Another One-Story Building for Lower Bricktown
Rendering submitted to the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority for Kevin Durant restaurant in Lower Bricktown
The Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority is set to consider final approval of plans for a one-story building in Lower Bricktown that will be nestled between the Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill and Earl’s Rib Palace. The building is to house a restaurant associated with Thunder star Kevin Durant and owned and operated by the Hal Smith Group, which own’s Louie’s and Charleston’s restaurants.
Keep in mind, the building is smaller than what was previously proposed as recently as a few years ago.
What I’m looking at today, however, is how the Lower Bricktown development, now 15 years in the making, compares to what was originally pitched by developer Randy Hogan in 1997.
In the meantime, I want to hear what you think about this latest design:
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Comments
Why are they intent upon suburbanizing lower Bricktown with low-density buildings? It’s starting to look like the sea of pad sites on I-40 between the outlet mall and Meridian.
Not only was Lower Bricktown Hogan’s first entertainment district, it was the first in OKC in a long time. Mistakes were made and those should be acknowledged. This proposal should be denied and a new development plan created for this area that fits with what we know about urban planning and creating sense of place today. The only thing worse than a bad plan, is staying committed to that bad plan.
I also can’t help but think how this relates to the new boulevard west of downtown (assuming the elevated portion is scrapped). Some people want the boulevard to be a parkway with grassy setbacks and wide medians. They often cite Ben Franklin Parkway as a model. Well, Lower Bricktown is what the new boulevard will look like if they go that route – and if they don’t like Lower Bricktown, why would we duplicate it elsewhere?
His excuse about a bigger/2 story building requiring more parking doesn’t really make any sense. Why cant he build it like the 2nd rendering, give the appearance of a 2-story building (ala Toby Keiths). Also, doesn’t he want the place to be successful? That means getting the most people thru the door, even if it might mean building a structured parking facility nearby.
So very glad you wrote this Steve. I hope that the Urban Renewal Authority does not approve this proposal as defined. It lacks any context with the canal, which was why there was a land deal with Hogan to begin with.
TMK/Hogan and Edwards Theatres Circuits Inc. paid $3 million for the land they will use, but the Urban Redevelopment Authority put that $3 million back into development of amenities along the canal. “You could say they got free land,” said Stoll.
Also, “This is our first entertainment center,” Hogan said.
http://www.specialtyretail.net/issues/dec98/Entertainments_OK.htm