A crowd of spectators at the Petroleum Club gathered by the window and shouted a 3-2-1 countdown in unison. Thirty-four flights down, bulldozers roared to life and The Brownstones at Maywood Park were born.

“It was a smash hit, a really amazing event, said Justin Meek of the unusual groundbreaking ceremony, held last month. Meek is president and CEO of Cicero International, the firm coordinating marketing for the project. The development is part of The Triangle neighborhood, a 30-acre community between downtown, Bricktown and the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The Triangle is to be a mixed-use neighborhood that will include residential, retail and commercial spaces with parking, sidewalks and gardens.

Meek said the first units will be built at Third and Oklahoma, and that construction is moving rapidly. “They’re just rocking and rolling over there,” he said.

The Brownstones at Maywood Park will ultimately comprise more than 120 two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half story, two to three thousand square-foot units.

“The project is bringing a very cool, classy look to downtown Oklahoma City,” said Cicero’s COO and Chairman, Kari Snider. “It’s something we literally have not seen here before.” She said feedback is currently being sought from the community regarding which retailers mid city residents would most like to see established in the area.

“We’re taking suggestions from the community and from the Chamber of Commerce, and we’ve done lots of research to see what’s worked in other communities,” she said. Bert Belanger, president of ORB, Inc. and one of five partners in The Triangle project, said space for retail was included in the development’s master plan. Other partners include Anthony McDermid of TAP Architecture, Jason and Ron Bradshaw of Colony Partners, Inc., and Pat Garrett of Garrett and Company, LLC.

“We’ve developed a plan that shows where it’s all going to be,” Belanger said. “Once you have that set, the market understands and moves to where it makes the most sense for them. When you lay out a mixed-use neighborhood like this, I think merchants will come out of the woodwork who want to be a part of it.”

Belanger said response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Everybody’s been very encouraging – they want us to succeed; they’re genuinely happy that we’re doing what we’re doing,” he said. “There are a lot of people who want this to succeed because they want to see this happen in downtown Oklahoma City.” He said the attitude among downtown developers has been more collaborative than competitive. “We and others like us have really continued to compare notes and do this in collaborative way, instead of being territorial,” he said. “That has to happen in an urban setting- there’s plenty to go around.” He said the first fifteen brownstones would be constructed on spec, and the rest would be made to order.

“I think this could be the premier neighborhood in downtown Oklahoma City,” Belanger said. He said The Brownstones at Maywood Park would be part of a rapidly changing downtown.

“I think in five or six years, it’ll be pretty amazing,” he said. “I’m just excited to see it happen and be a part of it.”