131 Harrison - Oklahoma City Flatiron District

[glennp]

Have any of you seen or heard anything about this district? I could not find anything on the forums here so was curious where this is suppose to be (if it is not already dead).

I honestly love the modern design and would love to see this high-rise added to our CBD Skyline.

Here is the link to the site: Oklahoma City Flatiron District

[BDP]

I haven't seen that specific project, but the area has been hyped as a future live/work district for OKC. Personally, I am beginning to think a lot of this stuff is going to go the way of "what could of been". We're good at thinking up cool stuff when times are good, we just never seem to capitalize on them when we have the chance.

[metro]

BDP, it's not a future district, it already is a district, just not very lively at the moment. The main streets in Flatiron are NW/NE 6th and Harrison. Basically the district is fairly small and is just NW of Deep Deuce. Famous local architect Rand Elliot has had his renovated offices in this district for several years now. He is in a true "flatiron" building. Flatiron buildings are notorious for their "flatiron" or triangle shape. Grant Humphreys (Block 42 developer and former mayors son) is fixing to break ground next month (hopefully) on his Flat Iron Lofts that will be a mixed use development. There are several other threads on this topic. I'll try and do a search for you later.

The rendering above was merely a proposal, I believe a class project for an OU architecture class. There are several other proposals on that site as you'll see, including a mass transit rail station that would be in the Triangle District. Hopefully, we'll see a few of those proposals eventually come to pass.

[Steve]

I think that drawing may also be partially inspired by Bert Belanger's consideration of adding floors to the Momentum Building. BTW: Hans Butzer recently had his class display their ideas for the Core to Shore area, and it's amazing what these "students" come up with.
-Steve

[CuatrodeMayo]

Pshaw...OSU architecture students can kick Butzer's kids anyday.

[BDP]

BDP, it's not a future district, it already is a district, just not very lively at the moment.

Is it a live/work district right now? Nope, but it's been proposed as such for the time which comes after this one, aka the future.

No need to do the search. I am pretty familiar with plans for the area and its namesake. Thanks, though.

[metro]

Is it a live/work district right now? Nope, but it's been proposed as such for the time which comes after this one, aka the future.

No need to do the search. I am pretty familiar with plans for the area and its namesake. Thanks, though.

Technically it is a live/work district right now, just not very lively yet as I stated. There are 2 or 3 private residences in the area and several offices in the area. The Momentum Building and OBU MBA International School of Business, Rand Elliott architects and a few other business are in the area, hence a live/work district. It's not a new district being invented, just redeveloped.

[BDP]

[Midtowner]

There's been pretty significant growth there lately, but nothing very impressive. OBU wasn't so much redevelopment as renovation.

[metro]

There's been pretty significant growth there lately, but nothing very impressive. OBU wasn't so much redevelopment as renovation.

Either way, the OBU MBA school is pretty significant for all of downtown OKC, not just the Flat Iron district.

[Midtowner]

No doubt. After hours education is huge for any downtown. I believe OU has MBA offerings in the area as well.

As for OCU, Vince Orza, chair of the Business Dept. was actually at one time pushing for OCU Law to move to 1st National Building.

Nothing came of it, but wouldn't that have been interesting?

[jbrown84]

I'm not positive, but I don't think the OBU Graduate School programs are necessarily limited to night school. I know the plan is to broaden it, if that's all it is currently.

[Midtowner]

I don't claim to know a thing about OBU or their downtown offerings. I was just guessing based upon their location that they'd be concentrating on serving people who lived/worked downtown.

[jbrown84]

I looked it up and for now, it is night classes designed for working professionals. However they plan to have several nursing degrees offered in the next year (which may have a different schedule). The good thing here is that they aspire to grow that campus, so that can only be good for downtown.

[bombermwc]

OCU at one time offered a crap load of classes downtown...and strangly at Baptist Hospital. Many MBA students at one time never went on campus. After the new Meinders building was built, all that was for sure dead, which I prefer. OCU isn't large enough that they need to outsource any departments like that, and you really lose on the campus environment. I'm glad they brought it all back home....plus it's so close to campus it doesn't make sense.

As for OBU, it really serves as an extension campus since Shawnee is a good drive away. For them, its a great move to attract a new student base.

[jbrown84]

I agree.

[Midtowner]

Grad students in general don't really care about the "on-campus experience." We just want our damned diplomas. I'd love to see the law school at 1st National, purely for selfish reasons. I think the parking issues, however, would do it in.

[johnnyincog]

from the journal record, looks like another project that got downscaled the closer it gets to fruition.

