Developers
Making a Difference

Two changemakers in Oklahoma’s development sector work to make downtown more liveable. 

The future burns bright for Oklahoma’s two largest downtown city centers, despite pandemic challenges. 

Jackie Price Johannsen, president of Tulsa’s Price Family Properties, has an up-close view of the action.

“Downtown Tulsa changes daily – just drive around and you see cranes and construction,” she says. “It’s exciting to see, in real time, especially the addition of more residential opportunities making downtown a 24/7 lifestyle. To see developers and restaurateurs take the risk and continue downtown progress is inspiring. Fortunately, we’ve had restaurants open in the building we sold, Kai Vietnamese and Eerie Abbey Ales. We’re about to finish a build out of Cherry Street Kitchen that moved downtown and is in the bottom of 111 Lofts. It opens in April.”

Oklahoma native Marva Ellard, a downtown Oklahoma City developer, is busier than ever. She’s currently immersed in the rehabilitation of the First National Building, an almost-million-square-foot, mixed-use project that formerly stood 85% empty. 

“It was a void in downtown,” she says, “and this is one of the changes that will bring even more vitality to the city center. Yes, last year was tough, but we’re impressed with the quality of life here, with the direction downtown OKC is going.” 

Ellard and partners are also currently working on a 17-unit luxury condo project on the old Villa Teresa campus with a summer opening planned. There’s also “Villa Teresa Hotel” – a working name for a historic building hospitality project that, “thankfully, got support from our lender, and we’re close to starting,” says Ellard. “There’s always more to do. Down the road, I’m interested in affordable housing, senior housing. My niche is projects that complete neighborhoods and do infill of what’s needed. There’s no reason to tear down and replace as many buildings were better made, so why take it down?”

Ellard observes the projects of downtown Oklahoma City peers with excitement and shares a peek at her next project.

“It takes all kinds of developers to make vibrant, engaging environments,” she says. “Urban developers like me, we may have moments of ‘wish I’d thought of that,’ but we’re generally supportive and excited when someone comes up with a great idea for a property. Like near downtown, there’s the old armory on 23rd street, and just a great plan for that 23rd street corridor. The Pivot Group does very clever commercial and restaurant concepts, and several of them are downtown. Bank First is taking on the old Liberty Bank Tower. Everyone has their role to play, and of course, you have the Fred Jones family – the list goes on. Everyone is respectful of other people’s work and it just keeps raising the bar.” 

Downtown Tulsa upcoming changes include Price Properties’ Oil Capital Building residential project, creating 47 affordable apartments with first floor commercial space.  Also planned is the Arco Building conversion at 119 E. Sixth St. into 80 luxury lofts and, for senior housing, conversion of the IBM Building at Sixth and Boston. 

“A decade from now, when driving into downtown from any direction, you will see new, big, beautiful, shiny apartment buildings – 30 stories high, housing people from all walks of life to shop, eat, enjoy the parks, show their children where they work, get lunch or candy and just be part of the thriving urban center,” says Johannsen. “And I’m pumped for awesome projects like Steve Watts’ apartment conversion of the Reunion Building with a great lobby right on Boston.

“It was a difficult 2020, but now it’s inspiring to see people wanting to invest in downtown, and that growth is
happening.”  

Downtown Listing

Tulsa Entertainment

Ahha Tulsa
918-584-3333
ahha.org 

BOK Center
918-894-4200
bokcenter.com

Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education
gilcrease.org/zarrow
918-631-2736

John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park
918-295-5009
jhfcenter.org/reconciliation-park

Magic City Books
918-602-4452
magiccitybooks.com

ONEOK Field
918-744-5998
oneokfieldevents.com

Shuffles
918-728-7252
shufflestulsa.com

Tulsa Art Deco Museum
918-406-7718
decopolis.net

Tulsa Geoscience Center
918-392-4556
tulsageoscience.org

Tulsa Performing Arts Center
918-596-7122
tulsapac.com

Tulsa Theater
918-582-7239
bradytheater.com

Woody Guthrie Center
918-574-2710
woodyguthriecenter.org

Oklahoma City Entertainment

American Banjo Museum
405-604-2793
americanbanjomuseum.com

Centennial Land Run Monument
405-297-8912
landrun.marbleart.us

Chesapeake Energy Arena
405-602-8700
chesapeakearena.com

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
405-218-1000
okcdodgers.com

Civic Center Music Hall
405-594-8300
okcciviccenter.com

Devon Energy Center
405-235-3611
devonenergy.com

Exhibit C Art Gallery
405-767-8900
exhibitcgallery.com

Myriad Botanical Gardens
405-445-7080
myriadgardens.org

Oklahoma City Museum of Art
405-236-3100
okcmoa.com

Tulsa Food

Chimera
918-779-4303
chimeratulsa.com

Dilly Diner
918-938-6382
dillydiner.com

El Guapo’s Cantina
918-382-RITA
elguaposcantina.com

Elote Café
918-582-1403
elotetulsa.com

Juniper
918-794-1090
junipertulsa.com

La Tertulia
539-525-0853
facebook.com/latertuliatulsa

Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli
918-582-6652
lassallesneworleansdeli.com

