On the north side of Park between Robinson and Harvey we had not one but two camera shops/photo supplies retailers: Dee’s Photo Supply, across from Brown’s, and Reeves Camera Shop a few doors to the west. When I came back from Korea in 1954, I worked at Dee’s for a few months. So did OPubCo photographers Dick Peterson and John Gumm; that’s where I first met them both (Pete was John’s replacement when John moved on to the Oklahoman staff). Perhaps the people who took over Epperson’s could be convinced to open a downtown branch…

Instead of what would be cool, I think we need to think about what we *need*. I work downtown, and I would love to be able to do “errand shopping” on my lunch break. Things that I would love downtown (and not in the Deep Deuce, but quickly walkable in the CBD):
I am loathe to say, but a Walgreens would be extremely convenient for both prescriptions and their (overpriced) retail.
A smaller version of a Best Buy type store.
A decent-sized convenience store, with cheap cruddy food, Red Bull, bubble gum, beer, etc.
I’d say a decent wine store, but Broadway Wine Merchants is super close and they run a great operation.
A small grocer/deli/bodega, where I could grab food to cook later. These work all the time in NYC…why can’t they work here?

Thanks for all your hard work Steve!

Shoe Gypsy in Nichols Hills Plaza recently closed. I think, given the demographics of Deep Deuce and Midtown, that it might have been a much better fit for Automobile Alley or Midtown. I was sorry to see it go. Given the presence of LuluLemon downtown, I’m hoping maybe Urban Outfitters will also give Automobile Alley another look. I wish we had a bit more retail concentration there to make it more appealing to them. They certainly have stores in other cities in similar locations. Retailers like other retailers, and I wish the city would think about some serious incentives to locate a group of retailers in one specific area. I almost wish there were a few more empty buildings on Main Street in Bricktown, as that could have been set up as a retail area, in my opinion.

And then, we can always wish for an anchor department store downtown. Personally, I’d be very happy with a Dillards. Nordstrom is a pipe dream and honestly, except for their shoes, I don’t think they have a lot more to offer than one of the higher tier Dillards such as the one in Penn Square (which also has great shoes).

I think the lack of significant downtown retail, especially a cluster of retail, is a huge, gaping hole in our downtown renaissance and one I think the city needs to address ASAP. I think better retail would make for sale housing downtown more appealing to people who currently still wouldn’t consider living downtown as well as being a draw for tourist dollars.

Steve,

I’m perplexed why you’re focusing on Park Avenue as a corridor and not Automobile Alley. Retail is very simple. OKC needs to develop an incentive program for retail on North Broadway and concentrate all of our eggs in one basket, all of our efforts there, so that we can build critical mass. Critical mass is essential in retail. OKC may also get a lot of value out of just offering gobs of cash to a national retailer like GAP or Urban Outfitters to locate in A-Alley just to get things started.

Maybe not in te CBD but somewhere downtown a big Westlake Hardware store would be really great.

Nick, read the end of my post again – “This is my first entry in this parlor game. Please discuss – how do we make Park Avenue between Broadway and Harvey Avenue a great continuous stretch of retail?”
Automobile Alley is my next entry…

park makes sense to me. there’s such a high volume of pedestrian traffic there. by all means, cater to the downtown workers. from there it’s not far up broadway to automobile alley, which is more auto-friendly.

by the way, your photos of streets department store brought back a flood of memories, and i can’t find anything on the web about streets. we used to shop the mayfair store all the time, as we were “outlanders” in the village. do you have any stories/ links about streets?

you forgot the Old Farmers Market area, although maybe you don’t consider it downtown. it has long-standing markets for antiques and collectibls, vegetables. It looks like it is becoming the city’s local foods hub, with the Urban Agrarian opening there, Earth Elements Market/Bakery and kitchen incubator, and the Oklahoma Food Cooperative moving into the old Stirling’s location.Sunday November 4th there is a big celebration of local food going on around the Old Farmers Market.

Steve, have you been to Chirps & Cheers in downtown Edmond? A stationery store like this would be a wonderful addition to downtown. They’ve got a fantastic selection of office supplies, greeting cards and gifts, plus a dynamic ownership team that custom orders invitations, stamps, etc. Another idea would be an old-fashioned barber shop.

I know that so many people focus on the large-scale change that attracting big-box chains to downtown would bring. And as a small business owner, I understand the boost that big retail like this would give to our local economy. But do we really want Oklahoma City to feel like the concrete monotony of Dallas with the same 10 shops on every corner? (I know that’s a broad generalization, as there are some cool local hotspots in Dallas as well…) If we want a vibrant and attractive downtown shopping scene — one that truly reflects energetic urban retail, not faux-suburban convenience shopping — the city is going to have to start offering the same incentives to local small business that they’re using to draw in the big guys. And the community is going to have to be willing to sacrifice one-stop discount shopping for a street scene that will provide our city with it’s own distinct urban aesthetic and identity. Downtown OKC deserves to become one of the most desirable places to live in the Midwest.

Thanks for your support of local business and for encouraging public discourse about how we can ensure that our downtown is developed with thoughtfulness and purpose!

In 2007, my daughters and I rode the Heartland Flyer to Gainesville to shop. On our return there were three ladies coming from Ft. Worth to spend the weekend at the Colcord. They wanted to know where all the shopping was downtown. We told them that there was the Bricktown Marketplace. That was pretty much it. They specifically were interested in antiques and we told them that North May south of NW 23rd and then the store at NW 23rd and Drexel were the closest to them. It was embarrassing to have to acknowledge this to ladies who were going to spend some dollars to stay downtown at the Colcord. They were looking for places that they could walk to. I realize things have improved to some degree since 2007 but not much.

As fun as it is to wave the magic wand, Steve still needs to realize the real cost of doing business. Rents downtown make it difficult for local businesses to move in, so while I can see some national brands filling the space, pining for the days of Taylor’s can keep on dreaming. Ask Hans Herman is having a storefront downtown will really make a difference (positively) to his bottom line. At best, it may be a wash. While I love the direction downtown is making and how Steve covers it, I still think there are some blind spots from a lack of real business experience.

ironically, all the great businesses i hear people reminiscing about were locally grown. john a. brown’s, c.r. anthony’s, t.g.&y., veazy’s drug, bolton’s, katz, otasco, etc. i think the key to future greatness lies along the same path.

sorry, i was wrong about katz. oh, well…

Parking is a real problem. More metered parking spaces would make it easier for shoppers to drive, park and shop, but the scarcity discourages everyone except those who are already downtown. It’s hard to support a business merely from downtown residents and workers.

I see opportunity for your smaller “boutique” type stores. Hoping for a Best Buy or any other big box retailer is a fools errend as that type operations will never be a part of their business model and asking for it really serves no useful purpose.

As to the cost folks need to wake up to the fact that costs will be high and so will prices. The convenience of being downtown has a cost. So please do not complain if prices are quite a bit higher than in the burbs.