RFP south of arena

[jccouger]

Why does this board hate another OKC development, aside from hating everything OKC does? The area is too thin to do anything with, so having Thunder-themed places seems perfectly fine to me. But apparently I know nothing.

Its a restaurant and a sea of parking with a 70 inch flat screen outside. You really love it that much?

[shawnw]

Why does this board hate another OKC development, aside from hating everything OKC does? The area is too thin to do anything with, so having Thunder-themed places seems perfectly fine to me. But apparently I know nothing.

we all want cool things for our city, but more parking spots does not a cool thing make

(there will literally be a 10-story parking garage right across the street, and there is a multi-story parking garage just to the north)

[HangryHippo]

this is such a home run

Of course you think so.

[GoGators]

This proposal is definitely looking to Lower Bricktown for inspiration.

[Laramie]

There's not a whole lot you're going to be able to do with such a small area. Once this project is unveiled and construction completed--it will be a home run.

As for parking, we'll have the convention center parking garage in place probably by the time we get the convention center & Omni completed.

The surface parking is similar with what they did with the State Fair Arena in '65, it rewarded & provided parking for VIP and season ticket holders. You're seeing the same with The Peake to reward VIP and suite occupants--no surprise here.

Personally, I don't see the concern some of you have with the surface parking. Everywhere you go or patronize there's surface parking. If there's no place to park we all know the outcome...

[Anonymous.]

Surface parking is a joke, especially considering this is the main thoroughfare for the Boulevard and will be the first thing Omni guests see looking towards the skyline.


Also the mirror basketball is a rip-off. It needs to be a giant plasma globe like I suggested for the Scissortail Park public art piece. How cool would this be as it is unique, interactive, and coordinates with the Thunder/Lightning theme.

[Rover]

There was only ONE respondent to the RFP. right? So there obviously not a lot of developers who think that particular property was very valuable for commercial development.

Secondly, it seems like the parking can easily and inexpensively be developed into a commercial building at some point where the value of the location/property is more clear. Tearing up a surface parking lot and canopy is cheap, cheap, cheap. This doesn't keep anything from happening later.

I like that having some themed commercial activity right outside the entrance will create even more life at event times.

Sometimes I think people really feel like developers and the city can do things like Brooklyn, San Francisco, LA and the like. This is the reality of OKC where downtown property is just not that valuable .... YET. But it is a process and adding more and more helps the process, even if it isn't everyone's dream project.

[catch22]

What a waste of a unique space. I hate the small town thinking that everything needs to be named after the Thunder, also. How about some creativity...

[jdizzle]

What a waste of a unique space. I hate the small town thinking that everything needs to be named after the Thunder, also. How about some creativity...

What would you do with this space? Honestly, it is a teeny, tiny spot with tight entrances. It is a waste of space in general that should not exist as it.

[EastCoastGator]

I love to fill my time at work reading the same banal comments, day after day, about everything short of building the second Empire State building here. The reality is, the project is fine. It's the only project proposed and sufficiently does what it needs to do. The gang mentality of the board is frustrating. Reminds me of Beavis and Butthead....one poster says, "this sucks", and then you get the next 10 saying, "yea, yea, yea, haha, yea, yea, yea." But like Jdizzle said, what do we know???

Let's Go Sixers!

[Rover]

What a waste of a unique space. I hate the small town thinking that everything needs to be named after the Thunder, also. How about some creativity...

It's done all over the country in NBA cities. None of them are small towns.

[catch22]

It's done all over the country in NBA cities. None of them are small towns.

So we have the Thunder Alley Grill, located in Thunder Alley, on the corner of Thunder Drive and Oklahoma City Boulevard. Yes, time for some creativity.

[OkiePoke]

If they are building surface parking, it should be controlled by OKC and the money gained from that should go into the general fund.

TIF money + a discounted property + MAPS money, we shouldn't pay them to build a restaurant and parking for them to reap all the profits.

No TIF and No MAPS money should be provided to the developer.

[AP]

So we have the Thunder Alley Grill, located in Thunder Alley, on the corner of Thunder Drive and Oklahoma City Boulevard. Yes, time for some creativity.

Bro, you know you're not allowed to question Rover. That's OKCtalk 101 basics.

