Alley's End (4th & EK Gaylord)

[Pete]

Are there pictures for the Bomasda proposal?

Rose Rock, not the apartments proposed by Bomasada (same group that did the Metropolitan Apartments just to the east).

[jonny d]

The rooftop restaurant is really cool, but this needs to be taller and have apartments for purchase.

Won't happen in downtown OKC. I can't remember the last new decently tall residential development in OKC in general, let alone downtown.

However, contrary to what everyone here is moaning and groaning about, I do not at all (like, -100%) believe these are the final designs. These are more than likely placeholders demonstrating the shape and form, rather than design.

[Pete]

Bomasada's proposal:

[Sooner.Arch]

Honestly i do like how they used the land; however, i'm not a fan of the design.

[Pete]

[jedicurt]

now if only the second proposal would through in that curbside restaurant on the first floor by 4th and gaylord... i'd be all over this proposal!

[Pete]

The Bomasada apartment proposal doesn't have any retail or commerical space.

Just a bunch of apartments on 6 levels plus some amenities for their residents.


Reminder this is not a design application for Rose Rock. They would still have to go through the Downtown Design Review Committee before anything was approved and I'm sure the design would be tweaked.


Neither project is asking for any sort of TIF or public incentives.

[bchris02]

Hopefully the city has learned from its past mistakes and awards the contract to the proposal most likely to actually be built instead of awarding it to the "sexy" proposal, resulting in it still being a vacant lot with maybe a basketball court on it 5 years from now.

[shawnw]

Would rather see the rose rock prop done. We have enough apartment blocks right now.

[Pete]

^

Both developers have very strong track records.

And remember, this is city-owned land unlike the Stage Center property. That means the developer has to develop the property within an agreed-upon time frame or the city can take the property back and reissue the RFP. In fact, that's exactly what happened here when Jonathan Russell could not perform on the Times Square project and why this particular RFP was issued.

[warreng88]

As for the bank, my guess would be Arvest.

The two big boys already are already set downtown; BOK and BancFirst.

Could be MidFirst but unlikely as they have their own campus at I-44 and Grand.

MidFirst closed their downtown location at Park and Robinson in June, so I would doubt they are coming back.

[Ross MacLochness]

Would rather see the rose rock prop done. We have enough apartment blocks right now.

vehemently disagree. More housing the better

[Colbafone]

Man, I'm actually really digging the Rose Rock design. I like that it is 100% street level, and leaves about half the land for another development in the future. I love the way the building curves with Gaylord. Love that the parking is integrated into the design itself.

[Southsider2]

I really like the Rose Rock design as well, to me it seems more unique than Bomasada’s.

[Ross MacLochness]

Man, I'm actually really digging the Rose Rock design. I like that it is 100% street level, and leaves about half the land for another development in the future. I love the way the building curves with Gaylord. Love that the parking is integrated into the design itself.

I agree with all those points. Aesthetically it leaves a bit to be desired in my eye, but like others have posted, this is prolly a placeholder design.

[stlokc]

I hope these are both placeholders, because in my opinion, they are both hideous.

The apartments should be a non-starter on that corner due to the lack of street-level retail and services. That corner, in bridging the CBD, Automobile Alley, and Bricktown/Deep Deuce is way too important for cookie cutter. And boy, is that cookie cutter. It looks like every other apartment block that has been built everywhere.

The office building is marginally better. It has street level retail and it's not cookie cutter, but that weird screen...it just looks...I don't know...cheap looking. It is a good thing that it curves with E.K. Gaylord. I guess that would be my choice of the two but I was really hoping that something more substantial would be done with that lot.

[jedicurt]

I hope these are both placeholders, because in my opinion, they are both hideous.

The apartments should be a non-starter on that corner due to the lack of street-level retail and services. That corner, in bridging the CBD, Automobile Alley, and Bricktown/Deep Deuce is way too important for cookie cutter. And boy, is that cookie cutter. It looks like every other apartment block that has been built everywhere.

