Urban Outfitters

[BDP]

Not typically but who knows. If they want a market bad enough they could. Maybe we could encourage them to locate in Automobile Alley, there are plenty of 2-3 story buildings over there and that will be a downtown Hot Spot. I think the old Buick bldg would be a great fit

It would definately fit in with their concept achitectually, but I don't see them opting for that over the foot traffic generated in Bricktown.

However, in the long run, AA would be great. I would love to see it become more original and stylish, driven by local businesses to compliment the Disneyfication approach of Bricktown developers. AA just needs a couple of unique restaurants to wake it up.

[Pete]

Yes, there's one on Melrose and many others here in SoCal.

Recently, I saw one in an enclosed, typical suburban mall in Thousand Oaks -- and it was single story as you might expect.

Seems they are on a pretty agressive expansion kick.

[Luke]

I saw one in one of the mall addition of a resort hotel in Vegas. It was a typical mall-style one as well.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I am curious to know if Bricktown is the only location an Urban Outfitters would do well in.

I would also reocmmend they put one on Campus Corner in Norman.

[mranderson]

I am curious to know if Bricktown is the only location an Urban Outfitters would do well in.

I would also recommend they put one on Campus Corner in Norman.

There is Penn Square, Quail Springs, numerous strip centers, areas near OCU and other higher education facilities.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Those are too suburban.

[metro]

yeah, although it would probably do well on Memorial, its not the typical atmosphere they go for. Realistically, I see Bricktown in the top spot, then probably Campus Corner or NW 23rd. I would love to see them in Automobile Alley, it would definetely be their true fit in time.

[HOT ROD]

It would definately fit in with their concept achitectually, but I don't see them opting for that over the foot traffic generated in Bricktown.

However, in the long run, AA would be great. I would love to see it become more original and stylish, driven by local businesses to compliment the Disneyfication approach of Bricktown developers. AA just needs a couple of unique restaurants to wake it up.

Everyone, Urban Outfitters could come into OKC in bricktown and then move to AA or the CBD as downtown gets bigger and more people experience the other districts. Just because a retailer comes into a specific location does not mean they will always be there.

Sometimes, we have to crawl before we can walk and Bricktown would be a great place for this upscale retailer to get its feet on the ground in Oklahoma! When they grow up, YES - I hope they would move to a more mature district of downtown and let their "incubator" space in Bricktown to a new entrant!

Continue the Renaissance!

[HOT ROD]

AA just needs a couple of unique restaurants to wake it up.

I totally agree with this statement. Hopefully in the next few years, as retail continues to move into the CBD and Bricktown, AA will get a few upscale restaurants and nightclubs.

I think they (the city) is sort of holding back for a while to let Bricktown mature a bit.

But yes, imagine if AA had like 5 restaurants (sushi, a steakhouse, a coffee house, a signature "Oklahoma" restaurant, a theme restaurant like Hard Rock) and a dance club or two - it would definitely take off because it would be less touristy than Bricktown!!! Add in a boutique hotel!!

AA would "Wake Up" and Downtown OKC would truly be a regional destination!

[Luke]

Automobile Alley seems to have all the right infrastructure, the look, the feel, the historicity, the hip factor... Now all it needs is tenants.

[HOT ROD]

AA definitely has the HIP FACTOR!!! AA needs to become OKC's unique, upscale destination. Brick is for tourists, AA would be for the urban "creative class."

Luke, you hit it on the nail.

[BDP]

sushi, a steakhouse, a coffee house, a signature "Oklahoma" restaurant, a theme restaurant like Hard Rock

That'd be fine. But we have sushi and steak galore and I think a Hard Rock is better suited for a Lower Bricktown or more touristy area. I don't know if it can be done by I'd like to see AA be a concentration of restaurants more unique to OKC. In the end, I'm all for any tasteful and appropriate development, but I am still waiting for downtown's resurgence to bring more new things to our city.

[metro]

I agree BDP, if your trying to make AA less touristy, why the heck would you put a Hard Rock in there? Also AA already has a coffee shop, Java Dave's. It also has tenants, what it needs is more late night tenants besides IAO and Java Daves.

[HOT ROD]

Metro. Thanks for the update. As you know, i dont live in OKC so I have no idea what's in AA curently. I was in downtown OKC in Feb and AA was not really anything, but I saw potential.

As for sushi, I did not see a one in downtown! You guys are trying to attract a certain urban demographic and you have to understand that these type of establishments is what they want. In another post, someone noted that we dont want to be like NYC - well I can tell you that nearly every hipster uses NYC as "the standard" that other hip cities are judged by.

I agree that Bricktown should not be modeled after NYC, but AA should! It should be upscale, local, and full of energy just like Soho or Greenwich Village! What often concerns me about Oklahoma is that you all say you want something - try diverse urban intellects but you want them to be attracted to something that even none of you would live at - try AA in its current state (or Bricktown in its current state).

Make up your minds. That aside, I think AA would be a great "truly urban" district downtown with some attention and investment (more than just lofts with nothing around them)!!

[NewPlains]

I think AA would be a great place for a concentration of unique urban retail...I think that convincing resteraunts to locate in AA when there isn't anything else there would be a tough sell, especially considering that Bricktown is literally right around the corner. I should clarify that I wasn't saying that we shouldn't try to be unique and urban and interesting like NYC, but that we shouldn't try to be NYC lite. I think that we need to develop along our own lines and develop our own civic identity. If you look at any of the great cities in this country, including NYC but also places like Seattle, Washington DC, San Francisco, etc, they all have their own feel and character. Even Chicago, which was built in conscious competition with NYC in the 1900s has it's own character. I'm just tired of hearing about how OKC needs to be more like (insert city here). I think that we need to be *less* like those cities, or more to the point, like those cities but better.

