Plow

[SoonerLakers]

This is GREAT news!! I'm excited that this involves 2 excellent Bricktown locations in one development. Both locations are prime. And, along with the canal extension, this development will bring more energy to that part of Bricktown.

It is always good to be so pleasantly surprised. Kudos to Diversified Historic Properties. Well done.

[jbrown84]

Great project. I'm really impressed that they are going with underground parking instead of the much easier choice of an above-ground garage.

Is it really 2 levels underground, or one level underground and one surface level?

Hopefully Brewer will sell his lot and they can get moving on Phase II plans. The canal-level improvement on this project alone is something to get excited about.

[Midtowner]

Hopefully Brewer will sell his lot and they can get moving on Phase II plans. The canal-level improvement on this project alone is something to get excited about.

If I had a seat on OCURA, I'd be tempted to make the argument that Brewer's lots were "blighted," especially in light of surrounding development.

-- the definition of blighted can include 'underdeveloped,' and the argument gets a lot stronger re: surface lots being underdeveloped when other developers are stacking cars or burying them due to space limitations.

[donbroncho]

On Steve's blog today, he has a rendering of their "pipe dream" or phase 2. It is pretty impressive, with two high rises and a ton of retail space. Now one aspect of it that might make some people on this board nervous is that it calls for the demolition of the building that houses Zio's. I do not know the history of that building, but maybe someone else here does.

But as it is now, it truly is just a dream. Interesting nonetheless. At least their phase 1 is going to happen...

[metro]

Looks like they are more low-rises but still an overall improvement to the area. Here is rendering:

[mmonroe]

I think it would be interesting too if they would close in some of the "sky" area above the streets and, if any of you have ever been to a Harrah's Casino and seen the changing sealing roof with pictures and ambient sky colors, that would be neat.

[jbrown84]

Looks like they are more low-rises but still an overall improvement to the area. Here is rendering:

It seems odd that they would take out the Zio's building, when it could easily be left alone by shortening the new structure there.

And I would call the two taller buildings midrises.

[donbroncho]

And I would call the two taller buildings midrises.

Yeah i realized that right after i posted about it. I just used the word that Steve used in his blog. They are midrises. Even though this is just a pipe dream, its still a quality project, as long as they keep the Zios building...

[warreng88]

[QUOTE=jbrown84;168753]It seems odd that they would take out the Zio's building, when it could easily be left alone by shortening the new structure there.
QUOTE]

From what I can tell, it looks like Zios is as deep as the red brick building is. So, the only problem there would be doing some sort of connector to the large red brick building w/o demoing Zios. So they would have to 86 the crosswalk (or whatever that is) or do it over the Zios building. Again, as Steve said, this is pipe dream.

[jbrown84]

What I'm saying is that basically the same thing could be done and the Zio's building still kept. They could still have the courtyard (bad idea anyway), still have the skywalk, etc.

[warreng88]

What I'm saying is that basically the same thing could be done and the Zio's building still kept. They could still have the courtyard (bad idea anyway), still have the skywalk, etc.

Right, I understand. I also completely agree.

[adrian30]

i wish they would just extend the canle to the ford center and get it over with that would be so cool to take a ride to a thunder game

[Urbanized]

I agree wholeheartedly, but the new design actually presents some problems in that regard. The proposed canal extension and ampitheater would in fact create a barrier to future extensions, and the extension would itself be basically not navigable from day one, and would only serve as a water feature/pedestrian walkway. The ampitheater is a nice thought, but you could count on one hand the number of times it has actually been used in around five years' time.

Hopefully a sensible alternative design for the canal extension will be considered before this one is set in stone, or it could unintentionally jeapordize the prospects of an extension to the Ford Center/Cox Center and potentially to the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

[Urbanized]

The ampitheater is a nice thought, but you could count on one hand the number of times it has actually been used in around five years' time.

Oops. I meant "you can count on one hand the number of times the one in front of the Sonic headquarters has been used in around five years' time."

Sorry, I wasn't very clear on that one.

[sroberts24]

i wasn't sure if it was mentioned.... but when were they planning on getting started?

[betts]

I agree wholeheartedly, but the new design actually presents some problems in that regard. The proposed canal extension and ampitheater would in fact create a barrier to future extensions, and the extension would itself be basically not navigable from day one, and would only serve as a water feature/pedestrian walkway. The ampitheater is a nice thought, but you could count on one hand the number of times it has actually been used in around five years' time.

Hopefully a sensible alternative design for the canal extension will be considered before this one is set in stone, or it could unintentionally jeapordize the prospects of an extension to the Ford Center/Cox Center and potentially to the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Is there not an amphitheater planned near the river in the Core to Shore plans (if we haven't cut the river off from the CBD by then ). How many do we need? I think one down by the river is a much more sensible location.

[Urbanized]

Is there not an amphitheater planned near the river in the Core to Shore plans (if we haven't cut the river off from the CBD by then ). How many do we need? I think one down by the river is a much more sensible location.

I think the ampitheater proposed in conjuction with this project is more on the scale of what is in the Myriad Botanical Gardens, or actually more like the one in Kerr Park or in front of the Sonic headquarters. We're talking dozens of people rather than thousands, or even hundreds. I'm not exactly certain of the size of the one proposed for Core to Shore.

[jbrown84]

I think the fact that we already have 3 small ampitheatres downtown should signal that we don't need another.

[okclee]

Is this project dead?

I hate seeing the Rock Island building in the shape it is in, such a waste of a great historic building.

[metro]

I don't believe so, I believe some work is underway or near, Steve can you please shed some light?

[Steve]

Yes. Harding and Shelton are, at last word, proceeding with the Red Ball building and Zio's building. However, the sale contract on the Rock Island building fell through. I've been told the Harding and Shelton project is being scaled down a bit - likely culprit is the same thing going on everywhere.

[okclee]

How about this, the UCO School of Rock, could locate into the Rock Island building??

Although I do like Steve's idea of the School to locate in the Film Exchange area.

[Steve]

okclee, I'm pretty sure that even the most ardent Bricktown advocates admit the school will outgrow the district. What I'm hearing is you simply can't have 2,000 students in one compact area and still have the space to grow as an entertainment district. Also, the cost of renovating the RI building is probably beyond a school's budget.

[Marc1974]

I think some of the inner streets of bricktown should be closed and turned into a promenade. This building is located within that area, but backs reno.

With all due respect, there is already a parking problem in Bricktown. Closing streets would make it worse. If there were more public parking areas being built, a ped mall would be a great idea.

[sroberts24]

there is no parking problem!