems. Overall our downtown is benefitted more, I think, by having a larger area that's 70% developed rather than a smaller area that's 100% developed. Perfection is the enemy of good enough, and if we wait until one area is completely full before starting on another, we'll miss out.
The big keystone properties are what we need to focus on. The Fred Jones building is a keystone property. There are a lot more investors who can renovate a small building than a big one. We should work on getting the big pieces in place and then the smaller developments will follow.
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