Asian District 10/08 Update

[Doug Loudenback]

Well, I got tired of waiting on Metro's promised pics ( ) in the Classen landscaping thread so I went out and took some pics of that and other improvements that I noticed going on today -- I didn't venture north of NW 30th & Classen.

1st, the "monument" (for lack of a better word) at Classen & NW 25th ...

Looking North

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_01.jpg



Looking South

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_02.jpg



Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...0_9_08_02a.jpg



Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...0_9_08_02b.jpg



Looking Southeast showing rock not yet installed

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_03.jpg



Panda Plaza at NW 29th & Classen

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_04.jpg



Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_05.jpg



Slightly East of Classen on NW 26th (I think ... might be NW 25th... I don't know what this is)

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_06.jpg



Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_07.jpg



On NW 23rd & Western, Looking North -- the site of the much earlier announced "Gateway" project (images after today's photo) -- the Rental property stands but the restaurant with the "red awning" shown after the next pic has been razed

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...10_9_08_08.jpg



As previously announced, the "Gateway" project was also to have included the rental property, though it shows no present signs of demolition (pic from October 2006, below) -- the building with the red awning at the far right has been demolished



... both the rental and the demolished restaurant were to have become the Sun Moon Plaza ...



... at least as I understood it. I don't know the status of that project. See Doug Dawgz Blog: Asian District Today ... The Pics for the October 2006 rendition.

[rondvu]

Great pics, thanks for sharing. As always we appreciate you.

[Doug Loudenback]

And I you and OkcTalk at large. Good place to be.

[metro]

Doug, actually I posted some earlier this morning in the main Asian District streetscaping thread. Thanks for posting these though as these are much better and more of them. You just saved me a trip from going back over there to get more pics. Doug, I think you're getting the Sun Moon Plaza mixed up with the "gateway". The Gateway is the "arch" or the sign you took pictures above. Originally it was going to be a much larger version of that spanning over Classen at NW 23rd. It has since been the smaller gateway as you took pictures above and also they moved it a few blocks north. Sun Moon Plaza is just a privately owned strip center that looks like it is finally moving forward after 2 years of talk. The demolition took place about a month ago.

[mmonroe]

Man, I was just up that way two weeks ago and was sad that there wasn't anything new. But this is deff an improvement.

[CCOKC]

My husband drove by there Tuesday night to show my dad who lives out of town the Asian District and swears the monument was not there. (He is quite a bit older than I am though...)

[circuitboard]

I would prefer something more dramatic, but I will take what we can get.

[mmonroe]

I'm with you on that one circuit. I was hoping for a more dramatic presentation. Something that says, hey, you are in the asian district forsure.

[Doug Loudenback]

Doug, I think you're getting the Sun Moon Plaza mixed up with the "gateway". The Gateway is the "arch" or the sign you took pictures above. Originally it was going to be a much larger version of that spanning over Classen at NW 23rd. It has since been the smaller gateway as you took pictures above and also they moved it a few blocks north. Sun Moon Plaza is just a privately owned strip center that looks like it is finally moving forward after 2 years of talk. The demolition took place about a month ago.

You're probably correct, Metro. What I was going by when I put together the Asian District blog article 2 years ago was the caption to the pic in Steve's 7/26/06 article under the pic below:

RENDERING PROVIDED BY ARCHITECT ROB ELLIOTT
The future Sun Moon Plaza, to be built at NW 23 and Western
Avenue, will act as a gateway to Oklahoma City’s Asian District.

[in the body of the article:]
Nguyen’s developments will replace properties built in the past
40 years that were mostly vacant. One remaining tenant at NW 23
and Western — Rent-a-Center — is in talks to move into the new 28,000-
square-foot Sun Moon Plaza that will take its place.

I've seen nothing this year in print about this project, though. Since the Rent-A-Center doesn't appear to be affected by the recent demolition, perhaps that property will not be part of the project.

As for this project (original post) just east of Classen, does anyone know what it is?

[metro]

Another Asian strip center. Haven't seen any articles about it. They did demolition of the streetfront building and started construction on this months ago, but haven't seen anyone out there in weeks. Unfortunately, I have a feeling this project is going to be like Laredo's based upon what I've seen so far. Work for awhile, quit for awhile, and so on...Next thing you know it's 2-3 years later.

[Platemaker]

Originally it was going to be a much larger version of that spanning over Classen at NW 23rd. It has since been the smaller gateway as you took pictures above and also they moved it a few blocks north.

Actually, there was never a plane for an arch over Classen at 23rd. Just wishing. BUT... there is a plan for an arch at 25th and Military Ave... I dont know in what direction though.

Although this arch may not be that 'dramatic' I say we wait until all the monuments are installed along the Classen median (foo dogs and pagoda's). All together, they may be more dramatic. The pagoda for one I would guess would be taller that the arch and I'm pretty sure it will be in the center (north to south) of the entire streetscape project.

[Platemaker]

This along with the Asian inspired streetlighting and and Asian-inspired Military Park (the FritterGirl suggested) will deffinatly be 'dramatic'.

[jbrown84]

Are those the real locations or your suggestions, Plate? And shouldn't Sun Moon Plaza be a block south of where you put it?

[HOT ROD]

btw, it's not called an arch; it's called a gate (as in Chinatown Gate).

[metro]

Plate, please know I also have a multi page official document from the city with the official Asian District 2005 plan. I don't have a scanner but maybe I can convince my good friend Doug Dawg to let me swing by his office sometime and scan them in and upload them.

[okcsince1987]

I am currently living in New York and am in the military. I am from OKC though. Getting ready to deploy to afghanistan in a couple months and I would really like to see some improvement on this area the last time I get to come home. It looks good so far.