NEWS RELEASES
5.30.2007 - Development Work Heating up Flat Iron District:
Development Work Heating up Flat Iron District
By Steve Lackmeyer, Business Writer
Published in The Oklahoman May 19, 2007
Bert Belanger stands on the roof of his Momentum Building, 111 N. Harrison, and sees the future.
He sees the Brownstones at Maywood Park, being built by Belanger and his partners in Triangle Development, rising into the air two blocks south. Just to the east he sees a five-story steel superstructure – the future Block 42 condominiums – being built by developer Grant Humphreys.
The Flat Iron district skyline will be transformed even more with construction of the Lofts at Maywood Park and renovation of the Clark Building, both starting this summer along NE 2.
Just across the street from the Momentum Building, Humphreys is ready to start construction in early 2008 on the Flat Iron Lofts. The development calls for renovation of a two-story Flat Iron building built in 1924 and additions up to five stories to face Walnut Avenue, NE 5 and Harrison.
Not to be outdone, Belanger is looking beyond the renovations wrapping up on the Momentum Building. His idea: to add a two story addition atop of the offices already being leased to Oklahoma Baptist University and security company American Professional Services.
“It would be built like a tree-house over the building, with 6,600 square feet of glass box out here looking out at the Capitol and downtown,” Belanger said. “We’ve done all the engineering, and we’re costing it right now. We’ll know whether it’s realistic in the next 45 days.”
Belanger has spent the past devising a solution to the Momentum Building, which was once home to Mistletoe Express. The building consisted of a two-story office building with a basement and loading docks facing the new 6 Street entrance to downtown from Interstate 235.
“We decided we really had two buildings,” Belanger said. We had an office building, and a full basement that projects under that and the warehouse. And then we had the warehouse, which we knew we wanted to turn into retail.
Belanger, whose earlier developments included housing in Paseo, concluded his first task was to address perceptions the once forgotten edge of downtown was not safe.
American Professional Services was signed up as his first tenant. The company located its full operations in the basement, and the security officers check in and out of the operation at all hours.
Oklahoma Baptist University leased the second floor, and started MBA classes in January.
Belanger is looking for “service retail,” including a coffee shop, bank and dry cleaners. Humphreys is in discussions with restaurant operators and a small specialty grocer to become anchors at the Flat Iron Lofts.
“We feel confident the retail will happen ,” Humphreys said.
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