[catch22]

Bro, you know you're not allowed to question Rover. That's OKCtalk 101 basics.

I didn't receive the 2019 handbook. Need to update my address on file.

[dankrutka]

If they really need those few parking spots, dig down and build it underground. That parking is embarrassing on land that has been heavily improved by taxpayers. #ParkingFail

[Rover]

Bro, you know you're not allowed to question Rover. That's OKCtalk 101 basics.

LOL. I know that it's unpopular to go against the "we hate everything" crowd and try to interject a little business logic to the conversation.

[Rover]

If this was such an incredible gift, why was there only one development even submitted?

[Plutonic Panda]

What would you do with this space? Honestly, it is a teeny, tiny spot with tight entrances. It is a waste of space in general that should not exist as it.

Some of the coolest developments in the biggest cities in the world stem from sites that are awkward and small. You would be surprised what creative and out of the box thinking can conjure up. What Catch is asking isn’t groundbreaking or marveling, just something that isn’t cookie cutter and uninspiring.

I personally do not see the big deal here. This looks like a nice development for the time being. I imagine that talks of replacing the arena will begin before 2030. This development as proposed if programmed right should bring much needed life here. The other side of the street will have some nice developments.

[Plutonic Panda]

If this was such an incredible gift, why was there only one development even submitted?

Probably because OKC isn’t a cosmopolitan city like Austin or Denver where growth is exploding.

[Pete]

If this was such an incredible gift, why was there only one development even submitted?

Keep in mind that the large majority of RFP's are prompted by a developer expressing interest.

So, you have a group that already has a plan long before an opportunity is advertised to the public.

It's a big advantage and when you combine that with who is involved here, why would anybody else bother applying?


Remember the Clayco proposal for the property west of the Myriad Gardens? Before the RFP they already had elaborate, detailed plans ready to go. Milhaus hurried up and submitted a generic housing proposal that looked extremely lame in comparison. And of course, Clayco got the development rights before their whole thing with OG&E collapsed into a big hole in the ground.

The city is required to put out an RFP but almost always the prompting party already has the deal in the bag from the jump. And it's expensive and time-consuming to put these things together.


The most recent RFP was for land in Deep Deuce; really prime property. Richard McCown was the only applicant for that and I happen to know he had been working on plans for that site for years and when he was finally ready to go, his interest is what prompted the RFP.

Many other examples, although there are a few that have actually drawn multiple submissions. But generally speaking, those RFP's didn't start directly because a developer already had a plan in place.

[Laramie]

If they really need those few parking spots, dig down and build it underground. That parking is embarrassing on land that has been heavily improved by taxpayers. #ParkingFail

OKC was built on a riverbed; it continues to shift--water tables rise. Example: The Myriad Convention Center was originally suppose to have two levels of underground parking--scaled back to one. Metro Concourse is plagued with the same concerns.

This would be expensive; IIFC, Stage Center was affected by the rising water tables--which was also a problem with the Space Tower at SF Park--some 5 miles away.

[gopokes88]

So we have the Thunder Alley Grill, located in Thunder Alley, on the corner of Thunder Drive and Oklahoma City Boulevard. Yes, time for some creativity.

I'd normally agree but it is literally attached to where the thunder play, it'd be a little off if it wasn't thunder themed. When its branded Thunder _____ it adds to the overall thunder brand, theme, and social fabric.

[Anonymous.]

To anyone thinking that parking is going away anytime in our lifetime, you are kidding yourself. This parking is 100% for the players and other wealthy interests to park in prime position with security. This isn't secure shade-covered parking for Joey and Kendra driving in from Blanchard.

The current parking situation for this group is and always has been extremely cramped, down the ramp just north of this parcel into the loading dock area under the 'Peake.

This parking lot will be a parking lot until everyone on this board is dead.

[dankrutka]

*new OKC development renderings are released*

Most OKCTalk posters: We specifically dislike this proposal for these specific reasons.

3-4 posters: I am going to make incredibly over the top claims such as insinuating I'm being censored from having a different opinion or that these posters LITERALLY HATE EVERYTHING and not even respond to any of their specific concerns at all or really add to the conversation in any way...