Live. Work. Play. "The Triangle district of OKC"

[Luke]

http://www.thetriangleokc.com

Here it is! Looks awesome! Wonder when they're going to break ground on some stuff?

[Nuclear_2525]

This it true? This isn't some little joke you are playing?!? If this is actually true I am impressed and can't wait til it gets started!

[Nuclear_2525]

Also, The map showing where everything is going to be has "green" as being proposed green space and park area. Some of green space and park area is over existing streets that go right through the middle of this development. Are they going to take out these streets and make them parks so people will have to walk more? Or are they just going to add park-like areas around the roads as beautification?

[Decious]

Excellent, this is exactly what I've been hoping for. I've lived in OKC(Moore,Norman) for about 4 years. I stayed on Lindsey Ave. in Norman while attending OU and currently have an apartment in The Greens in Moore on 19th and Santa Fe. I landed a recording contract late last year with MusicLine/Universal and have been in LA(Long Beach,West Covina) since September. I am still under lease at The Greens(I had just signed a new lease in August) and will maintain a residence in OKC as I've grown to love it. Also, my father lives in Lawton, and I want be close to him.

I'm so glad to see this proposal! It would be absolutetly perfect for me. I could live on the lower level and setup a home studio on the upper floor. My pad in Long Beach is set up in this fashion and is located on Signal Hill, which is a converted oil field, and offers excellent view of the ocean, skyline, etc. but it cost me most of my advance....Just thinking about the dp makes me shutter. This sounds like it will be just as cool if not better, because it's a little micro community, and right downtown to boot.

I'm rambling now but I'm really glad to see this. I really hope they don't run into any significant obstacles in bringing this to fruition. Between this and The Factory it looks like I'm set.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Lawton, eh? Yes, I have family there, grew up there.

Anyway, this thing reminds me of the Calais by the Rice Village in Houston. I'll find a link for this.

[Midtowner]

I finish Law School in '09.. maybe they'll still have some vacancies when I start getting paid

Sounds like an awesome place to be though.

[okcpulse]

Wow. I've been waiting for this plan to come to fruition, and it's finally becoming a reality. And, the district has a catchy urban name. At least I think so. I'll be watching the development of The Triangle district. I'm sure all of us will. Let's keep this going.

Continue the Renaissance!!!

[Decious]

Yeah, the name selection is most definitely right on target. I think that "The Triangle" is completely urban and catchy. Also, it can easily be re- marketed and played off of verbally, which will help the area develop it's aura(if you will).

If anyone learns when they'll be breaking ground please inform me via email. I'll contact them myself tomorrow, but I'm not in OKC right now and aren't as close to the action. I want to put my bid in upfront so I don't get squeezed out. These spaces are going to be in high demand.

[Midtowner]

Decious, I wouldn't doubt that there'd be fairly significant churn in the housing over there -- that is -- unless someone buys up all available units to try to turn them into rental properties (which I could see happening).

[Decious]

Yeah, that is a possibility. They seem to be envisioning the TownHouses being owner occupied and the condos being leased from what I can tell. Here's some info from the JRecord.





Oklahoma City's largest inner-urban residential project in decades is planned and waiting for city approval.
A team of local developers, real estate experts and architects plans to develop an area known as The Triangle in downtown Oklahoma City. The group filed a request to establish a planned unit development Monday, just 48 hours shy of interviewing for the rights to develop a city-owned, 11-acre tract known as The Hill, which borders The Triangle.

Their plan is threefold.

The Triangle, which consists of approximately 30 acres - owned by about 10 proprietors - and borders Interstate 235 to the east, Bricktown to the south, Broadway to the west and 10th Street to the north, is set to be developed into a residential, commercial and retail district with land and street scaping.

The team - Anthony McDermid, principal at TAParchitecture; Ronald Bradshaw, of Colony Partners, a real estate development and investment company, who represents Kerr-McGee's holdings in the area; William Garrett, manager of real estate firm Garrett and Co.; and Bert Belanger, president of ORB, a development firm and manager of OKC Town Center - will attend an Oklahoma City Planning Commission meeting in mid-April to talk about rezoning the area to allow development of the three land uses in the same corridor. The information will be reviewed in May and if all goes well, construction of the first phase - brownstone-style townhouses on NE Third Street - will begin later this year.

"The vision for The Triangle is to create a city within a city where the neighborhood has been thoughtfully planned; from having a pharmacy and grocery store within walking distance of the homes to designing retail spaces that complement the look and feel of the neighborhood," McDermid said.

While specific construction plans remain undetermined, the team envisions hundreds of owner-occupied townhouses, condominium units and high-rise condominiums. The buildings will primarily be three and four stories tall with access to Bricktown and the medical center.

"It's not only about the opportunity to create a legacy but an awesome responsibility of what Oklahoma City is about in 2005," McDermid said. "We're ready to raise the bar against other communities we compete with."

The project would be in Ward 7, represented on the City Council by Willa Johnson.

