(PROJECT) One Place Tower

[jacobi]

Unfortunately, from this rendering it looks lke the 15 story tower is turning its back on the BOK Center (at the street level) when it could be part of the action along 2nd street.  I thought the intent of Place One was to take advantage of the BOK Center, not ignore it.  Again, this is better than the surface lot/apts. it's replacing, but is a missed opportunity to make something great instead of just good with a few better thought out details and connectivity at the street level.

I think when the other elements of the project come along, they will take better advantage of the view.  Wait for the condos and hotel to come along.

[nathanm]

I often see fantastic looking towers that people ooh and aah over in images seen at a distance, but then when I look at how the tower meets the pedestrian, it's sometimes a horrible affront.

Hello Empire State Building. From the street, it looks terribly boring, IMO. I missed it the first time I went looking for it. Seriously, it's that boring down there, at least until you walk in the lobby.

[erfalf]

I do notice that any city that is considered to have a "good" downtown, every building has multiple uses. There is always a ground level commercial use. I will agree that in Oklahoma we still build everything with a single use in mind. For example the Cimerex tower looks like it will be strictly an office tower (although I recall hearing something about a restaurant). Virtually every new residential project in downtown OKC is 100% residential.

I understand that "mixed-use" is the big buzz word and I hate to be cliche but it works every time. If developers would provide space that is easily sub-dividable it would work. Smaller spaces in particular would be extremely critical to getting things rolling. While everyone likes a big flashy new store, it is the volume of options in a small space that will draw people in. People don't want to walk several miles to only go to a handful of places. Why else do people go to malls and Utica Square and such. They park once and walk (but to many different options in a relatively small space). People will park there cars if given a reason, you just can't tell them to. I would if I could now, but it just isn't an option (if I would like to continue working anyways).

I understand in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood they have some sort of form based code that requires all new commercial construction in neighborhood areas to include a residential component. It has worked pretty well so far in that each new business adds several new residences/potential customers. It does not require the opposite for primarily residential in that it is already a residential area. Could we not do the reverse and require that all new construction in downtown include some sort of ground level commercial space? Are rents so low that no builders find this worthwhile to include?

[TheArtist]

I do notice that any city that is considered to have a "good" downtown, every building has multiple uses. There is always a ground level commercial use. I will agree that in Oklahoma we still build everything with a single use in mind. For example the Cimerex tower looks like it will be strictly an office tower (although I recall hearing something about a restaurant). Virtually every new residential project in downtown OKC is 100% residential.

I understand that "mixed-use" is the big buzz word and I hate to be cliche but it works every time. If developers would provide space that is easily sub-dividable it would work. Smaller spaces in particular would be extremely critical to getting things rolling. While everyone likes a big flashy new store, it is the volume of options in a small space that will draw people in. People don't want to walk several miles to only go to a handful of places. Why else do people go to malls and Utica Square and such. They park once and walk (but to many different options in a relatively small space). People will park there cars if given a reason, you just can't tell them to. I would if I could now, but it just isn't an option (if I would like to continue working anyways).

I understand in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood they have some sort of form based code that requires all new commercial construction in neighborhood areas to include a residential component. It has worked pretty well so far in that each new business adds several new residences/potential customers. It does not require the opposite for primarily residential in that it is already a residential area. Could we not do the reverse and require that all new construction in downtown include some sort of ground level commercial space? Are rents so low that no builders find this worthwhile to include?

I don't think it would be worthwhile to do that all over downtown ( it's the... If you try to make all streets "A" top notch streets, none of them will be, rule)  But in some cities they do require that on certain streets or areas.  I believe Denver has designated "A" mixed use/pedestrian friendly streets and "B" car oriented, parking lots, drive thru, alleyway/loading and unloading, etc. streets.  

[jacobi]

While everyone likes a big flashy new store, it is the volume of options in a small space that will draw people in.

Agreed.  It seems that we are waiting for our problems to be solve one entire city block at a time.  Consider any of the open lots in downtown.  Odds are that it was initally a group of smaller separately owned parcells that had development on them.  Parking lots were built to serve one of them, then anotherr, until the final properties were so devalued that parking makes more sense and you end up with a solid city block demolished that is consolidated into one parcel.  If one know wanted to develope it, it is a MUCH larger matter as you have to buy the whole block.  Take a look at manhattan's Union Square.  I don't know how to post images on this damned site so you are going to have to google streetview it.  Notice how narrow each of the buildings is.  Now compare that to something like the ONG building.  Looks similar, huh?  I really wish that lot holders would subdivied their land so that smaller developers (if properly motivated) could make a move on a property.  Not neccisarily grandiose, but I would rather see a vacant lot suddenly have a 4 or 6-square apartment building on the corner of it that it didn't before.

Are rents so low that no builders find this worthwhile to include?

The differnce in rent between residential and commercial is huge.  $1/sf for res; 12-15 for commercial.

