4th and Broadway

[BG918]

^ What is it???

[metro]

The new chamber of commerce building like I announced a few posts up.

[Spartan]

Correctamundo.

[PUGalicious]

Correctamundo.

Now there is a quality contribution.

[metro]

As usual, you heard it first hear on OKCTalk before the media gets it. Scroll back a page or two. Of course, sometimes they are asked to wait on stories.

What really gets me is the chamber and other leaders say they are "leading the way" and that the new location are at the "gateway to downtown" but yet at the same time these are the same officials that say Core To Shore will be the new gateway to downtown and the new downtown boulevard. Seems to me they will be further from the gateway into downtown and more hidden. Sad to see Roy Boy wishes for a one or two story building instead of their more urban 5 stories they are in now on Park Ave. I realize this is a little more visible, but definitely does not sound urban with a parking lot and one or two stories. Sounds like the Chamber has lost the vision if you ask me.

Nonetheless, here it is:

Chamber plans relocation to ‘iconic' new building

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber wants to build a new "iconic” headquarters on one of the most prominent, undeveloped parcels of property left downtown.

The chamber's board voted last week to pursue building plans, and candidates for an owner's representative to oversee the project are being interviewed through next week. That owner's representative would then establish a timeline and budget and assist in hiring architects and contractors.

Roy Williams, chamber president, said Thursday the new chamber headquarters will be built at NW 4 and Broadway, across from the E.K. Gaylord Building (home of the YMCA). The building will span 50,000 square feet and would also be home to the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"The chamber's board of directors is eager to commence this project,” wrote Clayton I. Bennett, chair of the chamber's facilities committee, in a letter to architects and engineers. "We envision an iconic building that conveys the progressive nature of the Oklahoma City business community.”

The property in question is partially owned by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority and in recent years has been used for outdoor movie screenings at the annual Dead Center Film Festival. The property is at the crossroads of Deep Deuce, Bricktown, Automobile Alley and the central business district.

For years the chamber was located on the ground floor of the Santa Fe Parking Garage. The chamber moved to its current home, 123 Park Ave., in 1993. Discussions about the chamber needing a larger home have been underway for several years.

"In a perfect world a two-story building is what we would want,” Williams said. "We do not have enough space now, and we really don't want to continue to have our employees on five floors.”

Williams said the location is intended to position the chamber and visitors bureau as a front door and welcome center to downtown. He envisions the property providing convenient parking, a lobby area for visitors and an outdoor courtyard.

"We want to have a signature front door for the community so that when dealing with prospects they are wowed,” Williams said. "We want to set a standard for future office development downtown.”

[Spartan]

Now there is a quality contribution.

Hey Pug I threw the rumor out there I was just stating that metro was right. And metro, actually no OKC Talk was not the first to report, but was the second, and the Daily Oklahoman was the third, and the Journal Record will be the fourth.

Which is really bizarre because it's usually the other way around lol.

But I think Steve Lackmeyer saw this thread or another thread, so you guys should pat yourselves on the back.

Sparty

[CuatrodeMayo]

Agreed...sad.

It better be one heck of a building to only be 2 stories.

[BDP]

Good point, Mayo. That's a pretty strong piece of property and, while it's nice to see it developed, it will be taking one of the last undeveloped sites off the market and gurantee that no private world class office tower will be built there. Pretty much after this, if you want to build in the core, something else will have to come down.

[Pete]

Actually, the south half of the Galleria parking lot is still a prime piece of un/underdeveloped property.

[BDP]

No, you're right. I meant completely undeveloped. I'm not going to complain if they replace it with anything, but you know how attached we are to our parking lots. I just meant that any core development would require the extra step of some sort of demolition at this point. When 40 moves that will change that dynamic as well.

I still think the site you're talking about would be great for a new convention hotel or office tower. It's kind of a shame to have that real estate right across from the myrid gardens just be a parking lot. I believe it was supposed to be a mall in the urban renewal plans, which would be really nice right there, but I'm not holding my breath.

Same with the south side. It's a car dealership. I don't know what their long term plans are, but it would also be nice to see some sort of structure built there to frame the gardens.

[John]

Nothing 'iconic' about a one or two story building on a parcel of land with tons of potential.

[CuatrodeMayo]

BDP:

Core to Shore has plans for that dealership.

[BDP]

That's cool, but what authority do they have to enact those plans?

[CuatrodeMayo]

Only the public areas such as parks and boulevards. And I believe some of those items are going to be part of the G.O. bond in december.

[betts]

I believe the city council will be doing some rezoning in the coming year that will affect what can be built in certain locations, but unless they know in advance what plans developers might have, I doubt these plans are more than suggestions.

[BG918]

No, you're right. I meant completely undeveloped. I'm not going to complain if they replace it with anything, but you know how attached we are to our parking lots. I just meant that any core development would require the extra step of some sort of demolition at this point. When 40 moves that will change that dynamic as well.

