Fleet Feet Opening Blue Dome Location

[Conan71]

More good news to add to the influx of business coming to the Blue Dome.  I'm assuming this is the empty space that Adam Vanderburg (Lee's Bicycles) showed me and said was already leased.  I think this is a great fit...pardon the pun.  Smart move being in the central business hub.

Via Fleet Feet's email newsletter:

"Fleet Feet to open 2nd location in Tulsa! 

Fleet Feet will open in the Blue Dome District this summer

We are excited to announce officially that we will be opening a 2nd location in Tulsa this summer!  Our 2nd store will be located in the Blue Dome District next to Lee's Bicycles (2nd & Frankfurt Ave).

"We are thrilled to bring our store and all of our training classes to downtown Tulsa," says Tim Dreiling, co-owner of Fleet Feet Sports.  "We have always felt strongly about supporting Tulsa and we believe in the revitalization of downtown Tulsa that is underway.  We are committed to Tulsa and hope our efforts to bring retail to the vibrant Blue Dome District will make a difference."     

"We are very excited to have Fleet Feet come downtown and join Lee's as retail pioneers in the Blue Dome District", said Adam Vanderburg, owner of Lee's Bicycles." 

[Townsend]

That's great.

[TheArtist]

Great news.  I hope at least ONE of those businesses on that strip adds something that sticks out the front (some architectural detail, door or window canopy, SOMETHING) so that entire section of street does not continue to be a drab, dead looking, "nothing has changed here" flat wall. But aside from my rant,,, I think these businesses will compiment each other quite nicely.

[we vs us]

This is awesome, and I don't just say that as a fan of Fleet Feet and a runner.  This and Lee's Bike Shop are important lifestyle outposts for people living downtown.  They function not only as generic retail stores but as places for bikers and runners to hang out and meet up before and after runs/bikes.  It'll give some primo retail traffic and event-style buzz every time there's a training run from the Blue Dome. 

I'm totally stoked.  Excellent stuff.

[Conan71]

Picked up a buzz on Facebook there may be another pub coming to Blue Dome, no idea the location at this point, but a member of a family which had a respected Italian restaurant here for many years might be involved.  I'll post more when I can confirm.

Is it starting to become obvious to anyone else that the ball park was the needed tipping point for critical mass in the area?  I'll say it again: that one project did more than DTU did in 30 years for downtown development.

[SXSW]

Is this going in the empty space west of Lee's in this building?  And I agree Artist, they need awnings, a protruding sign, something along 2nd..


This building across from Lee's at 2nd & Frankfort would make a cool retail space, currently vacant:

[Conan71]

Just a guess, but I think FF is going into the same building as Lee's, not across the street.  They've got a space open which is the perfect size.  I'll see if I can get Adam with Lee's or Lori at FF to confirm one way or the other.

[sgrizzle]

FYI, this was one of the worst kept secrets downtown. Granted it was always told as "Don't tell anybody, but"

[Conan71]

FYI, this was one of the worst kept secrets downtown. Granted it was always told as "Don't tell anybody, but"

Blue Dome has adopted "Don't ask don't tell?"

[SXSW]

Both 2nd and 3rd are ripe for more small retail establishments like Lee's and Fleet Feet.  Maybe some will even construct their own storefronts as there are still several vacant lots.  Both streets would greatly benefit from a streetscaping; some new sidewalks, trees, and lighting could go a long way to improving the look of this area.

[sgrizzle]

Blue Dome has adopted "Don't ask don't tell?"

I believe it's historical. It is the home of the May Rooms.

[Conan71]

Adam actually had a very intricate awning frame made, but it's around back. Unfortunately, he sees that as being more the point of entry since the service department is around there in the courtyard type parking lot out back. 

[JoeMommaBlake]

I can confirm some of these things and address some others.

1. Lee's is in the process of adding signage, but has had to do some work getting it permitted. It's a sign that protrudes above the roof line, but was not (in its original construct) a rooftop sign. Once that's up, I think you'll like the look Lee's gives to the neighborhood. As for Fleet Feet, I can't imagine them not adding something to the front of the building to let people know where they are.

2. That white building across the street is not truly vacant. It's a storage building now. I agree that it would be an incredible retail space. It's not where Fleet Feet is going. FF is going next to Lee's. There's still one space in that building for lease.

3. The comment about the ballpark being the tipping point may be accurate, but I'm not sure than any of the developments we're talking about today had anything to do with it. Most of the places that are opening now, were coming regardless of the ballpark.

4. There is a new pub called Fassler Hall. Elliot wrote this about it in the monthly newsletter:
Fassler Hall
We are adding a new member to our growing family of bars and restaurants.  Fassler Hall, located between 3rd and 4th on Elgin, is inspired by the great beer halls of Bavaria like Hofbraeuhaus.  It will have amazing beer selections and live music. We plan to open our doors before the end of the summer.

Lockers will be provided to store your own beer stein.  To reserve your locker space, please contact Brian Fontaine at thecolonytulsa@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook  and a Twitter to get an inside look on construction and updates.

5. I may or may not have heard the same rumors about the other place that was mentioned in the thread.

6. The Max Retropub should open in June. Boomtown Tees will open next week in time for Blue Dome Festival...

7. Which leads me to the last point. Blue Dome Festival is happening next weekend. May 14-16. This will be the biggest Blue Dome Festival ever with over 120 artists and three days of music. The Blue Dome Association took over the planning and running of the event and I think you'll all find that we've picked up right where the previous group left off. Tulsa's best local art show continues to get better. Come down and see us!

Thanks for being supporters of the Blue Dome. We love the energy that's being stirred up lately and are excited about a very bright future in downtown Tulsa.

[Renaissance]

This is great!  I didn't realize FF had a Tulsa presence.  Their Old Town store on North Ave. in Chicago was the place to be for runners on the near north side of Chicago.  They would hold historical runs touring through the city starting at the store, and ran several training programs. 

Also, one of the great things about another active local running store is that they're likely to sponsor race events--for instance, Tulsa doesn't have a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and maybe a place like Fleet Feet could get behind starting that up.  Anyway, the store will be a great addition to the local running community. 

(There's also an interesting discussion on that other state forum about Tulsa getting national retailers while the bigger city down the turnpike doesn't.  I wonder if they'll note this latest example.)

[Conan71]

Actually Floyd, they've been in Tulsa for a few years since 2003 (see below) and there is a Turkey Trot here as well as regular weekly training runs which go from the store:

http://www.fleetfeettulsa.com/turkey-trot

I think there's a 5K just about every single weekend year 'round in either Tulsa or OKC or both.  Sometimes there are several on the same day.

Fleet Feet Tulsa has done a great job marketing themselves to the running community.

"Tim and Lori took their passion for running and turned it into a business when they opened Fleet Feet Sports in Tulsa in 2003. They also publish Oklahoma Sports & Fitness Magazine (formerly Oklahoma Runner & Triathlete) and www.oksportsandfitness.com, which provides a comprehensive race calendar and race results for Oklahoma and the surrounding area. In 2003, Tim started Fleet Feet Timing, a race management company. Tim was the first Champion Chip timer in the state of Oklahoma. Tim has since timed and/or managed over 350 events in Oklahoma and the surrounding region, including the first three Route 66 Marathons and  the 2008 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon."