Classen Curve

[circuitboard]

Republic has their new website up:

REPUBLIC

Pretty impressive beer list:
http://www.republicgastropub.com/Rep...eer%20Menu.pdf

Also the food sounds yummy also. Looks neat, can't wait to try it out!

[JerzeeGrlinOKC]

Beer list looks great! Love how they proudly feature a great selection of OK brews. And they have my favorite import, Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Food looks delicious...smoked salmon sliders, yum (not paired with a YDCS though...).


Can't wait!

[betts]

Ah, they have Coop Zeppelin. There aren't many places you can get it, and it's one of my favorite beers. That's exciting.

[BDP]

If an Oklahoma City store was the very next one announced, it likely wouldn’t open until 2012, at the earliest.

It's not like there is an actual physical line forming. I'm not in the camp that wants a Whole Foods, but the order in which they open stores will be determined more by economic factors and development opportunities than an order on some list. In fact, if they were limited by resources they would probably rather open in new and emerging markets before saturating another.

[jbrown84]

nope, insiders that know high ups as Chesapeake is what I'm holding onto.

There has been sufficient evidence that there is good odds they are building here.

Metro, you're grammar has gone to pot.

[Pete]

The CC website now shows Building K (at the far south end of the complex) leased to:

Winter House Home Furnishings & Interior Design

Not sure if this will be in addition to their Northpark Mall location or if it will be moving.

That building is about 9,000 square feet.

[betts]

I bet they'll move. I don't think they have the kind of business that would justify two stores. I don't know how good an idea the move is for them, as I see their furnishings as being more "Edmond" in style than "Nichols Hills" or "Classen Curve" but perhaps they're evolving their style.

[Pete]

According to their Facebook page, Republic will open this coming Monday.


As I've said all along, this will be a smash hit.

[metro]

Yep. I'm going to a taste testing this week and will report back. Looking forward to this place opening, as Pete said i think it's going to be a smash hit. Good work tuck!

[sroberts24]

Ah, they have Coop Zeppelin. There aren't many places you can get it, and it's one of my favorite beers. That's exciting.

U can get it at Bolero and Musashi's

[warreng88]

Classen Curve reintroduces window-shopping to Oklahoma City
Center is intended to be upscale shopping, entertainment destination
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: March 28, 2010


For months, retailer Bob Benham drove the gentle curve of Classen Boulevard toward Grand Avenue and wondered who was clearing out a handful of old houses, and what might be planned for the stretch.

It wasn’t until a November 2008 visit by Aubrey McClendon, chief executive officer of Chesapeake Energy, that the owner of the legendary Balliet’s got his first hint of what was to come — Classen Curve.

"He came in looking for something for his wife and he had a photo from a New York Times fashion magazine,” Benham said. That in turn led into a conversation about the store, Benham’s career and his future.

See the rest of Steve's article at:

NewsOK

[Martin]

classen and grand avenue? sounds upscale... that intersection has a mcdonalds *and* a taco bell.

-M

/yes, i'm being a wiseacre.

[betts]

It has neither a McDonalds nor a Taco Bell In fact, the only fast food within a reasonable distance of Nichols Hills are the Sonic and Subway on Western.

[Steve]

Nope, MMM got me. Damn, damn, damn.... Grand Boulevard, not Grand Avenue. Yes, big difference. Couldn't believe it when I read it this morning. Getting fixed online this morning.

[Shake2005]

Exactly



Agreed, I think this is the biggest factor into us getting one. If CHK broke ground on a building soon, we'd see one a heck of a lot earlier than 2012.

You've been talking about this now for five years, how it's about to happen.

I won't say that Whole Foods won't come to Oklahoma City, but it won't be here. I looked at the demographics for the three surrounding zip codes (it's about 50 square miles) to Classen Curve and only 73116 has good demographics and it only has a population of 7k people. The other two zips, including the one the site is in (73112) have pretty dismal numbers.

Only 28% of adults in the 73112 zip have a degree, the per-capita income of the zip is under 21k and the median home value is only 73k. They also can't like that the site is 4 blocks from a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Whole Foods says they want a densely populated area with good wealth and a high percentage of college educated people in the area. Classen Curve doesn't sound like a place that Whole Foods would locate to, especially without liquor.

Sorry, Chesapeake may be trying to get them, but those numbers don't look to equal Whole Foods agreeing to come. That's even more true in the current economy. Someone needs to find them another location. Probably further up north.

[Larry OKC]

....

[bluedogok]

Sorry, Chesapeake may be trying to get them, but those numbers don't look to equal Whole Foods agreeing to come. That's even more true in the current economy. Someone needs to find them another location. Probably further up north.

