Comments on: MidTown Smackdown!

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:31:10 +0000

I forgot to say before, I call B.S. on whoever said his red clay tile roofs “aren’t appropriate for MidTown or its history.”

There are red tile elements in roofs all over midtown.

The Town House Hotel
Cafe do Brasil
Palo Duro
the little travel agency at 5th and Walker
Plaza Court has tile roof elements but they aren’t red

By: Curt

Curt — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:31:02 +0000

That area has developed its own character, and I like it! It would be nice if he could do some residential and a little retail in the area with the same style so he could have his own mini neighborhood.

By: ThePlainsman

ThePlainsman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:29:26 +0000

It’s that sort of pettiness exhibited by those who are obviously better than him (tongue in cheek) that can really hurt progress. That area looks pretty good and isn’t it funny how these self-appointed (being appointed by your friends is the same) “experts” in architecture always end up using some nebulous, personally opined standard to prevent progress.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:35:31 +0000

Dowell has done some great things in that area, and I can’t believe his buildings have been criticized. The stone looks very classy and the new building on the SW corner is some of the highest quality new construction I’ve seen in the city.

That said, I don’t think he should get to declare his development a district. It sounds like the Arts District property owners don’t care to include him, so I think north of 4th should be considered Midtown and “Midtown Plaza” should just be the name of a development, no different than “Legacy at Arts Central” or “The Brownstones at Maywood Park”.

By: Jeff M. Bezdek

Jeff M. Bezdek — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:30:26 +0000

Well, basically Rick lost this one. I stayed for the rest of the meeting. Someone described it as a bit “painful” and I agree.

He basically has agreed to support “taxing himself” to help fund the BID for several past years. Now he has reached the point where he would like some marketing help but not under the broad “Midtown” name, but the specific name “Midtown Plaza”. The board didn’t go for the “Midtown Plaza” but did officially redistrict the naming map and has officially recognized his development as being in Midtown instead of being and “off shoot” of the Arts District.

The board did say he could market himself as Midtown Plaza on his own dime without contest. My guess is that is exactly what he will do as the “brand” has existed for several years.

I don’t think that he ever imagined that the official Plaza District neighborhood would become an important redevelopment or the Plaza Court building would become such a brand in itself.

I personally will not express an opinion on the architecture or the “office only” developments thus far. But I will give Rick kudos for stabilizing the neighborhood. I can remember the pimps, hookers, and druggies that proliferated the area.

We have regular “petty” vandalism and thefts of air conditioners and such, but the area is dramatically more stable generally speaking.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:14:25 +0000

I agree with Kris, he did something long before anyone else did and I credit him at least a little with Midtown coming as far as it has.

Casey, I am very familiar with downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. I never confuse Midtown Plaza with The Plaza District. I am a big fan of The Plaza District and Midtown.

Why not appease Dowell a bit and extend Midtown to his development and use it as a gateway into Midtown? That is the way I always viewed it anyway.

By: Platemaker

Platemaker — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:55:48 +0000

I’m just gonna say it… the Arts District is a joke. It seems pretty grasping to say “Hmmm, what arts-ish stuff do we have downtown?? Gardens… music hall… memorial… OKCMOA. Now let’s FORCE the creation of a district (the largest downtown) to wrap around the CBD in an inorganic fashion.”

Just doesn’t seem right…

The Myriad Gardens, Cox, and Ford Center should be added to the CBD… Film Row can have Stage Center… Film… Stage.. makes sense to me… and north of 4th (including the Memorial) is MidTown.

Even though most people think of the Music Hall as the Civic Center… actually the whole area is and should be called Civic Center.

The already have a real arts district… it’s called the Paseo.

Oh PS… the Legacy at Arts Central (gag) should be razed.

By: Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:16:40 +0000

Casey – My props were for originality of architecture and development in his region of downtown, not for the name he is proposing.

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:06:49 +0000

I’m at the meeting now – but it’s overlapping Project 180, so that means I’m at the BID but not 180. As for the apartments, no, they did not go through Urban Design because it was prior to expansion of design review for the central business district and arts district. It did go through design review, however, at Urban Renewal.

By: Brian J

Brian J — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:39:52 +0000

I do not like Dowell’s name for that area, but others seem to be acting like 5 year olds. If he is in the arts district, that district needs to suck it up and include him. If Dowell wants to be part of MidTown or some other district, then he needs to convince the powers that be. But whatever district they decide he is in needs to work with him. Otherwise, they look like petty 5 year olds.