Liberty Pointe: I-240 & Air Depot

[Questor]

All very good points plmccordj.

[mcca7596]

There is not as much a grass roots pro suburban development camp like there is an anti-sprawl development camp. The anti-sprawl camp will will not go that crazy for what will likely be a suburban style apartment complex in an area they consider already sprawl, people who like suburbs generally care more about their area, city core, destination development or the places they go, so unless they are in this region then it has little affect to them.

I wish people would care more about how the metro area as a whole appears to visitors. It really doesn't look very good from most of the freeways; so it's hard to visualize/imagine the large areas of nice development that are pocketed around.

[plmccordj]

If you think that the old GM building is sprawl then you are too far gone to even discuss this. That to me this is just infill because it is just about the same distance from downtown as MacArthur. I guess I see it different because I look at it as putting a pin in the middle of town with a string on it drawing a circle around town. The West and Northwest are fully developed while you have areas on the SE that are still in that circle that are vacant land. How can you say that it doesn't look very good from the freeway when no one has seen a single image of what they are planning? I realize that beauty is subjective but this logic is constantly being used to stifle ANY development on our side of town.

[knightrider]

I wish people would care more about how the metro area as a whole appears to visitors. It really doesn't look very good from most of the freeways; so it's hard to visualize/imagine the large areas of nice development that are pocketed around.

I think this same thought every time I drive home on I-35 south from DT.

[mcca7596]

If you think that the old GM building is sprawl then you are too far gone to even discuss this. That to me this is just infill because it is just about the same distance from downtown as MacArthur. I guess I see it different because I look at it as putting a pin in the middle of town with a string on it drawing a circle around town. The West and Northwest are fully developed while you have areas on the SE that are still in that circle that are vacant land. How can you say that it doesn't look very good from the freeway when no one has seen a single image of what they are planning? I realize that beauty is subjective but this logic is constantly being used to stifle ANY development on our side of town.

I didn't specifically mean I-240 looks bad, I was referring to all of the highways in general. I think it's just a product of the fact that half our "freeways" are actually just Interstate highways (you've got Hefner Parkway, Broadway Extension, and the Kilpatrick that are "local" freeways). Not very many other cities in general, especially as small as OKC, have three different Interstates intersecting in them; afterall, OKC is sometimes referred to as the "Crossroads of America". So other cities' freeways (think most western cities) followed the newer, higher quality development in a catch up game and carry most of the traffic of visitors, whereas OKC had three major routes in place before the bulk of its sprawl took place. Combine that with the fact that it's not as dense as nor did it preserve as much of its inner-city areas as more established eastern cities, thus the older Interstates (40, 35, 44) go through more blighted or undeveloped areas, so they're not showcasing an "historic" core like eastern cities. Unfortunately, these older routes carry the bulk of thru or visitor traffic in OKC.

Meanwhile, back on the topic farm... (sorry)... I actually am pretty strongly in favor of development along I-240 east of I-35; I know it's not realistic to expect it to be done in an urban manner. The interstate in itself seems like it should be enough incentive to developers, especially when you factor in proximity to Tinker. Crossroads' developers really were thinking logically predicting that there would be a lot of growth out that way...

[MDot]

I don't mind this 'project' at all, I just ask that these don't turn out like all the other apartments along I-240 west of I-35.

[bombermwc]

There is an incorrect statement about the homes nearby being new because of a tornado. That is innaccurate. The neighborhood shown in the image (Libery Trails) is a brand new neighborhood that didn't exist until 5 years ago. I believe it's another Home Creations spec neighborhood. But none of that area has been touched by a tornado. You have to no further east to the GM plant for the 2000's tornados, or further north (almost to 29th st in Del City) for the '99 one. Also, there are still plenty new homes being built on the south side of 240. You can see them being built all the time if you look from the highway. I can't count a single new home in the area that has any connection to a tornado. I think you are confusing the paths of past tornados with this location. My point being, the new things in the area are honest new growth.

