Boardwalk at Bricktown / Dream Hotel

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^^^
The gap can also be that - in general - it is astronomically more expensive to develop in an urban area than elsewhere, ESPECIALLY when elements such as legacy infrastructure, environmental contamination and urban design requirements (among many other factors) come into play.

The fact of the matter is that TIF was designed to help level the playing field and make urban development (and redevelopment) easier, in an effort to stem the outgoing tide of cheap sprawl that is the REAL (and crippling) historic misuse of public monies.

[Pete]

The gap CAN be that, but it isn't always.

Many examples where there were no particular challenges regarding infrastructure. And most contamination issues are handled through a separate Brownfields grant.

All I'm saying is that money can be spent any way the developer chooses once they get the award and it doesn't have to go to infrastructure.

[G.Walker]

They should have released hard designs/renderings by now. All we have is a drawing. The project was announced back in June of last year, so we are close to a year. So yea, I am getting worried.

[Ryan]

They should have released hard designs/renderings by now. All we have is a drawing. The project was announced back in June of last year, so we are close to a year. So yea, I am getting worried.

I 2!nd this. Going vertical in OKC is less likely than other cities. I would say the delays in this have been very lengthy. I give this a 30/70 shot now.

[ourulz2000]

I give this a 30/70 shot now.

You have a lot more faith than I do.

[golden_gatorcane]

It seems a lot of announced projects have not shown much visual progress lately--this, OKANA, BarK, Alley's End, Boulevard Place, Strawberry Fields, Bancfirst Tower, to name a few (okay that last one I only see from the northeast, so I may be missing the other side)--so it is hard to tell what is something falling through and what is something working its way through planning or through recent events of expensive building materials or other delays that appear to have become the norm as of late...at least April gives us First National to look forward to.

[ChrisHayes]

I'm wondering if the inflation problem we're having (and will be having for the foreseeable future) is having an effect on this and a lot of other projects.

[Pete]

It seems a lot of announced projects have not shown much visual progress lately--this, OKANA, BarK, Alley's End, Boulevard Place, Strawberry Fields, Bancfirst Tower, to name a few (okay that last one I only see from the northeast, so I may be missing the other side)--so it is hard to tell what is something falling through and what is something working its way through planning or through recent events of expensive building materials or other delays that appear to have become the norm as of late...at least April gives us First National to look forward to.

OKANA, BarK and BancFirst are well under construction and BancFirst is rapidly nearing completion of a multi-year renovation. Oak has started as well and 700 West has almost topped out.

Boulevard Place is set to start in May. Hopefully, Alley's End will start sometime this year. Who knows about Strawberry Fields but there has been skepticism about that project from the very beginning.

Regarding the Dream Hotel project, by all indications they are working behind the scenes to get everything ready to go; this has been posted several times.

In the meantime, we have an incredible renovation at First National that is the envy of the U.S. pretty much finishing this month with a bunch of restaurants and bars to follow. The BancFirst makeover was on a huge scale and it's turning out beautifully. The massive Innovation Plaza project has just started.

There are hundreds of other projects finishing and starting, with new ones every day and plenty more in the pipeline.


For those complaining things aren't happening fast enough, I'd suggest this forum isn't for you. We get advanced information and share it, but that often means people who read here know about things way before they actually start construction. If you just want to know when things have already occurred, you'd be better off sticking to the Oklahoman or watching local TV news.

I will *not* allow this forum to become like social media where angry soreheads just complain about everything. There are a thousand things happening in OKC -- some of them very large scale -- and if you want to act entitled and somehow cheated if things don't happen on your own desired personal timeline that has no connection to reality, go somewhere else.

(This was not aimed at anyone in particular, it's the general tone and I'm putting people on notice it will not be allowed here).

[Swake]

My question about this project would be, why this location?

This is a less than prime lot. It has weird access issues and while it is close to attractions, it's not next to them. It's next to a U-Haul storage facility and freight rail lines.

So, why spend the money to build very high end hotels in a less than prime location when prime locations are available? It makes it seem this is a money sensitive project, which does not scream high end hotels.

