Another Business moves

[okclee]

With all of the talk of Love's Store corporate headquarters not moving and choosing to rebuild at current location. Today I saw a sign on the northwest corner of Council and Memorial Road, future site for PayCom corporate hq.

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

That area is probably going to start exploding with growth over the next couple of years. Channel 5 announced IMAX is buiiding a six story theater in the area Memorial and Rockwell.

IMAX has promised to open the new theater for schools and corporate events during the day and first run movies at night.

[SoonerDave]

IMAX has promised to open the new theater for schools and corporate events during the day and first run movies at night.

I guess that pretty much formally quashes any idea of them building one inside Quail Springs Mall's AMC complex, as was reported about a year (maybe two?) ago, but obviously never happened.

Glad to see OKC getting a REAL IMAX, although I would prefer it be downtown (and thus not so far away), but I'll take it.

-soonerdave

[PUGalicious]

I agree that they should put one downtown -- in Bricktown, specifically...

[metro]

No not Bricktown, the CBD.

[metro]

Just to clarify, I just watched the video for the IMAX coming. It is only going to be 5 stories, not 6 and is tentatively looking at Memorial and Rockwell although it is eyeing other property in the metro. Perhaps we should all email them and request it to be downtown.

info@imax.com

[okclee]

I have sent an email to IMAX suggesting to locate in downtown rather than the suburbs, I will post again if and when I get a respones.

[CCOKC]

I do not know if there are different sizes of IMAX but I was not impressed with the one in Boise. I don't know what I was expecting but the screen was smaller than the Cine Capri at Harkins and the actual theater was very small and we were literally just a few rows from the screen. We just saw Batman Begins and not an IMAX movie so I don't now if that makes a difference. And I believe we paid over $10 for the show.

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

Just to clarify, I just watched the video for the IMAX coming. It is only going to be 5 stories, not 6 and is tentatively looking at Memorial and Rockwell although it is eyeing other property in the metro. Perhaps we should all email them and request it to be downtown.

info@imax.com

Downtown sucks, I can see it now $25 to park. It would be Jim Brewer's wet dream. I think a more appropriate location would be the Kilpatrick, I-35 or somewhere with direct access to a turpike or intestate. Everything does not need to be downtown. We need to share the wealth with our attractions. Oklahoma City has more to offer then Clowntown and Drunktown (AKA: Bricktown)

[HOT ROD]

OKC has ALWAYS had its top attractions in the suburbs yet OKC was basically an unknown sleeping giant during the period 1985-1995.

The ONLY reason OKC has enjoyed recent fame and even the billing as the next Tier II major league city - is because OKC invested in its downtown. Im sorry BaconCheese - but nobody cares that OKC has an IMAX in some cow field in far NW or has attractions in its rim areas. What people care about is - how much fun/excitement/business/activity/retail/attractions ARE DOWNTOWN, IN ITS CORE.

It is because of downtown why we all know NYC, Chicago, SF, and others are fun, exciting, big cities. All of them have tremendous bedroom suburbs, but those places are known because of their downtown - and so is OKC.

Its because of Downtown OKC that Oklahoma City is NOW considered to equal the likes of Portland, KC, STL, Indy, and Denver (Tier II cities) in many aspects. The stuff outside of downtown ONLY ADDS ICING ON THE CAKE!!!

I bet you, ask anyone whether having an IMAX in Downtown OKC or the suburbs - which would be better in making a positive image for the city? The majority will rate OKC as a "successful or happening city" based on what they can/can't do downtown!!!

Yes, OKC does have more to offer than downtown, but DOWNTOWN is where all of the top attractions are and should be located!!! It's what people will remember.

Don't believe me?, then why is OKC JUST NOW getting all of this fame?? We always had top attractions in the perimetre (Adventure District, Memorial Road, Malls, Fairgrounds, Meridian area, suburbs) - but so does everyone else's city.

