Century Center

[Teo9969]

I say the locals, because the chains could just move on.

Think of it similar to the Walmart effect; the city wants it but locals need to up their game (not remain complacent on the previously captive market). We 'hardly' have any local steakhouses here in Seattle but we do have Morton's and Ruth's and some local chains because the local independents didn't step it up.

I know steak is an institution in OKC and should thrive but I hope they realize the effect the big boys will have (especially as more and more tourists visit what they know when they come to OKC). You want the local to be significantly better and innovative, not complacent as they likely are now with no national competition.

No offense Hot Rod, but you don't understand. They are already quite a bit better and far more innovative than national chains. Ranch and Red Prime particularly have far more to offer than the average chain. None of the national chains hold a candle to places like Pappas Bros in Dallas/Houston or Bern's in Tampa.

1. The beef that National chains get is generally lower quality because they have to maintain consistency...so they buy in mass quantities, leaving the best beef to the Steakhouses who are looking for a very particular product. Also because the best beef is more expensive and doesn't lend well to the profit margins that large chains look for.

2. The wine lists are frequently smallish (less than 200 wines) because chains don't like sitting on massive inventory that doesn't move for months/years on end. There's no real character to the lists. Fleming's does the 100 wines by the glass which is a nifty concept, but is way overboard and can easily lessen the quality of the wine poured in your glass (as it could easily be sitting in an open bottle for over a week).

3. The staff generally fluctuates more because there is a rigid system in place that all employees are striving to maintain, which decreases the flexibility of positions like chef, server, and manager. Having career servers and chefs at your restaurant makes a huge difference in driving your brand.

There are a lot of other things, but understand that when it comes to prime steakhouses and upscale or fine dining in general, the chains are the low guys on the totem pole. The big boys are the individual restaurants or small chains that have enormous flexibility, character, and creativity as that is what is important when you're charging people $75+ a person for dinner.

Now, if we're talking Mackie McNear's, yeah...having chains like Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn, Outback, Saltgrass force this kind of concept to step up their game. But in a market that's already fairly saturated with high-quality steakhouses, chains are probably going to get eaten alive.

If I were a RC/Fleming's/Morton's franchisee or scouter, I'd build in Moore or Norman where there are no upscale steakhouses, but I'd stay out of downtown or the NW side. The market is already pretty saturated. Their client base would have to consist almost entirely of new people since Red/Mickey's/Mahogany/Ranch/Boulevard are already in the market.

[HOT ROD]

Teo, I totally agree. I'm just saying that the nationals help OKC's reputation as a big city.

Im from OKC - I am totally aware of the cuisine and that national's have kept out because of the high caliber. But I think now OKC is big enough to have locals and nationals, and I think the nationals will help the locals with a healthy bit of competition.

But I agree, there's no better steak than a medium rare Oklahoma bred filet! Red is my favourite.

[Pete]

Another shot for Century Center: OKC strikes TIF deal with downtown mall developer
By Brianna Bailey
Posted: 09:06 PM Monday, December 17, 2012

Oklahoma City has negotiated a tax increment financing deal worth up to $2.9 million with developer Stephen Hurst to renovate downtown’s long-vacant Century Center. Hurst and a group of investors have plans to redo the dated exterior of the empty 1970s-era shopping center with glass and add another 400 parking spaces to the top of the attached parking garage at W. Main Street and Robinson Avenue.


Read more: Another shot for Century Center: OKC strikes TIF deal with downtown mall developer | The Journal Record

[catch22]

Another shot for Century Center: OKC strikes TIF deal with downtown mall developer
By Brianna Bailey
Posted: 09:06 PM Monday, December 17, 2012

Oklahoma City has negotiated a tax increment financing deal worth up to $2.9 million with developer Stephen Hurst to renovate downtown’s long-vacant Century Center. Hurst and a group of investors have plans to redo the dated exterior of the empty 1970s-era shopping center with glass and add another 400 parking spaces to the top of the attached parking garage at W. Main Street and Robinson Avenue.


Read more: Another shot for Century Center: OKC strikes TIF deal with downtown mall developer | The Journal Record

I hope this is simply not just an exterior renovation but actually incorporates street fronting retail. Good news nonetheless to see this move forward.

