New Apartment Complex

[zacelliott]

Was at a show last night and heard a girl talk about a new complex she's moving into called "The Avenue" in Norman. She was showing pictures to her friend, but I didn't catch the URL or pictures of it, and google searches have come up empty. Anyone know anything about "The Avenue?" pretty sure it was a high-end complex.

[Geographer]

I've heard this place mentioned...I *believe* it is going in next to The Grove off of 12th just south of highway 9.

[zacelliott]

I eventually found it via Facebook: The Avenue at Norman it's funny since the Wife and i were just talking the other day about what was going to go in in that open space between the Grove and 12th street. We were hoping for some retail, but that answers the question. Traffic is gonna be a mess though, it's already gotten bad around 4-5 because of the subdivision and the Grove. If they keep adding more they'll need to upgrade to four lanes, or add a lighted/roundabout intersection at the apartment entrance.

[Geographer]

I eventually found it via Facebook: The Avenue at Norman it's funny since the Wife and i were just talking the other day about what was going to go in in that open space between the Grove and 12th street. We were hoping for some retail, but that answers the question. Traffic is gonna be a mess though, it's already gotten bad around 4-5 because of the subdivision and the Grove. If they keep adding more they'll need to upgrade to four lanes, or add a lighted/roundabout intersection at the apartment entrance.

Yep..that's what happens when there's only 1 street out of that area. Who would have thought that little connectivity would lead to congestion? haha.

[zacelliott]

I say just put in a Roundabout at the entrance to that apartment complex. Although derplahomans seem to have a hard time figuring out roundabouts, it will probably ease up the congestion a bit.

[zacelliott]

They're starting Dirt work on this as of this week. Looks like they've taken over the fields all the way to Cedar Lane for the complex. Gonna be quite the cluster of traffic once it's all done...

[dmoor82]

Why is the address of this complex 13th Pl. and not 12th Ave. SE? Looks like 13th Pl. Might be extended up to Cedar Ln.! The office/clubhouse of this complex looks great.

[zacelliott]

Why is the address of this complex 13th Pl. and not 12th Ave. SE? Looks like 13th Pl. Might be extended up to Cedar Ln.! The office/clubhouse of this complex looks great.

I think they are going to expand it to Cedar lane. They've had a grader running to the "hump" of dirt in the field at the NE corner of Cedar lane and 12th. I'm wondering if they're going to have two entrances. Either that or the road into the Grove now is 13th Pl.

[Plutonic Panda]

Isn't much, but here are few rendering from their website:

[Geographer]

Look's pretty normal

[Geographer]

This is what we should be doing in Norman...even LUBBOCK is getting it. It's quite the development built INTO the street fabric and not set off into a super block like apartment "complexes", most of the buildings here front the street. It's pretty cool and creating a great environment and link between Texas Tech and downtown Lubbock.

Overton Park

[ou48A]

This is what we should be doing in Norman...even LUBBOCK is getting it. It's quite the development built INTO the street fabric and not set off into a super block like apartment "complexes", most of the buildings here front the street. It's pretty cool and creating a great environment and link between Texas Tech and downtown Lubbock.

Overton Park

"Even LUBBOCK"....? WOW!
In-spite of their dirt storms as city Lubbock is well ahead of Norman in several ways and has been for many, many decades.


But for what's its worth I posted some information on the Overton park project in Lubbock several months ago...There has been a huge building boom on and near Tech's campus. The Enrollment at Tech's main campus is expected to reach the 40,000 mark with in a few years, which is much larger than OU's main campus enrollment.

I would agree that we need more of this in Norman but Norman’s great problem for this type of development is there isn't nearly enough land in the right locations that would allow the construction of anything close to this size...Size does matter a lot, it's a major limiting factor in what will be built near OU's campus, where the demand for this type of housing is greatest.

[BG918]

I would agree that we need more of this in Norman but Norman’s great problem for this type of development is there isn't nearly enough land in the right locations that would allow the construction of anything close to this size...Size does matter a lot, it's a major limiting factor in what will be built near OU's campus, where the demand for this type of housing is greatest.

There is plenty of under-utilized land directly to the east of OU between Jenkins and the tracks, and southeast of campus around the intramural fields south of the Duck Pond. I imagine these areas will see the largest increase in residential density in the next couple decades. A lot of the housing in between Campus Corner and downtown Norman, mostly east of Asp, is not much better than what was demolished in Lubbock to make way for Overton Park. I think proximity to downtown/Campus Corner, OU and the eventual commuter rail stop(s) will be driving factors for this growth.

[HangryHippo]

"Even LUBBOCK"....? WOW!
In-spite of their dirt storms as city Lubbock is well ahead of Norman in several ways and has been for many, many decades.


But for what's its worth I posted some information on the Overton park project in Lubbock several months ago...There has been a huge building boom on and near Tech's campus. The Enrollment at Tech's main campus is expected to reach the 40,000 mark with in a few years, which is much larger than OU's main campus enrollment.

