OAK (formerly Penn Central)

[HFAA Alum]

I can only imagine with all of the things they want to have done. I'm eager to not only see the results of this project, but also excited for the possible income this project will bring to the area. This should also bring a bit of life back to the mall with it being an adjacent.

Would love to see a pedestrian bridge here to help guide things along for the walkers/bikers to get to and from safely, but that's likely to be a tad too much of an infrastructure wet dream.

[Pete]

There is also competition between the mall and OAK for tenants.

I give the developer a ton of credit... This is a massively complex project and it's taken them years just to get the neighborhood buy-in, funding, approval to reroute 50th, and a million other less obvious hurdles. They've been very patient and diplomatic.

But they are now moving about as fast as they can and I'm sure no one is more anxious to get open and start generating revenue than the owners.

[snark0leptic]

Would love to see a pedestrian bridge here to help guide things along for the walkers/bikers to get to and from safely, but that's likely to be a tad too much of an infrastructure wet dream.

I'd like to see the chaos of a diagonal pedestrian crossing and have the motorists wait even more impatiently.

[Pete]

[Pete]

[HOT ROD]

moving along nicely!

[pickles]

Are they burying the power lines on this lot?

[Pete]

Are they burying the power lines on this lot?

Yes.

That's a big part of why everything has been going so slowly.

One they get that done and finished realigning 50th, things should start to speed up significantly.

[OklahomaNick]

Did they demo only a portion of the Registry building?
Plan to keep the rest in tact?

It's an interesting building with a lot of common area!

[Pete]

Did they demo only a portion of the Registry building?
Plan to keep the rest in tact?

It's an interesting building with a lot of common area!

Yes, they demolished only the eastern 1/3rd to make way for the newly aligned NW 50th.

The rest of the building will eventually come down once they move on to future phases, but for now they are using it for construction and leasing offices.

[pickles]

I'm very interested to see how this impacts the immediate neighborhood, which has a lot of small and charming mid century homes, among a number of places that have fallen into disrepair.

I think we'll start to see more lot purchases, demos, and new builds. Living within walking distance of this development is going to be attractive.

[sooner88]

I'm very interested to see how this impacts the immediate neighborhood, which has a lot of small and charming mid century homes, among a number of places that have fallen into disrepair.

I think we'll start to see more lot purchases, demos, and new builds. Living within walking distance of this development is going to be attractive.

I just went under contract in the neighborhood, and while home values have already shot up, I think, and our hope is that, the home values will just continue to appreciate once the Oak is completed.

[Pete]

^

The developers have already demolished about 20 homes and my understanding is they are now seeking to expand their footprint and do more of the same.

I live in that neighborhood, which I chose only slightly before I knew about this project. But the forces that drove me here are the same behind this project: great location surrounded by great neighborhoods with arguably the best combination of access and amenities as anywhere in the city. And I personally have an affinity for ranch-style homes vs. historic 2-story homes with a big staircase in the middle and small rooms. I've completely renovated my rancher and it now has a nearly perfect open floorplan that flows into my back patio and heavily wooded backyard.




I already know of 3 tear-downs and new builds. Tons and tons of renovations and flips. A bunch of AirBnB places with more sure to come.

It's a very underrated neighborhood and one reason is it doesn't have a clear name. But we have a nice elementary school in the center, a very nice little Smitty Park and new sidewalks on almost every street. Not only OAK within walking distance but also the 39th Street District and Mayfair. I know a lot about OAK that I can't yet divulge but I expect it to evolve into the best mixed-use project in OKC.


I always compare my area to the Meadowbrook Acres neighborhood just south of Classen Curve. That area has exploded with dozens of rebuilds selling in the 800's, and almost all of them are 2-on-a-lot configurations. Also very similar to the area between the heart of the Western Avenue District and Crown Heights.

[Bowser214]

I love that pic! Great job on the interior!!

[soonerguru]

^

The developers have already demolished about 20 homes and my understanding is they are now seeking to expand their footprint and do more of the same.

I live in that neighborhood, which I chose only slightly before I knew about this project. But the forces that drove me here are the same behind this project: great location surrounded by great neighborhoods with arguably the best combination of access and amenities as anywhere in the city. And I personally have an affinity for ranch-style homes vs. historic 2-story homes with a big staircase in the middle and small rooms. I've completely renovated my rancher and it now has a nearly perfect open floorplan that flows into my back patio and heavily wooded backyard.




I already know of 3 tear-downs and new builds. Tons and tons of renovations and flips. A bunch of AirBnB places with more sure to come.

