Lumberyard

[catch22]

You know - the 'give up and do it right later' strategy sounds better all the time.

If current leadership is going to be so stubborn about walk ability, let them have their ball. My generation will just have to fix it later, which is a shame, but seems to be the only way on certain issues.

[Dubya61]

If current leadership is going to be so stubborn about walk ability, let them have their ball. My generation will just have to fix it later, which is a shame, but seems to be the only way on certain issues.

The only problem with that is that without a good example, who will know what they're missing? How much longer before OKC leadership gets it if everybody is still happy with crappy? If we could get that right, then maybe the other dominoes will start to fall. Reminds me of one of my favorite "Far Side" cartoons, with a flock of ducks walking. One of them is pointing up to a flock in the sky and says, "Hey! Look at what they're doing!"

[Urbanized]

It's been my theory for a long time that citizens in OKC haven't demanded better in part because they are generally not well-traveled. And for many peopl travel from OKC often means Dallas or other regional destinations that have historically had low placemaking standards. The best cure for "better than crappy makes us happy" is exposure to great places.

[DavidD_NorthOKC]

It's been my theory for a long time that citizens in OKC haven't demanded better in part because they are generally not well-traveled. And for many peopl travel from OKC often means Dallas or other regional destinations that have historically had low placemaking standards. The best cure for "better than crappy makes us happy" is exposure to great places.

Like Michigan Ave in Chicago maybe? It is 6-7 lanes wide and it merges with Lake Shore Dr in a manner similar to the east Boulevard and I40 interchange. Traffic moves at a fairly brisk pace. Yet thousands of people cross it every day - why? Because there are reasons to do so.

OKC has a classic chicken and egg question with this boulevard - are reasons to cross needed before providing the means to cross, or are the means to cross needed before anything will be built to become a reason to cross? The final design will determine this and so far OKC seems to be dead set on making this question irrelevant by making the boulevard a through street.

IF the "dual boulevard" design was adopted, 3rd Street could be designed to function very similar to Michigan Ave - same type access from a higher speed road at one end, and ending as part of the street grid. The MAPS3 Park would be positioned similar to Millennium and Grant Park. Of course anything resembling Chicago is decades away, but the layout could encourage similar development on a smaller scale if the boulevard is designed to facilitate it.

[bradh]

I'd say it's pretty proven here that walkability doesn't mean crap if you don't have the place to walk.

[Pete]

Back to the subject of the Lumber Yard...

I've heard from a couple of good sources this property is most definitely under contract.

Not sure about the buyer yet or the development plans. At present, they are conducting due diligence (soil tests, etc.)

[catch22]

Back to the subject of the Lumber Yard...

I've heard from a couple of good sources this property is most definitely under contract.

Not sure about the buyer yet or the development plans. At present, they are conducting due diligence (soil tests, etc.)

Do you have any reason to believe this tower project is in any way, being planned? Or has this been ruled out?

[Pete]

An architect in Dallas doesn't just pick a very specific property (clearly the exact property boundaries of the Lumber Yard) and develop detailed renderings.

It might be just a wild concept but I suspect it is tied to the new owners who are trying to generate interest in a potential development.

Can't be a complete coincidence that this property is under contract right as the renderings are posted.

[bchris02]

Pete, so do you think the renderings in the photograph are still a possibility?

[soondoc]

So, you're saying their is a chance???

[soonerguru]

Of course there's a chance. Early bird gets the worm on this. We need a high rise condo tower. Smart money will be first. There are almost a dozen of these in Austin and even more in Dallas and Houston. OKC is a growing, dynamic city with a booming economy. Why should we be surprised by development concepts like this?

[OKVision4U]

If your intention is to build a "large" tower w/ condos, you would use this method. If it is a "spec", then you want to get started on the marketing side of "selling / pre-leasing" those units ASAP. ...there may be more substance here than you might think.

This is exactly what I was saying. If there was a rendering of the COOP Mill area, trying to drum up interest in that property, then ok.

But, this piece is specific w/ the Lumber yard and the arch firm Humphreys is listing this as a "project w/ a specific site". This property being under-contract, like Pete said, gives me more reason to believe this IS moving forward. ...money IS changing hands and with a nice arch firm too. I'm more in the 80% this is real.

( this developer is already doing things "Correctly" with the needs of the city ) ...this will be the first to hit the High End Residential Tower in OKC, a huge advantage.

[BDP]

Like Michigan Ave in Chicago maybe? It is 6-7 lanes wide and it merges with Lake Shore Dr in a manner similar to the east Boulevard and I40 interchange. Traffic moves at a fairly brisk pace. Yet thousands of people cross it every day - why? Because there are reasons to do so.

