Wood Partners excused from developing "The Hill"
Looks like one developer is now out of the running for "The Hill" development. Wood Partners has been excused. They had proposed a complete loft apartment development.
This leaves The Hill at Bricktown which would build several upscale homes (resembles a suburban housing addition IMO), and Walnut Hill Partners led by Anthony McDermid with TAP Architecture, wanting to incorporate this into the Town Center concept by building a mix of owned brownstone residences and rental lofts, along with a mix of retail, restaurants, etc.. For more info. see the post below.
I think Urban Renewal will make a huge mistake if they choose The Hill at Bricktown. They're asking for huge public subsidies and it's basically a suburban housing addition with no rental options. Walnut Hill Partners present a more urban alternative with a mix of owned town homes and rental lofts, plus their financing is in place.
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"And then there were two: Wood Partners excused from Urban Renewal contest to develop The Hill
by Brandice J. O'Brien
The Journal Record
3/29/2005
Two groups wait in limbo. The third, Wood Partners, was excused Monday from the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority decision-making process for the redevelopment of "The Hill." A verdict may be announced within 10 days.
"It's a clear consensus that there are two that are more desirable of the three," said Dan Batchelor, president of the Center for Economic Development Law, who was present at the meeting.
Walnut Hill Redeveloper Partners and The Hill at Bricktown move a step closer to the final decision of which group will redevelop the property between Interstate 235 and Stiles Avenue to the east and west and near NE Second Street and a railroad with the right of way to the north and south.
A ruling was not made Monday because voting member Larry Nichols was absent from the meeting.
"I know the importance that commissioners put on The Hill and they want to have all five there," said JoeVan Bullard, executive director of Urban Renewal and a non-voting member. "Early this morning we found out that one would be missing."
The decision will come after both groups provide additional information to Urban Renewal.
"We are looking forward to visiting with the Urban Renewal staff and further qualifying our proposal," said Anthony McDermid, principal of TAParchitecture and member of Walnut Hill. "I think we've worked on this for a couple of years and we're getting very close to a decision and we're enthusiastic to move forward."
Walnut Hill offered Ellison on the Park, a community that combines residential living and a retail environment. Condominiums and townhouses are included in the plan.
The second plan in consideration consists of townhouses with two-car garages in an upscale community, presented by The Hill at Bricktown.
"We've created a truly special place with The Hill at Bricktown, encompassing the renewal of the older town center and bring a vibrancy and quality to the center of Oklahoma City where residents can live, work and play," said William Canfield, one of the principals in The Hill at Bricktown. "We have every reason to believe this development will transform urban Oklahoma City, providing scale, scope and architectural diversity within a unified theme that will honor the area's rich history and enhance the surrounding development and complement future development."
Representatives from Wood Partners, which proposed Alta Bricktown, an upscale apartment complex could not be reached for comment.
It's not guaranteed that a decision will come within 10 days, but it's certainly the goal.
"Commissioners indicated in the next week to 10 days," said Shaun Frankfurt, managing director at Trammell Crow and member of Walnut Hill."
Originally Posted by soonerguru
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