Uptown Grocery to the Village

[jedicurt]

well then maybe they need to be more selective of what they allow to build... like the fact that an oil change place is being built on the southeast corner of May and Britton... prime real estate wasted...

[HangryHippo]

well then maybe they need to be more selective of what they allow to build... like the fact that an oil change place is being built on the southeast corner of May and Britton... prime real estate wasted...

EXACTLY! There are a number of planning resources available that could help them create denser mixed-use development that could help solve some of their retail space challenges. But these strip mall, better than crappy, sprawling patterns that are so pervasive in central OK development aren't helping anyone, particularly the Village.

[swilki]

well then maybe they need to be more selective of what they allow to build... like the fact that an oil change place is being built on the southeast corner of May and Britton... prime real estate wasted...

That is acutally in OKC. But your point isn't lost.

[foodiefan]

That is acutally in OKC. But your point isn't lost.

. . how much leeway do they have if it is zoned commercial. . .enough to say no to an oil change place, but yes to . . . . .??????

[bradh]

So a couple weeks ago a buddy and I wanted to have happy hour at the bar upstairs, but we're disappointed to find that concept had been scrapped. When did that happen?

[barrettd]

So a couple weeks ago a buddy and I wanted to have happy hour at the bar upstairs, but we're disappointed to find that concept had been scrapped. When did that happen?

They don't serve beer at all anymore up there? That's too bad. I don't think it got a lot of traffic.

[TheTravellers]

https://gizmodo.com/oklahoma-to-host...veh-1829048177

I have serious doubts about autonomous vehicles working well in OKC, since I believe they rely partly (not sure what percentage) on painted lane markings and OKC is absolutely pathetic in that respect on an enormous amount of lane-miles. I could be wrong, though, and everything will be just peachy-keen.

The article quotes the CEO as saying this WRT their sensors being the same as the ones used by the Uber that killed someone in Tempe: "Ours are purpose built to carry deliveries, not people. This means they don’t need to go as fast as public transport vehicles, can handle situations differently and will always prioritize human safety."

Not sure what he means by "public transport vehicle" (maybe a small van/bus?) and not sure why their vans don't need to go as fast as them (don't all vehicles pretty much have to adhere to min/max speed limits, so their vans shouldn't be going 20 MPH on May Ave, for example, they should be going 40, which all other cars, trucks, semis, "public transport vehicles", etc. are going).

[HangryHippo]

...since I believe they rely partly (not sure what percentage) on painted lane markings and OKC is absolutely pathetic in that respect on an enormous amount of lane-miles.

Boy, you are not kidding! The painted lane markings in this city are worse than anywhere else I've ever been.

[catch22]

Boy, you are not kidding! The painted lane markings in this city are worse than anywhere else I've ever been.

I'm not sure what paint we use here, but it is 100% useless if the road is wet, especially at night. I have never experienced this phenomena of stripes disappearing in other cities.

[rezman]

https://gizmodo.com/oklahoma-to-host...veh-1829048177
Not sure what he means by "public transport vehicle" (maybe a small van/bus?) and not sure why their vans don't need to go as fast as them (don't all vehicles pretty much have to adhere to min/max speed limits, so their vans shouldn't be going 20 MPH on May Ave, for example, they should be going 40, which all other cars, trucks, semis, "public transport vehicles", etc. are going).

I don’t believe minimum speeds apply to surface streets. Only to highways/interstates. You can drive 20 mph on May Ave all you want, and it may tick a lot people off, but it’s not illegal.

As far as lane markings go, motorists in this town seem to have a lot of difficulty maintaining their lanes. It’s no surprise to me that lines are worn off, but the quality of the striping materials used is no doubt as cheap as you can get.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^^
If a person wants to be mad about lane markings or other infrastructure their frustration should begin and end with planning decisions this city made for generations. The amount of money a city has to spend on such things as lane striping or pavement per mile is a direct result of how many lane miles they have to care for, vs tax monies collected. We probably have one of the highest ratios of lane miles per citizen in the United States.

