Tuscana Lifestyle Center

[mcca7596]

I noticed this development does not have its own thread, so I thought I would start one with asking if anyone knows what the current status of it is.

Can it bring in the retailers that University North Park failed to?

On edit, found one that talks about it, sorry. This can be deleted.

[Dustin]

I think it is scaled WAAAYYY down from the original plans..

[mrktguy29]

I live right next to it and its mounds of dirt, a couple of completed streets off of may ave.

[Spartan]

It's unlikely. I just hope Tuscana doesn't become as big a failure as UNP did. But, at least the City of OKC didn't give it a TIF as far as I remember, so that's good. The land is pretty strategically located between the mall and 150th. I hope they don't waste it until their prospects improve again.

[warreng88]

Ind. company to develop NW OKC apartments
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 05:20 PM Friday, April 22, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – RCL Development Corp. has sold 15 acres of a 200-plus-acre chunk of land in northwest Oklahoma City that is part of the large-scale Tuscana mixed-use development to an Indiana multifamily real estate company for $1.7 million.

Indianapolis-based Watermark Residential has plans to develop the Watermark at Tuscana apartments at NW 150 Street and N. May Avenue.

The 240-unit apartment complex will consist of seven three-story buildings built out of natural stone and stucco with a northern Italian design in keeping with Tuscana’s theme.

“These are definitely class A properties for our market, a testimony to Oklahoma City’s leadership, the vision our city has had,” said Tim McKay, a broker for Hendricks & Partners. “It shows the way Oklahoma City is viewed around the nation by capital investors.”
McKay negotiated the sale, along with Hendricks & Partners brokers Aaron Hargrove and John Clayton.

The Watermark at Tuscana project is part of the 233-acre Tuscana mixed-use development that RCL announced in 2007, previously called Quail Springs Village. Plans for the $500 million to $800 million Tuscana development include a $500 million to $800 million open-air shopping center, an amphitheater and convention center hotel, apartments, residential lofts and condominiums.

This will be Watermark Residential’s first multifamily housing development in Oklahoma. The company’s portfolio consists of more than $100 million worth of investment real estate across the country, according to its website. Watermark is also in the process of
developing apartment communities in Alabama and Texas.

Calls to Watermark’s corporate offices in Indianapolis were not immediately returned on Friday. RCL Development President Larry Owsley also could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

The development work for Tuscana is being handled by Oklahoma City-based Raptor Properties, led by Roddy Bates. Bates could not immediately be reached for comment.

Plans for Tuscana were unveiled just before the onset of the 2008 financial crisis, which brought lending for such large-scale development projects to a standstill. It appears that development activity is heating up again in the area.

Wisconsin-based developer Continental Properties Company Inc. recently had plans to build a 255-unit apartment complex in the Tuscana area called the Springs at Quail Prairie, but the Oklahoma City Planning Commission voted the project down earlier this month on the grounds it would add too many apartment units to the area.

[ljbab728]

So would the city planning commission approve a 240 unit apartment complex when they turn down a 255 unit complex because it would add too many apartments to the area? Is 15 less a significant difference?

[Dustin]

This is awesome! So glad it is still a go!

[onthestrip]

$500-800million development? Lol, now that's funny.

[okcpulse]

Whoa, wait a minute. The Journal Record is a bit inaccurate. Based on documents submitted at the last Planning Commission meeting, the council was recommended to not approve the application out of concern from area residents over a landscaping buffer zone that was revised in the rendering. The denial was recommended so that residents can meet with Continental Properties about the buffer zone.

But, I could be wrong. Either way, this development is still a go, and it was the intention of Tuscana's master plan to bring upscale high-density residential to the area so that it woiuld be easier to land the retail needed for the lifestyle center.

[Double Edge]

Bids for construction were due last week so the owner must still be making plans to move forward. Or they are wasting a lot of peoples' time.

Here's a brochure on the company with one page on Tuscana http://www.suzannewesley.com/files/W...nalSpreads.pdf Looks like that's the graphic designer's website. I don't know how recent it is but it mentions 2010 somewhere.

[jbrown84]

I'm not remotely impressed with this Watermark company's projects. They look just like every other blah suburban apartment complex in that area. If we really want a top notch national company to build something great, we should go after Archstone.

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/

[Spartan]

Yeah, I didn't see anything in the article that suggests an "urban" or "new-urbanist" design.. what will make this different from the typical sprawl apartment complexes in that area?

[ljbab728]

Yeah, I didn't see anything in the article that suggests an "urban" or "new-urbanist" design.. what will make this different from the typical sprawl apartment complexes in that area?

Spartan, maybe i'm missing something. Was something said that indicated that this project would be "urban" or "new-urbanist"? I haven't seen any dipictions and it may very well be typical suburban apartments but you always seem to jump the gun with criticism. Something a little urban might be nice but it's not like it's being developed in the Midtown area. It's in the outer fringe and it's not realistic to expect that every new development that far from downtown will be urban in design. It's just not going to happen.

