University North Park

[TStheThird]

The point is, Norman is not going support a Sak's on its own. You would need the customers from Edmond and NW OKC.

Maybe something will happen on Western with the Chesapeake development. You would then pull the wealthiest part of OKC, Edmond, and Norman.

[Spartan]

I am against a Sak's anywhere north of 23rd Street. Period and point-blank. I don't see how that's any better than a Sak's in Norman, which beats the rest of the metro HANDS DOWN.

You honestly could spend a day just literally walking around Norman with a camera, and enjoying the historic homes, urban neighorhoods, the campus, and of course, OU football. This is not something that any other area in the metro, 'cept downtown OKC, can offer up.

[Midtowner]

One word: Demographics.

Historical homes?? Football? What do those things have to do with high end retail?

[Spartan]

Why do you only pick at a portion of my posts? WHY GOD!!! Gets kinda annoying sometimes, you see...

I will defend myself if you wish to continue beating a dead horse, like me and you do in SO MANY threads. When Sak's looks for a location, they will look for a city with CLASS. Hate to break it to you, but Edmond is a suburb, and nothing more than a suburb. So is Yukon, Midwest City, Mustang, Moore, and anywhere else...

Penn Square is a crowded mall with ZERO places to add in. Perhaps somewould could get Dillard's to merge into one location, double the size of that one (adding floors would be necessary) and use a former Dillard's at Penn Square, and expand the hell out of it and upgrade the inside and exterior to look more upscale....

That would be too much hassle I do believe. But you're the expert with the inside connection.

[Midtowner]

Who said anything about inside connections?

Also, I never said they'd be smart to locate in Edmond, MWC, etc. Those would make worse locations than Norman.

What I did say was that if such an establishment were to locate in Norman, they would essentially be alienating markets like Edmond which would mean the loss of substantial revenues.

Penn Square can be remodeled, multilevel parking can be added, once the I-40 relocation is finished, there will be substantial land available for some major development work in the Bricktown area. A place like Saks could also immediately revitalize the area south of downtown.

High end retail could care less about a city with class. They want money -- that's all. They'll go wherever the money will have the least trouble finding them.

[Spartan]

Who said anything about inside connections?

Well you seemed to have it all, I was just saying. In fact, it would seem as if there is no reason to read anyone's post except for Midtowner's...

[allure]

Thank you, Midtowner, for elaborating on what I was trying to express all along. It seems no one wants to listen to what others have to say unless you have a ton of posts!

[Midtowner]

Well you seemed to have it all, I was just saying. In fact, it would seem as if there is no reason to read anyone's post except for Midtowner's...

Yeah, well, why would you want to pay attention to a silly thing like income demographics when building a high end retail store... yeah, that's silly.

It's definitely more important to have a football stadium, a smaller presences of proximity to wealth than other potential neighborhoods, and oh yeah... "class" which clearly OKC has none of and Norman has plenty of.

You seem content to discuss the intangibles Norman may have going for it, (which even still is debateable) but you seem a little too unconcerned with the tangibles.

-- which do you think is more important to a high end retail store whose goal is to make money? You're just being stubborn now.

What I see is you objecting to "how" I said that, not "what" I said. I don't even see how "how" is relevent. Perhaps you could fill us in on that as well.

[Easy180]

allure....We do listen to people with low post numbers, but you do have to admit you came on here a little strong with the wrangler podunk Oklahoma statements

But I also agree most upscale stores would do better in the metro to pull in customers from all the surrounding burbs

[traxx]

Allure, you're the one that got all hung up on Saks. Not all of us have a hard on for Saks like you do. What, do you have a financial stake in the company or something? Saks isn't the be all end all you think it is. Sure it's nice but it's not the only store in the universe.

All we were saying is that it'd be nice for UNP to have something different and unique to the area. Something a little bit more upscale than the Super Target there or Old Navy. We've done the big box thing and it sucks, no matter how much you think fits Norman. Everyone's tired of the homogeny of having the same thing in every shopping area in every city. Why travel somewhere when you've got all the same stores everywhere else. Big box is what ruined Belle Isle, it could have been a unique place but someone thought we needed another Shoe Carnival.

[OUman]

I'll agree with all that's been said about Saks located in Norman after digging a bit into the company and its clientele. It does make sense that for it to work in the metro area it would need customers from all parts of the metro. Anyway, enough of that I guess.

Moving onto UNP, let's remember that Boren has a say in what goes into the area (which is why the Super Target is a brick structure in the first place). If he wants a store that's more upscale and different than the ones along Big Box parkway, you can bet that there will be a store more upscale in UNP than what Norman already has.

[TStheThird]

Edmond has had a brick Target for four years. It looks a little better, but at the end of the day, it is still Target. It will be interesting to see if they put anything in UNP that will make it unique. Having a bunch of generic retail stores with a nicer facade isn't going to get it done.

[traxx]

^^Totally Agree

[TStheThird]

Another point, bricked Super Targets and Super WalMarts are the status quo. The new walmart in Stillwater is Brick. The new stores across the counrty are being built to blend in better. They try and use the tpical building materials of that region.

Oklahoma equals red dirt equals brick.

I doubt Boren had much to do with Target being brick. Target has been building stores with a nicer facade for a while now.

[OUman]

^That's what the article in The Oklahoman stated, I didn't come up with that. Besides, as I said, it's University North Park, and the article did say Boren has an influence into what goes there. And it also mentioned that the focus will be on getting stores that are different and unique to Norman, especially in the new outdoor mall.

On another note, has anyone tried out the new European foods shop on Main? It right down the street from the Sooner Theatre, I heard it has European wines and cheeses among other things.

[TStheThird]

I don't believe they can sell wine and cheese in the same location.

[OUman]

Ahh well, they don't have wines then, but I heard it's big on European cheeses, 200+ different kinds.

[TStheThird]

That is cool... has anyone checked it out yet? I am interested to know what Italian cheeses they have.

[ETL]

Is that Embassy Suits sign on the UNP new?

[Spartan]

Watchou talkin' bout Willis?

A sign in the development, why yes, would be new. I was in there yesterday shopping at the Target and did not see anything.

[OUman]

^Well, there's supposed to be a hotel and convention center down there, so that might be it.

[aintaokie]

Anyone know what the new construction starting up north of Target is going to be?

[ETL]

Could the UNP be like the Branson Landing? I am here in Branson, and I thought that the Branson Landing was just awesome! Here is the website Branson Landing-Welcome To The New Branson Landing. I think that Norman could support a shopping mall like this. The UNP could support the same style of shopping as the Landing, if not better! The Landing also has condos that the UNP could also support. This could work for Norman. Maybe the same company could come in and do the samething, but bigger and call it the Norman landing.

[Spartan]

It is supposed to be something simillar to the landing. Though, the ped mall was indeed downsized. It was supposed to be at a level with Southlake, though obviously, it is not.

There is still a lot of un-planned land that will be included in the development, however.

[ETL]

What is ped mall?
I just hope this is as good as the Landing. Who is controling all this?