OKLAHOMA CITY | Projects & Construction

[Peerson]

A nice look at downtown courtesy of Ty Welch.


https://twitter.com/TEWelch12

This is at 8th & Broadway.

[Peerson]

The Boulevard



The Boulevard development behind the Midtown Plaza Court is proceeding.

The parking lot where the new structures will be placed is being taken out.


original: http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/jam062119a.jpg

The rectangles show where the new building structures will go.
Behind that will be a new parking lot.




Seems strange to tear up a parking lot to build another one, but there must be good reasons.

As of a few days ago, the entire lot has been scraped down to dirt,



Immediately to the east is the Stella restaurant and, behind that, the Ambassador Hotel.


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45033

[Peerson]

Chisholm Creek to start Phase 2 of development

Chisholm Creek is a large mixed-used development in north OKC.

Original artist's conception (from 2014):

https://chisholmcreek.com/chisholm-creek-gallery

It occupies about 180 acres and lies along Memorial road between Blackwelder and Western.
It's massive.

Construction started on this in 2014 and is still on-going.

On the ground, Chisholm Creek is marked on the west side by the Argon apartments.


https://chisholmcreek.com/chisholm-creek-gallery


The east end is marked by the new Costco building.


https://twitter.com/OKCTalk/status/1129035704577744897

Costco is not part of Chisholm Creek, but conveniently marks the eastern edge of the development.

In between is a slew of restaurants, shops, and recreation centers clustered around a mini lake with fountains.

Site map:



Here's a rundown of most of what's been created so far.

Tract 30 (development section)





http://massarch.com/project/tract-30-chisholm-creek/


Yokozuna (asian fusion restaurant - part of Tract 30)


https://chisholmcreek.com/about-us-press/vibrant-blocks


https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/r...nt?oid=2981767


https://fitzsimmons-arch.com/design/...mercial&pid=52


iFLY (indoor skydiving)


https://chisholmcreek.com/chisholm-creek-gallery


Topgolf


https://topgolf.com/us/oklahoma-city


https://chisholmcreek.com/chisholm-creek-gallery


Chalk (sports bar)







Hopdoddy, Birra Birra, Firebirds, Uncle Julios & Cabelas





(you can see the Cabelas in the background)


original: http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/b...rra061319a.jpg


And there are a few more restaurants coming in the near future:
Razzoo's Cajun Cafe, Slapfish, and Chicken Salad Chick:


http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r...hisholm-Creek/


Phase 2

All that listed above is what's already in place.
Coming next is Phase 2.



Phase 2 will involve multi-story residential, hotel and office units being built in the core of the complex.
This will be behind (south of) the lake.

There will be several 5-story structures built featuring office space, apartments and ground-level retail.
Additionally, there will be two parking garages to service these tenants built nearby.

from OKTalk:

Directly south of the lake will be a boutique hotel. Although the operator has not been revealed, renderings by Skyline Ink show an outdoor pool and rooftop deck.

Plans also indicate that Alamo Drafthouse would be located just to the south of the new development.

Renderings:







Reportedly, more commercial space, apartments, and a music venue are coming as well.
Miles of walking paths and green space are planned to connect the various entities together.

Work on Phase 2 is expected to begin later this year.

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...-start-Phase-2

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Peerson

The east end is marked by the new Costco building.


https://twitter.com/OKCTalk/status/1129035704577744897

Costco is not part of Chisholm Creek, but conveniently marks the eastern edge of the development.

In between is a slew of restaurants, shops, and recreation centers clustered around a mini lake with fountains.

Site map:


Phase 2

All that listed above is what's already in place.
Coming next is Phase 2.



Phase 2 will involve multi-story residential, hotel and office units being built in the core of the complex.
This will be behind (south of) the lake.

There will be several 5-story structures built featuring office space, apartments and ground-level retail.
Additionally, there will be two parking garages to service these tenants built nearby.

from OKTalk:


Renderings:

All. Those. Surface Lots. A literal sea of parking spaces. Literally zero consideration of public transportation access.

