Glimcher

[bchris02]

Everyone has known about this development for years. This is just a person who doesn't want ~anything~ in their backyard, even though they live in or nearby the geographic center of the metro, and unfortunately has some money and time on their hands.

Unfortunately sometimes these people are able to kill great developments, such as the Spring Creek expansion in Edmond. Hopefully its determined that the lawsuit has no basis and gets thrown out.

Like what has been discussed regarding Heritage Hills NIMBYs, its unbelievable these people can be so opposed to developments that will actually raise their property values just because they are worried about a little noise and traffic.

[Rover]

There are idiots in EVERY neighborhood, including all the "cool" neighborhoods. Developing anything generally has lots of speed-bumps, including baseless lawsuits and threats from ill informed or just narrow-minded individuals or companies. I seriously doubt this lawsuit gains any traction. It is just how much money the plaintiff wants to spend on lawyers that will determine how big a pain in the arse this will be. I live in Glenbrook and can tell you that all people really want is for it to be done right and for long term values not to be sacrificed for short term gains. They just want the issue of traffic etc. to be dealt with. The fears there are not dissimilar to all the urbanists not wanting more parking garages downtown with all the cars dumping onto the street. I guess those would be new urban NIMBYs. LOL.

[Spartan]

Is there a traffic problem on 63rd?

I know Western backs up toward 44, but only at 5 o'clock. When you have 4,000 CHK employees (or whatever they're down to these days) there isn't a lot that you can do to work around that. If anything, this project helps alleviate that congestion. Who do you think will be paying a premium to live there? Probably people who currently have to come down 63rd from OK-74 or I-235 to get to CHK...

This isn't about wanting something "done right" whatever the hell that means. The plaintiff wouldn't know what right is. This is simply stubborn fear of change. Marrying mixed-use and high-density residential with existing high-density office sites is actually a great way to REDUCE congestion.

[Pete]

It's better now that CHK has reduced staff.

[Spartan]

Which really isn't "better."

I also think people of a certain socio economic class have some shockingly self-centered viewpoints. Jussayin.

(That's not directed toward Pete, but people whom I know in Nichols Hills that celebrate layoffs bc less traffic)

[Urbanized]

You've heard Nichols Hills residents celebrating CHK layoffs? And they said they were happy about them because it reduced traffic? If so, that's terrible.

[bchris02]

Similar to complaints from people in Heritage Hills about all the new downtown development, people need to realize that when you live in the center of a growing metropolitan area, you aren't going to have the same level of peace and quiet and traffic as you would have out on Waterloo Rd.

[Urbanized]

Well, the HH complaints have been documented quite publicly, though has also been largely discounted as coming from only a few people in a very large neighborhood which also contains many who are enthusiastic regarding downtown/Midtown/Uptown development and even some of the developers themselves.

I was asking about these suggestions that NH residents were celebrating CHK layoffs. It was presented as factual.

Griping about the inconveniences wrought by new construction and development is one thing, though. Celebrating the fact that people are losing their jobs and the OKC economy is hurting, simply because these things mean you save a minute or two driving to Flip's or Whole Foods is quite another. That would take a particular brand of heartlessness. Sounds like the people who live in Nichols Hills are pretty terrible. Is it because they're wealthy?

[Pete]

Trust me, the huge majority of NH residents are thrilled with Glimcher. They've filled up NH Plaza since acquiring it from CHK and once Trader Joe's gets open. they will see a big windfall of sales tax revenue.

After CHK chased out Crescent and the drug store, their city revenues took a huge hit, to the point residents had to be separately assessed for some municipal services.

The new construction south of 63rd with be in OKC rather than NH, but I'm sure most are thrilled with all the improvements and look forward to many more nice restaurants and a bunch of great retailers right on their doorstep.

[Thomas Vu]

Sidebar: Is Flip's even good?

[Teo9969]

Sidebar: Is Flip's even good?

The food, not really, but it is a great place to drink at. They have one of the better wine programs in the city. Especially by the glass.

[Paseofreak]

Their lasagna is one of the best in the Metro.

[Urbanized]

Agreed. Lasagna is on point.

[Rover]

Which really isn't "better."

I also think people of a certain socio economic class have some shockingly self-centered viewpoints. Jussayin.

(That's not directed toward Pete, but people whom I know in Nichols Hills that celebrate layoffs bc less traffic)

This is totally off base stereotyping. It's like saying all of a certain other class are lazy or stupid because they don't make as much. Obviously it says more about the people whom you know and a willingness to negatively stereotype than the character of a whole class or neighborhood. You would probably be shocked at just how unselfish many of the wealthy of this city are....but they may not be ones you would know. Owning a valuable house doesn't make one self centered.

By the way, I know lots of people in the area and NONE that are glad for Chesapeake's problems. That doesn't mean they aren't critical of some of the things they did which actually hurt the neighborhood, or at least delayed good development.