I would agree that we need more of this in Norman but Norman’s great problem for this type of development is there isn't nearly enough land in the right locations that would allow the construction of anything close to this size...Size does matter a lot, it's a major limiting factor in what will be built near OU's campus, where the demand for this type of housing is greatest.

40,000 students in a few years may be larger than what OU has currently, but that's assuming OU's enrollment is unchanged. And Tech's enrollment in 2012 was only 32,000 with OU's 2012 enrollment was 29,000.

However, Tech does have the goal of having 40,000 students by 2020. Why doesn't OU have such a goal?

I agree with you about Lubbock though. It is actually quite impressive around Texas Tech. Overton Park is quite nice and that student living far surpasses anything that Norman offers. It really sucks because OU is a great university but Norman blows compared to other college towns. It's getting worse while other university cities are growing and doing cooler and cooler things all the time. Norman just stagnates.

[HangryHippo]

There is plenty of under-utilized land directly to the east of OU between Jenkins and the tracks, and southeast of campus around the intramural fields south of the Duck Pond. I imagine these areas will see the largest increase in residential density in the next couple decades. A lot of the housing in between Campus Corner and downtown Norman, mostly east of Asp, is not much better than what was demolished in Lubbock to make way for Overton Park. I think proximity to downtown/Campus Corner, OU and the eventual commuter rail stop(s) will be driving factors for this growth.

As I was looking at Google Maps earlier, these were the two areas I noticed. Particularly the area south of the duck pond. Housing (like Overton Park) would be awesome in this area, between the new athletic dorms and the tracks.

[ou48A]

There is plenty of under-utilized land directly to the east of OU between Jenkins and the tracks, and southeast of campus around the intramural fields south of the Duck Pond. I imagine these areas will see the largest increase in residential density in the next couple decades. A lot of the housing in between Campus Corner and downtown Norman, mostly east of Asp, is not much better than what was demolished in Lubbock to make way for Overton Park. I think proximity to downtown/Campus Corner, OU and the eventual commuter rail stop(s) will be driving factors for this growth.

Isn't most of that land owned by OU? I believe it is...?
If not,,,, or if OU sold this land,,,,, then that would be a decent size area but this is not anywhere close to the same amount of land near the east side of Tech's campus that is either vacant or newly redeveloped.
I have parked in this^ area several times going back to a time (1984) when it was in very poor condition.
There is also major redevelopment just north of the Tech football stadium.

But I do agree with the general tone of your post.

[ou48A]

40,000 students in a few years may be larger than what OU has currently, but that's assuming OU's enrollment is unchanged. And Tech's enrollment in 2012 was only 32,000 with OU's 2012 enrollment was 29,000.

However, Tech does have the goal of having 40,000 students by 2020. Why doesn't OU have such a goal?

On your OU enrollment numbers, are those for OU’s main Norman campus only?

OU is not near as forthcoming with future plans and goals as I would like.
I don't know why OU doesn’t state it's goals to the pubic more often... If they did, I think it might actually energize new contributors and make more OU people feel better about the direction of the university.

[ou48A]

I agree with you about Lubbock though. It is actually quite impressive around Texas Tech. Overton Park is quite nice and that student living far surpasses anything that Norman offers. It really sucks because OU is a great university but Norman blows compared to other college towns. It's getting worse while other university cities are growing and doing cooler and cooler things all the time. Norman just stagnates.

When people say things like “even LUBBOCK” or are critical of other places its often done out of ignorance... We battle much the same problem in Oklahoma / OKC and even OU with outsiders.

Norman's problem is mostly its leadership who has generally seem far more interested pandering to special interest on their social issues rather than in bringing these great things and their prosperity to the broader community.

[venture]

There is plenty of under-utilized land directly to the east of OU between Jenkins and the tracks, and southeast of campus around the intramural fields south of the Duck Pond. I imagine these areas will see the largest increase in residential density in the next couple decades. A lot of the housing in between Campus Corner and downtown Norman, mostly east of Asp, is not much better than what was demolished in Lubbock to make way for Overton Park. I think proximity to downtown/Campus Corner, OU and the eventual commuter rail stop(s) will be driving factors for this growth.

Are you implying that it is possible for developers to purchase low value, 50-60k properties east of Campus Corner and other areas by the tracks...to construct the high density projects like the one proposed for that very area? Nah couldn't be. They only buy $400k properties to expand roads through.

Norman has to get the high density zoning requirements finished and implemented so these plans can move forward.

[zacelliott]

Dirtwork continues at a furious pace, and a temporary leasing office has been built on the site. What is interesting to me is on the south end of the grounds they're digging a realllly deep hole. I'm wondering if this complex might have a parking garage? It seems way too deep to be a pool and too close to the road to be a pool.