Flatiron project gets Oklahoma City Urban Renewal approvalFebruary 21, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY – Grant Humphreys is near completion of his Block 42 condo project and is now shifting his focus back to a project he introduced two years ago.
On Wednesday, Humphries returned to the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority with revised plans for the Flatiron, a retail, office and residential project bordered by Harrison Avenue and NW Fifth Street.
An existing building on the site will be restored and incorporated into the new structure.
Several major changes from the original plan involved parking, the number of residential units, and the amount of office and retail space.
Those original plans, approved by Urban Renewal in August 2006, called for about 90 subterranean parking spaces and 33 apartments on three levels.
The changes came after pricing came back for the project last summer. Despite the proposed changes, Humphreys said the price tag still sits at about $15 million.
Humphreys said the subterranean parking has been scrapped in favor of 44 private reserved spaces on the second level. The residential units have also been trimmed to 19.
The new configuration will add about 25 percent more space to both the retail and office areas.
A four-story glass tower with elevator was added, which will provide access to a public rooftop garden. Residential tenants will have a private garden at the top of the building.
The ground floor will have retail, topped by the parking level and one or two floors of residential space.
Humphreys said he is in talks with several grocery store operators for one of the retail spaces. One more ambitious aspect of the office component is the proposed $22-per-square-foot space.
“We’re trying to push the market a bit,” Humphreys said.
Tim Strange, managing director with Sperry Van Ness Oklahoma, said that is the type of rate it takes to make the numbers work for a project and to give the developers the returns they need.
Strange said one area that has already proven it can fetch the higher office rents is Gaillardia, but the question remains if those numbers could be successful downtown.
“The question is, how deep is the market?” Strange said. “The simple answer to me is yes, there’s probably a market for new construction and $22 rents in and around downtown. But is it one deal? I don’t know.”
Urban Renewal commissioners approved the revised plans. Humphreys said the project is on track to begin construction in July.
“People want to live downtown,” he said. “They want the quality of life found only in an urban environment, but they also want the quality of construction and progressive design.”

[betts]

From the Journal Record:

Flatiron project gets Oklahoma City Urban Renewal approval

February 21, 2008 OKLAHOMA CITY – Grant Humphreys is near completion of his Block 42 condo project and is now shifting his focus back to a project he introduced two years ago.On Wednesday, Humphries returned to the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority with revised plans for the Flatiron, a retail, office and residential project bordered by Harrison Avenue and NW Fifth Street.An existing building on the site will be restored and incorporated into the new structure.Several major changes from the original plan involved parking, the number of residential units, and the amount of office and retail space.Those original plans, approved by Urban Renewal in August 2006, called for about 90 subterranean parking spaces and 33 apartments on three levels.The changes came after pricing came back for the project last summer. Despite the proposed changes, Humphreys said the price tag still sits at about $15 million. Humphreys said the subterranean parking has been scrapped in favor of 44 private reserved spaces on the second level. The residential units have also been trimmed to 19. The new configuration will add about 25 percent more space to both the retail and office areas. A four-story glass tower with elevator was added, which will provide access to a public rooftop garden. Residential tenants will have a private garden at the top of the building. The ground floor will have retail, topped by the parking level and one or two floors of residential space. Humphreys said he is in talks with several grocery store operators for one of the retail spaces. One more ambitious aspect of the office component is the proposed $22-per-square-foot space.“ We’re trying to push the market a bit,” Humphreys said.Tim Strange, managing director with Sperry Van Ness Oklahoma, said that is the type of rate it takes to make the numbers work for a project and to give the developers the returns they need. Strange said one area that has already proven it can fetch the higher office rents is Gaillardia, but the question remains if those numbers could be successful downtown. “The question is, how deep is the market?” Strange said. “The simple answer to me is yes, there’s probably a market for new construction and $22 rents in and around downtown. But is it one deal? I don’t know.”Urban Renewal commissioners approved the revised plans. Humphreys said the project is on track to begin construction in July. “People want to live downtown,” he said. “They want the quality of life found only in an urban environment, but they also want the quality of construction and progressive design.”

[metro]

Good news, although talks don't necessarily mean anything (but it's a start). The Chamber and Downtown OKC have been in "talks" with grocery stores for years trying to lure one downtown. When the market conditions are right, it will happen naturally. I'm sad to see Humphrey's scrapped the underground parking and is using building space for it. Oh well, it will still be a nice project and help get the Flatiron District moving forward.

[jbrown84]

At least there's no surface parking.

[CuatrodeMayo]

FYI: The project shown in the beginning of this thread is not the project the above articles are refering to. You can watch a fly-around animation at studio_site click SKETCHBOOK then FLATIRON.

[wsucougz]

I wonder what the new renderings look like? Anyone?

[sdsooners]

Anyone know if these lofts are going to be for sale or rent?

[metro]

FYI: The project shown in the beginning of this thread is not the project the above articles are refering to. You can watch a fly-around animation at studio_site click SKETCHBOOK then FLATIRON.

These are also posted elsewhere on this site, I'll see if I can find it. I do wish they would build the proposed building in the rendering above though.

Here is the original Flat Iron thread of several:

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...light=flatiron

As it is now:


Renderings: