Underground Grand Opening

That shot is very cool, Metro. The more I see of it the more I like. So much better than if they just went the pedestrian "airport" type design.

As for the lights, I think they just got creative with it and I think that's great. It gives it a unique and defined character. If you think about it, there was going to be floresent tubes down there no matter what. Normally, they just use white and stick them up in the ceiling with a plastic cover. This way you get something that looks a feels a little more exciting than the cubicle you just left, and for the same amount of money.

For 1.6MM, I'm just glad that they could fix up the place and give it a new look. Going forward, let's just see if the underground is still a viable concept and, if so, maybe someone can come up with the cash to pay for more expensive lighting and design. As Mailbu pointed out, it can be updated if needed. For now, though, I think it is a very cool concept.

I like the LED uses in that showcase, but looking at it just makes me think that our buildings could use it to spruce up downtown's nightime skyline.

Personally, I still love the new design and colors, even though I wish they would have gone LED. As many said, if you don't like it, dont go down there. It's too Euro or modern if you're looking for Okie. Go to NYC, Miami, or Europe and you'll see stuff like this all over. Keep up the good work Kim.

Any word yet Kim if the outside Underground entrance signs are installed yet or do you have a rendering?

You people need to travel more. Comments like this are exactly the reason everybody thinks Oklahoma is backwards.

Go to e+e+a.com and tell me what you think. Rand is the most avant-garde (google it) architect in OKC be far, and just like any designer that pushes the limits, he work is controversial. Failure to appreciate design the goes outside the box (the "box" being what most people this is "good" lighting) is a obvious sign of closed-mindedness. Why to you think that most people consider Europe=cool and America=bland? In case you never noticed, europe is full of the very things that get shot to pieces here.

Sure maybe halogen or LED would have been better, but could the renovation of a mile-long tunnel be done for 1.6 mil? You would be hard-pressed to build 1 mile of decent paved road for that much $$$. I would like to see an estimate for doing the whole think in LED. I think the difference would be shocking.

I think these comments speak for themselves. Bold design is always going to be controversial.

Thank you supporters! It's art, you either like it or get it; or you don't like it or don't get it. No reason to be a hater. Come to the opening, judge it in person, have a technicolor cupcake.

KIM any word on the ENTRANCE SIGNS YET?

Bravo, Mayo!

I like it. It's different and modern. I hope it is kept up well for years to come.

Since when did honest criticism suddenly get outlawed?

It doesn't matter to me the same of the architect, design firm or whoever did the work. My feelings aren't a personal attack to them or to Oklahoma either. Yeesh!

The simple fact is exposed fluorescent lamps are not an attractive design feature. Most architects and designers try to hide those kind of lamps and make only the glow visible. Labeling the work as "art" doesn't give it immunity from criticism. In fact, when you call something "art" in professional circles of art and design you invite even more criticism.

I completely accept this is probably the best that could be done with a limited budget. That's also why I made the comment about partnering with some big company to acquire more funding to develop a more visually dynamic solution.

Rand Elliott provided the most punch possible for 1.6mil which
is a paltry amount of money for the space we're talking about square
footage-wise.

It would have been EASY to drop 10 mil plus in there and a million
plus on LED Lighting.

Rand has used fluorescents with colored filters to great effect on lots
of projects, but when the budget will handle it and when it's right
for the job, he will whip out the LEDs as well.....

Bottoms up for Pops « Route 66 News

Did Rand design the Beacon light near the OU med center?

Yeah and frankly that is a joke. Even though they removed the green filter you can still barely see the beam a mile away. It has so much potential though, just need to increase the candlepower.

Yea...that didnt quite work as invisioned. Oh well. Its still cool close up

Metro, still wating on permits from the City for the signs. There also has been a hold-up from one property owner which will most likely result in no sign at his location.

I'm glad it got renovated but the colors are crap. They could have made it look much much nicer without doing it the way they did. Some of the areas are still really dark because of this color scheme. Personally, I'd rather have normal white light and painted walls and some carpet...or at least a laminate floor. I'm not a fan of the concrete look it still has.

Lighting up the Underground: Oklahoma City Conncourse gets new name, hopes for new tenants
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record
3/30/2007




OKLAHOMA CITY – The renamed Conncourse winding below downtown Oklahoma City officially opens today after a nearly $2 million face-lift.

