Chesapeake empire marches on

[betts]

Rumor has it Aubrey wants to build a Chesapeake Village, similar to what Sprint and Google apparently have. It's supposed to have houses, retail such as grocery stores and pharmacies, even a mini hospital. I'm guessing that will go between Wilshire and 63rd, Santa Fe and Western, since he owns so much of that land. Grandmark and the other two apartment buildings on Grand are supposed to be incorporated into the new Nichols Jills Plaza. One of the councilmen for Nichols Hills says the Plaza is on a 5 year timeline, and they're working on establishing guidelines for it right now, as well as working out whether they will trade the existing City Hall and Fire Department for the First Church of Christ Scientist, which would allow Aubrey to expand the Plaza to Western. He's supposedly also trying to buy the office building south of Starbucks which belongs to Jeff Records right now.

[Pete]

Chesapeake buys gas stations, building
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record February 7, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – Three purchases in late January secured two gas stations and an industrial property for Chesapeake Land Co. in close proximity to the main campus of Chesapeake Energy Corp. at NW 63rd Street and Western Avenue.

The most recent purchases include a Shell station at 6405 N. Western Ave. for $3 million; a Conoco Save-A-Stop/ND Foods at 5022 N. Western Ave. for $1.2 million; and a light industrial building, with about 1 acre of vacant land, at 900 NW 58th St. for $2 million.

The Shell station is just another piece in the puzzle as Chesapeake has purchased many of the surrounding properties over the past few years. The company declined to comment on any specific plans for the newly purchased properties.

One key purchase was the Nichols Hills Plaza shopping center, which wraps around the station on the north and west sides.

Chesapeake purchased the center in 2006 for $27.5 million. Since then, in addition to other purchases in the area, the company has secured most of the property at the intersection and in close proximity on Western Avenue and NW 63rd Street.

The Shell station was sold by the Jack W. Owens Trust. In 2007, the Oklahoma County assessor’s office listed the market value of that station, built in 1969, at nearly $201,000.

The Conoco, however, is not in as close proximity, and sits at the intersection of Western Avenue and NW 50th Street just south of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.

The seller of the Conoco station and shop, built in 1968, was Metro Mart Inc. Its market value according to county records for 2007 was just over $200,000.
The purchase of the 3,456-square-foot light industrial building, and nearly 1 acre of land, was sold by Cox Enterprises Ltd. The building was listed as unoccupied, and had a market value last year of nearly $144,000, according to county records.



You can see the location of the Shell Station here:

[metro]

I'm actually quite glad they purchased the gas stations as they are an eye sore and despirately need updating. It'd be funny if Chesapeake rebranded them as their own brand of gas stations. Remember when Kerr McGee had their own gas stations??

[CuatrodeMayo]

Yea I do. My grandfather was an accountant for KMG and he only bought gas at their stations.

[BDP]

The only thing that worries me is the purchase of the Conoco at 50th. I've pretty much written off upper western as the Chesapeake district, but lower western has remained largely independent, which is what I think gives it its appeal. However, they bought and closed down Abraham's and have done nothing with the land. I believe they were going to build something exclusively for their employees there, but maybe it’s changed. Either way, it sits vacant today. Hopefully they have changed their minds and will keep lower western as a neighborhood area and not convert it to part of their insular master plan, as well. Western Ave is and has been a good alternative for dining, shopping, and entertainment that gives Oklahoma City some much needed character. It's still hard to tell if Chesapeake respects that or just wants to take over, as they are always silent about their master plan and never give any specifics when they buy property.

[Pete]

CHK owns lots of property along Western that is not very close to it's campus or NH Plaza, so they clearly plan to do something further south.

I suspect they will gradually redevelop the entire area over time.

[tuck]

The only thing that worries me is the purchase of the Conoco at 50th. I've pretty much written off upper western as the Chesapeake district, but lower western has remained largely independent, which is what I think gives it its appeal. However, they bought and closed down Abraham's and have done nothing with the land. .

Sit tight for a bit longer. They are still waiting to close on the car wash next to the Conoco Station; which will allow enough room for development on the Abraham's site. That pad isn't large enough for a build-out and parking. I think most of you will approve of the final product in this area of Western.

[Pete]

Here's an aerial (50th & Western is the intersection you see) with Conoco on the left, the former Abraham's site with the arrow and the car wash in between:

[jbrown84]

Those are some expensive gas stations.

[foodiefan]

I'd be oh so pleased if it should be a Whole Foods or Central Market. . ..

[tuck]

I would too, but no chance

[jbrown84]

Not on those 3 lots.

[BDP]

I think most of you will approve of the final product in this area of Western.

I don't disapprove of it now or of it three years ago. There have been some improvements on Western in that time and it has continued to get better, but not because of anything Chesapeake has done or that might possibly be planned behind some big curtain where they keep the levers. I also feel like the area still has room to improve, but I don't really see anything in Chesapeake's development history that suggests they have any intention of improving it for anyone but possibly themselves.