[mcca7596]

I think it's just that most lifestyle centers have, as a general rule, tried to incorporate new urbanist ideas into their design. They are open air and did become popular thanks to an interest in moving away from traditional malls.

[ljbab728]

I think it's just that most lifestyle centers have, as a general rule, tried to incorporate new urbanist ideas into their design. They are open air and did become popular thanks to an interest in moving away from traditional malls.

I was responding to Spartan's comments about the proposed apartments, not the entire lifestyle center. I've never seen any indication that they have gone against the original concept for the entire project going towards a traditional mall.

[Spartan]

Spartan, maybe i'm missing something. Was something said that indicated that this project would be "urban" or "new-urbanist"? I haven't seen any dipictions and it may very well be typical suburban apartments but you always seem to jump the gun with criticism. Something a little urban might be nice but it's not like it's being developed in the Midtown area. It's in the outer fringe and it's not realistic to expect that every new development that far from downtown will be urban in design. It's just not going to happen.

As mcca suggested, most lifestyle centers do incorporate faux urbanist patterns, so that's why I was asking. Furthermore, there are renderings out there of what this is supposed to be like.




This is what was proposed right after the crash, as I'm sure you recall yourself. Then Owsley has repeatedly said it is still on, but moving at a slower pace, whatever that means. Fast forward to now, it appears that he's going to "move forward at a slower pace" by replacing the project with lower quality retail and housing components that are not integrated at all. So...can you say University North Park? Sad to see that Central Oklahoma is still no closer to ever having a "real" lifestyle center, which might be kind of neat.

[circuitboard]

Construction has started....





Here is a link to the apartments:

http://www.watermark-residential.com...uail-north.php

[dmoor82]

Wow!I thought this thing would never begin!

[circuitboard]

Me 2! I could not believe my eyes....

[circuitboard]

Is thompson thrift local?

[circuitboard]

"Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
240 Planned Units
The Watermark at Quail North multifamily community consists of 240 Class A apartment homes in Oklahoma City, OK. The development's seven buildings include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes. Its three-story buildings feature a Tuscan-style façade with natural stone and stucco exterior finishes. The community also incorporates an attractive plaza, extensively landscaped courtyards and roundabouts into its design. The community also will include a clubhouse, a resort-style pool and detached garages. Watermark at Quail North features an e-Urban design, a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional apartment designs.
Watermark at Quail North's site consists of 10 acres located near the southeast corner of the intersection of 150th Street and May Avenue. The development is part of the 232-acre Tuscana master planned community and is convenient to the Quail Springs shopping corridor and several major employers. Quail North features an innovative mixed-use design creating an urban environment that is the focal point of the surrounding neighborhoods. Walkable streets and park-like corridors that encourage walking and community interaction connect the "live, work, play" components. Watermark at Quail North benefits from being within a market with strong demographics, a healthy rental trends, access to and visibility from major roads, convenience to major area retailers, convenience to major employers, and excellent schools."

I hope it's good quality.

[dmoor82]

Watermark - Tuscana Apartments & Clubhouse

Dodge Report #201100443396 v. 18



Location: OK (Oklahoma) See More Like This
Valuation: $24,999,999
Bid Date: ASAP
Oklahoma Oklahoma Apartments/Condominiums 1-3 Stories Construction Project

Project Type:Apartments/Condominiums 1-3 Stories, Social Club Stage:Sub Bidding, Construction Ownership:Private See More Like This Type of Work:New Project Number of Buildings:12 Building Frame:Wood Square Footage:271,721 Number of Stories:3 Architect:Listed Contractor:Listed Designer:Not Listed Publish Date:Jun 17, 2011

[dmoor82]

Watermark Residential, an Indianapolis-based apartment developer, has started work on Watermark at Quail North at 2701 Tuscana Blvd., near NW 150 and May Avenue, north of Quail Springs Mall. A groundbreaking ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Thursday. When complete, the Tuscan-style complex will have 240 apartments in three buildings on 10 acres, with a plaza and landscaped courtyards, a clubhouse, pool and detached garages. Homes will be one-, two- and three-bedroom. The project's completion date is May 2012. Leasing will begin in October. Thompson Thrift Construction of Terre Haute, Ind., is the general contractor. The architect is Dallas-based Humphreys & Partners Architects LP.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-real-esta...#ixzz1RkV2isaR and from Watermarks website http://watermark-residential.com/por...th-profile.php

[Steve]

Guys, it's basically a lot of new apartments going into an area that is filled with ... a lot of aging apartments. I wonder if anyone has delved into how Lyrewood Lane started out and how it got to where it is today.

[jbrown84]

That couldn't be more mediocre looking. Yikes.