I still think the site you're talking about would be great for a new convention hotel or office tower. It's kind of a shame to have that real estate right across from the myrid gardens just be a parking lot. I believe it was supposed to be a mall in the urban renewal plans, which would be really nice right there, but I'm not holding my breath.

Same with the south side. It's a car dealership. I don't know what their long term plans are, but it would also be nice to see some sort of structure built there to frame the gardens.

In the Core to Shore plan that area where the car dealership is will become a mixed-use retail district with the majority of the retail along the new blvd. on the southside and residential buildings on the parkside along Reno. It will be interesting to see how all that develops, it could be the "mall" we always wanted to see downtown but urban with the stores (maybe Nordstrom?) facing the blvd. and Reno, parking consolidated in a garage behind them, and residential/office space above. The Galleria lot to the north would make an excellent location for downtown's newest skyscraper for sure.

And relating to the above comments, what exactly is "iconic" about a 2 story building? Seems the chamber should partner with a developer and create their 2 story space and then more floors of residential or office space above. Too important of a location not to. I imagine TAP will be somehow be involved, they are right across the street...

[jbrown84]

It's not too late for an email campaign to the Chamber. This is a bad idea.

[BDP]

In the Core to Shore plan that area where the car dealership is will become a mixed-use retail district with the majority of the retail along the new blvd. on the southside and residential buildings on the parkside along Reno.

Nice plan, but has the car dealership agreed to this, yet, and who is to develop it?

[BG918]

Nice plan, but has the car dealership agreed to this, yet, and who is to develop it?

No one knows at this point, it's just detailed in the master plan for the area. I'm sure we'll all know more about future plans for this mixed-use area, the huge new park planned for south of the blvd. between Walker and Robinson, the highrise convention hotel, and the new convention center AFTER I-40 opens. Once that new stretch of highway is open all eyes will be on the Crosstown Expy. which will be torn down immediately following the opening of the new I-40 in (hopefully) 2012. Then we will start to see proposals and momentum build for what will be on the new blvd., which is planned to take 2-3 years to construct including the demolition of the Crosstown bridge. Around 2015 that area will be the biggest construction site in OKC with all the potential projects going up.

[dalelakin]

Nice plan, but has the car dealership agreed to this, yet, and who is to develop it?

The land is leased so I don't think it is up to them.

[TaurusNYC]

I think the land south of the Myriad Gardens should be an open green space stretching to the river. I really don't like the idea of building anything on the lot just south of Reno, yet all 3 C2S plans I have seen have a building on this site. It will ruin the view of downtown from the south, as well as isolate the Gardens from the larger park. Is there no way this can be changed? It seems like a very big mistake.

[betts]

At the last C2S meeting I was told they will try to acquire land for the proposed park as soon as possible, and was told by one person they hope to start work on the park before the boulevard is done. I'm hoping if that happens, it spurs some of the development south of Reno to start earlier, especially if the zoning is in place.

[BG918]

I think the land south of the Myriad Gardens should be an open green space stretching to the river. I really don't like the idea of building anything on the lot just south of Reno, yet all 3 C2S plans I have seen have a building on this site. It will ruin the view of downtown from the south, as well as isolate the Gardens from the larger park. Is there no way this can be changed? It seems like a very big mistake.

I agree it would be cool to look up from the river straight into downtown but the blvd. is supposed to be a very urban, busy, and pedestrian-friendly avenue through downtown. It can't be that way if there is only park space along it, and the southside between Robinson and Walker will already be the north edge of a massive park. That area needs to be full of retail to enhance the blvd., along with the stretch on the southside between Robinson and Shields (where the new convention center and hotel will have entrances plus retail space) and then in Bricktown around the intersection with Oklahoma Ave. There will be plenty of park space and I'm sure whatever development occurs there will have good connections between Myriad Gardens and the new park.

[HOT ROD]

I agree BG, and I hope they are low balling the skyscraper additions.

One thing I dont like about C2S are the single-family housing they show (Im speaking specifically of the Wheeler park area but other areas as well). Why couldn't those be brownstones and/or multi-family duplexes/triplexes and high rises???

Also, while I do want us to develop C2S, I hope we dont JUST develop C2S but rather recognize that downtown is a complete package - Bricktown to Westown, Core2Shore to MidTown/AAlley; we need development EVERYWHERE in downtown that adds to the urban fabric of the most urban area of our state.

And at the same time, hopefully we can tie in the inner city hoods so that THERE is where you find the single-family detached houses, NOT IN A DOWNTOWN DISTRICT!!!!

[metro]

HOTROD, what is Westown? None of us locals refer to anything called Westown? Are you referring to West Downtown and the Arts Quarter?