Nichols Hills Plaza

[Spartan]

Awesome! I really think Avondale could become a really awesome street, whereas now it just cuts through all of the parking. Betts, do you remember noticing anything happening with Avondale in what you saw?

[soonerhcf]

How do you think Whole Foods will affect Crescent Market? Will Crescent Market move to another part of the City?

[Pete]

Crescent has been looking around for another site. Most assume they will move due to Whole Foods.


If you combine all the yellow and green properties on that graphic, it represents about a $90 million investment. That's a ton of money for a bunch of tear-down condos and sub-par retail and office.

It also represents about 26 acres. As a point of reference, all of Utica Square is about 32 acres.

[Spartan]

The Crescent Market situation is complicated by the fact that Forward Foods is also up there, and Whole Foods isn't the only organic grocer that is joining the neighborhood either. Either CM or FF will move, for certain. FF might just close up shop on Western, although I hope that doesn't happen.

[BG918]

This certainly has a lot of potential. It will be interesting to see what happens. I agree that Avondale should be the major focus for a "Main Street" through the plaza with small stores lining a tree-lined street through there. Larger format retail could be on the north or south sides with parking areas in between (similar to Utica Square). Some kind of flagship store could come right up the corner of NW 63/Western/Avondale creating a grand entrance. The western edge along Grand would be a great place for redevelopment into medium density townhouses or apartments.

Does Chesapeake own the property south of NW 63 north of the creek? If so, I'd be curious about their plans in that area as it would lie between NH Plaza and Classen Market/Classen Curve.

[stlokc]

I'm just nit at all sure how I feel about all this. On the one hand, I'm excited about the growth of Chesapeake, and they've done so much for that area. I even like Classen Curve, and I do hope the area can grow into a Utica Square/Highland Park Village equivalent. There's so much that can be done with NH Plaza. But I spent time there in my childhood, and as ratty as it might have become, I do think there's some character to the denseness and varied architecture of the condos, buildings and plaza. I'm somewhat worried at all of the apparent impending destruction north of 63rd. I mean, does everything really have to go? Is everything within a mile of that intersection really going to become a sprawling corporate creation, however nice it turns out? I'm likewise worried about Flips, where I feel like I spent about a million hours and maybe a million dollars. I hope everything turns out great, but I can't help feeling uneasy. That said, there's a ton you can do with that Plaza in it's current footprint without bulldozing residential in Nichols Hills. Will the land acquisition ever be done?

[Pete]

Does Chesapeake own the property south of NW 63 north of the creek? If so, I'd be curious about their plans in that area as it would lie between NH Plaza and Classen Market/Classen Curve.

Yes, they own all of that.

It's long been rumored they will develop a hotel on at least part of that property.

[Spartan]

Wow, I didn't even know that. Where did you hear that, Pete?

That would actually be a great site for a hotel. I hope that they don't tear down that old school building on the intersection just to get the hotel "even closer" to Building 1.

[stlokc]

I wonder if Charlie Givens is in the mood to develop another Hotel ZaZa.

[betts]

I hope that they don't tear down that old school building on the intersection just to get the hotel "even closer" to Building 1.

Pete is right, Chesapeake does own all that land. Right now they're in the process of making the creek an underground river! I assume that's so they can use the land on top of it. They're remodeling the old school building right now, so I doubt they'll tear it down anytime soon.

I wonder if Charlie Givens is in the mood to develop another Hotel ZaZa.

I've wondered that for a long time. I believe Jeff Records is one of his partners in ZaZa, but I've also wondered if there isn't a little rivalry between him and Aubrey. I don't know for sure, but I'd heard Records owns the ugly office building on Western in NH Plaza and refused to sell for quite a while. I've since heard that he did sell it to Aubrey, but that's just a rumor. I've got a pretty reliable source I'll check with.

[onthestrip]

There is probably no rivalry between Aubrey and Jeff because Jeff doesn't want to lose money or use company dollars to blow on unnecessary properties

[betts]

Do we know that Aubrey is using Chesapeake dollars for his retail projects? Or is he using personal money?

[redrunner]

Do we know that Aubrey is using Chesapeake dollars for his retail projects? Or is he using personal money?

Aren't these projects owned by Chesapeake Land Development Company with Chesapeake Energy Corp as the parent company?

[Pete]

Redrunner is correct.

McClendon has his own separate corporation for all the land he owns in East Edmond and beyond.

[Chicken In The Rough]

I desparately want to see an Angelika Film Center or Landmark Theater somewhere in the NH Plaza / Classen Curve area.

[Pete]

Forgot to post this earlier... From OKCTalker.

This is the former Crescent Market space. CHK had said they had a grocer to take this space immediately after Crescent left but as you can see, there has only been demolition and no improvements:

[metro]

I'm trying to determine what "niche" grocer would fit in this tight radius of grocers. I supped a Trader Joes might last, As it'd be a cheaper Whole Foods, I'm just not seeing a grocer being the highest and best use of space at this point in the game.

[Pete]

When they ran out Crescent and the pharmacy, CHK promised to have a new grocer in that space by the second half of 2012.

In the meantime, I'm sure the City of NH is being strangled by the lack of sales tax. Not only from the loss of Crescent who was probably the biggest sales tax payer in town, but also from several other tenants CHK has moved to Classen Curve.

[metro]

True, but again what niche would the grocer fill? Surely an upscale, new to the state retailer could be a higher and better use now that Sunflower, WF and Forward Foods are within a 2 mile radius.

[Pete]

I have no idea, Metro.

If we are to believe what CHK has already said publicly, the new grocer will have a lunch counter so no way is that Trader Joe's or probably any other chain.

[metro]

I have serious concerns about another grocer going in NHP, I just don't see the need. I guess we will find out soon enough. I guess it would be in Nichols Hills and I believe WF is technically OKC, so maybe it's an agreement with NH for sales tax purposes, but geography/market demand wise, it doesn't add up to me.

[betts]

Actually, Nichols Hills Drug appears to have reopened west of their old location, still in the Plaza.

[Pete]

betts, what do you hear about NH Plaza in general?

And have you heard anything about the tenants for the building next to Anthropologie??

[betts]

Everything I hear about NH Plaza is pretty much hearsay and rumor. I do know that someone who offices there did not have his lease renewed. There's a new wallpaper shop that has opened up that I haven't visited yet that looks pretty nice, and I noticed the Drug Store opened up in a space they'd been remodeling for six months or so. I'd also heard they were going to demolish that SW corner, and that didn't happen, so who knows? Maybe I'll see my most reliable source this morning, as when I'm not working I go up to the Starbucks there to have coffee with a bunch of old friends, and that's usually when I hear the most information.

[jdcf]

I too am baffled by a grocery store in NHP. Hard for me to come up with any simulations considering the options that are nearby.