Full Moon to rise in Midtown
Architect to build on a slice of land in a sleepy block
The Full Moon is set to soon rise in Midtown as architect Rand Elliott embarks on building his first multifamily housing.
The four-story building, like much of Elliott’s work, is different from anything built to date in Oklahoma City. The 10 apartments are designed around an open “oculus” that is guaranteed at least once a year to frame a full moon.
Marva Ellard, owner of the nearby Sieber Hotel Apartments, predicts the building quickly will become a star attraction for Midtown, worthy of placement in Elliott's portfolio that includes the boathouses along the Oklahoma River, the Chesapeake Energy campus and Classen Curve.
“It will be a showstopper,” Ellard said. “And with Rand, we know it will be done right.”
Elliott started on the project a year ago after purchasing a 37-foot by 140-foot lot sandwiched between the Wesley Village senior housing, a diner that is set to be part of the future Hudson Park restaurant and food court at 1220 N Hudson, and the soon-to-be-redeveloped former theater, office and retail complex at 1212 N Hudson.
Working with small spaces
“Finding the property was the first step after seeing all the things going on in Oklahoma City in terms of small living units,” Elliott said. “My opinion was there was a lot to be desired. There
was a missing opportunity to do something that is at a high level in being an experience. It’s not just about having a place to go home to, but about having an experience.”
The property was unwanted in an otherwise hot Midtown market. But Elliott was open to tackling such a property, even if after complying with city code the usable land is about 25 feet wide — the same width of the original 1889 Land Run lots that were populated with shotgun shacks.
“So many of the big pieces are gone,” Elliott said. “The ideal locations were gone, spoken for or purchased for whatever purpose there might be.”
Elliott faced several challenges attempting to design the building. A regular building would have resulted in small window openings and no great views of the downtown skyline or Midtown. The building would have to be a thin, long layout running north and south.
The resulting design is for a four-story building with large flats at ground level topped with eight loft apartments. The units will range between 800 square feet and 1,000 square feet. Each unit will have a balcony.
“Instead of having a series of punched openings and small windows, I chose to go with something that could be an experience — which is what the oculus is,” Elliott said. “All of these units face into the oculus. They are stacked. Some look outward, some look down. They face inward, they face outward.”
At night LED lighting lining the oculus is expected to provide a soft glow that will reflect off the building and replace traditional outside residential illumination.
A see-through walkway, meanwhile, will cross the diameter of the oculus where residents will be able to visit and enjoy a view of the city skyline. A community garden and patio will be located at the bottom of the oculus.
“We imagine people living there could go out, work, read, have dinner, or hang out with their friends,” Elliott said. “How great would it be to have a community garden where you could grow some food? Imagine this group of friends who can get to live in this place. They will get to know each other and share this experience. And that is what makes living in a place, in a neighborhood, really, really special.”
The exterior facade will consist of a building material known as “Shotcrete” or “Gunite,” which at first glance may appear to be stucco but is a sprayed concrete that creates a textural quality that is then painted.
“It goes back to the 1920s when builders were looking for materials that could create monolithic surfaces,” Elliott said. “It’s not been used a lot in a long time, but we think it is right for what we’re doing.”
The project will not include its own parking, but will instead rely on agreements with adjoining property owners. Elliott said he has visited with adjoining property owners to address any questions and has gone through code and design issues with city planners and the fire marshal.
An application is set to be filed for the May meeting of the Downtown Design Review Committee and Elliott hopes to start construction later this year with an opening by mid-2018. Lingo Construction is signed up as the contractor.
More in store for Midtown
With Full Moon, Hudson Avenue, the sleepy overlooked block in Midtown is set to be transformed into one of the district’s most dynamic blocks. The Pivot Project’s David Wanzer, Ben Sellers and Jonathan Dodson are working with Wade Scaramucci and his firm Allford Hall Monaghan Morris to restore the theater facade at 1212 N Hudson with tenants to include a law firm and brewery.
Joe Jungmann, meanwhile has submitted plans to city planners to convert the former Foodies diner at 1220 N Hudson into a bar and food court, though has indicated he does not have a timetable yet for when the project will be started.
Ellard believes the value of the entire block will be raised by Elliott’s contribution.
“I’m very excited someone of Rand’s design caliber and his interest in doing something so close to us,” Ellard said. “The concept is all Rand. I’m also excited about David, Ben and Jonathan doing the theater. There are so many projects about to start and it’s great to see all these great, unique things happening.”