The good news is that mid-town seems to be improving enough that if we ever find out what Chesapeake really intends to do with what they must see as a troubled Western ave district, I should have some options to move by that time.

[Pete]

To date, all CHK has done is a acquire a lot of property, boot out many existing restaurants and retail establishments, and either left the area empty or built something for the exclusive use of their employees.

How many restaurants and businesses have they chased out of their previous locations? If they have hundreds of millions to spend on acquiring property they certainly have the resources to build something for use by the general community. They need to do that soon -- before they demolish more buildings.

[BG918]

I'd love to see Chesapeake release a master plan for the area. I would just hope it includes streetfront retail and restaurants with parallel parking along the street. They could create quite the inner city district if they could somehow connect the growing Crown Heights strip to whatever they plan on doing just north of I-44. Keep it two distinct areas, for sure, but also keep it urban and most importantly walkable. Now that CHK owns Nichols Hills Plaza, it would be amazing if they turned that into something really upscale. Penn Square Mall can't get any bigger so I think any really upscale stores would probably open in a nice, new Nichols Hills Plaza right by some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in OKC. If CHK wants to do it, they can. They have an unbelievable amount of power, now hopefully they do something great with it...

[jbrown84]

Maybe the could create a park or some kind of greenbelt that they could maintain for the city, similar to what Kerr McGee did with Kerr Park years ago. There could be a nice bike/walking path going all the way up Western from 23rd to Nichols Hills Plaza.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Remember when Kerr McGee had their own gas stations??

Yup. I used to work at one as a tire jockey/inspector. Got my gas and truck parts for free too

[gcald]

They've also owned for some time the Frates Building also known as the Travelers Motor Club east of Western on NW 50th across the street from the CVS Pharmacy and near Bishop McGuiness. I just reverified that at the Assessor's website. At one time and probably still they owned a building on N. Britton fairly near Cassidy school that once housed a defunct hot tub/above ground pool store. I uncertainly believe they also had property near Heritage Hall. My take on all that was perhaps some intent regarding the private schools. Initially after they took out to my chagrin Abraham's I thought they intended the site as a lure in trade to relocate a business in their immediate area that might be in their path, now of course that motivation is more questionable. In any event as a owner and resident in the area north of their campus it would be nice if the restaurants in the area would stop disappearing. Or for that matter the buildings and houses, it's
like a slow motion tornado around here. Or the actions of a two year old, they
tear down well but as to reassembly, unimpressed so far.

[Pete]

My biggest concern about what CHK is doing is that this all comes when their business is going gangbusters. And if history has taught us anything, it's that these rides don't last forever.

What happens if their earnings drop sharply or they are acquired? Then, we'd have tons of things cleared out and nobody to rebuild.

I'm sure they have very grand plans but I'd feel much better if they'd start putting some things up other than structures for their exclusive use. Otherwise, we may have a mini Pei Plan on our hands.

[BDP]

The most troubling aspect of all of this to me is that, of all the areas in Oklahoma City, Western Ave. is not one that i would have flagged as needing major corporate assistance. It could improve, sure, but it has done that organically with the properties that CHK has not acquired. If you look at all of the improvements to Western Ave in the last few years, none of them have been at the hands of CHK. It's troubling to imagine where the district might actually be today if more of it was available to independent developers to work with. CHK may have some grand plan, but to date it could easily be argued that they have actually stunted the area.

IMO, it's time for CHK to explain just what their intentions are or show some sort of progress on whatever their plan is. This way, if they do in fact have no intentions of improving the area for the general community, then prospective developers and current WA merchants could focus their efforts elsewhere, like mid-town. No doubt they could easily elevate the area to Oklahoma City's premier upscale entertainment and retail district with the amount of property they control. However, if they have other plans, then we can pretty much expect the district to stay as is for at least the near future. It seems to me, kind of like bricktown, their current inaction is missing a boom opportunity for the area and is probably leaving a lot of people sitting on the sidelines that could be actively improving the district.

[foiaokc08]

it's become completely obnoxious and one of these days i'm going to accidentally hit a pedestrian on Classen Boulevard

[andy157]

To date, all CHK has done is a acquire a lot of property, boot out many existing restaurants and retail establishments, and either left the area empty or built something for the exclusive use of their employees.

How many restaurants and businesses have they chased out of their previous locations? If they have hundreds of millions to spend on acquiring property they certainly have the resources to build something for use by the general community. They need to do that soon -- before they demolish more buildings.

I guess our City planners and leaders could re-zone the land for general community use only, and deny any requested variences, or, just refuse to issue them building permits.

[flintysooner]

Maybe see if they would like to move to Houston or some other city.

[jbrown84]

it's become completely obnoxious and one of these days i'm going to accidentally hit a pedestrian on Classen Boulevard

WHAT?

[okctvnewsguy]

...that, of all the areas in Oklahoma City, Western Ave. is not one that i would have flagged as needing major corporate assistance.

I'm betting that is so that most of the people in management at Chesapeake could walk to work from the hills