Midtown

[Spartan]

Yes, metro..Friday is last week.

I don't think this lot will be eternally vacant. I'm not the most optimistic person these days, BUT the city does own the site and is currently seeking a redeveloper. And OCURA is not even involved, to my knowledge. There's no way we can screw this up.

[Larry OKC]

Yes, metro..Friday is last week.

I don't think this lot will be eternally vacant. I'm not the most optimistic person these days, BUT the city does own the site and is currently seeking a redeveloper. And OCURA is not even involved, to my knowledge. There's no way we can screw this up.

LOL ... that remains to be seen (but we can hope)

[CuatrodeMayo]

There's no way we can screw this up.

I won't count on that...



Anyways, according the materplan that site is supposed to be "green space" (lol) http://www.okc.gov/Planning/tenthstreet/10thstreetreport.pdf

[progressiveboy]

Yay for more eternally-vacant lots in Midtown.

However, it is better than looking at a dirty eyesore of a dilapidated building.

[metro]

Other than the asbestos (which was removed prior) I don't see how the Red Cross building was an eyesore. It had lots of potential. On the other hand, Browns Bakery, has fallen into serious disrepair, especially the southern portion of their building, broken out windows, boarded up windows, etc., yet no one fuses about them.

[wsucougz]

Yep, I thought the Red Cross building looked just fine. Maybe it would have been prohibitively expensive for the asbestos abatement.

[Architect2010]

I won't count on that...



Anyways, according the materplan that site is supposed to be "green space" (lol) http://www.okc.gov/Planning/tenthstreet/10thstreetreport.pdf

Well. I wouldn't mind it then. That plan is amazing in my opinion. But we'll see how much of it actually comes to fruition. I hear there is funding for the Classen extension? Can anyone comfirm this? I think it would be a kick-start for development in that area if it is completed.

And are you saying you don't like that conceptual rendering Cuatro? Although I'd like to see it qith a brick facade, I think it would be a pleasing project for that corner; it's built to the sidewalk, looks to be mixed use, etc. But alas, it's just a conceptual drawing so we'll see what becomes of that lot now.

[metro]

Yep, I thought the Red Cross building looked just fine. Maybe it would have been prohibitively expensive for the asbestos abatement.

As I stated in the post above yours, they already removed the asbestos before demolition.

[dismayed]

"What could possibly go wrong...."

[wsucougz]

As I stated in the post above yours, they already removed the asbestos before demolition.

Hilarious, then. I thought it was nice - 4 little storefronts + the backbuilding. Where could they possibly have found a place to build residential in midtown without tearing something down? -2 buildings on 10th this month alone.

[Spartan]

Yeah, you can't just demolish an asbestos-clogged building without doing the asbestos abatement because then the particles will be spread like a cloud of dust throughout Midtown as a result of the demolition. That would be a mini environmental disaster.

I actually hadn't even thought of that. I will admit, I never even really thought of this building as a problem--I never really thought of it as anything honestly, never noticed it. The auto garage across the street or, already mentioned, Brown's--although Brown's is frequented by the Chamber of Commerce crowd, so they're probably safe.

We all know it. This is the age of demolition. That's all we do in this town anymore. Aside from that incredibly negative thought, I will say that this particular demolition..the ONLY one out of all of them, hasn't YET turned negative in my book because to my knowledge the city is seeking the right kind of replacement infill. A good could come out of this still, unlike the others.

[Larry OKC]

Exactly Spartan, someone was trying to throw in the asbestos thing into renovating something like the India Temple into the mix (as being part of the cost-prohibitive factor). Seemed to be an expense no matter which way you go because as I understand it, the problem with asbestos is when the fibers become airborne...as long as they remain intact, there is no serious problem. It would seem much worse with a complete demo (as you described) than just a reno.

The City is running into this with the buildings they purchased in the Core to Shore/Park area. They have to safely remove it all first before they can bulldoze it.

[wsucougz]

Yeah, you can't just demolish an asbestos-clogged building without doing the asbestos abatement because then the particles will be spread like a cloud of dust throughout Midtown as a result of the demolition.

I just figured that was why they were spraying the debris down with a fire hose.

[metro]

We all know it. This is the age of demolition. That's all we do in this town anymore. Aside from that incredibly negative thought, I will say that this particular demolition..the ONLY one out of all of them, hasn't YET turned negative in my book because to my knowledge the city is seeking the right kind of replacement infill. A good could come out of this still, unlike the others.

Actually I don't think it's the City that is "seeking the right kind of infill," but it's the owners of the property, MidTown Renaissance.

[Spartan]

Metro...MidTown Renaissance does not own the property. In fact, Mickey Clagg has even stopped calling it MidTown Renaissance and I'd not be surprised if all the banners have been taken down, even though he is definitely still moving forward..close to finishing a few projects (hopefully).