OKC has a classic chicken and egg question with this boulevard - are reasons to cross needed before providing the means to cross, or are the means to cross needed before anything will be built to become a reason to cross? The final design will determine this and so far OKC seems to be dead set on making this question irrelevant by making the boulevard a through street.

IF the "dual boulevard" design was adopted, 3rd Street could be designed to function very similar to Michigan Ave - same type access from a higher speed road at one end, and ending as part of the street grid. The MAPS3 Park would be positioned similar to Millennium and Grant Park. Of course anything resembling Chicago is decades away, but the layout could encourage similar development on a smaller scale if the boulevard is designed to facilitate it.

Michigan also has VERY wide sidewalks and contiguous development. And while a lot people do cross it, it is one of the worst streets in Chicago to walk down and cross. I do think they have done everything possible to mitigate it with landscaping, wide sidewalks, and pedestrian friendly light timeing. The thing is, I don't think we have the same mentality here right now and as another poster stated the next generation will probably have to "fix it" by doing what Michigan has done. It's taken every bit of energy of local interests to keep it from being a elevated freeway most of the way and that may still happen. Basically, as I understand it, it would take even more redesign for the boulevard to function as Michigan avenue does.

[Spartan]

This VVV

^^^
This

[OKVision4U]

This makes sense. With every Thunder home game, their property will be one of the top 3 displayed everytime. The Peake , The Devon Bldg, and The Towers on the Blvd.

...this is easy money. 43 stories and people will want it bad! Very nice project.

[OKVision4U]

...another positive note, is this project was hidden until after the election...? This is not just a property owner trying to increase the value of their RE, but a developer that "might be" moving forward because the city just voted to "keep it going" w/ Mr. Cornett.

[dmoor82]

Are you serious? Are you 15? Are you Thunder?

[OKCisOK4me]

News 9 just did a story on this. They butchered it. Said it was south of the new crosstown and they put it on a level of measurement with Devon Tower mentioning that this would be only 7 stories shorter (while probably not realizing that the general public has no clue that residential floor heights are shorter). I was surprised they didn't mention anything about "Bricktown, Canada". Whichever...they did say for now it's a dream that "could" one day turn into reality, so they obviously got all their information from here.

[bchris02]

News 9 just did a story on this. They butchered it. Said it was south of the new crosstown and they put it on a level of measurement with Devon Tower mentioning that this would be only 7 stories shorter (while probably not realizing that the general public has no clue that residential floor heights are shorter). I was surprised they didn't mention anything about "Bricktown, Canada". Whichever...they did say for now it's a dream that "could" one day turn into reality, so they obviously got all their information from here.

I wonder if the local stations should continue using OKCTalk as a source to report on new development? Much of this site is speculation about upcoming developments that are likely but have not been officially announced and are not set in stone. It's not unusual for something talked about here for pages and pages to end up changing significantly or getting the axe. When the Oklahoman reports something, we know its a done deal.

[DoctorTaco]

When the Oklahoman reports something, we know its a done deal.

Lackmeyer's heart just fluttered and warmed.

[Just the facts]

they didn't mention anything about "Bricktown, Canada".

I have seen this mentioned several times on here but when I looked at the site yesterday morning it said Bricktown, Oklahoma. Unless you are seeing that in a different place than I am.

[AP]

I have seen this mentioned several times on here but when I looked at the site yesterday morning it said Bricktown, Oklahoma. Unless you are seeing that in a different place than I am.

I just looked, and it has been changed to Oklahoma. A couple of days ago it said Canada, which means someone actively changed the page recently.

[OKVision4U]

An architect in Dallas doesn't just pick a very specific property (clearly the exact property boundaries of the Lumber Yard) and develop detailed renderings.

It might be just a wild concept but I suspect it is tied to the new owners who are trying to generate interest in a potential development.

Can't be a complete coincidence that this property is under contract right as the renderings are posted.

...and Pete, the arch website listed their "stock" projects as : On the Board. All the other projects listed were with a specific site.

The developer here certainly has "intentions" of moving this forward. If he has deep pockets and if this is not his first "tower" project, then this might just happen.

Being first to build a High-End Residential Tower, will give them a big advantage.

[Mississippi Blues]

I just looked, and it has been changed to Oklahoma. A couple of days ago it said Canada, which means someone actively changed the page recently.

It was changed to Oklahoma the day that this came about. It said Canada all day and then that evening when I checked it said Oklahoma.

[Urbanized]

...It might be just a wild concept but I suspect it is tied to the new owners who are trying to generate interest in a potential development.

Can't be a complete coincidence that this property is under contract right as the renderings are posted.

This certainly seems possible. Like I said there are few people who would like to see this development more than me. I hope my info is wrong.