[NoOkie]

There is an incorrect statement about the homes nearby being new because of a tornado. That is innaccurate. The neighborhood shown in the image (Libery Trails) is a brand new neighborhood that didn't exist until 5 years ago. I believe it's another Home Creations spec neighborhood. But none of that area has been touched by a tornado. You have to no further east to the GM plant for the 2000's tornados, or further north (almost to 29th st in Del City) for the '99 one. Also, there are still plenty new homes being built on the south side of 240. You can see them being built all the time if you look from the highway. I can't count a single new home in the area that has any connection to a tornado. I think you are confusing the paths of past tornados with this location. My point being, the new things in the area are honest new growth.

Liberty Trails is another Gardner Tannenbaum project. I do recall seeing something about some associated retail and office space with it, but I don't know if that ever happened.

[Pete]

Liberty Trails Plaza was on Sooner was also developed by G/T.

It's an office park with at least three buildings now.

[pw405]

I thought that neighborhood was less than five years old because the previous residential buildings on those sites were destroyed in the May 5th tornado.

Nope, not even close - the tornado passed west of sooner & 59th, and didn't cross sooner until north of 44th street. Liberty trails is at south 66ish something, east of Sooner.

Benefits to this part of town:

Boeing is going in as others have mentioned.

The Oklahoma Heart Hospital is at 240 & Sooner. An expansion phase is currently under construction that looks like it will practically double it's size.

It is a quick & easy commute downtown (10-12 milesish?)

Also easy to get out of the city heading east - maybe suitable for somebody with family in Shawnee.

Close proximity to the Lake Draper area - while I haven't been out to the lake in about 5 years, I know the city had many improvements recently: more paved areas that allow you to get to "points" on the lake's shore which are good places to dump bodies/hang out/hike for a day. Draper also draws off-road dirt bike/4 wheeling crowd for its trail system. While not a huge draw, it is a bonus of this area.

Also, the First-Southern MegaBaptist Convention Center is near. While I don't personally like anything about that place, it is an attraction for tons of people, weather they play music, worship, volleyball, recruit/work there, the place is huge because many people are involved with it.

Essentially, jobs are moving to this area - so will homes.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I lived right at 240 and Sooner for many years, up until about 2 years ago when I sold that place. It's a good area. Good neighborhoods for the most part.

But 240 and Air Depot? Empty GM plant (yes, there are Tinker folks working in there...But not many), cross 240 and you have a police gun range on your left, a dead end in front of you, and a sand station (not sure what else to call it) on your right.

I'm all for getting more stuff in the area (would have been better when I lived there though), and an influx of residents would help that. It's just a weird spot in my opinion. No other housing around it and no close conveniences that apartment dwellers are generally used to.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

There is an incorrect statement about the homes nearby being new because of a tornado. That is innaccurate. The neighborhood shown in the image (Libery Trails) is a brand new neighborhood that didn't exist until 5 years ago. I believe it's another Home Creations spec neighborhood. But none of that area has been touched by a tornado. You have to no further east to the GM plant for the 2000's tornados, or further north (almost to 29th st in Del City) for the '99 one. Also, there are still plenty new homes being built on the south side of 240. You can see them being built all the time if you look from the highway. I can't count a single new home in the area that has any connection to a tornado. I think you are confusing the paths of past tornados with this location. My point being, the new things in the area are honest new growth.

The tornado in 2003 leveled the bank at 240 and Sooner, tore the awning off the gas station, smacked around several businesses and the GM plant, and knocked all the glass out of the front of my house with a trampoline it picked up elsewhere.

Just sayin'

[BoulderSooner]

I lived right at 240 and Sooner for many years, up until about 2 years ago when I sold that place. It's a good area. Good neighborhoods for the most part.

But 240 and Air Depot? Empty GM plant (yes, there are Tinker folks working in there...But not many), cross 240 and you have a police gun range on your left, a dead end in front of you, and a sand station (not sure what else to call it) on your right.

