Construction crews have started moving dirt this week at Boulevard Place, the long delayed mid rise planned for 20 W. Oklahoma City Boulevard next to the Omni Hotel and the convention center. The Rose Rock Development Partners project will wrap the north side of the convention center garage and is expected to add roughly 260 apartments to downtown’s convention district. The visible site work marks the first tangible movement after years of planning and pandemic era pauses. For downtown residents and convention workers, the project promises new rentals and street level activity where a vacant lot has sat for years.
Developers say construction is underway
According to CoStar, Rose Rock Development Partners broke ground on Boulevard Place this week at 20 W. Oklahoma City Boulevard. CoStar reports that on site mobilization and recent permitting have moved the project out of the planning phase and into active construction. The outlet’s coverage is the first widely circulated confirmation that work has officially begun at the site.
Who's on the team
Rose Rock is developing Boulevard Place with partners Conquer Investments and RCH Strategies, and BancFirst is listed as the project's lender, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s VelocityOKC. CMS Willowbrook is slated to serve as general contractor, and the development team has lined up consultants to connect the new building to the convention center garage. Those team details match the site closing and financing notices reported locally.
Design and amenities
Architect pages describe a pedestrian focused mid rise with private balconies, rooftop terraces, a pool and street level retail, with more than 22,000 square feet of ground floor retail and an attached parking structure, per FSB. Tradesman Architectural Studios' project listing highlights stoop entries and balcony activation aimed at improving the street experience. Those design and amenity details appear on the project pages for the firms involved.
Public approvals and the unit count question
Public records indicate the total number of apartments has shifted during permitting. A Downtown Design Commission summary from January lists a 262 unit scheme, per Citizen Portal, while the developer’s project page currently refers to roughly 241 units, according to Rose Rock Development Partners. The variation suggests the plan was revised during design and approval work and that different documents still reflect earlier and later versions of the scheme. Final unit tallies should be confirmed when the developer publishes leasing materials.
Why this matters for downtown
Boulevard Place sits adjacent to Scissortail Park, the Omni and the convention center, and the development is intended to stitch a vacant block back into the convention district, potentially capturing room nights and event demand. Project pages also point to a direct connection to the convention center parking garage that developers say will simplify parking logistics for residents and reduce pressure on nearby streets, according to the architect's listing. If the building delivers workforce units as pitched, it could also provide housing for hotel and service workers who keep downtown running.
Timeline and what's next
Developers closed on the site earlier this spring and signaled construction would begin quickly. Local reporting picked up the activity in April, and CoStar's May coverage calls the start of on site work official. The build is expected to move through excavation and foundation phases before framing, with leasing and amenity rollouts to follow as the structure rises. "This closing is the result of nearly eight years of work to bring this development to life," Rose Rock chairman Tim Strange said in remarks reported by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s VelocityOKC.
