Midtown

[Pete]

The City is requiring the 22' drive lane just in case there's a public outcry to have the street two-way again.

MidtownR wanted it to be 11'.

[LakeEffect]

The City is requiring the 22' drive lane just in case there's a public outcry to have the street two-way again.

MidtownR wanted it to be 11'.

I predict numerous accidental incursions the wrong way then.

Wonder if they'll allow parallel on the other side of the street to utilize that space... Otherwise, that's a bunch of extraneous asphalt. AND, if the City is requiring it, shouldn't they put up the cost?

[borchard]

From the Journal Record:

That solution is coming, as there are plans to convert W. Park Place – which sits directly north of the Dust Bowl – into a one-way street and put in angled parking. The private-public partnership between the city of Oklahoma City and the Midtown Renaissance Group has been in the works for 18 months, said Chris Fleming, partner with Midtown Renaissance. The street runs from N. Hudson to N. Walker avenues near Brown’s Bakery. Fleming said the bakery supported the street redesign. The street’s width will be expanded to create more room for parking and allow for a 22-foot-wide driving area.

Don't they need to first find out if that street has any historical significance before they re-purpose it?

[Mr. Cotter]

With 22' plus planned space for angled parking, could you make it one way with angled parking on both sides? Then, if for some reason it needed to go back to two way, you just remove one side of the angled parking in favor of a lane.

A 22' one way street will not only look ridiculous, I doubt it every functions as a true one way street. Since it would be wide enough for two full size trucks to pass each other, is the absence of a white line and a one way sign really going to keep people from turning?

[Pete]

The plan calls for a total of 45 on-street spaces.

Their application said there would be some parallel spots as well.

[OkieBerto]

I predict numerous accidental incursions the wrong way then.

Wonder if they'll allow parallel on the other side of the street to utilize that space... Otherwise, that's a bunch of extraneous asphalt. AND, if the City is requiring it, shouldn't they put up the cost?

Although I never actually got in a wreck, when I lived on 15th and Robinson, people were always going down the wrong way. This 3 or 4 blocks of one way street have been there since I can remember and it has confused at least one person daily. They take a right on 13th and Robinson and don't realize what they have done until someone is right in front of them.

I see this as a problem to change park place to one way. They will have to dig up the small median at Walker and Park that suggests drivers to go a certain way. How does this improve anything? The actual problem is the amount of cars, not the amount of parking. No one in this state carpools or takes a taxi or uber. Our problem will always be cars even if we have tons of parking options.

I find it ironic that Fassler Hall was designed to look like a highway overpass, because now it is causing traffic jams!

[Spartan]

Do we know for sure that was Fassler's design inspiration? I made the overpass comment once and people looked at me funny, as if I was insulting Fitzsimmons (I am growing to hate when people take my comments much more negatively than I ever mean)

[Pete]

That type of reinforced concrete was common in the mid-century period and I'm sure it was meant to tie in with several other buildings of that era in the area.

[Teo9969]

While I'm sure there were other elements of inspiration, I don't know how you could possibly look at the building as anything less than a highway overpass. Right down to the bare concrete throughout the structure.

[Pete]

BTW, just learned the MidtownR and Brown's people have been talking, so hopefully there will soon be a resolution.


As Urbanized is fond of saying, parking problems in an urban district is a great sign.

[DoctorTaco]

While I'm sure there were other elements of inspiration, I don't know how you could possibly look at the building as anything less than a highway overpass. Right down to the bare concrete throughout the structure.

I assume that look is on purpose. I love the irony. A construction style signifying suburbanization, car culture and freeways being used to build a hangout in the least car-dependent part of town. Fitzsimmons wins extra points from me for this juxtaposition.

[metro]

“A lot of people get intoxicated in bars around here and leave their cars in my parking lot, then there’s nowhere to park when I come to work the next day,” he said. “They leave beer cans everywhere. They just don’t care. I have had to do something about it. I’ve got it posted all over my lot. I don’t like having people’s cars towed, but it’s kind of pushed us back against the wall.”

While he has some valid concerns, he clearly forgets to address Brown's clearly doesn't care about their own appearance, both from a public relations standpoint, and the horrible exterior of their building (broken windows, boarded up windows, graffiti, junk showing in their storage annex, etc.). He should have rented out the parking and the storage annex (for retail) and paid for a serious upgrade of his exterior. Paint isn't expensive.

[kevinpate]

For the crowd on board with daytime only businesses should/ought/must allow/lease/whatever their parking lots to night time venue customers ... do you realize that although it could generate income ..... it does not solve the primary problem, nor does it eliminate a need to tow, at least not for Brown's.

Examine why they started towing. Broken bottles, trash, and very, very important, cars left overnight and taking up spaces intended for at work employees and customers.

Doesn't much matter if they might make a killing by leasing parking if the staff can not park when they roll in during the pre dawn hours to start baking.

Doesn't much matter if they might make a killing on parking if the morning customers can not park due to cars left over night because the folks had too good a time to retrieve their cars and left them. On the one hand, kudos for not being arsewipes who drink and drive and put lives and property in danger. But big old Gibbs' style headslaps for not caring enough about the daytime business to make some kind of arrangement for the vehicle.

Sure, in a parking garage, one leaves a car over a lengthy period, they pay more, but they are taking up a space intended for park/pay, not a space intended for the daytime employees or customers.