Not to mention the typical assortment of southern metro yuppie recreational options ("fill in the blank" bar & grill chain, topgolf, indoor skydiving, cheap chain microbrewery, etc. The predictable template of offerings found in every suburb between Charlotte and Phoenix.

And this development somehow represents "progress"?

[Peerson]

Gun Izakaya - A Japanese pub concept will open tomorrow (7-5-2019).

Alexa Ace of the Oklahoma Gazette got a sneek peek:














https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44903

Looks rather bushido, does it not?

Thankfully, this place is now being called Gun Izakaya instead of just Gun (too short and generic to be useful).
Another awesome spot for the Paseo.

website: www.gunizakaya.com

[Peerson]

FRIDA Southwest

FRIDA Southwest is a new restaurant set to open in the Paseo District.
The name Frida pays homage to Frida Kahlo the Mexican painter.

This has been under construction for over a year.





https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=43517&page=2


And now it's finally finished.





The building behind it, also finishing construction, is The Daley, which will be a whiskey/cocktail bar.

This is not yet open, but Pete from OKCTalk managed to get a preview.

A few shots of the interior and patio:








Additionally, there's a rooftop deck for hosting private events.

description of the food selection:

Chef Ryan Parrot on the menu: "FRIDA encompasses the food and flavors of the southwest.
Imagine the circumference of a plate stretching from OKC to Santa Fe to Mexico City and that's where we are."

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...ars-completion


The Paseo District has been popping lately.
Here's a look at some of the recently created businesses there:




FRIDA is expected to open in a few weeks.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=43517&page=3

[Peerson]

The Bricktown area has been busy over the past year making improvements and upgrades.
One interesting item was the result of one man who had an idea.

Stephen Tyler used to work in Bricktown and passed by the Oklahoma Avenue Bridge every day.
Seeing the bridge gave him an idea.


https://twitter.com/stphntylr

Why not light up the white lines in the truss?

He got together with a friend, came up with a plan, and got approval from the powers-to-be to carry it out.
And as it happens, they managed to get it done just in time for the Bricktown Canal 20th anniversary celebration.


https://twitter.com/_Bricktown





https://twitter.com/downtownokc

A simple, but nice touch.

Makes me think -- perhaps they should put LED lighting on all of the Bricktown Canal bridges...

[Peerson]

American Indian Cultural Center and Museum


http://www.hargreaves.com/work/ameri...ter-and-museum

The center is designed to showcase the culture of American Indian tribes.
In particular, the 39 tribes that call Oklahoma home.

Rendering of the Hall of People:




an article by Debra Utacia Kol summarizes the project:

The American Indian Cultural Center & Museum will include a 125,000 square foot museum on a 300-acre site located on river trust property donated by the City of Oklahoma City.

Some of the attractions will include a massive Central Promontory Mound, which is 1.7 billion pounds of red earth piled 90 feet high and reflects the Spiral Mound and Cahokia Mound culture along the Mississippi Valley.
. . .
Several galleries will tell the story of both the indigenous peoples of Oklahoma and those who journeyed there through removal policies.
The 17,000-square-foot signature gallery will provide an historical overview of Oklahoma from pre-contact to the Diaspora, relocation, and tribes today.

https://newsmaven.io/indiancountryto...3Uq7jHwauMd2PQ

The original idea goes all the way back to 1994, when the Oklahoma legislature created the Native American Cultural and Education Authority to design and establish the cultural center.

Construction on the project first began in 2006 but was suspended in 2012 when state funding ran out.
Yes, construction started on this 13 years ago!

Since 2012, several attempts at finding new funding sources were tried.
In 2015, the city of OKC was given control of the project.

In a recently concluded agreement, local funds allocated by the city and bond money issued from the state generated $40 million for the cause.
The Chickasaw Nation will provide matching funds (which is sufficient to finish the project), in exchange for ownership and operations.

It's been a ridiculously long and tortorous path trying to get the center finished and open.
But after 7 years of no activity, work on the center has begun again.


http://www.theamericanindiancenter.org/visitor-center

The center's website The American Indian Center appears to be a bit out-of-date.
But it does give a good overview of the project and its goals, as well as an extended timeline of activity.