The site is owned by the Medical Business District Corridor, Inc. And now to pull a metro, you can read about them here:
http://www.okc.gov/Planning/tenthstreet/index.html

[metro]

Either way, my point was that it's not the City as you implied.

[Spartan]

Medical Business District Corridor, Inc. IS the City..

[MikeOKC]

To help bring some peace...I believe this is technically considered a quasi-government agency.

[Larry OKC]

If we are talking about the Red Cross building, the CIty does/did appear to own it. From the aticle I linked in #178 Asbestos-Ridden American Red Cross Building Blocks Urban Redevelopment in Okalahoma City

According to Oklahoma City Planning Department Director Robbie Kienzle, the asbestos-laden, aging and abandoned Red Cross building is an ‘eyesore', but one soon to be removed thanks to the city's April 2008 purchase of the property for $690,000, and a possible U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant for $200,000 to remove the asbestos so the building can be torn down.

[Spartan]

The ironic thing is that was a very small structure. For it to cost $200,000 for asbestos abatement makes me wonder how much a full restoration would have cost. Maybe $300,000?

And woah woah. How much did the City pay for that? I thought they bought it a lot cheaper than that. I wonder if any got rich off of that deal..

[metro]

I stand corrected, I thought Howard/Clagg were part of a business group that owned Medical Business District, Inc.

[Spartan]

Fair enough.

Is anyone else astonished that the city has put $900,000 buckaroos into obtaining and clearing this site? There had better be some good infill proposals, because that land is not worth a mil.

[okclee]

WOW!! $900,000

Doesn't the master plan from the city show that to be a "green space"?

[jbrown84]

I'm not sure I trust the article to have that $600,000+ figure correctly. Maybe Steve would know..

Could be, in this undated article (looks fairly recent, but building hadn't been torn down yet) Asbestos-Ridden American Red Cross Building Blocks Urban Redevelopment in Okalahoma City

Yep, I thought the Red Cross building looked just fine.

I agree. That article really exaggerates the eyesore factor, making it sound like something the size of St. Anthony was really in the way of development. The Red Cross building was pretty small and IMO just forgettable. Not an eyesore but also nothing you drive by and think, that could be something great. I won't particularly miss it. As Spartan said, the auto shop across the street is MUCH more of an eyesore.

As I stated in the post above yours, they already removed the asbestos before demolition.

I think removing asbestos to allow reuse of the building is more expensive than just removing it for demolition, but I could be wrong.

[warreng88]

Western retailer headed to Automotive Alley
By April Wilkerson
The Journal Record
Posted: 08:49 PM Monday, May 10, 2010

OKLAHOMA CITY – Automobile Alley is preparing to welcome a retailer that will bring a new flair to the area.

Rawhide, a high-end Western furniture, apparel and accessories store in Norman, is preparing to move to 1007 N. Broadway Ave. in Oklahoma City.

Angie Bailey, owner, said she’s making the move for several reasons: Her in-state customers are from Edmond and Oklahoma City, plus she wants to be a part of the growth in downtown Oklahoma City. She plans to open by July 1.

“I wanted to jump on what’s going on in downtown Oklahoma City,” she said. “This will be a lot better for local people.”

But local residents don’t constitute the majority of Rawhide’s customers.

Bailey estimates that 90 percent of her clientele is out of state and comes from advertisements she places in Cowboys & Indians magazine.

“I’m a destination store,” she said. “It’s not what you’ll see in your average Western store. Our customers want what they want, and price is not an issue. It’s finding what they want.”

Women’s Western apparel is Bailey’s top seller. She also carries belts, buckles, jewelry, rugs and furniture. She works with suppliers around the nation to find the pieces she knows her customers want, she said. And as an interior designer, she’s had input into her fall collection, which will feature pieces that are more authentic than what she’s carried in the past: an Indian dress with fringes, a leather shirt that could be worn as a jacket, Western gauntlet gloves, and moccasins made from bison.

“People love things that are more authentic,” she said, “but they’re a little modernized so people can wear them today.”

Bailey started Rawhide in 2007 after retiring as a furniture representative. She was always traveling out of state to find the “ranch lifestyle” clothing she wanted, so she decided to open a store and stock it with the items she liked.

With the move, she’s adding space: Her 2,650 square feet in Norman will grow to 5,300 square feet in Automobile Alley. With the extra room, she plans to add more furniture and devote more of her resources to interior design work. She estimates her business will increase by 10 times.

Steve Mason, owner of the historic building she will occupy and a member of the Automobile Alley Association board, said Rawhide’s high-end merchandise and her status as a destination store is a boon to the area.

“This is an important step forward for retail in the downtown business district, particularly Automobile Alley,” Mason said. “I expect the value of her inventory will be the largest value of any retailer in downtown Oklahoma City.”

Mason also has gone through the process to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure, which was built in 1918, has been home to a variety of auto repair and sales businesses over the years.

Western retailer headed to Automotive Alley