Bricktown Fire Station plans on drawing board

[metro]

Bricktown fire station on drawing board

The Journal Record
February 13, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – Plans are in the works for a new fire station on the east end of Bricktown. A city bond issue passed in 2000 funded a police substation in Bricktown and called for the eventual fire station. The city must now complete a land acquisition and exchange with property owner Robert Meinders for about 1.5 acres of land north of Sheridan Avenue and just west of Lincoln Boulevard.

Some of the land in the area is owned by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority. James Thompson, assistant city manager, said the plan is in the very early stages and still has a ways to go before the station is built. Thompson pointed to the police substation at 219 E. Main St., which was built for $2.1 million and opened last year, as a model for the quality of the fire station the city hopes to build.

G. Keith Bryant, Oklahoma City fire chief, said the main purpose of the station is to enhance public safety in and around Bricktown.“We want to complement the area as unobtrusively as possible,” Bryant said. “It is preliminary right now; it’s just basically getting off the ground.”

Bryant said Station 6, at NE Eighth Street and Lincoln Boulevard, will move to Bricktown. Station 4, which is just south of the Ford Center, will be moved to the far northeast quadrant of the city as part of the bond issue when the Bricktown station is complete.

Other nearby stations include Station 1, at NW Fifth Street and Shartel Avenue, and Station 5, near NW 23rd Street and Broadway Avenue. Bricktown merchants Chad Huntington and Avis Scaramucci expressed concern about the noise level a station could bring, and concern about firetrucks barreling through the crowded Bricktown streets responding to calls in the downtown area.

Bryant said most of the station’s calls are north and east of Bricktown. He said routes for response by the fire department and noise levels would all be taken in to consideration as the plan moves forward. Thompson stressed that all plans are tentative at this point and awaiting the completion of the land acquisition and property exchange. He said those acquisition plans could be taken to the City Council as early as next week. The next step will be finalizing architecture and engineering contracts followed by a preliminary report.


James Thompson, assistant city manager, right, talks about the possibility of a future fire station being built in Bricktown while Tom Anderson, with the city manager’s office, left, looks on Tuesday during a meeting of the Bricktown Association. (Photo by Jennifer Pitts

[Steve]

I have a post on this at OKC Central — All about OKC.
-Steve

[betts]

"A glimpse at the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting of the Oklahoma City Council shows city staff is asking council members to approve a $771,000 purchase of the property at Sheridan and Lincoln Avenue - the very location that concerns several Bricktown merchants. "

Steve, is it the fact that the fire trucks might use Sheridan as their route that is the reason this location "concerns several Bricktown merchants", or is the location concerning for some other reason?

[Steve]

it's the use of Sheridan by fire engines from the folks I've talked to

[betts]

I would have to agree that that would be a very inconvenient route, with pedestrians and fairly narrow streets. I suppose they could request the fire trucks drop down to Reno if they're heading east or west. You would think that would be a natural route, anyway, as they could get up to speed faster on Reno with it's two lanes of traffic and fewer pedestrians.

[CuatrodeMayo]

If there is a better way, then certainly do it. But in any true urban environment, emergency vehicles and pedestrian traffic have to work together.

[Slivermoon]

As I understand, the service area will be north and east, just like the station it is replacing. Hence, what is the great fear about increaased traffic in Bricktown?

Responses to the CBD and Bricktown will only be taken when needed and, you can bet the Bricktown Fire Station will take the path of least resistance when it comes to traffic flow in responding to a life and death emergendy. Hence, I doubt we will be seeing many instaanced of "racing down Sherican among pedestrians."

[jbrown84]

What's interesting to me is this whole land swap thing. Rumors lately have been that Mienders has given up on his Steel Yard development for that area. If so, why is he wanting to swap land in this deal?

[wsucougz]

Originally Posted by jbrown84

What's interesting to me is this whole land swap thing. Rumors lately have been that Mienders has given up on his Steel Yard development for that area. If so, why is he wanting to swap land in this deal?

That's what interests me the most about all of this as well.

[yukong]

I would love it if they would build it in the tradition of the old brick fire stations like those in NYC and Chicago.

[John]

If they're going to put one in Bricktown, I agree. It needs to be a throwback to firestations like those pictured above.

[jbrown84]

I agree as well.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Sure would be nice...but I think we all know what it is going to look like.

[John]

Originally Posted by CuatrodeMayo

Sure would be nice...but I think we all know what it is going to look like.

Well, I'm not too crazy about how the police substation turned out, but at least it gives a nod to the past.

I'd like to see something similar to what is pictured above, but modern. After all, this is the gateway to Bricktown for a lot of visitors. The city has a chance to really do it right.