Alison Oshel, formerly with Downtown OKC Inc. and now director of community redevelopment at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said the retail space will add to the momentum of downtown and revitalization of shops and restaurants in the area.

“That was always the intent with the Underground renovation and that was how we got the property owners buy-in was to say ‘your basement space is worth something,’” she said. “This effort will help to get the foot traffic down there which then follows the leasing capability.”

Individual retail space is the property of the entity it sits beneath.

And while some of the spaces have stayed occupied for years, others have sat vacant awaiting new interest and new uses.

One of the larger retail areas underground is part of the First National Center.

Including all of the below-grade retail space available at First National, the total comes to about 19,000 square feet, said Zach Martin with Sperry Van Ness, who handles leasing for First National. Of that space, however, Martin said about 13,000 square feet is currently vacant.

One of First National’s longest underground tenants is Vicki’s Style Shop, which has been in its space beneath the city for more than 30 years.

Martin said as other improvements are made to the building as a whole, he sees the demand for the below-grade space at the building increasing.

“Everyone agrees there’s not enough retail downtown and there is a demand for it,” he said. “I think retail in the Underground will thrive, it’s something unique about Oklahoma City and how we’ve gone in and utilized it is phenomenal. It was a wise investment for the future and I think the return on investment will be exponential.”

Another property owner who has a large stretch of retail space is Rick Dowell beneath his Dowell Center building.

Dowell said he has about 7,000 square feet of potential retail space that has not been in use for more than a decade.

The last tenants in the Dowell space were two restaurants that closed when the building closed in 1994. Dowell bought the building in 1996.

And while he has not determined if he will make the space available for retail use, Dowell said he does see more retail popping up to coincide with the renovations and increased foot traffic.

“If you walk down the Conncourse you’ll see a lot of potential retail spaces that are unused at the moment,” he said. “Once you increase the traffic down there one thing feeds off another.”

And while the vision was to get more people below the streets and resuscitate business, not everyone thinks the newly minted Underground is the best place for downtown Oklahoma City to do business.

Downtown OKC Inc. headed up the nearly $2 million project to breathe new life into the tunnels and hired architect Rand Elliott to make the project look fresh and exciting.

Mark Inman, with CB Richard Ellis Oklahoma, said although the Underground is a great place to walk through to get out of the elements, he does not like the idea of it potentially drawing retail off the street.

“I would like to see all the retail opportunities on the street level,” he said. “Any time you have retail space available off the street or below grade it competes with the traditional retail space and affects occupancy at the street level.”

Inman said the space in the Underground could even compete for business outside of the downtown core.

“I would hate to see street-level retail or Bricktown not get a deal because of the Underground,” he said.

Bomber, It is carpeted. Please come see it!

Which is why I think this is pretty cool. They didn't just try to do what everybody else does. It certainly looks more like a place people would hang out in than a place where poeple are going about their hum drum days at the office. Maybe it doesn't excite everybody, but I'm pretty sure that covered tubes, high traffic airport carpet, and gallons of white paint would have excited no one. I think the problem with the tunnels has long been that they were so drab and boring. This makes them interesting and different.

I was downtown so I stopped by the grand opening.

I would guess about 50 people showed up. Hard to tell in such a tight space. The mayor was there. Kinda funny, I heard some women complaining that they were told they "had" to attend to make a good showing in case media was there. Gotta love it.

I passed on the cupcakes and flavored water being handed out.

I've decided since so many people think the renovation was so great, artsy and urban... I'm going to replace all my garage ceiling flourescent lights with colored ones (and leave them exposed of course) so I can be so very anti okie.

What does your garage have to do with it? Are you saying they should have consulted your garage first or that the underground should be modeled after a typical garage? Or are you saying that your garage should always be redesigned after public concourses? Random.

Maybe we should see pics of your garage first, so we can give you better suggestions.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize what reading level I needed to be writing for.

Is there an 'eye roll into back of the head as far as possible' emoticon on here?

That's okay. I admit I am not very garage design savvy, so I was just unaware of the garage standard for the underground. But if it inspired you, go fo it...




I'm just having fun with you.

My wife always says she's going to have the following put on my head stone...

"Didn't Play Well with Others"