The center and museum is meant to be very high quality -- think Smithsonian level.
Hargreaves Associates was charged with the design.

Here's a rendering of the overall site:


http://www.hargreaves.com/work/ameri...ter-and-museum

There are too many details about the purpose of the design to go into.
See the center's website for more info.


New Activity

Interior construction resumed in late March:


https://twitter.com/davidfholt


Aerial photos taken 5-8-2019:







https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=12455&page=98


Shoshana Wasserman, associate director of the American Indian Cultural Center Foundation, recently gave a tour of the site to members of the OKC News Bureau:

Wasserman also noted that the museum has also made a significant shift from being a non-collecting institution to a collecting institution, and that they have a preliminary loan agreement in place with the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. (a Smithsonian Institution) to receive objects, collected at the turn of the century from all the tribes in Oklahoma

https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/dev...er-and-museum/


James Pepper Henry, who was involved in the museum's conception, was named director of the center in 2017.
Pepper Henry is an enrolled citizen of the Kaw Nation and also Muscogee (Creek).


https://gilcrease.org/tag/james-pepper-henry


Since it had been nearly 20 years since the center was first designed, and it had some obsolescent features that had to be dealt with.
For example, the original designs had spaces for phone booths.

Here, Pepper Henry meets with Mayor David Holt to discuss the updated plans for the center:



some comments from Henry:

“We took a little time to kind of refresh the interior and rearrange some things to make the user experience much better and to help us on the operational side,” he said.
Lighting systems were upgraded to LED lights, phone booths were removed and replaced with water bottle filler stations and all major exhibits were moved to one area.
. . .
The kitchen was also expanded to accommodate catering, which will help generate revenue.

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...e-construction


New renderings of the interior:







https://ramonasakiestewa.com/america...er-and-museum/


This is expected to open in 2021.

Given the history of this thing, I won't be shocked if they don't make that target.
But at least it's on the way now.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=12455&page=98
https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...e-construction

[Peerson]

Chicken N Pickle

The complex of new development by American Fidelity at 9000 N. Broadway continues.

Previously, the Flix Brewhouse was announced and is currently in construction.
Additionally, Dolese Bros. (a concrete supplier) is moving their headquarters to a spot on this site.

Now, we get news of something new: Chicken N Pickle

This will be located just east of the Flix Brewhouse.






Chicken N Pickle is a Kansas City-based recreation and entertainment chain.
They are a combination restaurant, bar and recreational sports facility.

Their business model is based around Pickleball.

Ok, I admit that I hadn't heard of this before, but it sounds fun.
Like tennis, but with smaller courts and hard rackets.
Basically ping pong... on a grand scale.

Renderings:







There will be a total of 11 pickleball courts: 5 outdoor and 6 in an enclosed structure.

The food offerings are rotisserie chicken, pork and beef along with hand-cut fries.
Additionally, they have a bar featuring craft beer on tap from local breweries.
Obtaining local craft beer shouldn't be too difficult as they will be next door to a brewery!

Looks like this will be a cool business and fun place to visit.

And much more is coming to the 9000 Broadway complex.
There are proposed hotels, office buildings, and more restaurants in the site plans.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45173

[MN/WI]

Nice updates. Does the river flood much?

[Dariusb]

Some really nice projects coming to the city!

[NYC2ATX]

Interesting you posted about both Bricktown and the AICCM, because those two projects in particular were among the first to ever catch my eye from afar in terms of OKC actually taking initiatives to reinvent and redevelop its core and its image as far back as the early to mid-2000s. But OMG how wonderful it is know that the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum has begun work again. Not only is it just a necessary institution in telling the entirety of the American story, but it is also the kind of cultural attraction that a growing city and burgeoning destination would kill to have. It doesn't hurt that in the time since, several boathouses were erected just upstream. That stretch of river itself is an attraction now.

[Peerson]

Originally Posted by MN/WI

Nice updates. Does the river flood much?

No. Not anymore. The river is highly controlled.

Now in the early days of OKC, yes, it flooded all the time.
A particularly bad flood in 1923 resulted in moving the Oklahoma City Zoo -- which originally was located in Wheeler Park right next to the river -- to higher grounds.

The city finally got rid of the problem in the 1950's with a project that widened and straightened the downtown section of the river.
This, along with high embankments on the sides helped create a floodplain. This technique is called "channelization".

It worked a little too well, though. The river frequently reduced to a trickle.
The city actually had to mow the river (no joke) during some summers.

Here's a notorious photo from 1991 (replete with abandonded TV set):



The city solved this with a series of upstream dams and locks built in the early 2000's.

Now, boats that pass through (such as the river cruise tours) have to pass through a collection of locks just like a ship going through the Panama canal (but on a smaller scale).

This technique, btw, is called "canalization".

One side effect of all this engineering is that the section of river running through the downtown is so uniform in width, depth, and current that it makes it ideal for rowing/canoeing.
Hence the birth of all the river sport venues and regatta races that we now have.

This is probably a lot longer answer than you were looking for.
It's like when you ask someone "how are you doing" and they proceed to answer with their life story.
Sorry. Can't help myself...

[Peerson]

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

Interesting you posted about both Bricktown and the AICCM, because those two projects in particular were among the first to ever catch my eye from afar in terms of OKC actually taking initiatives to reinvent and redevelop its core and its image as far back as the early to mid-2000s. But OMG how wonderful it is know that the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum has begun work again. Not only is it just a necessary institution in telling the entirety of the American story, but it is also the kind of cultural attraction that a growing city and burgeoning destination would kill to have. It doesn't hurt that in the time since, several boathouses were erected just upstream. That stretch of river itself is an attraction now.

I'm surprised to hear that the AICCM is known beyond Oklahoma.
Here we just know it as the never-ending-project-sitting-by-the-river...
Only now, it looks like an end is in sight.

One thing that I didn't mention in my post is that the city recently budgeted $1 million to create a river landing in the front of the center.
This would allow an extra stop for the river cruise boats.
(this won't be built for several more years, though)

[Peerson]

Updated photos on several downtown construction projects.

Cain's Coffee Building


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44285

The front entry is being reworked -- the old pillars have been removed.


Miller Johnson Building


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=42675&page=4

This project is moving very slowly.
At least now we can see the (light colored) facade being placed on the exterior.


The Bower at 4th & Lee


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=43862&page=4

The townhomes along the street look nearly finished (exterior anyway).
But the condos in the rear clearly still have a ways to go.


Heartland HQ


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44065&page=5

This building has topped out -- work is now concentrating on the internal systems.
The lot immediately to the east (with the white concrete building) will be the home of a new TownePlace Suites hotel.

Also, the large parking garage adjacent to both developments is getting a new paint job.
Not sure why.


Edit: One more.

Social Capital OKC


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44232&page=4

Now that is finally starting to look like the renderings.

[Peerson]

Veolia Mural

A new mural is proposed for this downtown structure:


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44848

Veolia is an energy company specializing in heating & cooling water management systems.
They purchased the downtown OKC facility in 2007.
It was originally built in 1970.

Here's a view of the structure along EK Gaylord (not the side getting the mural):


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44848

This facility provides heating and cooling to many buildings in the CBD via a network of underground pipes.
This eliminates the need to place chillers or boilers in each individual building.

Veolia and Downtown OKC Initiatives have partnered for a project to put a mural on this downtown structure.
An RFQ - Request For Qualifications - was put out several weeks ago to select an artist for the work.


https://downtownokc.com/rfq/

Submissions must be in by the end of this week on Friday (July 12, 2019).

The exterior is composed of louvers, which makes painting a mural a tricky proposition.
It does allow the possibility of a lenticular design - i.e. one whose image changes when viewed from different angles.
The RFQ specifically asks for artists with lenticular experience to respond.

Probably in conjunction with the mural project, Veolia has recently been offering tours of the facility.
This is a revelation for many in OKC who have seen the exterior of this building for many years, but have never seen the inside.





https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/dev...ack=super_blog

Veolia is going to expand the water lines from the facility by 2000 feet in order to service the new convention center.
No word yet on when construction for this extension will begin.
The convention center itself is slated to open in late 2020.

