Any new midtown/Cherry Street developments?

[patric]

By the way, not every CVS looks the same

The footprint for the new one at 21st & Harvard is in place, all the parking is up front.

[Townsend]

Yanking yer chain buddy.  That's a lot of good info in one day.  Was there a development forum or something you went to?

Yes.  It was informative and pretty exciting.

Oh, and the developers were all surprised to find out there's a new position at city hall.  A development secretary.  Apparently named Crystal.  I can't remember her last name.  I think she needs to get out there and introduce herself to some of these guys developing since she's the city's liaison to development.

[Townsend]

The footprint for the new one at 21st & Harvard is in place, all the parking is up front.

A shame, not a surprise but a shame.

[Conan71]

Yes.  It was informative and pretty exciting.

Oh, and the developers were all surprised to find out there's a new position at city hall.  A development secretary.  Apparently named Crystal.  I can't remember her last name.  I think she needs to get out there and introduce herself to some of these guys developing since she's the city's liaison to development.

People being aware of her existing isn't important.  This is the government, what's important is that she's got a spot on the payroll.  Maybe if I wasn't so harshly critical of our politicians at every turn I could have a $125K per year job with no real defined duties or expectations.  Sort of like Bartlet's (sic) old school buddy who is not his communications director.  Luckiest guy since Ringo Starr.  What a gig!

[carltonplace]

I'd love to see new brownstones in all of the empty spaces between 12th and 8th, Denver to Cheyenne.

[Conan71]

I'd love to see new brownstones in all of the empty spaces between 12th and 8th, Denver to Cheyenne.

Agree.

I wish they had done that throughout the Cherry St. area instead of the incongruous moderns amongst 1920's craftsmen and red brick apartment buildings.

[ZYX]

Any word on which building the grocery will go in?

Also, did you hear which brand the Snyders chose for OCH? I heard that several were up for consideration.

[Townsend]

Any word on which building the grocery will go in?

Also, did you hear which brand the Snyders chose for OCH? I heard that several were up for consideration.

Yeah, they told us but I wasn't told I could elaborate so I feel like I should keep it in for now, sorry.  We were told it would be a store to get a couple of bags of groceries, not 20 bags like a Reasor's et al.  You could get diapers, cold meds, food to make that night and the next day...a city market. (deli, meats, fresh produce, etc.)

I forgot to ask about the hotel brand...dammit.  I need to write these things down.

[ZYX]

Oh, well. That's fine. I'm sure there will be an announcement soon.

[Conan71]

Yeah, they told us but I wasn't told I could elaborate so I feel like I should keep it in for now, sorry.  We were told it would be a store to get a couple of bags of groceries, not 20 bags like a Reasor's et al.  You could get diapers, cold meds, food to make that night and the next day...a city market. (deli, meats, fresh produce, etc.)

I forgot to ask about the hotel brand...dammit.  I need to write these things down.

Can I like, buy a case of Sudafed at 2am there?

[swake]

Yeah, they told us but I wasn't told I could elaborate so I feel like I should keep it in for now, sorry.  We were told it would be a store to get a couple of bags of groceries, not 20 bags like a Reasor's et al.  You could get diapers, cold meds, food to make that night and the next day...a city market. (deli, meats, fresh produce, etc.)

I forgot to ask about the hotel brand...dammit.  I need to write these things down.

Wasn't it going to an aLoft, that's what the Synder's said some time ago.

[SXSW]

I'd love to see new brownstones in all of the empty spaces between 12th and 8th, Denver to Cheyenne.

I would so live in something like that.  It only exists in a few areas in Tulsa like the Brownstones at Central Park and along Carson south of 18th.  I also prefer front-facing to the driveway/alley-facing lofts that have been built around Cherry Street and Uptown. 

[we vs us]

Wasn't it going to an aLoft, that's what the Synder's said some time ago.

That's what I hear, too.

[Conan71]

Unfortunately, due to the paywall, I don't have access to the article online, but ripped from the pages of Tulsa World:

There's a proposal calling for private money to re-stripe Cherry St. between Quaker & Troost into a two lane street with parallel parking on the south side and angled parking on the north side.  This configuration will increase on street parking spots in that area from about 40 to 109 total.

As well, La Madeleine French Cafe is opening a restaurant on the NW corner of 15th & St. Louis.

There's some major WIN for Cherry St. and a good commitment to making access to it easier for patrons.

[we vs us]

Camille's will indeed become Mi Cocina, to open sometime this fall:

Mi Cocina to open on Cherry Street this fall

By KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Published: 7/7/2011  7:39 PM
Last Modified: 7/7/2011  11:30 PM

Upscale Mexican restaurant chain Mi Cocina is gearing up for its new Cherry Street location, the first outside of metro Dallas.

Contractors are working on plans to convert the former Camille's Sidewalk Cafe at 1342 E. 15th St. into the full-service Tex-Mex restaurant.

Mi Cocina could open by mid-October, said Clay McAfee, director of operations for M Crowd Restaurant Group Inc., the Irving, Texas-based parent company.

"We've always wanted to come to Tulsa, and the Cherry Street area is the place that we want to be," McAfee said.

Mi Cocina serves contemporary Tex-Mex cuisine such as brisket tacos, enchiladas and carne asada.

"We like to think of it as the Neiman Marcus of Mexican food," McAfee said. "We make everything from scratch and we bring in fresh meat everyday."

The new restaurant, which was announced in January, will have about 75 employees, including a 50- to 60-member wait staff.

Most Mi Cocina restaurants have large footprints and are decorated with modern furniture and stylings. The contemporary motif will continue with the Cherry Street site, but the site will be smaller than most Texas locations.

The company is spending about $1 million on renovations at the site, according to building permit records.

A patio seating area is planned, along with doors that will open the restaurant to the outside when the weather cooperates, McAfee said.

Mi Cocina has been pursued by developers in several markets, but McAfee said M Crowd chose Tulsa because of the large base of Mi Cocina customers in the area who are familiar with the Dallas versions.

"It's funny because sometimes you feel like the pretty girl at the dance," he said. "Everybody seems to want you, but we want to take it slow."

The company is working on a possible Mi Cocina location in the Houston area, McAfee said.

The company has 23 restaurants, including 15 Mi Cocina restaurants in the Dallas area. The first restaurant opened in 1991.

M Crowd also operates at fast-casual chain known as Taco Diner, and The Mercury restaurant.