Only select few cities have a downtown that is exciting full of attractions and those are the cities people remember.!!! And OKC is now considered one of the players - because of the Renaissance of Downtown OKC.

The IMAX should have been located downtown, hopefully an announcement will come soon that has an IMAX for downtown. OKC will be better known and more positively accepted if we continue to concentrate our attractions and investment into DOWNTOWN!!! Once downtown fills up a bit more and becomes the top destination (with its own economy again), THEN we can spread the wealth out as those suburbs have been getting toooooo much wealth since the 1970's!!!

[Patrick]

Amen Hot Rod!

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

Hotrod you make good points but we are not NYC or Chicago and we never will be.

Where would we put a theater of that size anyway? They need to build a large five-story building with a parking lot about the size of Tinseltown’s parking lot.

Would we put it Brewerland? Brewer would love to have another attraction where he can build another Gouge-N-Park.

Would we put it on one of the empty lots on Walnut near the Public Inebriate Alternative (A.K.A. Detox), where every IMAX customer can meet and greet are fine alcoholics as they are being released.

Would we put it in the area near the art museum? Wait a minute that may not work because, some conservation group will complain we are destroying a building Elvis farted or puked back in the 50's. Low and Behold, the building is severely dilapidated, occupied by rats, cockroaches and a few dozen feral cats.

Would it go in on one of empty lots near the county jail? That would be a lovely experience for our tourists. They could observe are finest citizens, who have just been released from jail, they might even be able to witness an escape or two.

I would rather see the theater built in downtown Blanchard. Downtown OKC is geared toward the yuppies and the binge drinkers. No family attraction will ever do well down there. OKC dropped the ball downtown when it comes to creating an environment that has something for everyone. IMAX downtown would be a mistake. The only people that would benefit are the parking lot slumlords, junkies and our lovely population of panhandlers.

Downtown and Bricktown are overrated and I have so many bad experiences down there. I have made the decision to never spend another dime down there. I refuse to pay for overpriced parking, lousy food and wade through streets full of drunks.

[venture]

For attractions as unique as IMAX...why the consistant push to have everything on the north side? A city is only as good as its core. Unique features like this should be in a central entertainment district to maximize potential revenue. Yes the parking operators will have a field day...but that is when you get creative. Get a bite to eat at Earl's, Toby Keith's, etc...and get the free parking.

Putting something like this over an hour away from the south Metro will reduce the available market for it. People may go once...but that'll be it. Just imagine when the 240/35 interchange begins, you will see a majority of the leisure traffic (not the people commuting to work) get cut off until that headache is done.

My personal opinion...I'll go once...but I already do the commute to the west side 5 times a week, I rarely leave Norman now for anything. UNP will probably keep me from really going up there for anything besides work and to fly out.

[Karried]

What is the huge difference between CineCapri and IMAX? Just the screen size? I went to Imax in New Orleans.. I loved it.. but would they put an Imax so close to the Harkins.. competition?

Downtown and Bricktown are overrated and I have so many bad experiences down there. I have made the decision to never spend another dime down there. I refuse to pay for overpriced parking, lousy food and wade through streets full of drunks.

That is the most inaccurate description I have ever read. I've been to Bricktown hundreds of times.. and have never, ever experienced what you are talking about. Streets full of drunks? When has that happened??

Usually, there are tons of venues for kids.. ie, the Hornets.. with ballpits and face painting.
All of the Christmas activities, the recent Big 12, all were family friendly events.. I take my kids there all of the time .. if anything, it's sometimes boring for lack of entertainment for adults, ie live music and having drinks overlooking the canal.

I can't imagine the scene you are painting.

Frankly, I don't want people to think of Bricktown/Downtown that way.. because it's not everyone's experience and not very accurate in my opinion.

Maybe one night out of the year.. New Year's Eve is a little crazy but even still.. it's nothing like streets filled with 'drunks'.