[Spartan]

Similar to complaints from people in Heritage Hills about all the new downtown development, people need to realize that when you live in the center of a growing metropolitan area, you aren't going to have the same level of peace and quiet and traffic as you would have out on Waterloo Rd.

You've heard Nichols Hills residents celebrating CHK layoffs? And they said they were happy about them because it reduced traffic? If so, that's terrible.

Yes to both. It's no different than the same demographic living elsewhere. Maybe they're even more selfish in Cleveland (yes they are lol). But yes, I have fraternity brothers that went to Bishop McGuinness that routinely express these thoughts, even though most of our friends have CHK connections.

[bchris02]

http://newsok.com/lawyer-sues-oklaho...rticle/5468391

I really hope they aren't successful at killing this development.

[Plutonic Panda]

Apparently this development is going to put us in the league of New York City.

OKLAHOMA - It’s a hot spot that’s now the center of a big fight.

The city has approved a plan for hundreds of apartments along with shops and restaurants in the area across from Chesapeake at N.W. 63rd and Western.

Now, a lawsuit may put a stop to it.

Some stores and restaurants are new this holiday season in the Classen Curve area after developer WP Glimcher bought the property from Chesapeake.

The $52 million sale included Nichols Hills Plaza, Classen Curve and Triangle at Classen Curve shopping centers.

Now, the developer wants to build 500 apartments on the 12 acres of land at 63rd and Western.

Not everyone is on board.

“I think it’s just a matter of common sense,” said attorney Robyn Assaf.

Assaf has lived in the Glenbrook neighborhood for nearly 20 years.

She filed a lawsuit against the developer and Oklahoma City, after she said the city council ignored her concerns and approved rezoning the area to include residential development.

“You can estimate, if you have 500 two and three bedroom apartments, you’re going to have a minimum of 500 new cars and somewhere up to 1,000 cars, and that’s without the commercial customers,” Assaf said.

In her lawsuit, Assaf claims the city needs to do more studies on how traffic would be affected and if there will be enough parking.

“There has to be a balance in where do we stop?" Assaf said. "We’re not New York City. We don’t have a lot of high rises and need for that yet. And, will we ever be with the extensive outlay? We have an extensive land mass just in our county that’s not developed yet."

- http://kfor.com/2015/12/24/were-not-...classen-curve/

I love NIMBYS.

I do NOT think these people have any chance at succeeding in killing this development. If anything, 63 west of Grand needs to be widened to six lanes. Grand should be narrowed to one lane each way, protected bike lanes, and Western kept at 4 lanes with parallel parking and a street car going down Western.

[bchris02]

I wonder if Glimcher has a plan-B to build the retail without the residential component?

It's disappointing and angering that this development, which is so far above anything else proposed in OKC, is in danger because people resistant to change are worried about traffic and noise.

[pickles]

I wonder if Glimcher has a plan-B to build the retail without the residential component?

It's disappointing and angering that this development, which is so far above anything else proposed in OKC, is in danger because people resistant to change are worried about traffic and noise.

I don't think I would go so far as to say this is in danger. In fact I wouldn't sweat it at all.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm thinking the same exact thing. There are nimbys like this in every city. Like I said, since I've moved to L.A. I have kept up with development more closely and found the nimbys in Beverly Hills are about as bad as they come.

My thinking is this person is trying to get a traffic study done. So what? They do a traffic study and nothing happens or it goes back before the city council and gets approved again and it's just delayed. Is that line of thinking correct?

[Spartan]

I wonder if Glimcher has a plan-B to build the retail without the residential component?

It's disappointing and angering that this development, which is so far above anything else proposed in OKC, is in danger because people resistant to change are worried about traffic and noise.

No they have a Plan B to walk away and go back to working in normal cities... that don't conflate four stories of multifamily with NYC.

[bchris02]

No they have a Plan B to walk away and go back to working in normal cities... that don't conflate four stories of multifamily with NYC.

Yeah it's almost embarrassing that they consider four story residential with retail to be "like NYC." That is part of a small town mentality that is on its way out but still exists in OKC. If I'm not mistaking the Edge in Midtown saw similar pushback and it wasn't as ambitious as this. Some people here are having trouble adjusting to infill and denser development. Places like Omaha and Little Rock have developments like what Glimcher has proposed. They are a dime-a-dozen in Dallas suburbs. No need to go to NYC, just any sizable city in a state that isn't Oklahoma.

Hopefully they don't walk away. This is the kind of development this town needs more of.

[PhiAlpha]

I wonder if Glimcher has a plan-B to build the retail without the residential component?

It's disappointing and angering that this development, which is so far above anything else proposed in OKC, is in danger because people resistant to change are worried about traffic and noise.

You worry way too much...one mostly baseless NIMBY lawsuit will not kill this development. I can't think of a situation in OKC in which a NIMBY uprising actually killed a well planned development.

[Spartan]

Or a badly planned development.

[Plutonic Panda]

Why do you think it's badly planned?