I'm all for getting more stuff in the area (would have been better when I lived there though), and an influx of residents would help that. It's just a weird spot in my opinion. No other housing around it and no close conveniences that apartment dwellers are generally used to.

more people in the gm plant every day ... and across 240 it doesn't "dead end" .. it goes to the lake ..

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Air Depot goes through? When did they do that? It didn't when I lived there two years ago or so.

[BoulderSooner]

Air Depot goes through? When did they do that? It didn't when I lived there two years ago or so.

my bad .. you are correct i was thinking about douglas

[Drake]

How do people in the neighborhoods at 240 & Sooner survive? LOL

Military & DOD contractors could probably fill this complex by themselves

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

That's primarily who lives there.

I bought there because it was the cheapest brand new house with a 3 car garage anywhere in the metro..by at least 20 grand.

[Spartan]

It is an awesome place for it. There is a nice three story apartment complex on Sooner, between SE 44th and SE 59th that actually touches Tinker AFB and it is nearly full. I know it can succeed as long as they don't listen to all the nay Sayers on this page that don't live on this side of town. Now they need a couple restaurants over here. If you work at Boeing, you have to drive all the way around Tinker for a restaurant or eat at McDonalds or Popeyes at Sooner. This side of town has been neglected for years and for some reason those that are not from the East side think it can be nothing but a factory or farm land. I think it is a great start. The houses nearby are not five years old because of a tornado. They are still building new homes between Sooner Air Depot on the South side of I-240. I never understood the logic in zoning the whole SE side of the metro as industrial anyway. I think it is one of the many reasons that Crossroads struggles. Here you have acres and acres of open land right across I-240 and the one thing the area needs, residential, are off limits.

Every day I hear endless posts about Sprawl but we hear nothing about the NW side sprawling to Woodward while the SE side has vast open prairies and nothing around. This is closer to downtown that Penn and Memorial and it feels like the country. You would think people would advocate filling in the area to give some symmetry to the grown instead of having it all on the NW side. We on the East side have no problem living close to a factory. In fact, why would any new companies move to the area if their potential employees have to live 10+ miles away? I say bring in some more.

Land use diversification is no doubt a good thing, but it is an endeavor that has been proven to be fraught with risk of rapid decline in a suburban setting, particularly so close to a military installation. I think the reason you don't hear much about our ridiculous NW sprawl fest is because we've given up on that one...

[plmccordj]

Land use diversification is no doubt a good thing, but it is an endeavor that has been proven to be fraught with risk of rapid decline in a suburban setting, particularly so close to a military installation. I think the reason you don't hear much about our ridiculous NW sprawl fest is because we've given up on that one...

Ha ha... I think you are right on that.

[BoulderSooner]

this project has broken ground

Apartment development

Published: May 1, 2012 Comment on this article Leave a comment

The Lincoln at Central Park was Gardner Tanenbaum's only institutional apartment development — meaning attractive to institutional investors looking for stable investment properties for the long term.

Read more: http://newsok.com/apartment-developm...#ixzz1tcnKqIyQ

[bombermwc]

Glad to hear....now come on grocery store!!!! The more people in the area, the more need for it, so someone build it already.

[ljbab728]

Glad to hear....now come on grocery store!!!! The more people in the area, the more need for it, so someone build it already.

Kind of like what I hear from our downtown residents.

[bombermwc]

I drive by Sunday and you can see the outline of the parcel now because of the run-off barriers. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It's all the way from Air Depot, west to Time Lines. But that's all that's happening so far....no dirt really from what i could see...just some old piles that have been on the land for a while.

[shawnw]

They've been moving dirt around at this site the couple times I've driven by this week.

And regarding the GM plant, er the TAC, it may be less than full right now but over the next several years that will change. Several organizations are fighting for future space in 9001 and my own org is likely moving from 201 on the north side of the base to 9201 in the TAC in 2015.

[bradh]

Water and sanitary sewer piping is being put in there now (we sold the job to a contractor out of DFW doing the work). Storm sewer work will begin in early August.