New concepts/clubs coming to Bricktown
Well it looks like Randy Hogan still hasn't got his act together in Lower Disappointment so other businessmen are moving forward with some new concepts in Bricktown including a dueling piano bar (which one was also intended for Hogan's project by the theatre that was supposed to be completed earlier this summer and hasn't broken ground yet). Hogan can you at least remove the sign in the ground that says OPENING SUMMER 2008?
Bricktown developers try to keep tabs on nightclubs
STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: October 3, 2008
Dueling pianos and female bartenders dancing on bar-tops are being welcomed as the newest additions to Bricktown, but not without some concern about how much nightlife is too much for the Bricktown Canal.
Bobby Dennis and Bobby Spann, owners of CityWalk, the district’s oldest nightclub, say they’re planning to open Michael Murphy’s Dueling Pianos in the Oklahoma Hardware Building the day before Thanksgiving. The pair’s expansion plans also include a pending deal for a second nightclub along the canal and follow last week’s announcement of Coyote Ugly coming soon to the Miller-Jackson Building.
‘More than hot and cold’"The NBA coming was an important part of us deciding to do this,” Dennis said. "Bricktown needs something more than hot and cold, restaurants and clubs.”
Dennis said the former Eschbach’s Hall of Fame Sports Bar is being gutted to make way for the piano bar, adding the "very vanilla” space will be transformed into something much more exciting.
Jim Cowan, director of the Bricktown Association, praises the eight-year-old CityWalk as one of the district’s best-run nightclubs. He also thinks Coyote Ugly will be a good addition with corporate branding and marketing to make it a draw for visitors.
What is too many?
But Cowan also is concerned that the canal may be slipping back to a time several years ago when it was populated by more clubs than restaurants and retail shops.
"We don’t want it to be the ‘Bricktown Nightclub Canal,” Cowan said.
"I’m not saying we shouldn’t have any or no more — but we should be careful not to have too many,” he said.
Chad Huntington, manager of the Bricktown water taxis, recalls earlier years when some clubs blared music from outdoor speakers onto the canal. He and Cowan agreed that CityWalk has been a valued attraction. But the district also has had its share of troublesome operators who have drawn rowdy crowds, served too much liquor and did little to maintain order outside their doorsteps.
Plan could cap clubs
A master plan study commissioned by the city and expected in about 60 days, is anticipated to indicate how much more nightclub activity the district can support, and how it might best attract more housing and retail.
Cowan said he is awaiting the master plan to see how nightclubs might best fit into the district’s long-term growth.
He is interested in seeing whether a moratorium or caps on liquor licenses might be necessary to ensure the district can provide an exciting nightlife while remaining appealing to families.
Dennis and Spann say property owners are key to attracting good nightclubs and not leasing space to "fly-by-night” operators.”
"I think you need to keep the ones that operate well,” Dennis said, "but the fly by nights, you can easily have too many of those.”
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