The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Talk About Tulsa => Development & New Businesses => Topic started by: swake on December 17, 2010, 08:20:30 AM

Title: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: swake on December 17, 2010, 08:20:30 AM
The article is also about the old city hall being converted to an aLoft Hotel due to open in December '10 or January '11. But more interestingly they have bought the YMCA building and will convert it to residential and retail. Construction to start in June.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=334&articleid=20101217_32_A1_Tulsas817951
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: dbacks fan on December 17, 2010, 08:47:01 AM
Interesting. Now lets hope that some one can save the Tulsa Club Building.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: Townsend on December 17, 2010, 09:17:06 AM
That's great.

QuoteInteresting. Now lets hope that some one can save the Tulsa Club Building.

It looks like they've chosen their corridor.  We can always hope though.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: TheArtist on December 17, 2010, 09:49:56 AM
Great news, I was hoping someone would save that building.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: swake on December 17, 2010, 09:57:02 AM
Quote from: TheArtist on December 17, 2010, 09:49:56 AM
Great news, I was hoping someone would save that building.

We are starting to run out of empty buildings which is really good news.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: SXSW on December 17, 2010, 10:13:21 AM
Quote from: swake on December 17, 2010, 09:57:02 AM
We are starting to run out of empty buildings which is really good news.

Are the YMCA and Tulsa Club the largest remaining empty buildings downtown?  The Blue Cross Blue Shield building is almost empty as they have consolidated most of their offices to their building at 14th & Boston.  That building would be perfect for apartments or condos because of the views, the only downside being the sunken highway next door.  

If not residential, I was hoping the YMCA could be a downtown high school, more specifically TSAS which is currently housed in an office building near 51st & Yale.  A downtown arts and sciences magnet school would be a good fit downtown, or near downtown.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: TheTed on December 17, 2010, 11:12:29 AM
Quote from: swake on December 17, 2010, 09:57:02 AM
We are starting to run out of empty buildings which is really good news.
Luckily we still have dozens of very underutilized buildings, those used for storage, restaurants open 15 hours a week, etc.

The YMCA is great news. Wonder what type of retail they'll have. The story also mentions their planned retail at the detroit lofts. Is that really still happening? I refuse to get my hopes up, as the the part that's apparently going to be retail looks extremely rough every time I peer in the windows.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: carltonplace on December 17, 2010, 11:15:27 AM
Quote from: TheTed on December 17, 2010, 11:12:29 AM
Luckily we still have dozens of very underutilized buildings, those used for storage, restaurants open 15 hours a week, etc.

^ The Sinclair, Vandevers, The McFarlan all rock throwing distance from Bartlett Square and all under-utilized.

Great news on the YMCA building though.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: SXSW on December 17, 2010, 12:28:57 PM
Quote from: carltonplace on December 17, 2010, 11:15:27 AM
^ The Sinclair, Vandevers, The McFarlan all rock throwing distance from Bartlett Square and all under-utilized.

Great news on the YMCA building though.

All of those are full of Class C office space and have high vacancy rates.  Many of the buildings around Bartlett Square would be perfect for apartment conversions similar to what has been done at the Mayo Bldg. 
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: BKDotCom on December 17, 2010, 01:42:29 PM
Quote from: swake on December 17, 2010, 08:20:30 AM
The article is also about the old city hall being converted to an aLoft Hotel due to open in December '10 or January '11.
Hmm... try December '11 or January '12
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: swake on December 17, 2010, 02:15:25 PM
Quote from: carltonplace on December 17, 2010, 11:15:27 AM
^ The Sinclair, Vandevers, The McFarlan all rock throwing distance from Bartlett Square and all under-utilized.

Great news on the YMCA building though.

Are the Noble Drilling buildings still empty?
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: RecycleMichael on December 17, 2010, 04:25:26 PM
They bought the Mayo, City Hall, and the YMCA. Are they only purchasing the ones with four-letter words?
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: swake on December 17, 2010, 04:32:23 PM
Quote from: BKDotCom on December 17, 2010, 01:42:29 PM
Hmm... try December '11 or January '12

Ah, yes, I do mean that.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: Oil Capital on December 17, 2010, 08:24:16 PM
Quote from: swake on December 17, 2010, 02:15:25 PM
Are the Noble Drilling buildings still empty?

Do you mean Parker Drilling?  If so, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: custosnox on December 17, 2010, 09:52:28 PM
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 17, 2010, 04:25:26 PM
They bought the Mayo, City Hall, and the YMCA. Are they only purchasing the ones with four-letter words?
Nope, they got Detroit Loft as well... oh wait, Loft if four letters..
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: spartanokc on December 18, 2010, 10:44:30 PM
This gets more awesome each week. Is Tori Snyder no longer involved in Brickhugger, because the article completely omitted it despite naming all of TOCH's partners.

I wonder if they plan to change the facade much, or pretty much leave it the way it looks now. There was a group last year that was advocating for some kind of adaptive reuse. These mid-century modern buildings like the City Hall site and the old YMCA can actually be extremely cool if restored and given a fresh coat of paint.

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRz9yznW2r_P9aQcOhvSSAGFVc2YNvjUNfxeedK0PKi8P-e0u8B)

This is the Aloft in DT Dallas mentioned in the article. A little more historic than the Tulsa properties, but I think these latest Brickhugger projects could have a very similar feel as the Mercantile Bldg, also in DT Dallas, which they did a mixed-use renovation and some really sleek colored lighting. Sometimes though it is kind of hard to see the potential of mid-century buildings in bad condition, especially for some people who still have a 1980s definition of "historic."

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRK4LatzVclzEuurKaPCJMG5A3LVdUIcJevT4Kt1X-7QPxY2pw46g)(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7oHtlaRFqrw0hYKqj-ZmOPCndc1Kx7oKXgtedAd6CzMpYSu6l)

There's a photo slideshow here..
http://www.mercdallas.com/building.aspx

I'm excited to see what they will do with the terra cotta street level of the old Y.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: RecycleMichael on December 19, 2010, 12:04:22 AM
The Snyder family is still involved. The daughter just got married recently and changed her name.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: custosnox on December 19, 2010, 12:46:30 AM
Macy has pretty much been the face of Brickhugger.  She now goes by the name of Amatucci.  Tori seems to be more in the background making things happen.
Title: Re: Brickhugger buys former downtown YMCA
Post by: SXSW on December 19, 2010, 03:05:25 PM
Quote from: custosnox on December 19, 2010, 12:46:30 AM
Macy has pretty much been the face of Brickhugger.  She now goes by the name of Amatucci.  Tori seems to be more in the background making things happen.

And behind Tori is her husband John, the President of Tulsa-based Manhattan Construction.  I wouldn't doubt that the Rooney family, which owns Manhattan, is also involved.