Bricktown hotel construction stalled

[soonerfan_in_okc]

http://newsok.com/bricktown-hotel-st...ad_story_title

how does stuff like this happen? gaw.

[Architect2010]

Good. I don't care much for that proposal anyways.

[Watson410]

Me either!! Lets start getting more Five star hotels in that area!

[Lindsay Architect]

I'd settle for the country's largest 'Hotel' 6 as long as it wasn't a large EIF box - colored red - and had some design to it. I think Bricktown needs Hotel prices for the average family and save the five stars to surround the parks. It doesn't need much design and detail to make the newer buildings a little more appealing than the above rendering.
I just see a little too much Stucco(?) and cheap and badly detailed House Brick going in Bricktown.

[Urban Pioneer]

I think it is unfortunate. I went to the Urban Design meetings and the architect and owner were valiantly trying to improve exterior to be acceptable- that includes pedestrian infrastructure that the area is devoid of.

I felt happy in the meeting that these people were thinking outside of the box and tring to "infill" a barren wasteland through a obvious unconventional process. The reality it that a 5 star hotel would mostly never be built on that end of Bricktown next to a highway. It will remain a swampy, overgrown, treeless lot when a "verticle bookend" is needed. I can't see a 5 star next to the Bass Pro. I think the Hampton Inn illustrates that a "lesser" brand can make an effort with better materials, create efficient infill, and subsequently provide affordable rates for average people who cannot afford the Skirvin.

[MikeOKC]

We need an aloft hotel. I really think that would do so well in OKC. The one is Plano (Legacy area) has done very well since its opening and they're opening another in Dallas proper. There's nothing else quite like it. If you get up to the Kansas City area there's one there too, in Johnson County in Leawood. aloft is a "W" (Starwood) brand, so you can expect quality and aloft has reasonable rates. I really think it would take OKC by storm.

[Architect2010]

I think it is unfortunate. I went to the Urban Design meetings and the architect and owner were valiantly trying to improve exterior to be acceptable- that includes pedestrian infrastructure that the area is devoid of.

I don't remember that. I recall their solution to their large parking lot that bordered the street was too plop down two small buildings on the street. The hotel was set waayyy back behind the parking lot, which by the way isn't very acceptable for pedestrians IMO. And the exterior reminded me of the Residence Inn in front of Bass Pro. Neither one of those proposals match the Hampton inn or even the Holiday Inn, which reminds me. What happened to that?

Yes! An aloft would do good here! Where to put it, where to put it?

[Patrick]

I don't see the big problem one way or the other. This is so far off the beaten path, that I don't think it impacts Bricktown all that much. It will likely serve the medical campus more than it will the Bricktown area.

[BDP]

I can't see a 5 star next to the Bass Pro.

Exactly. Bass Pro set the standard for the district.

I don't think it impacts Bricktown all that much.

True, especially if you don't have very high expectations for bricktown.

[bbhill]

Exactly. Bass Pro set the standard for the district.



True, especially if you don't have very high expectations for bricktown.

I'm still wondering why Bass Pro shop is marketed as a central part of our entertainment district. Thats like advertising Wal Mart as a key centerpiece in an upscale shopping environment. . . Its a freaking outdoors store with fancy decorations. I guess this is just some of the baggage that comes with living in Oklahoma. . .

[BDP]

I'm still wondering why Bass Pro shop is marketed as a central part of our entertainment district.

Well, it does claim a large part of the real estate and its parking lot is featured on the canal cruise...

[bbhill]

Well, it does claim a large part of the real estate and its parking lot is featured on the canal cruise...

good points, lol. Perhaps what I'm really asking is does a bass pro shop really belong in an urban entertainment district?

[Patrick]

True, especially if you don't have very high expectations for bricktown.

The hotel isn't even going to be in Bricktown.

[Architect2010]

So let's just make everything suburban if it's not in the direct confines of the Bricktown District! Yeah! That'll create a true urban fabric for all of Oklahoma City to be proud of.

Regardless if it may be "off the beaten path", it is still very much in the urban area of Downtown and Bricktown, and just to say that it's suburban design doesn't matter is careless.

[Patrick]

I'm not even sure you can consider the location of that hotel within the downtown area.

[Architect2010]

WTF?

It's right there. You're acting like it's 5 miles away. It's about a mile away and definitely within the downtown area/urban core that should be.

[Steve]

The hotel is across the street from the Bricktown fire station - a fire station nobody on this board considered to be outside of Bricktown/downtown.

[dalelakin]

Lets start getting more Five star hotels in that area!

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe there are any 5 stars in Oklahoma?

[Urban Pioneer]

I'm not going to fight for this. More may have happened since the meeting I was at ocurred. From what I remember the owner/architect wanted to put the parking in back but could not (same for anything that goes there) because of a large underground drainage aqueduct that ODoT requires access to. Same reason why there is the large swath of undeveloped are down the middle of Deep Deuce. In NY people live above subway tunnels but here I guess ODoT land has rights down to the core. So again- I'm not going to be too supportive but we do need more reasonably priced hotel options and these people seem to be willing to subject themselves to a behemouth bueracracy for a somewhat undesirable parcel. If anybody should be upset about development in that area, I would look towards the Fox Collision Center or Stewart Metal buildings which lately seem to be deteriorating into even more of an eyesore.

[BDP]

The hotel isn't even going to be in Bricktown.

I think that is pretty much the philosophy of the city. For some reason, if it's not in bricktown proper, then we shouldn't worry about what it looks like or how it affects the growth potential for the area, as it has no affect on the future of the district or city. I just can't really buy into that.

What I was trying to say in regards to expectations for bricktown is that, yes, if you don't think bricktown can mature and grow into a top notch entertainment district, then, yeah, let's not worry about how the land around it is used, because it doesn't matter. However, by committing the surrounding area to rinky dink roadside hotels, we should at least recognize that we are not only resigning ourselves to the idea that bricktown will not become much more than it is now, we are are actually working to make sure it doesn't become much more than it is now.

Hey, maybe you are right and we should just take what we can get at each step of the way, but I think that says the area has exceeded its potential to this point. I still think it has some potential left, as long as someone gets a hold of development in the area and approaches it with concern to quality and not just quantity (and I am not even sure we're getting much quantity out of stuff like this, either).

[Architect2010]

I agree whole-heartedly BDP. I wish I could of gotten my point across as coherently and well put together. ;]

[Patrick]

Okay, you guys are right.

[BDP]

Well, that was easy.

Seriously, I wasn't trying to say you were wrong. I think we just see it differently and I am pretty sure the city agrees more with you than me anyway. It's very hard to know what the opportunity cost of any development is and many will take the one-in-the-hand approach, for better or worse.

[Midtowner]

If built now, in 20 years, the hotel will probably be blight.

[rondvu]

Me either!! Lets start getting more Five star hotels in that area!

I AGREE, if OKC is not careful in twenty years it will look those old trashy motels that were along Lincoln north of the capital and along RT 66. I have stayed at a few of the nicer hotels along the Riverwalk in San Antonio. To name one, the Westin was just wonderful. That cheap styro-stucco looks really bad after a while and have always thought this was a negative to BT.