"I think the time has come for us to make the property on The Hill productive and The Triangle project looks very promising to me," she said. "I'm glad (they're) putting a denser population close to downtown that can take advantage of our cultural amenities."

Currently, the property is vacant.

"In the next five years, you'll see the area change a great deal in appearance," Bradshaw said. "We want to complement what we already have, not pull away from it."

When finished, the entire project will have cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will be paid for by private investors, the team said.

Whether or not the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) is responsible for The Triangle project, is debatable.

"It's fair to say that development on some basis, sped up the process," Bradshaw said.

McDermid agreed.

"There's speculation that MAPS enhanced this," he said.

In November 2004, the team was one of about a dozen that applied to the Urban Renewal Authority for the rights to develop The Hill, which is bordered by I-235 and Stiles Avenue on the west and east and NE Second Street and a railroad right of way to the north and south. A decision granting the right to develop that area will be made after Wednesday.

[Luke]

The Journal Record article states that brownstone style homes would be constructed off of NE 3rd "later this year." That's good news. I'm really excited about this development. I'll bet the Aberdeen, 5th Avenue Lofts and Garage Lofts are excited too...

[Midtowner]

The Journal Record article states that brownstone style homes would be constructed off of NE 3rd "later this year." That's good news. I'm really excited about this development. I'll bet the Aberdeen, 5th Avenue Lofts and Garage Lofts are excited too...

I checked out the Aberdeen once. I nearly moved in until I checked out my current apartment. By comparison, it was overpriced and smallish -- even charged extra for covered parking! A friend of mine lived in the 5th Avenue Lofts, they were VERY expensive, and the management was awful. For example, they painted his loft without notice. They used a paint that was toxic, made him sick, and would have killed his cats had he not taken them to his parents (although the new management swore it wasn't toxic). He had what I would consider to be the premier loft there (at least from a view standpoint). It still looks vacant even now.

The Aberdeen at least doesn't seem to have a problem finding tenants. And although I might have had issues with it, it really didn't look bad at all. I kind of wanted to live in the tower, but I understand that it's very, very hard to get into.

Too bad they're starting construction here so quickly. If it takes off though, I would expect many more developments like it in the area. Such housing may eventually overtake the entire midtown area if it's successful in the Triangle.

[Karried]

This is from the Oklahoman today:

Businessmen have some big plans tonight for a section of Oklahoma City many believe is ripe for development.

The area is being called "The Triangle," with the three sides, roughly, being the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks, the northern edge of Bricktown, and I-235.

Despite sitting between downtown and the health sciences district, the land is mostly undeveloped.

That may be about to change.

Two local development teams have spent about the past year buying up or acquiring the rights to about 20 acres down here,much of which looks like this. And they've put together a master plan to turn this into something Oklahoma City has never seen before.

It would be a city within a city, and today the would-be developers shared with us their vision for this blighted, but still historic, area.

Historic buildings, they say, would be left intact for the most part, while the vacant lots would be replaced with attractive, high-quality brownstone-style homes.

Then there would be retail of the neighborhood support variety: a grocery story, pharmacy, shops, and all very pedestrian-friendly.

City officials say this is something the city sorely needs, and say it wouldn't be happening if not for all the city's done in surrounding areas.

The developers tell me they've sunk about $2 million dollars into this so far, but say that's nothing compared to the private money that will eventually be invested down here. That number, they say, will be in the hundreds of millions. And we could see action on this soon. The developers say they'll take their plans to the city planning commission this spring. If they get all the zoning approvals, we could see construction before the end of the year.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

McDermad is cheap... he is the one that was going to be doing the Factory, which I'm sure he has money for.

[mranderson]

This plan is a good one. I just wonder what they have in mind for retail. Is it a grocery store or a supermarket? A Wal-Mart or a series of mid to upscale small specialty stores? etc.

[HOT ROD]

Hopefully upscale!!!!!

[Patrick]

Here's another article discussing the Town Center concept:


"Developers seek to build 'town center' community


By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

What is now considered a scar dividing downtown, Bricktown and the OU Health Sciences Center could soon emerge as a "town center" -- home to brownstone-style condos, offices and retail.

A rezoning request for an area dubbed "The Triangle" was filed with the Oklahoma City Planning Department on Monday by two development teams that control about 23 acres along the east fringe of downtown.

"The vision for the Triangle is to create a city within a city where the neighborhood has been thoughtfully planned; from having a pharmacy and grocery store within walking distance of the homes to designating retail spaces that complement the look and feel of the neighborhood," architect and developer Anthony McDermid said.

The properties include abandoned parking lots owned by Kerr-McGee, which is participating in the project through Triple S LCC, a partnership led by developer Ronald Bradshaw.

A second development team in the project, Oklahoma City Town Center LLC., has spent more than $2 million the past year buying empty lots and old industrial buildings in an area bounded by NE 8, NE 4, Interstate 235 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks.

