NBA Team may attract retail to city's core - NewsOK

[sethsrott]

Thanks for this one Steve!

NBA team may attract retail to city's core
By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer


It was a surreal moment: David Stern, commissioner of the NBA, virtually assuring a gaggle of local reporters that a team was destined to call Oklahoma City home. The setting? None other than what is now deemed the city's finest hotel — the Skirvin Hilton.

A decade ago, all of this would have been unthinkable.

At the start of 1998, civic leaders were hoping to simply reverse the negative image of the city's Metropolitan Area Projects, get an arena built and hopefully draw some new hotels and housing to downtown.

And the Skirvin? It was a mess that was facing the prospect of being torn down.

Most of the dreams anyone dared to publicly express (save for light rail) in those heady days have been realized. Even the skyline is about to change, dramatically, thanks to Devon Energy's deciding to build a skyscraper. So what's left?

Retail, retail, retail.

Downtown residents are dreaming of a grocery store. Convention promoters would love to see some gift shops and high-end clothing and department stores. And developers want it all — cleaners, convenience stores, drug stores, hardware, home furnishings — all the stuff one can find in the suburbs.

These dreamers even dare to throw out names. In the Core to Shore study sessions planners suggested Nordstrom's could anchor a development near a new convention center. And when Bob Funk and Scott Pruitt unsuccessfully attempted to buy the city-owned parking lot east of the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, the pair boasted they could bring in the likes of Whole Foods, Anthropologie and Crate and Barrel.

At least nobody seems to be dreaming up the possibility of a downtown mall. Oklahoma City got lucky when repeated attempts to develop a mall along Sheridan Avenue never succeeded. The site targeted for a "Galleria” from the mid-1960s until the late 1980s is now set to become home to a future Devon Energy corporate headquarters. Examples of failed downtown malls can be found in St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio, and Green Bay, Wis.

But there is reason to believe more retail will come to downtown. At this moment, downtown is being looked at by a clothing store, a small market and a drugstore.

They will likely locate in different areas — don't be surprised if Bricktown, Deep Deuce and the Central Business District all see retail additions in the next couple of years.

Will all of this be enough to satisfy the dreamers? Likely not. But it's a start.

[Pete]

At this moment, downtown is being looked at by a clothing store, a small market and a drugstore.

Hmmmmm.......

[mecarr]

I have heard that there might be an organic grocery market on 8th & walker..but is that downtown?

[Nawfside OKC]

Arewe talking stand alone retail or a full blown mall ? Also which one do you ladies and gents think would be the most beneficial ?

[BDP]

One of the good things about the NBA is that it plays it games during some of the slower months for downtown merchants. It's only 40 nights, but the traffic and exposure could really close the gap. One really good thing about our parking situation is that it is spread out. This will create a lot of foot traffic in all directions on game days.

[stlokc]

Arewe talking stand alone retail or a full blown mall ? Also which one do you ladies and gents think would be the most beneficial ?

Retail shops should fill existing street-level storefronts in the CBD, Bricktown and Midtown. They should not construct an enclosed mall that will simply sap away street life. I saw this happen in St. Louis. We want people walking the sidewalks and bringing visible activity to the city. Besides, enclosed malls are moving out of fashion anyway.

[Pete]

To be fair, we've had a couple of clothing stores open downtown in the last year or so, plus at least one health club and some other businesses in the Legacy... BC Clark expanded, a gift shop opened in the Skirvin and there have been a couple of new places in Bricktown, too.

With the remodel planned for the FNC arcade, I'm sure they'll be aggressively pursuing more retail tenants.

[BG918]

Core To Shore has the area along the new blvd. south of Myriad Gardens and between Hudson and Robinson shown as a "future retail district". I personally think this would be a great area for retail stores with blvd. frontage next to the Ford Center, the proposed hotel and convention center at the SE corner at Robinson, and the new park across the street. Something mixed-use that includes residential overlooking both parks and streetfront retail/dining would be awesome in this location. I think some kind of big department store would be an anchor here, maybe a Nordstrom??

Other areas of downtown that could have successful retail include Bricktown near the ballpark and canal, and along Sheridan and Reno. Hopefully the Cotton Exchange is built which would jumpstart that effort. Also Auto Alley (Broadway) could have smaller shops as well as NW 10th through Midtown.