It's a very underrated neighborhood and one reason is it doesn't have a clear name. But we have a nice elementary school in the center, a very nice little Smitty Park and new sidewalks on almost every street. Not only OAK within walking distance but also the 39th Street District and Mayfair. I know a lot about OAK that I can't yet divulge but I expect it to evolve into the best mixed-use project in OKC.


I always compare my area to the Meadowbrook Acres neighborhood just south of Classen Curve. That area has exploded with dozens of rebuilds selling in the 800's, and almost all of them are 2-on-a-lot configurations. Also very similar to the area between the heart of the Western Avenue District and Crown Heights.

Love your home, Pete!

[Pete]

Love your home, Pete!

Thank you.

I still have a big backyard project on the drawing board which will include a huge deck that will overlook Smitty Park, which is a gem.

I also need to do something with that fireplace. I didn't paint it and there is no easy way to remove the paint, so I'm considering some sort of modern tile to cover it. I already put a lot of work into converting the firebox to gas with lots of fire glass and getting the Frame TV mounted without any visible cables or wires.

More to do, but I really love my house and the location. I think there is a good chance it will be the last house I ever buy.

[Bowser214]

Looks like a fabulous place to host a OKCtalk soirée lol

[Grant]

I love your Frame TV. Would love to get one myself.

[Pete]

I love your Frame TV. Would love to get one myself.

It's awesome. Most people think I don't own a TV.

I have the whole system hooked up to a powerful surround-sound system with robust ceiling-mounted speakers.

[Grant]

It's gorgeous. I've always disliked the looks of these massive TVs we all now have as the focal points of our living rooms. Seems like you've found a way to avoid that altogether while maintaining the good viewing/listening experience.

[Martin]

that's really nice... i'm curious how you hid the wires. did you drill a conduit in the brick and route up through the ceiling?

i'm with you on the tiles... one of my cousins owned a home from around the same era and she clad her fireplace in large travertine tiles with barely any grout line. it looked pretty slick. for you, though, i think something darker than travertine would look better as it would provide more contrast with your light walls.

[Pete]

that's really nice... i'm curious how you hid the wires. did you drill a conduit in the brick and route up through the ceiling?

Most Samsung TVs have a setup where a control box is a separate unit and they provide a fiber optic cable that runs from the TV to that unit, which is in the stereo cabinet to the left, along with my receiver, router and some other components. There is actually a very light cable that runs from the TV, along one of the grout lines and down to the cabinet. I ended up buying a longer one so it could reach. You can paint the wire, but it's pretty invisible in my setup. And when I install the tile, it will be behind that.

The ceiling speakers are wired in the attic and run down inside the wall behind the cabinet. I also ran wire from the receiver to two outdoor speakers, as the receiver allows for separate zones.


There was already a suraced-mounted outlet in the area behind the TV so I chiseled out a brick and made a recessed plug.

The fireplace box was a mess. Very old and ugly with brass-toned glass front. So I cleaned it thoroughly, tossed the ugly brass thing, used special black heat-resistant paint on the inside, installed a metal pan on the bottom with a u-shaped gas burner then covered it all with a bunch of fire glass. I need to get a wifi-enabled valve so I can turn it on and off with my phone. I have a before picture somewhere and what I have now is a huge improvement. I'm leaning towards some sort of black and white marble for the fireplace tile and hearth. Something like this:

[Martin]

that would look really cool!

only now that you mention it do i see (or at least i think i see) a wire between the brick and the wall on the left side... really discreet. i figured that there had to be power behind that tv at the very least.

[Pete]

^

Yeah, I didn't paint the wire or hide it in the wall because I still have tiling of some sort to do. It's only slightly visible in bright light.

BTW, you can load your own art on the Frame; or you can buy additional images made specifically for the TV. You can also change the 'mat'; color, width or just turn it off. More and more restaurants are using them so they can have nice art on the wall most the time, then put on a Thunder game if needed.

I'm OCD so I'm constantly playing with it but I have a handful of art I rotate depending on the time of year and my mood.

[Mississippi Blues]

We have a Frame TV as well. I was always split on whether I wanted to have a quiet, formal sitting room to relax or more of a family room that could entertain everyone and in my head there would always have to be some sort of sacrifice but when my wife made me aware of the Frame, it became very easy to imagine having both, especially when it came to the aesthetics of it. I’ve also never cared for TV’s being the focal point, especially growing up in a home that used mainly paintings and art to draw focus around the walls, so turning it into a picture when not using it is a lot more appealing to me eyes than just a black rectangle that has the glare of a mirror anytime it’s not in use.