How many other people on this board have had to wade through streets filled with drunks and panhandlers?

[MadMonk]

Im sorry BaconCheese - but nobody cares that OKC has an IMAX in some cow field in far NW or has attractions in its rim areas. What people care about is - how much fun/excitement/business/activity/retail/attractions ARE DOWNTOWN, IN ITS CORE.

Well, I for one DO care and I know I'm not alone. I hope it's not downtown. I don't want to have to go all the way downtown to see an IMAX flic. Not that I'm against having one down there. I think the city could support two or three IMAXs.

[Karried]

I second that motion.. I also care. Maybe it's because we live near the 'cow fields'.

The area is so huge, it can support an Imax very easily. In fact, I would bet that the feature shows would be almost always sold out if they put it near Quail or Rockwell.

[HOT ROD]

MadMonk, Karried; I didnt say you didnt care - I only said that the first IMAX should be downtown and I said earlier that OKC should have more than one (and that one should DEFINITELY be in downtown).

Imagine how MUCH more full the IMAX would be if it were a DOWNTOWN attraction!! Tourists, visitors, business people, and easy access to all of the METRO!!! And with feature IMAX films - it would beat the CAKE in attendance and revenue out of any other location in the metro area, including Rockwell (where I used to live by the way) or Quail.

BaconCheese, I know we are not NY and Chicago but OKC is coming up on Tier II cities like KC, STL, Den, and Indy - and those cities are also known because of their downtown and central city areas (or lack thereof). While its true NY and Chicago are Top Tier I cities - way out of our league, our peer cities emulate the top tier in some respects and we should do the same.

In addition, you said - where would we build it, I already offered a great location - in that field in West Downtown just west of the Stage Centre. It would create a 'theatre district' with AMPLE parking nearby with that large garage on Walker. Plus, it would be a boost to that side of downtown that has been EMPTY since the suburbs took off in the 1970's.

BC, you have to admit that the suburbs have been getting EVERYTHING and that downtown has ONLY come alive since the mid 1990's - slowly at that. So Im not sure if you have ANYTHING to complain about, you can still enjoy the MOST attractions in OKC outside of having to go to downtown if you dont want to. But I and others have said, the top attractions and most NAMESAKE should be downtown - then the inner city districts once downtown fills up.

We have way too much infill to do in downtown for you or any other suburban booster to be complaining. Pound for pound, Memorial Road still generates WAY MORE in terms of retail than downtown - something which is sad but makes your and other suburbanite(s) "fear" of downtown getting too much unfounded and ridiculous.

You say - spread the wealth, well downtown could get every new attraction for the next 5 years and still would not equate what the suburb OKC has in terms of numbers. I and others acknowledge this and accept it but we say the TOP stuff should go downtown.

That is what is making OKC an exciting dare I say cosmopolitan city, not anthing in Memorial or those malls.

[redland]

Thanks Hot Rod for expressing those views so well.
I think great cities have great "downtowns" and it's important to view downtown OKC as the center of spawling metropolitan area. Living in Norman, for example, I would certainly patronize an IMAX in downtown OKC but would be loathe to drive to Memorial and Council very often. Regional shopping centers of course are located in all parts of the metro and they tend to attract customers from specific regions (with some crossover). However we need to encourage "one of a kind" attractions to locate in the central downtown district where accessibility from all parts of the metro area is more evenly distributed.

[Karried]

Yeah Hot Rod, I can see your point.. you always have great ones.

But, still what are the major differences between Imax and CineCapri.. I'm not sure I know of anything other than the screen size..anyone?

Putting one so close to Harkins might kill a lot of their business don't you think?

[Patrick]

Maybe getting Harkins to expand and "add on" an IMAX is an option. Remember, the Edwards theater originally planned for Bricktown had an IMAX theater attached.

