The City is set to put out an RFP to redevelop the old City Jail, which has sat vacant for some time.

The new Municipal Courts building will open this summer and thus the old courts and police station immediately east of the jail will be demolished, more or less completely the civic redevelopment work in the immediate area.

The property is just south of another city-owned parcel that is also soon to go out for RFP, vacant land at 4th and Shartel.

Proposals are due September 26th.










http://newsok.com/development-propos...rticle/5552331

I. THE SOLICITATION
The City of Oklahoma City, hereinafter referred to as the City, is soliciting proposals for
redevelopment, by purchase or lease, of the Old City Jail Facility at 200 N. Shartel
Avenue in Oklahoma City. The City has completed construction of a new Police
Headquarters and is currently constructing a new Municipal Court facility. The Old Jail is
located adjacent to the existing Police/Courts facility, which will be demolished. The City
invites consideration by interested parties for reuse of the Old Jail in a manner
complementary to these other construction projects, and to the broader redevelopment of
the surrounding downtown area.
II. BACKGROUND
The Old Jail is located on North Shartel Avenue, one block north of West Main Street
and one block west of the Civic Center. The facility was completed in 1940 and was used
by the Oklahoma City Police Department until the late 1980s when the new County Jail
was constructed. All City prisoners are now housed in the county facility. The Old Jail is
currently vacant.
The structure is six stories tall and includes a partial basement. The sixth floor was added
in 1960 at the same time the original art deco embellishments on the west entry were
removed. The building has two elevators, one of which is non-operational. Elevator floor
plates are 6’ X 6’ with ceiling heights of 7’6”. Each floor is 6,885 square feet for a total
building size of 41,310 square feet. Ceiling beams on the 1st and 2nd floors have at least
8’ clearance, while floors 3-6 have clearance of 6’10”.
Redevelopment of the building may include single or multiple uses. The redeveloper
must ensure that significant historic characteristics of the building are maintained.
Proposals must demonstrate how they will support and leverage ongoing and planned
downtown development. The proposed project must be financially viable and should not
be contingent upon funding from The City of Oklahoma City.
III. HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
Hare and Hare, consultants from Kansas City, completed Oklahoma City’s first
comprehensive plan in 1930. The plan included a “Civic Center” which was later
constructed based largely on the Hare Plan and included the Jail, Auditorium, City Hall
and Courthouse.
City and County bonds approved in 1935, together with a federal matching grant,
supported construction of all four buildings conceived in the Civic Center plan.
The Municipal Auditorium, City Hall, and Courthouse, are each individually listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, and the Jail has been identified previously as
potentially eligible for listing on the National Register. Listing would potentially qualify
City of Oklahoma City and Bid RFP-OCITY-040
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the rehabilitation of the property for state and federal tax credits for certified
rehabilitation.
IV. SITE CONTEXT
Several recent redevelopment actions within a five minute walk have primed this area for
new investment. Significant public investments have been completed in the surrounding
area, including Project 180 and Film Row streetscapes, renovations of the lawns between
the Civic Center and City Hall and renovation of the nearby Myriad Gardens. The new
John Rex Elementary School at West Sheridan Avenue and North Walker Avenue has
been completed, as has the new Police Headquarters building. A new Courts
Administration building should be completed this year. The construction of Oklahoma
City’s new streetcar line is currently underway, and will include alignments in close
proximity to the Jail.
Numerous private developments throughout the surrounding area include the
rehabilitation of historic buildings for commercial, office, and residential use. The new
21C Hotel in the revitalized Fred Jones Manufacturing Building on Main Street adds new
hotel rooms to the downtown market and has served as a development driver to
downtown’s west end. A large-scale mixed used development is planned in the adjacent
area that proposes 345 multifamily housing units, as well as new shops, restaurants, and
amenities. New construction of residential and commercial facilities, including structured
parking, span from West Sheridan Avenue north into the Midtown area of Oklahoma
City.
V. CURRENT BUILDING CONDITION
• Mechanical services and utilities to the buildings were provided through the old
Police Headquarters building, which will be demolished. Therefore, services and
utilities to the Old Jail will need to be provided in a future renovation.
• The building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• No fire alarm or sprinkler system exists except on the ground floor.
• Due to roof leaks and broken or leaking windows, the building has been exposed to
the elements, including birds and other wildlife, and to water infiltration and related
damage.
• Asbestos is present on HVAC hardware and has been confirmed in the floor tile and
mastic.
• Sixth floor exterior walls are deteriorating. The walls are constructed of concrete
blocks with no steel reinforcement. Over the years, water has penetrated the walls
causing failure. Pieces of the exterior stucco on the sixth floor are beginning to fall
off.
City of Oklahoma City and Bid RFP-OCITY-040
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• Lead based paint has not been tested, but is likely throughout the building. See
Appendix A for the “Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint Survey” report of July 14, 1995.
VI. PRE-SUBMITTAL BUILDING TOURS
Potential proposers will be offered an opportunity to attend a non-mandatory building
tour, to be scheduled prior to the submittal date. Potential proposers who plan to attend
are asked to contact Lacy Kelly at (405) 297-2245 or lacy.kelly@okc.gov by June 20,
2017 in order to confirm availability and scheduling, and to receive additional
information about tour content and safety procedures.
VII. PRELIMINARY IDEAS FOR REUSE
Current zoning for the Old Jail is DBD (Downtown Business District), which allows a
wide range of commercial, residential and other uses. This zoning includes requirements
for design review via the City’s Downtown Design Review Committee, with regulations
and design guidelines that encourage mixed use, pedestrian-friendly development of an
urban character, and the retention of structures that are historic or that contribute to the
design, form, and urban character of the district.
This zoning is supported by Oklahoma City’s comprehensive plan, planokc, adopted in
2015. planokc establishes Land Use Typology Areas (LUTAs), and locates the Old Jail
within the Downtown LUTA. Key characteristics include urban, high intensity
development with close proximity among business, residential, “destination”, and
amenity-related uses.
In 2015, the City of Oklahoma City also established the Downtown Development
Framework to define a vision for the downtown’s ongoing development and future
growth. This Framework lays out development typologies, street typologies, and other
considerations for sub-districts within Downtown Oklahoma City. The Old Jail is located
within an area of downtown called the Civic/Arts Sub-District, for which the Framework
includes characteristics and development priorities of medium density, mixed use
development, a mix of new construction and historic structures, and potential uses
including multifamily housing, hotels, office buildings, and education/healthcare
facilities.
Previous planning efforts have identified an opportunity for connection between new or
rehabilitated facilities serving various Civic/Arts Sub-District needs, from housing to
shared workspace to creative retail. Redevelopment of the Old Jail offers a range of
options for adaptive reuse that would be supported by existing and ongoing developments
in the surrounding area, recent planning initiatives and identified goals for Downtown
Oklahoma City.