Phillips Murrah (Midtown mixed use)

[Pete]

Midtown Renaissance is well along on a new mixed-use project to be located on the vacant lot just south of Fassler Hall.

There will be an office building of about 4 stories, a parking garage to the south and commercial space along NW 10th.

A lease has already been signed with a downtown law firm to take the majority/all of the office space.

Fitzsimmons Architects will handle the design work, as they have for all of Midtown R's projects. I've also heard they are working hard to acquire the building on the corner that contains Kong's but not sure if that is going to pan out.

We'll see some formal filings in the near future.

It should be similar to the Monarch project (same developer and architect), only with commercial space.

[Oski]

I wish they will work with another architect, even better somebody out of state, architects tend to repeat themselves after awhile, even top firms such as BIG or MVRDV. I believe I can tell right away which new buildings are developed by Fitzsimmons or AHMM in OKC.

[HangryHippo]

I agree with Oski, but the Monarch is one of my favorite buildings downtown.

Above all though, it will be great to see this lot developed!

[chssooner]

This is sad. Such a prime lot should be taller and have a residential component. Especially with companies, for the most part, not expanding office space, but contracting.

It will be nice to have it developed, but I feel this is a missed opportunity.

[catch22]

4 stories is pretty appropriate for the area. It is a large transitional lot and there is a lot Of surface area; no pressing need to go higher.

We really just need a lot of these large multi parcel lots to get gobbled up which will force the remaining smaller lots to go higher.

[ChrisHayes]

I've been hoping that area of land gets developed sooner rather than later. It's way too big of a plot of land for nothing to be there. Part of me would like to see them get the Kong's building, but at the same time, I hope they don't. It's not too old of a building and last I saw, is kept up pretty good.

[chssooner]

4 stories is pretty appropriate for the area. It is a large transitional lot and there is a lot Of surface area; no pressing need to go higher.

We really just need a lot of these large multi parcel lots to get gobbled up which will force the remaining smaller lots to go higher.

That makes sense.

[Bored UCO Student]

Probably won't happen but would love some commercial space along Hudson as well. Hall's Pizza Kitchen and Capital's Ice Cream are both super popular and always have people walking around. There is also a mini-park on the corner where I always see people playing cornhole or something and there's overall just a lot of pedestrian activity in the area.

Would just much rather them continue to activate that corner rather than take away from it with a parking structure, as both the businesses I mentioned and that mini-park are on the south side of the lot.

[stlokc]

This has long been the lot downtown that I have most want to see developed. Excited to see this pan out. I do hope for as much street activation as possible. Height is not a concern of mine; 4 stories is appropriate here.

[shawnw]

There's a bit of a hill here, so I've long thought that, when developed, they could do a garage with at least a level below 9th (two levels below 10th), with the garage entrance on 9th and commercial at grade along 10th and along Hudson, and that much parking (basically the whole block) should suffice for whatever development was here plus have some supplemental for the area.

[Oski]

This is sad. Such a prime lot should be taller and have a residential component. Especially with companies, for the most part, not expanding office space, but contracting.

It will be nice to have it developed, but I feel this is a missed opportunity.

If that land belongs to me, I'll build an urban park in the 10th Street facing lot, with all the developments going now and will be in the future, that neighborhood needs a gathering place for people to hang out, watch people, listen to music, kids to run around. Every time I get out of the Collective, I really hope I can sit down somewhere instead of hopping into my car and disappear. Pocket parks are needed everywhere.

No, we don't need tall buildings, there aren't many tall buildings in Amsterdam or Copenhagen, and that doesn't stop them from being gorgeous. Tall buildings are mostly boring structures, one story repeats multiple times. We only need skyscrapers in the business district, that's more than enough.

[soonerguru]

This was the last prime land in Midtown. Disappointing outcome.

[king183]

None of you have seen more than 5% of the key details of this development (e.g., the actual building plan or what is planned for the commercial space) and yet you’re quick to call this a disappointment. Amazing.

Given MR’s history of successful development, perhaps it’s wise to give them the benefit of the doubt until we have solid reason to not do so.