I will say it mostly depends on the terms that Chesapeake agrees to in regards to the property, not all their stores meet every piece of their criteria. A friend worked for WF a few years ago in their real estate department and OKC was on the radar then as a "future market" (no particular timetable) and that was before the Wild Oats acquisition. If Chesapeake gives them enough incentive to locate a store in Classen Curve, it will happen. It will never be as quickly as some would like but it will happen. Quite a few of their locations are "incentive-ized" by developers who want WF as an anchor tenant. The Quarry location in San Antonio was one of these from what I have been told, WF got a sweet deal from the developer.

OKC is also a bit different dynamic, most people are used to traveling further to a specific destination than in most other markets. I know people here in Austin who whine and cry about something going on in the side of town they don't live in, we are talking about a less than 10 mile trip in most cases, Austin has around the same population as OKC but would probably fit in the area that most consider NW OKC. Most of the people that I know in OKC would drive 20 or so miles to a place like Whole Foods, most of them do it already for other stores they like to shop at that are already located there. It will be a regional attraction in OKC (OKC Metro region) and not a localized one, that has traditionally been the case in OKC and a different market dynamic than most other markets. I can bet weekends would be nuts there, I know they are at the two locations here.

[metro]

You've been talking about this now for five years, how it's about to happen.

I won't say that Whole Foods won't come to Oklahoma City, but it won't be here. I looked at the demographics for the three surrounding zip codes (it's about 50 square miles) to Classen Curve and only 73116 has good demographics and it only has a population of 7k people. The other two zips, including the one the site is in (73112) have pretty dismal numbers.

Only 28% of adults in the 73112 zip have a degree, the per-capita income of the zip is under 21k and the median home value is only 73k. They also can't like that the site is 4 blocks from a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Whole Foods says they want a densely populated area with good wealth and a high percentage of college educated people in the area. Classen Curve doesn't sound like a place that Whole Foods would locate to, especially without liquor.

Sorry, Chesapeake may be trying to get them, but those numbers don't look to equal Whole Foods agreeing to come. That's even more true in the current economy. Someone needs to find them another location. Probably further up north.

Wow, I've been saying that for 5 years? Please cite specific example.

[Steve]

Metro hasn't been saying this for five years and Shake won't be able to cite an example otherwise. Rumors started in 2009 - about the time that people I've talked to say negotiations were underway between the retailer and Chesapeake. Metro, like many others, seized upon those rumors....
Sources I've got say it's a letter of intent. That's not a lease, but it's certainly proof that whatever the numbers are, they're doing some serious flirting.

[soonerguru]

Metro, you're grammar has gone to pot.

Not to quibble, but if you're criticizing someone for their grammar, shouldn't yours be correct?

In this case, the use of "you're" in your sentence is incorrect, and instead should be the possessive "your."

Back to the thread. When are we getting the Whole Foods, Steve?

[jbrown84]

Shoot! I'm usually so good about triple checking my you/r/'res.

[Martin]

damn, damn, damn.... grand boulevard, not grand avenue.

: ) no big deal, but of course i had to give you a hard time about it!

it has neither a mcdonalds nor a taco bell. in fact, the only fast food within a reasonable distance of nichols hills are the sonic and subway on western.

as you probably know, sheridan ave. used to be called grand ave. classen & sheridan has the mcdonalds & taco bell. as for nichols hills fast food, don't forget city bites!

-M

[Shake2005]

Wow, I've been saying that for 5 years? Please cite specific example.

I do apologize,

I'm a little off, the first post I could find was from October 2005:

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...ds-coming.html

4 years and 5 months ago:

I know this topic has been talked about numerous times but lately I have been hearing rumors that they have decided on OKC. I dont have enough evidence other than rumors and from people I dont normally get my credited information from, that OKC has been chosen for a new site, particularly Nichols Hills. I was just curious if anyone else has heard anything new. In the meantime, I emailed them and got this as a reply:

Quote:
Thank you very much for your interest in Whole Foods Market and obvious support of our company. We appreciate your desire to have one of our stores located in your area. Your email will be forwarded to the Store Location Development Team for consideration.
Quote:
Unfortunately, we don't comment on potential locations.


Sincerely,

Julie Merrill

Customer Information Coordinator

[metro]

Wow, I didn't realize we had talked about it for so long. Nonetheless, I didn't make claims that it was coming and clearly stated it was rumors and I posted a reply from Whole Foods, which did not indicate they were coming. Since that time, I have had more credible sources provide new information as has Steve.

[onthestrip]

About republic, I'm pretty disappointed that it won't have one of the covered patio areas next to it. Hopefully some of the new restaurants opening here will utilize those courtyards/patios, but I would prefer those that do to be more of a drinkng place and not necessarily just a restaurant. Basically, I'd rather be on a republic patio than an Upper Crust patio.

Also, I have a feeling parking is going to be aweful. Even moreso as they get more tenants, especially along the northern strip of CC