(PROJECT) One Place Tower

[Conan71]

On par, I still think that downtown Tulsa is developing more organically than OKC or Dallas or some other places.  We still have a variety of small projects and locally owned bars and restaurants popping up and not as many big developments.  One Place seems to be the only real full block development.  I wouldn't mind seeing a few others pop up, but hopefully the small independent places continue to be the main force in downtown revitalization.

That's one thing I like about Tulsa's downtown redevelopment is it doesn't hinge on a drecky and contrived district like KC P&L.

[DTowner]

My wife just got back from Chicago, and she mentioned that on Michigan Ave there were several buildings that had what amounted to a scaled down mall on the first several floors of a few buildings. For example, you would walk in what looked like the main entrance to a building and there would be a couple of anchor type stores (department store types) that also had entrances directly to the street and then upstairs there would be a half dozen or so stores on each floor. Of course above all of that would be an office building/condo/hotel or something. So it wasn't just a downtown mall concept. Mixed-Use.

As I recall, a lot of buildings on Michigan Ave. have what is essentially a mall on the first few floors.  As I also recall, many of these malls all start looking alike as most of them have the same basic chain retail stores.  Of course, since it is in the center of a city with millions of residents and millions more travel from all over to stay and shop on Michigan Ave., it works.

[DTowner]

I'm pretty sure the Hyatt was part of the Williams tower development and its still going.  It seems that the only part that didn't work out was the forum shopping area.  I think that if the forum was still a retail center it would not only be able to survive but would thrive amongst the new wave of downtown development.  It sure would be nice if they could repurpose it for what it was originally.  But I'm sure its too far gone to go back, and there will be plenty of retail downtown if the current development continues, and hopefully accellerates if the economy can ever get back to what it was.

I remember traveling from Missouri to Tulsa as a kid and going to the Forum.  We thought it was so cool to have a multi-story mall with an ice skating rink in the middle of all those tall buildings.  Of course, we also ate at Casa Bonita on these trips, so maybe we were easily impressed.  Nonetheless, by the second trip, even as a kid I thought it odd that we were traveling to an otherwise quiet downtown (on a weekend) to shop at a mall that, except for the ice rink, had pretty much the same stuff as our mall in Missouri.

Utica Square survived and thrives because it was always distinguishable from the suburban malls like Woodland Hills.  Now, the trend is away from suburban style malls and towards centers like Utica Square.  Like Utica Sq., however, downtown retail has to distinguish itself from the malls or new lifestyle centers, etc. and offer unique stores to pull in shoppers from the outer areas especially until sufficient numbers of residents live downtown to sustain the stores.  The old Forum concept was based on a model that is going the way of the dinosaur.

[Jeff P]

I'm pretty sure the Hyatt was part of the Williams tower development and its still going.  It seems that the only part that didn't work out was the forum shopping area.  I think that if the forum was still a retail center it would not only be able to survive but would thrive amongst the new wave of downtown development.

The Hyatt was part of the "Williams Center" development. Williams owned a real estate arm back then that was responsible for the BOK Tower/Williams Center, the PAC, the Williams Green, the Hyatt and the black Williams Center 1/2 buildings on second street. 

We sold those off year ago and just own the Tower/Williams center now.

It sure would be nice if they could repurpose it for what it was originally.  But I'm sure its too far gone to go back, and there will be plenty of retail downtown if the current development continues, and hopefully accellerates if the economy can ever get back to what it was.

Yeah I don't think we could very easily convert it back to retail.  For one thing, all of that space is offices now, and it's almost totally full.  In fact, we're in the process of a major renovation/upgrade of the offices in the Resource Center (the old mall/ice skating rink).

[nathanm]

Yeah I don't think we could very easily convert it back to retail.  For one thing, all of that space is offices now, and it's almost totally full.  In fact, we're in the process of a major renovation/upgrade of the offices in the Resource Center (the old mall/ice skating rink).

I believe that's why skyscrapers were invented.

Not that a shopping-mall-type development is what we need downtown right now. Would be nice to have the skating rink back, though. I'm always game for further ruining my ankle.

[carltonplace]

I believe that's why skyscrapers were invented.

Not that a shopping-mall-type development is what we need downtown right now. Would be nice to have the skating rink back, though. I'm always game for further ruining my ankle.

Personally I think a plaza open air urban style shopping area would enhance downtown and make it a regional draw. There is certainly room for it.
   

[erfalf]

Personally I think a plaza open air urban style shopping area would enhance downtown and make it a regional draw. There is certainly room for it.
   

Seems to be working alright in Denver.

[TheArtist]

Personally I think a plaza open air urban style shopping area would enhance downtown and make it a regional draw. There is certainly room for it.
   

The Cathedral Square idea anyone?

[dioscorides]

i just noticed that the exterior is being added on the north side of the building.
http://oxblue.com/open/oneplacetower

[carltonplace]

The Cathedral Square idea anyone?

Yes please.

[swake]

I would like to see a large year round indoor/outdoor farmers market

[BKDotCom]

Is the Cimarex tower at it's final height?
It appears it is, unless they'll be switching to steel.

[Townsend]

Is the Cimarex tower at it's final height?
It appears it is, unless they'll be switching to steel.

I'm not good at this but per the camera shot I can see, it looks like they're adding more height.

http://oxblue.com/open/oneplacetower

[TheArtist]

Looks like they have about 4 more floors to go to me.

[Weatherdemon]

Looks like they have about 4 more floors to go to me.

Looks like they're at 15 with 3 more to go assuming it's still set at 18.

It can now barely be seen coming down 75 from Owasso