Primrose School

[Pete]

Plans were just submitted for Primrose School (daycare) on the NE corner of NW 13th and Western.

That land is owned by the Midtown Renaissance group.

I should have the exact plans in a couple of days, but the filing indicates the building will be 2 stories, so different than the other Primrose locations in Yukon, 150th & N. Western and MacArthur just north of Memorial, as well as Yukon, Moore and Norman.

I suppose this is due to the large number of young families now living in the core.

It's a big national chain: https://www.primroseschools.com/

[stlokc]

Interesting. You are likely correct that this is a response to the number of families with kids in the area, and it is a good sign for the city. I will hope that the franchisor will give the local owner the flexibility to create a more urban looking building on the property, with a context similar to what Catholic Charities did a few blocks south.

[HOT ROD]

very nice about the new school, I wish them well and yes hope they are building urban with the two floor proposal.

just curious looking at the picture, any thoughts on the large surface parking with the highrise? Is there appetite to build a garage with retail on the bottom (say along 10th) and repurpose the rest of the square block of surface parking? Too bad the highrise wasn't built closer to Saint Anthony but I assume there were other buildings inbetween that got torn down; now it's in an island of its own (the parking crater is a bit of an eyesore if you ask me)

[ChrisHayes]

very nice about the new school, I wish them well and yes hope they are building urban with the two floor proposal.

just curious looking at the picture, any thoughts on the large surface parking with the highrise? Is there appetite to build a garage with retail on the bottom (say along 10th) and repurpose the rest of the square block of surface parking? Too bad the highrise wasn't built closer to Saint Anthony but I assume there were other buildings inbetween that got torn down; now it's in an island of its own (the parking crater is a bit of an eyesore if you ask me)

I never noticed that parking lot. Now I can't stop seeing it as it sticks out like a sore thumb. Yes, build a parking garage next to the building and then some mid rise apartments next door. ASAP! lol

[Midtowner]

There was definitely a void left by Villa Teresa. This will be a nice addition to the neighborhood.

[DoctorTaco]

very nice about the new school, I wish them well and yes hope they are building urban with the two floor proposal.

just curious looking at the picture, any thoughts on the large surface parking with the highrise? Is there appetite to build a garage with retail on the bottom (say along 10th) and repurpose the rest of the square block of surface parking? Too bad the highrise wasn't built closer to Saint Anthony but I assume there were other buildings inbetween that got torn down; now it's in an island of its own (the parking crater is a bit of an eyesore if you ask me)

If they get those Pasteur Apartments built across the street from the high rise that will help, a little, with the parking crater. But yes the big problem is that main lot.

[HOT ROD]

and the weird thing is it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't empty most of the time. ...

[stlokc]

And I’m looking at this photo, and wow, this gas station seems like such a huge amount of land …

[Zuplar]

We send our kid to the one on the South side 119th and Penn and have really enjoyed the school. This is much more than a daycare and far better than the other chain's people typically think of. I know the one in Yukon is identical to our school. Also I don't believe there is one in Moore, just Norman, 2 in North OKC, Edmond, and Yukon.

[Mballard85]

This will be completely packed as soon as it opens, Primrose typically has a waiting list months out so they will do very well in the core with limited options on the high-end side.

[Urbanized]

I have an employee who would enroll her child today if it were available. Quality early child care options in the central part of the city are pretty slim pickings. These types of challenges are a limiting factor for economic growth and residential development in downtown.

Logistics for pick-up/drop-off of pre-K and even school age children are a real challenge when it comes to attracting and retaining an educated/professional workforce or residents who have started families. Developments like this are important if we want to sustain the redevelopment momentum in downtown and central OKC.

By the way, I’d expect that more than half of the enrolled families would be suburban with parents working downtown/near-downtown.

[shawnw]

Glad it's not a 7-11 going in across from OnCue

[MagzOK]

Glad it's not a 7-11 going in across from OnCue

LOL, wouldn't that be par for the course!

[David]

What a fantastic use of that corner. Is this in a design review district?

Googling around a bit, I wonder if the plan will look something like this:

[Pete]

^

Yes, that property falls within the Downtown Design Review district.

They filed a design application and I'm waiting on an open records request.

[Urbanized]

What a fantastic use of that corner. Is this in a design review district?
…

Yes. It’s in DTD-1/A2 (Downtown Transitional District 1/A2), which is a very thin slice of the north side of 13th. I’m unfamiliar with the specific design guidelines there, but it IS subject to design review by the DDRC.

Edit: as I suspected would happen, Pete beat me to the answer (in my defense I was fleshing out a more detailed answer as I knew it was subject to DDRC review but unsure of the exact sub district designation).

[BoulderSooner]

This will be completely packed as soon as it opens, Primrose typically has a waiting list months out so they will do very well in the core with limited options on the high-end side.

yep

Primrose of East Edmond (on 2nd street next to Pub W) was already on a waiting list 6 months before opening ...

[HOT ROD]

so interesting that day care hasn't been a "concern" for the CBD area worth investing in. ...

[Pete]

Here are the plans. The building will face east, towards the parking area.

[shawnw]

looks like a starbucks, which is fine, but a missed opportunity on a prominent corner. better than empty land of course. and still better than a 7-11.

[HangryHippo]

It should face 13th.

[GoGators]

A 7,753 SF building footprint and a 15,353 SF parking lot. The front of the building turning its back to the street. Yikes.

[Plutonic Panda]

Nonetheless this is good infill and with the OnCue this area will become more activated.

[David]

Mildly disappointing site design, but yeah it's still good infill and a needed service for downtown residents.

At least part of the building is up against the street and they didn't do a layout with the building set against the north side of the property with the parking lot in front along 13th. I'm also a little surprised they didn't propose a design that included their standard peaked roof look, when I was googling for images of their locations that was quite common including on some of the two story designs as I posted above.

[fortpatches]

looks like a starbucks, which is fine, but a missed opportunity on a prominent corner. better than empty land of course. and still better than a 7-11.

What looks like a starbucks? the playground?