Middle ground
Housing, eateries arriving as city area starts to stir


By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

More housing and a new "restaurant row" are in the works for MidTown as developer Greg Banta moves from acquisition to leasing space in more than 50 properties he owns just west of downtown.

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Banta said Thursday the first floor of MidTown's landmark Plaza Court Building is fully leased. Construction permits are pending for Irma's II, James E. McNellies Public House, Prairie Thunder Bakery and King Euporium Gift Shop.

Leases, meanwhile, are pending for restaurants to occupy the former Reeser's Eyewear building at 1215 N Walker Ave. and a property known as the "rotunda building" at 1201 N Walker Ave. Across the street, Banta is planning to convert part or all of the seven-story Osler Building and adjoining Heritage Building into housing.

The stretch of Walker between NW 13 and NW 10 already is home to a Subway shop, the Grateful Bean Cafe, Boulevard Cafeteria, Brown's Bakery and Cafe do Brasil.

"We're trying to get a restaurant row going," Banta said. "And we hope that will create demand for residential and offices."

A former Beverly's at 1207 N Walker, owned by Banta, has been leased to brothers Arturo and Marco Chavez, who plan to open 1492 New World Latin Cuisine.

Arturo Chavez said the concept is unique to Oklahoma City and should complement Cafe do Brasil across the street.

"It's a blend of all the Americas," Chavez said. "The theme is based on 1492, when Columbus came over and brought old-world Spanish cuisine and blended it with what we have now — a bit of Caribbean, South American, Mexican and what we have with TexMex. It's something that's been tried in other cities and has been very successful."

Chavez, who worked as a sommelier in Bricktown, said he first looked at opening an eatery in the entertainment district before turning his attention to MidTown.

"This will create a nice restaurant row," Chavez said. "It will be a great local area. We'll have some visitors, but I think Bricktown will continue to have more of the tourist business. I think it's great that Greg Banta is only doing locally owned and not corporate businesses."

Banta, meanwhile, is counting on the new restaurants, housing and offices to create energy in MidTown that will spark more development.

Banta said he is preparing to market the former Hotel Marion, at NW 10 and Broadway, a three-story building at 1217 N Francis and buildings at 905 and 909 NW 12 as housing. He said renovations are nearing completion at a former surgery center at 815 NW 12 that will be leased by McBride Clinic for a physical therapy group.

Banta said potential medical tenants are looking at several other properties along NW 10, which links St. Anthony Hospital and the Oklahoma Health Center. He added that a lease should be announced soon for the former Pat's Lounge building at NW 10 and Robinson, which will be restored and renamed the Packard Building in honor of its original use as a Packard dealership.

The addition of a restaurant row and housing is being welcomed by two competing MidTown residential developers. Justin Meek, spokesman for Harvey Lofts at NW 12 and Harvey, said conversion of the former Wesley Hospital into condos is complete and the first two units already are occupied.

He said only six of the building's 17 units remain available for sale.

"Reaching a critical mass can only increase the vitality and interest in MidTown," Meek said.

Marva Ellard, who is developing the former Sieber Hotel at NW 13 and Hudson into apartments, said she thinks more housing development still is needed for MidTown.

"We need 24-hour residents down here and not just businesses during the day," Ellard said.

More housing may come soon, with proposals due Friday for property at NW 13 and Dewey that once was home to Mercy Health Center. The abandoned hospital was razed by the Urban Renewal Authority in 2002 and is immediately south of the affluent Heritage Hills neighborhood.

Banta said his company won't be submitting bids to Urban Renewal officials for the site, but he has visited with others who are preparing proposals.

"We want to see it developed, and we're confident it will be done right," Banta said. "It has potential to be a great project."