Is armory conversion into brewery still happening? IKEA in OKC? Your questions answered

The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer fielded reader questions Friday during his weekly OKC Central Live Chat. Each week, Steve hosts a live chat, giving readers a chance to ask questions about Oklahoma City development and growth as well as an opportunity to ask direct questions of OKC newsmakers like Mayor David Holt and Dan Straughan, the executive director of the Homeless Alliance. You can join Steve most Fridays at 10 a.m. to add your comments and questions about downtown development.

To be able to ask questions and interact with Steve or special guests, you must have a digital subscription to The Oklahoman and you must be logged in. Right now, you can get unlimited digital access to all of our content for $1 for the first six months.

Oklahoma City is a potential site for a new IKEA

Q: IKEA announced they intend to expand by eight stores in the southern United States. Any rumblings of an OKC location?

A: Yes, I saw that. When you look at their comments about the area of the country where they need to grow and what markets they already have, I do actually think Oklahoma City could be a candidate.

I look at the map and I see Nashville as the only competing major market without a store. New Orleans is going backwards on population and demographics so I can't see it going there. Ditto for St. Louis.

Oklahoma and Tennessee seem to be the biggest holes in the IKEA map. That leaves Oklahoma City in great position to compete with Tulsa for an Oklahoma store.

Let's consider the possibilities in Oklahoma City. If a location along a major highway is IKEA's top consideration, than they might look at The Half (which I actually think is probably the least likely choice). I can see OAK and Chisholm Creek being great locations as well. I could even see the former cotton oil mill site south of Lower Bricktown being a fantastic location with proximity to I-40 and I-35.

More: From the archives: Before Chisholm Creek, a state fair promotion led to decades-long legal battle

I guess we'll wait and see. There's a weird thing going on with Oklahoma fitting into these expansions. Buckee's completely skipped over Oklahoma as it has expanded outside of Texas. We were years behind Tulsa in getting a Whole Foods. Oklahoma City has stepped up its game, however, and I think the city is a contender for a new IKEA store.

COOP Ale updates plans for conversion of 23rd Street Armory into a brewery and hotel

Q: How is the COOP Armory project coming along?

A: I just talked to Daniel Mercer with COOP Ale and he reports the project, sidelined by the pandemic and a drop in the hospitality market, is still very much alive. When they announced it a few years ago, the development generated excitement with plans to turn the landmark into a brewery, hotel, event center and restaurant. The company is adjusting its plans in response the company's growth and Mercer expects to announce what's next by this fall.

OG&E showing no hint of resuming plans for a new headquarters

Q: It’s been close to a decade since OG&E announced building a new office tower on the old Stage Center site. Only for plans to fall through a couple years later. Will they make good on their promise and build an office tower on that site in the near future?

A: I really don't know. Back in the 1980s they announced they were going to build a tower north of the Oklahoma County office annex only to cancel the project. This time they bought the former Stage Center, tore it down, and then cancelled plans for a four-tower development when the city balked at a tax increment financing request by Chicago-based Clayco that would have topped $100 million. The property is now being used as a park (and, against city ordinances, as illegal parking by visitors jumping the curb). OG&E is always in a situation where the company risks blowback building a new headquarters when involved in rate hikes. I'm surprised the company hasn't simply taken the empty floors at BOK Park Plaza Tower and allowed their historic building to be converted into housing. That would be the best outcome for an office market that like many in the country is hurting post-pandemic.

Expect an arena tax election later this year

Q: Any progress on a new arena for the Thunder? Potential location? 

A: I believe we will see a vote by the city council to present the question to voters and a campaign started by September with an election in December. That's my prediction and if I'm wrong I have no doubt there will be people quick to remind of that.

As for the location, I am convinced it will go on the former Cox Convention Center (now Prairie Surf) block.

More: What we know about ongoing upgrades to Paycom Center, and the arena's uncertain future

Will there be a MAPS 5?

Q: Do you believe that there will be another MAPS program going forward? There are still a lot of areas that could use some attention. 