[Peerson]

Found this aerial of Scissortail Park peering over Union Station:


source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gaedde...36433/sizes/h/
Photo © Tony Gaeddert

This was taken back in May.
A really great shot.

On a more recent note, the "spider" has just been installed at the children's playground area.





https://twitter.com/ScissortailPark

[Peerson]

Various Midtown developments

I've posted previously about The Collective OKC and The Boulevard.
Here are a few other developments happening about Midtown.


DEQ parking garage

The DEQ - Department of Environmental Quality - building is replacing its parking garage.



Here is the existing garage:



The current parking garage is in bad structural shape and apparently more expensive to repair than replace.
The new garage will be 8 levels.

Renderings for the new garage:





https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45079


Hudson repaving

Hudson was repaved south of 10th street a few months ago.


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=9320&page=90


905 N. Hudson

An empty boarded up building at 905 N. Hudson has been renovated.

Here's the original condition of the building (with recommended fixes):




Work on this started about a year ago and has trudged along slowly.






As of a few days ago, it is finally finished.



https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44242

Jimmy's Egg is now open.
One of their first new customers enjoys his breakfast


https://twitter.com/midtown_okc

The other business, Riviere, is a restaurant specializing in Bahn Mi sandwiches.
It is expected to open very soon.
website: https://www.riviereokc.com


New plaza court tenant

Hacienda Tacos, a popular mexican restaurant, is moving to the old Irma's spot in the Midtown Plaza Court.






Work has just started on this yesterday (7-9-2019):





I'll finish this off with a nice shot of a rainbow in Midtown:


https://twitter.com/midtown_okc

[Peerson]

Up-Down arcade & bar

Up-Down is a combination bar and arcade game place.
They serve in-house made pizza as well.

A new location is being built in the Plaza District of OKC, near Blackwelder and 16th.
Currently they have locations in Des Moines, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

Here's a look at their location in Milwaukee:







https://www.updownarcadebar.com/milwaukee


from their website:


https://www.updownarcadebar.com


Despite the game play, this is not a kid's or family place, as it contains a bar.
The OKC location required new zoning to allow the licquor license.
The zoning was approved back in May.

They did make an accomodation to the neighborhood, though.
In deference to the nearby Empire Slice House pizza restaurant, they will not be serving pizza slices at the OKC location.
They will still serve food -- though it's not been announced what will be on the menu instead.

The 2 story structure being built will be 4700 sf and feature a lower level patio and a large upstairs balcony with an outdoor fireplace.
Developer is Al Sahli and architect is Sam Gresham.

Rendering:



Construction was somewhat stalled while dealing with the zoning and neighborhood issues.
But it has picked back up again.

As of yesterday (7-9-2019), vertical steel beams have been put into place:


https://twitter.com/OKCTalk

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44988

[Peerson]

New public art is proposed for Classen Boulevard.




This will cover the street divider along Classen between 7th and 9th:





https://twitter.com/OKCTalk

This is a project of OKC Beautiful in conjunction with the OKC Arts Commission .
The artist is Joe Slack.

Announcement of the project was made here: 50th ANNIVERSARY PROJECT: MEET THE ARTIST, JOE SLACK

some quotes from the article:

Joe is a wood and metal sculptor working and living in Oklahoma City.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma City University.

Joe says about his work, “You could define my sculptures as primitive inspired art with a modern spin and a touch of humor."

. . .

The project will be a colorful combination of paint and metal work that is unique and reflective of the surrounding community.
The installation will depict characters of various shapes and sizes dancing in an Oklahoma thunderstorm.

Well, I'm not sure that too many people dance in thunderstorms.... but I appreciate the sentiment.

The project is set for completion in the Fall of 2019.


There are various other public art projects being undertaken in OKC.
One of them is a sculpture for Red Andrews park.

This park received an extensive renovation last summer:


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=41200&page=3

The new sculpture will be placed on the north edge of the park.

Renderings:




https://www.instagram.com/p/BxdjK7Thol3/

The artists are Rick and Tracey Bewley of Art Fusion Studio in OKC.

This will be installed this summer.