Status of downtown parking? How to rank development projects? Your OKC questions answered

The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer fielded reader questions Friday during his weekly OKC Central Live Chat. 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 three months.

Below is an edited transcript of Friday’s discussion:

Will increased public transit investment prevent new garage construction?

Q: With concrete prices rising, do you see garage development slowing? Why do we need it with the streetcar and bus rapid transit?

A: I don't think we're looking at any more public garages being built in the foreseeable future. A building permit was recently filed to construct surface parking at 1 E Main Street where previously BancFirst and Continental Resources planned to build a private garage.

But garages remain a part of the equation because public transit just isn't sufficient enough to do away with parking altogether. OKANA does not work without a parking garage. The proposed four-tower Dream hotel development in Lower Bricktown does not work without a garage.

Will rising interest and construction costs doom development at NW 13 and Broadway?

Q: Are there any updates on Broadway and NW 13th? Going or slowing? High interest rates are not a developer's friend mixed with low office demand and rental rates. 

A: Yet we are seeing new office construction in Midtown and we are seeing construction of new apartments and hotels. Developers are weighing cost increases against demand and are continuing to see a risk worth taking. As of a few weeks ago, the answer I got on all of this for NW 13 and Broadway is that things are still moving forward.

Should voters expect a contribution from the Thunder for a new arena?

Q: With the poll for the new arena underway, what is your prediction on how this all ultimately plays out? And don’t you feel 10% of the construction costs by the team is a bit low? 

A: Mayor David Holt confirms an ownership contribution is being looked at as part of any new arena proposal but he cautioned against assuming the numbers cited in the poll reflect what will be presented to voters.

I will share, my interview with the mayor involved a more expansive discussion on whether this poll was news, what it really meant, and what is and is not happening with the negotiations. It was a friendly and quite honestly enjoyable debate over news judgment and reporting that I think is healthy for both reporters and public officials.

Now, that having been said....

These polls aren't cheap. The chamber is often the entity commissioning these polls even though neither the chamber or the pollster will confirm or deny such involvement.

But let's just agree the poll was clearly commissioned by a supporter of building a new arena. The folks in this discussion are pretty smart. They're not newcomers to this process. Do they really want to plant the figure of a $75 million contribution in the minds of those being polled if that figure is just a random guess? Let's say we then find out there is no contribution, or it's only $10 million. Expectations, set by this poll, are not met and that could hurt voter support. So I'm not buying it's a random figure.

If you come to the same conclusion, then yeah, we're looking at the possibility of the Thunder contribution $75 million toward the construction of a $750 million arena. Is 10% enough? That's not for me to say. We can look at other arena deals, and we will. But in the end, this is a cost-benefit and policy decision that each person must weigh and decide.

Should a popular Bricktown venue to be bulldozed to make way for new development?

Q: Steve, do the Bricktown Event Center and its parking lot need to be bulldozed, burned, or blown up to make way for more productive development? I’ll hang up and listen. 

A: The Bricktown Event Center, now Oklahoma Ranch, is a pretty popular country-western venue with live music and all the associated entertainment one can expect with such a large operation. From what I've seen, it's been a good addition to the district. The parking across the street is owned by the city and used for not just Oklahoma Ranch but also IHOP, the Bricktown comedy club and the ballpark.

I think there is a way to develop the parking lot in a way that can keep all these venues served with a garage. Tear down Bricktown Ranch? I really can't see why that would ever be a consideration.

What do the numbers really say about homelessness in Oklahoma City?

Q: I'm hearing a lot about Homelessness in Oklahoma City, but the Mayor showed us facts that it is flat. If you read the OKC census it shows "chronic homelessness" is increasing. Can you get someone like Dan Straughn on to explain to us what is happening? This was the same week it was reported we are the ONLY top 50 city with median rents below $1,000. I'm confused. 

A: I'd love to host Dan on a future chat and I will contact him to see if he can join us. I admit, it's confusing to me as well. And I need to delve into the numbers more on affordable housing because what I'm seeing is a sharp escalation in rents and a diminishing inventory of affordable housing.

I believe the numbers reported by the Homeless Alliance. But anecdotally, something has changed in the last few years where we are seeing camps along public streets that weren't the norm a decade ago.

Is it at the same scale as we see in California and elsewhere? No. But it's of concern.

Which new mixed-use development will rise to the top?

Q: Oklahoma City has at least five mixed use developments currently in various stages of development. Each having its own unique appeal. Which of the five; OKANA, The Half, Chisholm Creek, Rose Creek or OAK will emerge as the local favorite five years from now and why? 

A: Let's break this down a bit. Remember the old Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the others"? That's where we start with OKANA, the $400 million resort being built on the south shore of the Oklahoma River next to the First Americans Museum. It's a hotel, conference center, Native American crafters village, retail, restaurants, indoor water park, outdoor lagoon with beach and more recreation, and an entertainment center.

OKANA is designed to be a national tourist destination, while the other projects are local mixed-use developments targeted at the regional market.

Chisholm Creek is by far the most advanced of these new mixed-use projects with apartments, retail, restaurants, entertainment and offices. The investment in infrastructure and amenities is also far more advanced than the other projects. I think once we see more housing and a hotel added to the mix, it will be difficult to beat Chisholm Creek. The Half is nice, but no where near the finish of Chisholm Creek. OAK has a lot of potential and may be just as powerful a draw as Chisholm Creek. I've not seen enough to be convinced that Rose Creek will be on that same scale.

Is it all hype or is Oklahoma City on the cusp of another development boom?

Q: It seems like a lot of developers are shooting for the stars with recent project announcements. Which do you think actually happen? 

A: OKANA is the biggest deal of everything out there and it's really happening. Buildings are rising up. It will be a game changer for Oklahoma City in a way we can't really grasp yet. I am very skeptical of everything that has been discussed relating to Crossroads Mall. Let's just leave it at that.

I'm not sure what to make of the Dream hotel development, which is to include the high-rise hotel and up to three high-rise apartment towers. I'm repeatedly told it's a real deal, that financing is doable and that design work continues. But even the proposed height of these towers reminds me of the four-tower OGE Energy Center that never got off the ground. The requested tax increment financing for this project is similar in scope to what never got done on the OGE Energy Center project. And when one looks at costs associated with this sort of development, the rent will likely break all precedent in the local market. So I just don't know....

I'm waiting to see what happens with Boulevard Place next to the Omni and Alley's End at NW 4 and E.K. Gaylord. We've seen a lot of delays with these projects and costs are not getting any better.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKANA, Chisholm Creek, OAK. Which will have most impact on OKC?