A: Probably. But I think it will represent a continuing transition away from major capital projects to challenges involving public transit, sidewalks, trails, affordable housing and possibly even helping our public schools if the assault by state leaders on public education continues.

More: See what OKC's new family justice center for domestic violence survivors could look like

Healthy debate or futile dissent?

Q: In nearly every vote of magnitude, the city council comes down to a 6-3 vote. In each instance, there is NEVER any question who are the dissenting three votes. I understand the idea of voting your conscience, but I see the constant dissenting as a "my way or the highway" stance, and often just hurts their causes more than it helps. Your thoughts?  

A: I can see your take on that. I do prefer to hear a good debate on major questions involving the future of our city. It's healthy. As for whether their stances are hurting their cause, I can't say for sure.

Which form of government is better, Oklahoma City or Tulsa?

Q: You answered last week that you believe that OKC's city governance model is superior to Tulsa's mayor-centric model. I don't disagree with you. However, I do believe that the OKC model can lead to conflicts of interest when the OKC mayor is not a full-time employee and is often bi-vocational (including employment by others). As an example, it is no secret that Mayor Holt is employed by Hall Capital, which owns considerable land across the street from Paycom Arena, Omni/Convention Center. Other than trusting in his moral integrity on these issues, how do the citizens of OKC ensure he is representing the citizen's best interests when decisions are made regarding issues such as the proposed arena, Thunder Alley, etc., and not those of his employer who might stand to financially gain? 

A: If you don't think Tulsa's system isn't vulnerable to conflicts of interest, think again. If anything, at least we know the potential conflicts with our set-up and we do have a process for the mayor and council members to recuse themselves when such circumstances arise (I've seen this with Holt and others). But is it a perfect system? No. And without naming names, I'm pretty certain we've had some prior city leaders skirt the line or even crossed it.

Working with Gannett

Q: What has been the biggest change at the Oklahoman since becoming part of the USA Today Network of newspapers?

A: Good question.

As a reporter, it's in my DNA to never be fully happy with folks in the front offices. We're just wired in a way that leads us to question everything. I've worked at The Oklahoman for 33 years. I've worked with old school and younger editors, good and bad. I've gone through the Gaylord era, the Phillip Anschutz era, the Gatehouse era, and now the Gatehouse/Gannett era.

The second half of the 1990s was the only time in my career where the industry wasn't hit with a recession or was in constant fear of lay offs. Unfortunately, that era was also a time when hedge funds and newspaper holding companies took on a lot of debt to gobble up family-owned newspapers.

That debt then couldn't be sustained when things got rough, and stayed rough, due to the emergence of online journalism.

We are not the newsroom of the 1990s when we had staffing to allow for full coverage of the DHS, higher education, the military, Edmond, Midwest City, Norman (with its own full bureau), transportation, Enid and Lawton.

We're now a metro paper with limited resources. Gannett, however, gives us access to a network of resources that helps us to adapt and still do some great coverage.

Last year I spent several months with some of the best and brightest at Gannett delving into changing weather patterns and the conditions of our dams to show the growing threat posed by deterioration at the Overholser Dam. They also assisted me on a separate look at privately owned dams also a danger to our city.

Am I happy with everything that comes with Gannett? Nope. But overall, in comparison with the prior eras, I'd rather be with Gannett than anything else during this turbulent time of transition for the news industry. They're creative, they're nimble in many ways (sometimes too nimble), and they have a business model that may just end up working (hint, hint - it requires that all of you get digital subscriptions).

How does ACCESS Oklahoma fit into coverage?

Q: It looks like over the last couple of weeks you have reported a lot about the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and other highway projects. Are you expanding your coverage due to the need from The Oklahoman or because you already know the information being reported on?

A: Like EVERY newspaper in America, we are tasked with serving our communities with far less reporters. Until a couple of years ago, transportation was being covered by Randy Ellis. But when he retired, I volunteered to take on the task of adding transportation to my coverage.