[mecarr]

To be fair, we've had a couple of clothing stores open downtown in the last year or so, plus at least one health club and some other businesses in the Legacy...

What businesses in the legacy? They still only have the health club and the hair salon that they had when they first opened..

[jbrown84]

Examples of failed downtown malls can be found in St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio, and Green Bay, Wis.

And Tulsa and OKC (Century Center).

[sethsrott]

What businesses in the legacy? They still only have the health club and the hair salon that they had when they first opened..

Isn't there also an Italian Eatery in the Legacy?

[metro]

No, just BodyWerx Fitness and Velvet Monkey Salon. The other retail prospects bailed out of Legacy. It still ticks me off Henderson is selling the place before it's even finished. He got a steal on the land thanks to Urban Renewal, got numerous extensions, and then goes and sells the place before its' completely finished. Another example of our tax dollars hard at work.

[y_h]

One of the good things about the NBA is that it plays it games during some of the slower months for downtown merchants.

Yes, and it will create the potential for an incredible Christmas shopping season if a large scale retail district develops around the arena.

[MikeOKC]

The NBA downtown will help with a chain reaction sort of development. With more rooftops downtown we're going to see more smaller retail to cater to them. I was in a place today called Addison Circle in Dallas. It's a very urbanist environment in Addison with lofts, clubs, restaurants and even a market. I went inside to get a soda and thought about Bricktown and how that's exactly what we need downtown. I'll be glad to get back to OKC, I'm sick of the traffic.

[metro]

Mike, we're getting (currently under construction) a very similar development to Addison Circle, it's called Quail Springs Village. There is another thread on here with pictures and more details.

[teacher girl]

when I lived in texas, there were quite a few "outdoor" malls. I could see that happening in the downtown area. you have the store fronts, food places, but the freedom to walk around and be outside. i love downtown okc and hope that they can spruce up some of the neglected parts (and they have started a really good job). wish we could go on and see a few years into the future!!

[onthestrip]

It sounds as if everyone is wanting the downtown area to be just like Dallas' Uptown.

[mecarr]

No, just BodyWerx Fitness and Velvet Monkey Salon. The other retail prospects bailed out of Legacy.

There are two reasons they've done this. One, the rent is pretty high. But the bigger reason is that the Legacy was going to have the new businesses do a lot of the electrical wiring in the spaces themselves. From what I gather, the usual practice is that the landlord does it. I know of two places that specifically backed out for this reason. Fortunately, Legacy sees the problem and has been installing electrical wiring over the past month or so.

[metro]

It sounds as if everyone is wanting the downtown area to be just like Dallas' Uptown.

Not me and I'm a downtown property owner, resident, and worker. I want our downtown to be a true urban downtown, although some parts of Dallas' Uptown are more urban than our inner city.

[MikeOKC]

Not me and I'm a downtown property owner, resident, and worker. I want our downtown to be a true urban downtown, although some parts of Dallas' Uptown are more urban than our inner city.

Metro, How is that Quail project coming along? I also agree with you about downtown needing to be a true urban core. I am still in Dallas for another week and plan to get out and explore some of these New Urbanist developments. You are right that much of Uptown is more urban than our own downtown, but that will change with our current progress. I was at Firewheel Town Center, a Simon property in Garland, a few days ago and was really impressed. Great place.
Simon Malls | Firewheel Town Center

[metro]

Mike, I haven't been out that way lately (I try to stay in the inner city), although I was out there about 3 weeks or so ago and snapped some pics (see the Quail Springs Village thread). It was pretty crazy to see dirt moving on almost an entire square mile. They had tons of bulldozers, and other equipment and workers all over the place. Mainly just dirtwork right now but if they stay serious, it should be progressing quickly. I'm not for suburban sprawl, but this will bring some much needed density to the suburbs. Hopefully it will also bring upscale retailers we don't have.

You ought to check out Highland Park while your in Dallas as well.

Highland Park Village

[Pete]

I didn't realize the other retail tenants at the Legacy had bailed.

That whole project has been nothing but a major disappointment and no where close to what we were promised.

[CuatrodeMayo]

And it won't be the last from OCURA. Overholster Green is next.