[BKDotCom]

Exciting day on the job site.
They're erecting the tower crane.
They're on the verge of raising a very large mobile crane to do so (currently laying down... longer than a city block and blocking Cheyenne).

visible, but hard to see http://oxblue.com/pro/open/oneplacetower.

[SXSW]

Exciting day on the job site.
They're erecting the tower crane.
They're on the verge of raising a very large mobile crane to do so (currently laying down... longer than a city block and blocking Cheyenne).

visible, but hard to see http://oxblue.com/pro/open/oneplacetower.

Yep in the next few months this thing will go vertical in a big way. 

And there are three leasable spaces on the first level: 2 along 2nd and 1 on Cheyenne.  The main entrance and lobby are at the corner of 2nd & Cheyenne.  The parking garage is only accessed via Cheyenne.

Regarding the 2nd St streetcape...there is a plan funded by the Kaiser Foundation to install a streetscape with larger sidewalks and trees along 2nd from Denver to Elgin.  I would assume it would happen after the construction is completed and also in conjunction with the GKFF-funded streetscape projects taking place in Brady.

[carltonplace]

Yep in the next few months this thing will go vertical in a big way. 

And there are three leasable spaces on the first level: 2 along 2nd and 1 on Cheyenne.  The main entrance and lobby are at the corner of 2nd & Cheyenne.  The parking garage is only accessed via Cheyenne.

Regarding the 2nd St streetcape...there is a plan funded by the Kaiser Foundation to install a streetscape with larger sidewalks and trees along 2nd from Denver to Elgin.  I would assume it would happen after the construction is completed and also in conjunction with the GKFF-funded streetscape projects taking place in Brady.

Trees would do a lot to break up the concrete canyon feel of 2nd St.

[TheArtist]

Trees, lights, wider stretches of cement, etc. nobody is going to want to walk down that street to get to say the Blue Dome or Brady Arts district.  I would save the money and use it to further improve a street that people will walk down.   People downtown will naturally go where the interest and activity is, not where there happen to be trees lining blank walls, they will avoid those areas.  And surely we don't want people going down those kinds of streets anyway.  What kind of impression is that for a city compared to ones where you can walk down lively, engaging streets?

[carltonplace]

I'd like to see the rendering first; GK might surprise us.

[ZYX]

The crane is now up. Very exciting to see!

[TheArtist]

  Now one thing we could do, along with lights and trees, to make that street a more interesting and enjoyable walk would be to have different artists do paintings, wall sculptures and mosaics on those blank walls all along the way.  Not HUGE murals or only huge murals that you have to stand far off to fully enjoy, but have lots and lots of small 5 feet x 5 feet to say 10 feet x 10 feet paintings, wall sculptures and mosaics all along the way that you can enjoy as you walk past each one.  Ideally you would have some that can be more permanent, and also some that could be painted over from time to time keeping things fresh.  I have actually seen this done in some cities to nice effect.  

 If we want to make it so that people will be more likely to walk from the Arena to say the Brady and Blue Dome, turn those blank walls along that street into a lively, colorful and engaging outdoor art gallery.

  If most of my free time wasn't taken up with the Tulsa Art Deco Museum I would organize it myself.  But show me a wall and get me permission and I will volunteer to do the first painting myself.  And of course if someone can convince GK or someone to pay me for a few days or a week of my time each year to get approvals, find artists, etc. to add more art, I will of course be happy to be the one who organizes it lol.  But then again, If the plan is to truly have this corridor be one that the city wants people to walk down, this might be a project that the city arts commission should take on.

[Jeff P]

 Now one thing we could do, along with lights and trees, to make that street a more interesting and enjoyable walk would be to have different artists do paintings, wall sculptures and mosaics on those blank walls all along the way.  Not HUGE murals or only huge murals that you have to stand far off to fully enjoy, but have lots and lots of small 5 feet x 5 feet to say 10 feet x 10 feet paintings, wall sculptures and mosaics all along the way that you can enjoy as you walk past each one.  Ideally you would have some that can be more permanent, and also some that could be painted over from time to time keeping things fresh.  I have actually seen this done in some cities to nice effect.  

 If we want to make it so that people will be more likely to walk from the Arena to say the Brady and Blue Dome, turn those blank walls along that street into a lively, colorful and engaging outdoor art gallery.

  If most of my free time wasn't taken up with the Tulsa Art Deco Museum I would organize it myself.  But show me a wall and get me permission and I will volunteer to do the first painting myself.  And of course if someone can convince GK or someone to pay me for a few days or a week of my time each year to get approvals, find artists, etc. to add more art, I will of course be happy to be the one who organizes it lol.  But then again, If the plan is to truly have this corridor be one that the city wants people to walk down, this might be a project that the city arts commission should take on.

Love this idea.

[BKDotCom]

The crane is now up. Very exciting to see!

Was up... They have removed the boom.  Something about a bad seal in the rotaty part

[Conan71]

Something about a bad seal in the rotaty part