Victory spreads: TAP in OKC devloping mixed-use Triangle district

[Golden Eagle]

Everytime I check in on this forum I find myself more and more amazed that Laura Miller was opposed to this project. Or maybe not she seems sort of anti-development from what very little I know about her.

But I can say that she wouldn't last a minute in OKC. Dallas you have a city that's always going to have development whether or not the mayor supports it and the people care. But in OKC the people know that if they want their town to redevelop into something like Dallas or Austin that they have to become vigilantly pro-economic development, and so that's the stance that our city has taken.

I would be interested in knowing what you all think about the proposed Triangle neighborhood going up in OKC, among many of the major construction projects (including a tower that my involvement in sort of puts a gun to my head) by TAParchitecture.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/misc%202/visionmapsmall.jpg

Antony McDermid, the CEO of TAP told me that this project that he's got in the mix right now is specifically modeled after Victory, and I've even seen many stories in the Daily Oklahoman quoting McDermid saying just that. So I guess it's official. This is OKC's project modeled after Victory.

What I know is basically that there will be 700 residential units in this, eventually, plus McDermid wants to throw in street-level retail, plus office space and eventually wants to find a hotel he can develop in here. The district is basically bounded by I 235, the railroad tracks (which there are unofficial talks of converting those tracks to carry light rail trollies and commuter rail trollies) and I guess sort of between Main and Broadway/Gaylord.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Brownstonesokc.jpg

So far this is the current project that he's building right now. Sort of boring in comparision to othes, I think it's only 10-25 townhomes that are going to go for well over $400,000, so I'm not really interested.

If anyone's interested in what else is going on in OKC let me know and I'll try to get some more stuff up. But I'm pretty excited.

:bounce:

[BigD5349]

Thanks for posting, I think it's cool. I haven't been in OKC for years, but am interested in stopping through to see how everything is changing!

[rantanamo]

what project is this that Laura Miller opposed? I'm lost.

[BigD5349]

^I think he's talking about AAC.

[Golden Eagle]

Yeah that and the Hunt deal. Sorry, I guess a mayor shot was sort of like a cheap shot. Didn't mean it badly though. I really don't know her, so I have no idear.

[Haretip]

I think the disagreement was not whether or not to allow development. The problem with some of these projects is how much public money the city should be giving private individuals and corporations to build their buildings with. Heck, give me a few hundred million and I'll help you redevelop downtown OKC. Some height-hogs could care less about how much public money the city spendson private projects as long as they get their beloved density and tall buildings, but then there are some people who realize that we all end up paying for it.

[Golden Eagle]

Our city spent $200M on projects in the 90s, with very little expected return. Much to our surprise, though not really mine so much, downtown came alive with over $2B dollars of private investment and construction, here and there, a number quickly nearing $3B. Our city also has 5 TIF districts inside the inner city, the city awarded the Hornets an incentives package to help them deal with the loss of revenue New Orleans will incur on them when they go back (sort of as a gift), and the city is very involved in development that occurs in the innercity. OKC Urban Renewal Authority, which created Bricktown, even owns almost every parcel of land immediately east of downtown. In order for a developer to do anything with that land, first he has to be awarded the land and go through several procedures and other bidding processes.

Beat that for city involvement. And I didn't even bring up I 40. :D

[shane453]

McDermid (who happens to be a British guy who landed in OKC completely by chance and decided to stay forever) isn't doing this because the city paid him to; this is the vision of his TAParchitecture and his Triangle partners. They see the demand for urban living and environment in inner OKC, and they are ready to capitalize on it.

One way Triangle and Victory differ, however, is scale. 700 units is a lot, sure, but so far all official releases point to smaller buildings (the Villas, Brownstones) making up the number, not highrises. Obviously. McDermid and friends can't be 100% sure that OKC can handle real urban development. The studies show we can, but all of the downtown developers are starting pretty small and working up. Right now no new highrises are planned (officially) in the Triangle- but I think that could definitely change as they progress on the project and see how well it works.

The Triangle is making progress, though- The Brownstones have broken ground, as well as Central Avenue Villas (And McDermid himself has purchased a condo), and plans are underway to redo an office building and possibly add a midrise office tower.

[Golden Eagle]

Just recently downtown developer Greg Banta unleashed a "masterplan" for Midtown by putting banners on all of his recent purchases on N. 10th. This man reminds me of Kanbar in Tulsa, and is almost like the Victory/Triangle version of historic renovation.

:coolcigar