Old warehouses finally getting developed along Bricktown Canal

An influx of retail is finally filling up old warehouses that have failed to develop along the Bricktown Canal since it opened in 1999.

 
By Steve Lackmeyer | Published: October 25, 2011    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - Gliding seats and tables at Captain Norm's Dockside Bar fill out a balcony that was built out in 1999 but then unusued until the bar opened this year. <strong>Steve Lackmeyer</strong>
Gliding seats and tables at Captain Norm's Dockside Bar fill out a balcony that was built out in 1999 but then unusued until the bar opened this year. Steve Lackmeyer

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Bekoff, in turn, teamed up with his son Norm, who ran the water taxis when they first started up in 1999, to launch Captain Norm's. Norm Bekoff shares the passion of his dad and Huntington for the canal, and the three together envisioned a bar that would appeal not so much to club hoppers, but rather those who might want to enjoy a nice evening on the canal with a drink in one hand, and maybe a cigar in the other. Their bar fills the entirety of the elaborate canal-side patio Jim Brewer built a dozen years ago but then was never developed.

The bar is set up like none other, featuring “gliding” booths that rock back and forth. These booths are not found anywhere else downtown, maybe anywhere in the city, and were discovered by the Bekoffs in their hometown of Fort Lauderdale. Oklahoma City's blossoming live music scene is showcased by Captain Norm's on weekends — a nice compliment to UCO's Academy of Contemporary Music next door.

The Brewers, meanwhile, have filled the street-level of their building with a Peachwave Frozen Yogurt shop and a Sammy's Pizza they promise will open soon.

Challenges remain along the canal. The empty buildings at 109 and 19 E California stand out even more as the surrounding area finally develops.

Controversy still rages over plans by Chris Johnson, owner of USA Screenprinting, to construct two buildings and surface parking along what is considered the most visible section of the canal (the empty land parallel to Mickey Mantle Drive). Plenty of empty space remains in floors above street level, as noted by planners in a study released last week.

But the dreams of early day promoters like Jim Brewer are finally coming true.

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