At the time I didn't think it would involve much work. I had done coverage on the relocation of Interstate 40 and design and construction of Oklahoma City Boulevard south of downtown. That project was done. The I-235/I-44 project was wrapping up. The turnpike projects were being completed. From what I could tell, we were just looking at I-240/I-35 as the one big upcoming project.

Surely that would take too much of my time, right?

Heh, heh.

Then ACCESS Oklahoma was announced. And my job hasn't been the same since. I have no regret taking it on. We've uncovered a lot of interesting things involving this program where the turnpike authority plunged into spending up to $156 million without any bonds approved for sale or assurance these roads will get built.

For those interested, I recently did a round-up of all the controversies involving ACCESS Oklahoma.

Can public transit be incorporated into new arena site?

Q: If the new arena goes on the Prairie Surf site, what are the chance regional transit and transit, in general, gets wrapped into the plans for the space? I feel like when Santa Fe was announced as the hub close to 15 years ago, that was the plan, but, as we know, plans have changed.  

A: We have streetcar tracks along E.K. Gaylord passing the Prairie Surf (formerly Cox Convention Center) property where I am 90% certain the new arena will be built if approved by voters.

If that happens, yes, we should take a good look at how to connect the arena with the Santa Fe station, Bricktown, the Omni, the streetcar network, bus rapid transit and a potential commuter rail linking Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman. If we don't do this, we will regret it later.

Promised development replaced by surface parking

Q: I know Pat Salame gets a lot of attention for having a lot of land, but no development started, but I have to say the Fred Mazaheri group that owns the lumberyard, the old bodyworks site and the Goodwill site near the park hasn't moved on a lot of his stuff either. Seems like a buy and hold kind of guy. Why do you think that is? Have you had any interaction with him to understand what his timeline are for the projects has announced but have stalled?

A: After seeing Mazaheri's development at May Avenue and Memorial Road, I had hope that he might bring a similar development to downtown or at least add some good mixed-use or residential development.

But instead Mazaheri is trying to go with simply going with paid surface parking lots. And this may or may not be allowed for much longer. He never had zoning to allow for parking on the old lumberyard site south of Lower Bricktown. He is now trying to win a variance from the Board of Adjustment to allow him an indefinite exemption from code requirements to use the site as is for arena staff parking. City staff is advising against this.

Mazaheri also is in violation of his agreement to follow a timeline in developing the former Goodwill site west of Scissortail Park. Here too he is using the property as paid surface parking.

Should city get involved with former cotton oil mill site?

Q: I know the site of the arena has been discussed ad nauseam, but hear me out: We need something to anchor the former cotton oil mill property (south of Lower Bricktown). I can think of nothing better than an arena that would be visible from the highway with developments happening around it. Would the city get creative in structuring a way for them to purchase the land from the owners? Maybe purchase and a land swap? Brownfield funds for clean up and remediation? Tear down the two old arena and issue a request for development proposals to get money back? If the city could pull that off, they would have around 38 acres that would be for the arena and parking, then partner with other developers to build around the arena, hotels, condos, etc.  

A: Maybe it's best that this la nd remains available, even if it is for several years. I'm not saying that is what is going to happen. While I'm fairly confident the new arena, if approved, will be built at the Cox site, the former cotton oil mill property south of Lower Bricktown is certainly more than enough room for an arena. It is a candidate for the MAPS 4 soccer stadium. The challenges for such a choice are the lack of major access points, site cost and contamination.

I do hear that there are ongoing discussions behind the scenes that could lead to a mixed-use development getting started. But with construction, material and interest rate costs still going up, I'll be surprised if we hear anything anytime soon. Finally, the owners are cotton farmers - they don't want a swap. They want, and need, to get a sale done.

We can never predict when we might get an opportunity for a major retail draw or employer that might need the space that is available at the former cotton oil mill property. I see no pressing need to rush anything at the expense of getting something that works.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC likely a candidate for IKEA, armory development still alive