Put this project between Scissortail Park and Myriad Gardens on the trolley line across the street from arena and conventions center and it makes perfect sense. There are other surface lot sites in Bricktown that are better as well. On the site it's proposed for now? Not the same.

[Pete]

Because it's a great location and the developer already owns the land.

The developers that own the land between Scissorial and the Myriad Gardens will do their own development.

[Pete]

I checked on this project last week and was told it is still moving forward.

[G.Walker]

I checked on this project last week and was told it is still moving forward.

That's good news!

[Urbanized]

It is definitely still moving forward. I speak with people involved in this project regularly, and they are still hard at work. Also, the firm overseeing the development has leased office space downtown.

[Dob Hooligan]

Ten minutes ago I was reading a story on Vital Vegas about the site work on the Las Vegas Dream Hotels site. Appears they have many things going on.

[G.Walker]

For the record, Dream Hotels did do a major press release on OKC back in November and there were many hospitality and real estate sites that picked it up:

https://www.greenlodgingnews.com/the...dential-tower/
https://www.hotelmanagement.net/deve...ity-dual-brand
https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4107425.html
https://tophotel.news/dream-and-unsc...y-development/
https://lodgingmagazine.com/dream-ho...a-city-hotels/
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-...ma-City-hotels
https://hospitalitydesign.com/news/b...oklahoma-city/

[Urbanized]

Direct quote in Dallas Morning News less than a month ago from Jay Stein, the CEO of the Dream Hotel Group:

“We have signed recently in Memphis, San Antonio, Atlanta, Cleveland and Oklahoma City,” Stein said. “We have about five different projects going on in Mexico in various stages of development.”

There are plenty of other mentions of OKC in other reporting out there on the Frisco and other projects.

Now, I would never guarantee that a project is going to happen until I see steel coming out of the ground, but the folks doubting this development are doing so at their own peril. It is WITHOUT QUESTION still on the move, even if that conflicts with your own negative perspectives.

From my own perspective I believe this project - while incredibly ambitious - has a great chance of coming to fruition, if for no reason other than based on the local financial resources behind it. This isn’t a lumberyard or Cotton Exchange style investment pitch; these folks ALREADY HAVE the capital (and capital access) to do whatever they want to do. That said, it will of course have to pencil, like any investment.

[Bowser214]

Dream Hotel's Architects Cube 3 also list OKC as a future development referencing OKC Talk. https://www.cube3.com/

[David]

Dream Hotel's Architects Cube 3 also list OKC as a future development referencing OKC Talk. https://www.cube3.com/

Direct link: Dream Oklahoma City

[HFAA Alum]

Direct link: Dream Oklahoma City

I may appear to be a skeptic on this topic, but I don't see how a 2024 completion date is viable with the current development table. I think a more realistic completion date would have to be 2026.

[OKCBayou]

I've heard through a credible source that Hensel Phelps has started assembling a construction management team for this project. That's all the information I could accumulate at the time, but progress!

[Pete]

I've heard through a credible source that Hensel Phelps has started assembling a construction management team for this project. That's all the information I could accumulate at the time, but progress!

Thanks for the info.

Hensel Phelps was named as the contractor in the Dream press release and they have a local office on Broadway Extension but don't know how long it's been there.

[sroberts24]

Maybe it's just me but anyone else find it odd they are nearing a point for construction to start and we still don't have any official renderings?

[OKCBayou]

I believe those larger construction firms start this process very on. Especially when they don't have a huge local presence and will have to bring people in from out of state.

[G.Walker]

Maybe it's just me but anyone else find it odd they are nearing a point for construction to start and we still don't have any official renderings?

Yes, they are probably done. But they still have yet to submit any documents to the City Council for final approval. That has to be done before building permits are filed. It was my understanding when they presented to the Planning Commission a year ago, that the PC diverted to City Council on final approval on some of the design issues.

And not sure if they are wanting TIF?

[David]

Maybe it's just me but anyone else find it odd they are nearing a point for construction to start and we still don't have any official renderings?

Construction management team isn't quite the same thing as a construction team, this might just be pre-work that will take months yet before ground is broken.