So - for instance - we get asphalt on streets that should be concrete. You can get more road surfaced for less that way, but you are just kicking the cost down the road (literally), as you’ll have to resurface many times more often, asphalt shifts with heat and use, and lane markings disappear. Oh, and you can’t repaint each lane mile as often. This is just one tiny aspect of how being too sprawled makes a city poor, and creates a physical environment that is difficult to sustain at all, much less to a high standard.

If we compare our streets to those of a city with more wealth and fewer square miles, we will always come up short. The solution isn’t to use better paint for lane markings; it’s to create more wealth, to attract and retain sales tax dollars, and to create density.

City officials aren’t inept. The are performing a Sisyphean task.

[5alive]

Sis·y·phe·an
ˌsisəˈfēən
adjective
(of a task) such that it can never be completed.

Posted as a public service

[baralheia]

I'm not sure what paint we use here, but it is 100% useless if the road is wet, especially at night. I have never experienced this phenomena of stripes disappearing in other cities.

I have noticed this too, particularly on the interstates. The lane markings on I-35 and I-235, among others, just disappear when the road is wet and light is low. I don't know what lane marking technology ODOT is using, but it doesn't appear to be very effective at all.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

And the lack of lighting in most just compounds the issue.

[OKCisOK4me]

Back on topic of the grocery store itself, they've been redoing the shelves today on the backsode of the beer coolers so I imagine that is where the wine will be.

[Pete]

This is the beer/wine aisle at the Uptown on May.

The new owners told the Oklahoman the removal is not due to personal views, but because they operate in small towns and don't want to compete with local convenience stores. That makes zero sense to me, particularly in this type of store.

[PaddyShack]

If they manage to replace it with items new to the store then great, but I really enjoyed the one stop shop concept: flowers, dinner/dessert, wine/beer

[Pete]

I really enjoyed the one stop shop concept: flowers, dinner/dessert, wine/beer

Right. This decision worries me regarding the future direction of the store and the operator's ability to compete in OKC vs. small towns.

[HangryHippo]

That’s a crock of sh*t for this store.

[David]

Profoundly disappointing that the new owners of an important grocery chain for the area think that operating in a big city involves the same decision making process as operating in small towns.

[TheTravellers]

Very small-town thinking, stupid - you have to be flexible (a 10-story building cannot be managed/maintained the same way a single-story ranch house can), glad we don't shop there anymore.

[sooner88]

I go here frequently as I work next door, and it is really frustrating that they've made this decision.... they're clearly out of touch with the wants and needs of a larger city. Their selection had continued to approve, but I guess this means I'll give Freeman's more of my business.

I'm interested to see how they continue to manage a more "upscale" grocery store, but this is not a good sign. I overheard one of the new owners yesterday on the phone bragging to someone about how they now have the ability to juice their own orange juice in-house. If they're unfamiliar with something so basic, I worry about the other, nicer, amenities the store currently offers.

[Pete]

At this particular location, there is a very nice Homeland with a full wine and beer selection right across the street.

And you do you think all those North Edmond shoppers are going to be fine with removing a key element found at every single other grocery store in the state?

Also, I reached out to them almost 2 weeks ago about this and they never even bothered to get back to me.


I have a bad feeling about this.

[PaddyShack]

We really loved their flowers at Uptown, they always last a good while past other places and their prices are great. I also have never been a fan of the ready-made options at other places. But I am willing to branch out if anyone has seen decently priced, ready-made flower arrangements.

[barrettd]

I go here frequently as I work next door, and it is really frustrating that they've made this decision.... they're clearly out of touch with the wants and needs of a larger city. Their selection had continued to approve, but I guess this means I'll give Freeman's more of my business.

I'm interested to see how they continue to manage a more "upscale" grocery store, but this is not a good sign. I overheard one of the new owners yesterday on the phone bragging to someone about how they now have the ability to juice their own orange juice in-house. If they're unfamiliar with something so basic, I worry about the other, nicer, amenities the store currently offers.

Not to mention the Village location had a juice/coffee bar for several years before shutting it down. In-house juicing isn't a new idea, even to this specific store.

I've been pleasantly surprised by changes Homeland across Britton from Uptown has apparently made to compete with Uptown. Not a bad shopping experience, at all.