New Atlas Grill
918-583-3111
newatlasgrill.com

Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue
918-960-2017
okjoes.com

Ti Amo Ristorante Italiano
918-592-5151
tiamotulsa.com

The Vault
918-948-6761
vaulttulsa.com

Yokozuna
918-508-7676
yokozunasushi.com

Oklahoma City Food

Crabtown
405-232-7227
pearlsokc.com/restaurants/crabtown

Deep Deuce Grill
866-569-6976
facebook.com/deepdeuce.grill

Flint
405-605-0657
flintokc.com

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
405-602-3899
fuzzystacoshop.com

Jazmo’z Bourbon Street Café
405-232-6666
bourbonstreetcafe.com

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
405-208-8800
mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com

Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse
405-272-0777
mickeymantlesteakhouse.com

RedPrime Steak
405-232-2626
redprimesteak.com

Tapwerks Ale House & Café
405-319-9599
tapwerks.com

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill
405-231-0254
tobykeithsbar.com

Tulsa Housing

Davenport Lofts
918-986-LOFT
davenportlofts.com 

East End Village
918-574-2278
eastendvillagelofts.com

Edge East Village
918-933-5151
theedgeapartmentsdowntowntulsa.com

The Flats on Archer
918-205-8557
theflatsonarcher.com

Jacobs Lofts on First Street
918-200-6762
jacobsloftsonfirststreet.com

Philtower
918-584-0331
philtower.com

Renaissance Uptown
918-587-8808
renaissanceuptown.com

Tribune Lofts
918-794-0100
tribunelofts.com

Oklahoma City Housing

Cityplace
405-202-6106
cityplaceok.com

Metropolitan
405-759-5289
oklahoma.weidner.com

Steelyard
844-845-9515
steelyardokc.com

The Maywood
405-369-8155
themaywoodapts.com

Villa Teresa Residences
405-225-0186
villateresaokc.com

West Village OKC
405-977-1046
westvillageokc.com

Tulsa Hotels

Aloft Tulsa Downtown
918-947-8200
marriott.com

Doubletree Tulsa Downtown
855-605-0318
hilton.com

Hampton Inn & Suites Tulsa Downtown
855-605-0317
hilton.com

Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown
918-203-8080
hyatt.com

The Mayo Hotel
918-582-6296
themayohotel.com

Tulsa Club Hotel
918-582-5722
hilton.com

Oklahoma City Hotels

Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown Bricktown
844-631-0595
marriot.com

Colcord Hotel
405-251-8980
colcordhotel.com

Hampton Inn & Suites Oklahoma City Bricktown
405-232-3600
hilton.com

Homewood Suites by Hilton Oklahoma City Bricktown
855-605-0320
hilton.com

Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel
844-631-0595
marriot.com

The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City
855-605-0316
hilton.com

Tulsa Bars & Breweries

American Solera Brewery
918-949-4318
americansolera.com

Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing
918-949-9233
dabrewery.com

Hodges Bend
918-398-4470
hodges-bend.com

Marshall Brewery Company
918-292-8781
marshallbrewing.com

McNellie’s
918-382-7468
mcnellies.com

The Max Retropub
918-895-6200
maxretropub.com

Nothing’s Left Brewing Company
918-606-1902
nothingsleftbrew.com

Valkyrie
918-508-2285
valkyrietulsa.com

Vintage Wine Bar
918-764-9255
winebartulsa.com

Welltown Brewery
918-864-9310
welltownbrewing.com

Oklahoma City
Bars & Breweries

Bricktown Brewery
405-232-2739
bricktownbrewery.com

Club One15
405-605-5783
clubone15.com

Flashback Retropub
405-633-3604
flashbackretropub.com

Michael Murphy’s Dueling Pianos
405-231-5397
murphyspianobar.com

Put A Cork In It Winery
405-605-6656
putacorkinitwinery.com

Whiskey Chicks
405-228-0087
facebook.com/whiskeychicks

Vast
405-702-7262
vastokc.com

Tulsa Services

American Parking
918-599-9004
americanparking.com

Dennis R. Neill Equality Center
918-743-4297
okeq.org

Helping Hands Ministry
918-582-1356

OneOK Parking Co
918-588-7188
oneok.com

YMCA of Greater Tulsa
918-583-9622
ymcatulsa.org

Oklahoma City Services

Edward L. Gaylord Downtown YMCA
405-297-7700
ymca.net

Main Street Parking
405-232-2700
mainstreetparkingokc.com

Metro Parking
423-756-2771

Tower Deli and Store
405-231-3190

Tulsa Fitness

Downtown Tulsa Fitness
918-592-3862
fumctulsa.org/fitness

F45 Training
918-884-6011
f45training.com

Fly Loft
918-574-2421
facebook.com/flylofttulsa

Koda CrossFit Tulsa
918-606-8722
kodatulsa.com

Press
539-664-4651
presstulsa.com

Studio Seven Fitness
918-576-8916
studio7tulsa.com

Oklahoma City Fitness

Bikram Yoga OKC
405-278-6944
bikramyogaokc.com

Edward L. Gaylord Downtown YMCA
405-297-7700
ymca.net

Four Star Fitness – Downtown
405-604-3614
fourstarfitnessokc.com

Summit Climbing, Yoga & Fitness
405-673-7448
summitgyms.com/okc-silos 

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