[soonerguru]

None of you have seen more than 5% of the key details of this development (e.g., the actual building plan or what is planned for the commercial space) and yet you’re quick to call this a disappointment. Amazing.

Given MR’s history of successful development, perhaps it’s wise to give them the benefit of the doubt until we have solid reason to not do so.

You're right. This is a rather bland description but it doesn't mean the ultimate project will be bland. There was a time when "mixed use" would get the blood pumping.

I've had high hopes for this lot; perhaps wildly unrealistic. In my mind this could be a significant retail development, or housing development with a first-floor Whole Foods, or something else that's a game changer. Admittedly, my ideas may be pie in the sky.

[Pete]

Midtown R still owns the land under City Garden (which was always meant to be a placeholder) and the rest of that block.

They will likely do something significant there.

And I'm sure the plans for this site will be first class since they've done such a fantastic job with over a dozen other properties in the area.

[Pete]

People really need to release the fantasy of a downtown grocery store.

All the chains are having a hard time (very thin margins and tons of competition) and if they build they aren't going to take a risk on downtown OKC which is way better than it was but still lacking the necessary housing density. When you can't even get a CVS or Walgreens for the same reasons, a grocery store is even more unrealistic.

There are already a bunch of good and reasonable delivery options with more coming, which means a physical store in the downtown area isn't even necessary.

[soonerguru]

People really need to release the fantasy of a downtown grocery store.

All the chains are having a hard time (very thin margins and tons of competition) and if they build they aren't going to take a risk on downtown OKC which is way better than it was but still lacking the necessary housing density. When you can't even get a CVS or Walgreens for the same reasons, a grocery store is even more unrealistic.

There are already a bunch of good and reasonable delivery options with more coming, which means a physical store in the downtown area isn't even necessary.

I don't doubt what you're saying, but downtown grocery stores are common in other cities. Also, developments with housing and attached grocery / retail. They are common in other cities. It's not like it can't be done. Perhaps it can't be done here.

[shawnw]

As a person that lives downtown, I want this more than probably anyone on this board, but show me another city with a downtown population as low as ours that also has a grocery. I'm not saying it doesn't exist. I'm asking, does it exist. If not, I'm not sure how we keep pressing for it. If so, then okay, let's leverage that.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

As a person that lives downtown, I want this more than probably anyone on this board, but show me another city with a downtown population as low as ours that also has a grocery. I'm not saying it doesn't exist. I'm asking, does it exist. If not, I'm not sure how we keep pressing for it. If so, then okay, let's leverage that.

Downtown Des Moines has a HyVee with a 2 story parking structure. I imagine their downtown density is similar to OKC, with a much smaller population.
But your point is valid as that HyVee is also a restaurant facing the street and has kiosks for Starbucks, pastries, smoked meats, sushi, etc. The grocery part itself is actually pretty small. 5 checkout lanes if I remember right.

[BoulderSooner]

This was the last prime land in Midtown. Disappointing outcome.

umm the block of 10th/11th Harvey/hudson is still Prime land

[BoulderSooner]

They will likely do something significant there.

And I'm sure the plans for this site will be first class since they've done such a fantastic job with over a dozen other properties in the area.

there old plan for this property had a big restaurant on the hudson/10th corner ... which would have been a local restaurant move ..

[PhiAlpha]

As a person that lives downtown, I want this more than probably anyone on this board, but show me another city with a downtown population as low as ours that also has a grocery. I'm not saying it doesn't exist. I'm asking, does it exist. If not, I'm not sure how we keep pressing for it. If so, then okay, let's leverage that.

Downtown Tulsa has a DGX and is about to have either a Homeland or something else in the development that’s supposed to kick off soon in the PAC lot.

[shawnw]

Good to know, wonder if that's being subsidized

[PaddyShack]

I would like to see a small urban Aldi, but I know that will never happen.

[BG918]

Good to know, wonder if that's being subsidized

The downtown Tulsa grocery is being subsidized by the city. Supposed to break ground early next year