The office building is marginally better. It has street level retail and it's not cookie cutter, but that weird screen...it just looks...I don't know...cheap looking. It is a good thing that it curves with E.K. Gaylord. I guess that would be my choice of the two but I was really hoping that something more substantial would be done with that lot.

i will agree with this.

[G.Walker]

More residential, more residential, more residential!

Hopefully Bomasada wins out, love the development!

[jedicurt]

More residential, more residential, more residential!

Hopefully Bomasada wins out, love the development!

but would prefer residential with first floor retail on a massive intersection like this

[G.Walker]

Of course, but it's not a deal breaker, as there is enough retail a couple blocks north on Automobile Alley.

[GoldFire]

I think the Rose Rock development could be good with the right color scheme (which, as others have pointed out, it doesn't currently have). However, I do wish it had some residential component to it. The street interaction is great and the curve would add a really unique touch to that corner. I certainly want to see more residential downtown, but that is basically the only positive thing I can say for the 2nd proposal. Especially at that corner, I think it is a must to at least have some first level retail.

[SagerMichael]

I like the idea of more residential close to Auto Alley but I like the Rose Rock design better. However both need tweaks. Especially some retail with the apartments

[baralheia]

Personally, I really like the Rose Rock development. I greatly prefer how the building is right up to the street, and includes a mix of office, retail, and restaurant space. The building's facade is kinda 80's-meets-modern-facelift to me, but truthfully, I kinda dig it. And I really like how they're integrating floors of parking in the building itself. That's a definite winner in my book. I really honestly hope that this proposal gets selected by OCURA.

The Bomasada proposal is nice and I want to see them build more in OKC, but the density is way too low, there's no mixed-use component at all, and it's not built out to the street. Yes, we absolutely, absolutely do need more residential in the core. That goes without saying. But I don't think the Bomasada proposal is the best use of that land. It's too suburban looking. Remember, this is the CBD we're talking about. The core of the City. This needs to be DENSE.

You know what I'd absolutely love to see? Build the Rose Rock development on the OCURA land, then reconfigure Bomasada's proposal to fit on the remaining open land, and adjust it to fit the urban environment better. Make the apartments taller, and incorporate a couple of levels of parking in the base, for starters - and ensure that even if there's an open central courtyard, that the street frontage comes right out to the street. Add in some more spots for office, restaurants, and retail that face 4th and 3rd. Combine the two proposals for this area like that, and it'd be absolutely amazing!

[jedicurt]

personally, i really like the rose rock development. I greatly prefer how the building is right up to the street, and includes a mix of office, retail, and restaurant space. The building's facade is kinda 80's-meets-modern-facelift to me, but truthfully, i kinda dig it. And i really like how they're integrating floors of parking in the building itself. That's a definite winner in my book. I really honestly hope that this proposal gets selected by ocura.

The bomasada proposal is nice and i want to see them build more in okc, but the density is way too low, there's no mixed-use component at all, and it's not built out to the street. Yes, we absolutely, absolutely do need more residential in the core. That goes without saying. But i don't think the bomasada proposal is the best use of that land. It's too suburban looking. Remember, this is the cbd we're talking about. The core of the city. This needs to be dense.

You know what i'd absolutely love to see? Build the rose rock development on the ocura land, then reconfigure bomasada's proposal to fit on the remaining open land, and adjust it to fit the urban environment better. Make the apartments taller, and incorporate a couple of levels of parking in the base, for starters - and ensure that even if there's an open central courtyard, that the street frontage comes right out to the street. Add in some more spots for office, restaurants, and retail that face 4th and 3rd. Combine the two proposals for this area like that, and it'd be absolutely amazing!

this!!!!!!!!!!

[David]

First impression I like the first option better, probably because they provided a rendering of how it interacts with the curve of Gaylord so I can envision it being there. This doesn't have to be a tower to activate that side of the road with a nice street wall.

I assume they would have been posted if they existed, but are there any more renderings of the Bomasada proposal? It looks so...cookie cutter modern apartment.