The requested Planned Unit Development zoning would emphasize a retail/residential mix and would prohibit uses including truck stops, adult entertainment venues, heavy industry and shelters.

Bradshaw and McDermid hope to start construction of some housing later this year on parking lots once used by Kerr-McGee employees. They emphasized that while they will start the construction, they don't have the resources to develop the entire project.

"We see our role here as master developers," McDermid said. "We will be inviting other developers to propose for the dirt we own. Our role here is land assembly, urban design and quality control."

McDermid said about 80 percent of the property in the area will be covered by the zoning application, with co-applicants including a handful of adjoining property owners.

The rezoning could be scheduled for the April 14 meeting of the Oklahoma City Planning Commission, with action being taken by the Oklahoma City Council a few weeks later.

Some of the plan could be realized quickly, McDermid said, with negotiations already under way for a pharmacy. A grocery store site is proposed for land not owned by the developers and isn't considered to be an easy task.

Bradshaw said he is encouraged by the success of the nearby Deep Deuce apartments and pending reconstruction of Walnut Avenue, which will be converted into a direct connection between I-235 and Bricktown.

He cited a recent study of 14 peer cities showing that between 2 percent and 8 percent of residents live in urban areas, compared with just 0.5 percent in Oklahoma City.

"We're proposing the next step of combining urban housing with some of the residential support services, such as a grocery store, in the same neighborhood," Bradshaw said. "It will offer a unique blend that you can't find anywhere else in Oklahoma City."

The principals
Triple S LLC, an affiliate of Kerr McGee, is led by Ronald Bradshaw, whose portfolio includes five office buildings and development of the former Fred Jones estate in Nichols Hills.

Oklahoma City Town Center LLC, is led by Bert Belanger, former vice president of ERC Properties and developer of the Breighton Apartments in Paseo; Anthony McDermid, principal of TAParchitecture; and William "Pat" Garrett, president of Gulf Exploration and director of Heartland Homes. "

[Patrick]

By the way, this solves the problem of getting KerrMcGee to do something with their old parking lots in the area:

"Triple S LLC, an affiliate of Kerr McGee, is led by Ronald Bradshaw, whose portfolio includes five office buildings and development of the former Fred Jones estate in Nichols Hills. "

"The properties include abandoned parking lots owned by Kerr-McGee, which is participating in the project through Triple S LCC, a partnership led by developer Ronald Bradshaw. "

Looks like Kerr McGee is in on this. Awesome!

-------------

Also, sounds mike McDermid and company are on the right page in looking for a grocery store for the area. Having conveniences close to residents will be extremely important when trying to attract residents downtown.

[Patrick]

McDermad is cheap... he is the one that was going to be doing the Factory, which I'm sure he has money for.

McDermid was just the architect. He wasn't the owner. It wasn't his fault the property owner couldn't come up with the financing.

[Patrick]

It's nice to hear that McDermid plans to build brownstone residences in this development. Wouldn't that be a nice flow into Ellison Park at the Hill, if he's chosen for that project?

I just hope Walnut Hill Partners are chosen for The Hill. It would sure be spark for the whole Town Center Concept.

Regardless, I still hope to see the Town Center concept succeed. We really need this downtown. I love the mix of retail, residential, etc. that is proposed. And the focus on getting a grocery store downtown is a must! They've done their homework!

[Karried]

This is all so exciting, I'm absolutely thrilled that OK is flourishing and thriving -

[Luke]

Very exciting, indeed!

[floater]

Glad to see what the action in the Flatiron district will produce. It's important to stress though, that this right now is just a vision. It's not a specific development. These guys will get some things started, but it will need more developers to flesh the rest of it out. I like this because at the very least, we have someone to do the master planning who is committed to the best in urban design. Substandard proposals not welcome!!!

I wonder if we can do our part by providing some volunteer support in terms of market research for retail, and restaurant space, as well as encouraging existing office/restaurant/retail/institutional tenants to consider having a cutting edge space in this new district.

[Patrick]

I'm sure if McDermid and Company wins out on The Hill development, that would be a good jump start for the Town Center. OKURA needs to consider that when making their selection.

[okcpulse]

Someone had mentioned on this thread or another that Whole Foods Market would not locate in Oklahoma because state law does not allow wine to be sold retail anywhere other than a liquor store, winery or festival. While this is true, Whole Foods Market does not take into consideration whether their next store will be opened in a state that does not allow wine to be sold in a supermarket.

Whole Foods Market has a location in Overland Park, Kansas and two locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Kansas and Minnesota, like Oklahoma, only allow 3.2% alcohol by weight beverages in supermarkets and convenience stores.

Thus, if Whole Foods Market will not open a location in Oklahoma, it is because it is not interested in the Oklahoma market, although Oklahoma City can support a Whole Foods Market location, or a Wild Oats, a natural foods market that has snubbed Oklahoma City. Both of my requests for the company to consider an Oklahoma City location went ignored.