But back to the topic, I think that another great location for an UO (maybe not right now, but after midtown has recovered a little) would be Plaza Court on Walker. I think that whole area from 5th street north to 13th on walker and hudson is ripe for development, and could easily connect with AA along 10th street and the arts district on Walker to create a more hip alternative to bricktown.

[NewPlains]

err, I meant 1800s.

[BDP]

I think that another great location for an UO (maybe not right now, but after midtown has recovered a little) would be Plaza Court on Walker.

Good call. That building is very Urban Outfitters.

I should clarify that I wasn't saying that we shouldn't try to be unique and urban and interesting like NYC, but that we shouldn't try to be NYC lite.

Exactly. I think everyone agrees that there are certain types of elements and establishments in NYC that OKC would benefit from. But OKC has less than 1/10 the population of NYC. A greenich Village or Soho is out of reach just because of the lack of density and it's silly to say that we could do that. And, I would definately live like that, and I am attracted to that. But I'm also a realist and understand the difference between 500,000 people and 8 million.

[kielaaron]

A fantastic precedent, of which one could easily catch a glimpse, would be the UO at Mockingbird Station, east of 75 on Mockingbird Street in Dallas. It is a single-story installation of the retail concept with a prime location within its setting, surrounded by other chain stores as well as "home-grown" businesses. I absolutely love shopping at UO... it's kind of a step across the lines to a Gap-type setting for urbanites' casual dress needs. Their prices are comparable with Gap, but their look has a lot more edginess available.

Mockingbird Station in itself is a perfect example of what redevelopment of former industrial properties can do for an area. I'm quite obsessed with the work/live/play center from an architectural standpoint, and I found a great presentation that explains the entire process of development/expansion:
http://planet.uli.org/Content/Confer...ockingbird.pdf

Also check out the main website:
http://www.mockingbirdstation.com/

[Patrick]

I've heard some mention of Hard Rock on this thread. Ask any native person in San Antonion and they'd tell you that the addition of theme restaurants like Hard Rock ruined the local feel of the San Antonio Riverwalk. Personally, I'd rather not have a Hard Rock Cafe located in Bricktown, and definitely not in AA.

I think AA and Deep Deuce are both a step away from really taking off, although Deep Deuce is probably farther along. Deep Deuce needs better restaurants, and more of them. Right now, there's not much more than apartments and the Deep Deuce Grill.

Norther downtown, AA included, might be our best shot at retail. Afterall, it is closest to the nearby Heritage Hills neighborhood. As most of you know, retail tends to follow residential. I could see AA being turned into a unique row of restaurants and clubs...something similar to Brookside in Tulsa! Yup, I said Brookside and Tulsa!
One thing I will say about Tulsa, they have done a fine job at developing their neighborhood districts. That's a whole other topic though.

[HOT ROD]

Patrick, i couldnt agree with you further. Im surprised by the reaction of the restaurant examples I gave when they were just examples (even were located in parenthesis).

It seems like people were shooting the messenger instead of evaluating my idea of an urban AA with restaurants and clubs.

Personally, I think those people who complain either need to give their own ideas (or at least a reason why they complain) because otherwise they dont add anything constructive to the forum and possibly end up "p***ing" someone off.

[HOT ROD]

I understand that NYC-OKC is a 10-to-1 gap, but so is Seattle (560,000) and Denver (550,000); why should OKC not be in that category (530,000)? Both of these cities are more like NY and have attracted a large urban creative class. I should know, because I live in Seattle and have lived in Denver in the mid-1990s.

But then again, this is why the creative class is not currently attracted to OKC. Sometimes you reap what you soe! And if all OKC can do is to say "we arent ..." or "we cant ..." then, you will NEVER achieve the objectives you are looking for. No creative thinker desires to be around such pessimistic, conservative people.

If you want creative class, then you need to think like them. Often times, this is different than what you currently think. There is nothing wrong with benchmarking other cities that have "what you want." And NYC is the city that every successful city not only benchmarks but also tries to be like NYC in some way or form.

Go to Seattle's web site or to Denver, and both of them mention how they have "Broadway Shows" and urban districts like NYC [lodo in denver, Belltown in Seattle]. Dont give me this crap about how SEA and DEN are bigger than OKC. They are the same size.

Even cities smaller than OKC have a better urban feel, just look to the NE 100 miles for arguably the best example of what im talking about. Tulsa regularly lists all of their "NYC style" attractions [Philbrook, Gilcrease, Opera, Brookside?, Utica, ....] and they are not even 3/4ths the size of OKC! I suppose that is just another reason why Tulsa has a Saks Fifth Avenue and OKC does not!

[Patrick]

Even cities smaller than OKC have a better urban feel, just look to the NE 100 miles for arguably the best example of what im talking about. Tulsa regularly lists all of their "NYC style" attractions [Philbrook, Gilcrease, Opera, Brookside?, Utica, ....] and they are not even 3/4ths the size of OKC! I suppose that is just another reason why Tulsa has a Saks Fifth Avenue and OKC does not!

I think it shows you the mentality of a lot of Tulsans, which isn't bad. They may be quite a few years behind us now in terms of development, but they're willing to wait longer to get the right development for their city. They have a classy reputation to maintain and I think it benefits them. We're known as low class rednecks often because of the mentality we have here. Almost anything is a go in Oklahoma City. We have no standards. Just look at Memorial Road. No planning really at all. That's why traffic is such a mess. And why the landscaping is subpar.

We need to demand more from developers. Look at Edmond and Tulsa. They don't allow half the trash we as a city allow.