[ljbab728]

Pete, thanks for the info but the link doesn't help much without a subscription in case there is more significant information there.

[Lauri101]

Yesterday there were probably two dozen or more huge rolls of beige carpet stacked in the Century Center center of first floor. Hopefully, that's just something temporary for one of the holiday functions being set up by Sheraton caterers. It's really ugly.
I can still remember going in there when I first started working downtown and eating tacos while walking around shopping. Love to see it back into action before I retire!

[BoulderSooner]

I hope this is simply not just an exterior renovation but actually incorporates street fronting retail. Good news nonetheless to see this move forward.

very likely to be a restaurant w/ patio on the south west corner ..

[Pete]

Here are renderings that were submitted with the TIF application:

[Pete]

They have already started pulling out the old carpet and furniture and hope to get started on this project in the Spring of 2013.

HOWEVER, they are planning to convert everything to office (93,500 square feet), with only a 6,500 s.f. restaurant/retail space on the southwest corner. You can also see from the rendering above they will be putting a simple facade on the building shell and the large setbacks will remain. This latest design is less ambitious than the concept shown in previous renderings.

The two levels of parking will add another 400 spaces.

[Mr. Cotter]

Not quite the wow factor of the original renderings, but anything would be an improvement. I guess if you're only going to have one corner be retail, the SW corner makes the most sense with it facing MGB.

The renderings show Anchor 1 and Anchor 2, being retail on both the NW and SW corners developed. Is the rest of the submission different than the renderings?

[Pete]

I believe Anchor 1 & 2 are meant to indicate office tenants.

You can see a 'restaurant' sign on the SW corner.

[BoulderSooner]

note that this is a complicated deal the current parking is owned by copta ... and copta owns the "rights" to air space above the garage ...

sounds like copta is giving the bulding owners some of the "air" rights in exchange for them building (paying for) the parking expansion

[Pete]

Adding a couple of levels of parking, attaching a pretty plain fascia and converting almost all the building -- including tons of very visible street frontage -- into office space... Very disappointing and a long way from the highest and best use of this key property.

I understand the financial realities and it's not my money at risk, but it's still disappointing.

[HangryHippo]

Definitely less ambitious than the original renderings and I'm quite disappointed with the decision to convert most of the space back to office.

What is the new fascia material? Hopefully this turns out to be a decent improvement, but it's disappointing.

[Pete]

I believe the first two floors will be largely glass curtain wall and the parking above will be some sort of mesh.

To be fair, in the downtown market there is much, much more demand for office space versus retail. I'm sure they tried to find more retail/restaurant tenants but I bet they already have people interested in all that office space.

They could also convert more of the street-level space to retail later, but I doubt that will happen for quite some time.

[Spartan]

My concern is that this looks like a cheap way around the city's regulations on electronic advertising.

[Steve]

xx

[LandRunOkie]

Adding a couple of levels of parking, attaching a pretty plain fascia and converting almost all the building -- including tons of very visible street frontage -- into office space... Very disappointing and a long way from the highest and best use of this key property.

So what would the highest best use be? Usually you are the first one to defend/explain the lack of downtown retail, so this is surprising coming from you.

My concern is that this looks like a cheap way around the city's regulations on electronic advertising.

What are these regulations? In this case of this city, electronic advertising may actually encourage density and vitality.

[HangryHippo]

xx

Umm, what?

[Spartan]

I'm actually not sure where electronic advertising stands now, but there was a moratorium...there were ordinances in this city, at one point.

[Pete]

I don't think the advertising shown in those renderings is electronic.

Perhaps it's an accommodation to COPTA / City of OKC to promote downtown events in return for letting them operate the parking garage?

[Spartan]

I don't think the advertising shown in those renderings is electronic.

Perhaps it's an accommodation to COPTA / City of OKC to promote downtown events in return for letting them operate the parking garage?

Because I'm sure civic events will only ever be shown on there, just like at the Peake.

[khook]

What a disappointment..... reminds me of 50 penn place..... a little paint, some facade changes and you still get a pig....

there is no improvment in this plan from the existing. Just throwing more money down the rat hole

[catch22]

Although I am disappointed as well, at least the appearance will be upgraded significantly. Just about anything is better than the giant concrete bunker we have.

[Bellaboo]

A couple more levels of parking isn't a bad thing is it ?