Charging for parking does not solve the problem if people drink to a point they leave the vehicles.

So say they agree to allow parking, but only to say 3:00 am because bake folks rise earlier than their dough. And customers for some places, can't swear this for Brown's, start in at 6 sometimes earlier. So cars might still be towed if they get left, even though they paid for parking.

Also, glass damages tires, and you let people trash your lot and your regular customers loose a tire, they are not going to be happy. then consider, sorry to be gross, the day customer in the real nice shoes who hops out to buy pastry to take to the office and steps in barf to start their day.

It is not as simple as let folks park, free or for a fee. Not that simple at all.

I've worked in a setting, non-medical, where part of the daily am activities included staff checking the grounds for syringes, needles, old condoms, glass and at times, bodily secretions and waste products, and on occasion, shooing off one or more urban campers who helped bring the mess.

Not everyone is as clean and tidy as the person you see in your mirror, or at the next office, cubicle or workbench.

[breakintheweb]

I can see that argument if the business was open and you were taking parking away from their patrons, but Brown's Bakery closes at 3pm, Monday through Friday and noon on Saturday. Why can't people park there in the evenings when they are not open?

The fact of weather the business is open or not doesn't matter to the people that park there. I'm a member of prototek which is on the other side of fassler hall (corner of 10th and hudson) and we've had numerous parking issues since fassler hall has opened. When I tell people they can't park there, some move their cars but others get confrontational (saying where am I supposed to park or if i park here anyway are you gonna tow me?) Keep in mind we are a 24/7 business (lights are clearly on with people inside and people still try to park there even going as far as blocking our garage doors our double parking our cars then walking away. We've also had drunk patrons piss on our building after stumbling over drunk from Fassler Hall. All of that is to say I can definitely understand the frustration that Brown's has faced.

[bluedogok]

I assume that look is on purpose. I love the irony. A construction style signifying suburbanization, car culture and freeways being used to build a hangout in the least car-dependent part of town. Fitzsimmons wins extra points from me for this juxtaposition.

There were a ton of buildings built in the 60's and 70's of Precast Double-T construction, there are a bunch of them in OKC but many of them were used as exterior wall/structure. Thomas Concrete of OKC was one of the big manufacturers of them. They are all over areas of DFW, Houston, Austin and some here in Denver as well.

[metro]

There were a ton of buildings built in the 60's and 70's of Precast Double-T construction, there are a bunch of them in OKC but many of them were used as exterior wall/structure. Thomas Concrete of OKC was one of the big manufacturers of them. They are all over areas of DFW, Houston, Austin and some here in Denver as well.

So that only further cheapens the "unique design" many are praising the architect for, does it not?

[metro]

The fact of weather the business is open or not doesn't matter to the people that park there. I'm a member of prototek which is on the other side of fassler hall (corner of 10th and hudson) and we've had numerous parking issues since fassler hall has opened. When I tell people they can't park there, some move their cars but others get confrontational (saying where am I supposed to park or if i park here anyway are you gonna tow me?) Keep in mind we are a 24/7 business (lights are clearly on with people inside and people still try to park there even going as far as blocking our garage doors our double parking our cars then walking away. We've also had drunk patrons piss on our building after stumbling over drunk from Fassler Hall. All of that is to say I can definitely understand the frustration that Brown's has faced.

Most leaders and "creatives" in OKC are to cool to take note, but it would be a worse loss for OKC as a whole to lose Prototek than it would be to lose Fassler Hall or any bar in reference.

[bchris02]

While I'm sure there were other elements of inspiration, I don't know how you could possibly look at the building as anything less than a highway overpass. Right down to the bare concrete throughout the structure.

I do agree. When they were building it I thought it looked like a highway overpass and I still think it does now that it's complete.

[jccouger]

Seems to me with all these drunk heathens running around pissing on peoples property & taking peoples parking spots that Midtown is in need of a few new churches.

[okclee]

While he has some valid concerns, he clearly forgets to address Brown's clearly doesn't care about their own appearance, both from a public relations standpoint, and the horrible exterior of their building (broken windows, boarded up windows, graffiti, junk showing in their storage annex, etc.). He should have rented out the parking and the storage annex (for retail) and paid for a serious upgrade of his exterior. Paint isn't expensive.

Sad but true. They had issues way before the bars started opening up around them.

[OkiePoke]

Seems to me with all these drunk heathens running around pissing on peoples property & taking peoples parking spots that Midtown is in need of a few new churches.

So we need some more police to patrol the area so drunk heathens aren't running around urinating on property.

[Bullbear]

with some of these comments it makes it sound like everyone in midtown is running amuck!..lol

[DoctorTaco]

with some of these comments it makes it sound like everyone in midtown is running amuck!..lol

I know I am! Wait...am I not supposed to?

So confused.

[Pete]

with some of these comments it makes it sound like everyone in midtown is running amuck!..lol

Life in the Big City!

Just growing pains...

It wasn't that long ago when Brown's was virtually the only thing open in Midtown besides some small offices and Saint Anthony.

[hoya]

Seems to me with all these drunk heathens running around pissing on peoples property & taking peoples parking spots that Midtown is in need of a few new churches.

When you gotta go, you gotta go. Sounds like we need a 24 hour public restroom to me.