For an IMAX to be successful, it's going to have to be attached to another theater. IMAX by itself will not be self-sustaining. Just look at the IWERKS theater at Omniplex...if it wasn't for the omniplex atached to it, that theater would be dead.

[HOT ROD]

not really, especially since they wont show the same movies and would be in opposite ends of Downtown (if you follow my proposed location of the IMAX).

Actually, I think the competition the IMAX would bring to downtown as well as the "another option" theory would increase business for CineCapri. CineCapri might have to drop its prices and/or offer MORE movie options to outpace the "presigue" of the IMAX, which should make patrons still arrive to the Harkins in droves as well as at the IMAX (which would not be able to offer as many movie options due to the size/weight/cost of those IMAX feature films).

Given this increased competition and movie offering, I actually think the IMAX would create a BETTER Movie culture in OKC and this would be so true if it were downtown.

by the way, IMAX differs from CineCapri in the resolution of the fim and dimensions of it. IMAX film are larger than regular film and the soundtrack is greater. This is why most IMAX locations only have one or two features an evening for a few weeks at a time - the larger,heavier film is more costly.

The CineCapri - I believe - is just a larger screen and theatre than a "normal" one. It uses the same film as regular theatres. So you get a screen almost like IMAX but the quality of the film (ie resolution) is not as good. But in the CineCapri, you can rotate or show much more feature films - providing some competition to IMAX and giving downtown more movie options.

OMNI-MAX is a type of IMAX intended for domes, like OMNIDONE. These films are EVEN larger and heavier than the square screen IMAX due to the larger dome "screen" surface area yet the same or better resolution than a square IMAX.

This is also why dome Omni-max theatres only have one or two features for about a month or two at a time and features are hardly shown. If you have a chance, go to the Omnidone Theatre (your kids will love it), pay attention to the resolution and sound - its amazing, like you are THERE.

Square IMAX creates a similar feel - but not quite as amazing or clear. CineCapri is even lower but is better than a normal screen because its larger.

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

Although I do not agree with putting it downtown, I am just glad to see that we are getting an IMAX in its own building.

We can debate it all day the pros and cons of downtown and suburbia but we all know what it will come down to which site has the best price and best traffic flow. IMAX could care less what any of us think, because most us have little or no expierence at running large movie theater.

[HOT ROD]

That's true in many respects, and it is great that OKC is getting a standalone IMAX no matter what.

But I bet you - it is being located in NW suburb instead of downtown because of the inexpensive cost to build/land in NW OKC (cheap land for miles). Because there is NO better traffic flow access point in this state than downtown Oklahoma City.

[metro]

Downtown sucks, I can see it now $25 to park. It would be Jim Brewer's wet dream. I think a more appropriate location would be the Kilpatrick, I-35 or somewhere with direct access to a turpike or intestate. Everything does not need to be downtown. We need to share the wealth with our attractions. Oklahoma City has more to offer then Clowntown and Drunktown (AKA: Bricktown)

Obviously you don't read much of our posts. Bricktown is overrated and for tourists. The hip locals will and do hang in Automobile Alley, MidTown, Paseo, CBD, Arts Quarter, Oklahoma River area, Film Row, and Plaza Districts. Believe it or not, but there is more to downtown and OKC than Bricktown, perhaps you should explore these areas.

[metro]

In addition, you said - where would we build it, I already offered a great location - in that field in West Downtown just west of the Stage Centre. It would create a 'theatre district' with AMPLE parking nearby with that large garage on Walker. Plus, it would be a boost to that side of downtown that has been EMPTY since the suburbs took off in the 1970's.

HOT ROD, don't forget Film Row starts just a block or two west of this area too. Which, by the way is starting to take shape now. Every few days I notice it cleaning up more and more. The Film Commission has been restoring the original facade of their building, and new tenants are locating there, the conversion for the Film Row lofts starts here in the next couple months. An IMAX would be a huge boom and expand Film Row by about a block or so and tie it in nicely with the south end of the arts district.