Original Midwest City Water Tower Scheduled for Deconstruction

[bombermwc]

maybe you can answer this?Why were all those houses that run N and S off of Air Depot torn down?

I thought that it was the original planned location for the new Fire Station before it moved to it's current location. A friend of mine lost her childhood home because of that. I don't think it's realted to the Town Center project at all though. West Side was purchased to make room for more development (large pad), so I'm guessing that the other land has now been done to expand for more "strip" area...not that it excites anyone. Although since nothing has been built or even a sign posted for a few years now, who knows.

[woodyrr]

From: Matt Dukes via facebook.

It is finally here. The week of the party and all of the final preparations are nearing completion.
Friday October 14th, from 5:00pm until 7:30 pm, please make plans to be at the Charles Johnson Park located at SE 29th and Mid-America to say goodbye to the last landmark of old Midwest City. The old “Bomber” water tower will be taken down this year after 65 years of service to our community. Whether you are a Bomber, Titan or Eagle, come share your memories and have some fun.
Hotdogs, cake and drinks will be available. There will be military and other displays there as well.
Stan Miller, the anchor of the KWTV Channel 9 morning show will be our emcee. Mike Black and the Stingrays will be playing. There will be t-shirts on sale at the event.
Please watch the Morning Show on Channel 9 at 6:00 am and Channel 4 at 7: 15 am on Friday October 14th.
I want to thank all of you who have bought shirts. We have sold close to 500 raising about $2500.00 for the Midwest City Police Awards Committee.
I also want to thank Terri Derrick and Marla Robinson of the Midwest City Alumni Association for their work.
This whole thing started with a conversation on Facebook.
See ya Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/115957895581/

facebook event notification.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174655622616630


Midwest City Municipal Complex and Water Tower by woodyrr, on Flickr

[woodyrr]

From Matt Dukes on facebook:

The big day is finally here. We are all set for the party and ready to go. Parking will be in the south parking areas of Lowes and Best Buy. I am sure looking forward to seeing everyone.

The tower retirement event is from 5:00 to 7:00 today at The Charles Johnson Park in Town Center Plaza.

From Matt Dukes on facebook:

There does seem to be some confusion about when the tower will actually come down. It will not be tomorrow. It will be before the end of the year. They will be building a new clock tower that will house and mask all of the cell equipment. Once it is complete they will move in and take the tower down piece by piece. There is not a hotel complex going in there. That was the original concept, but it was scrapped. The rest of the property will be used as a park, or that is the plan now. The reason it is being taken down is the tremendous cost to the tax payer to maintain it. It is about 100,000 to 200,000 just to paint it, not to mention the preventive maintance on rust and what have you. It jusr was not a pruent expenditure of tax payers money. It is sad to see it go.

Midwest City, OK Municipal Complex Then and Now by woodyrr, on Flickr

[bombermwc]

Well I guess we don't have to specualte on the hotel anymore and how it will fit....instead, we get a cell tower. yay

[Lauri101]

Better a clock tower with hidden cell equipment than a hotel to disturb our *quiet neighborhood.

*except on Thursday and Friday nights in football season.

[woodyrr]

Last night, I picked up an Eastword newspaper with the Midwest City water tower pictured on the cover. I recommend that those who have posted in this thread read through it.

http://npaper-wehaa.com/eastword/201...rticle=1413729

Here is a photo of the water tower retirement cake:


Water Tower Cake by woodyrr, on Flickr

For those on facebook, there are more photos in an album linked below. If you took photos at the event you may add them to the album.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...4655582&type=1

[mmonroe]

Not photos of the retirement party, but photos of the tower..

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwAow9j

[Lauri101]

Well, looks like the deconstruct is getting underway. Several pieces of heavy equipment are below the tower and workers climbing today around lower part of tower. Two peoplewere taking pictures and looks like some of the cell antennas are being taken down. Not sure they'll do much when temperatures plummet this weekend, but we'll see.

[woodyrr]

Posted by Matt Dukes on the Midwest City History and Memories facebook page last Tuesday in response to a question about the status of the water tower.

. . .the footings have been poured for the new clock tower and that construction should begin fairly rapidly. Once it is up and the new cell equipment is in operation the tower will be taken down. They ran into some operational issues that is why it did not come down last year. For those who bought tshirts with 2011 on them we are offering the free use of a sharpie to mark 2011 out and wrtie 2012.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/115957895581/

Disclosure: since facebook will not allow editing of comments, and since everyone makes errors when typing, I corrected two minor typing mishaps in the quoted text above.

[plmccordj]

Any renderings of this new clock tower? It must be rather tall to house cell phone antennas. The FCC web site shows a new monopole cell phone tower going right at that spot. It shows it being 179 feet tall.


Registration #: 1275002
Latitude: 35.4386
Longitude: -97.4003
Structure Type: Pole
Status: Granted
Date Constructed: NA
Ground Elev: 1248.7 feet
Height Of Structure: 179.8 feet
Overall Height: 1432.8 feet
Structure Address: 300 W. Mid America Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK

[woodyrr]

I haven't seen any drawings of the clock tower, however, there is an article in the current Eastword community newspaper about the city's plans to redevelop the "Original Mile".

EDIT: There is an architect's conception on the Quinn and Associates Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Eastword article.

http://npaper-wehaa.com/eastword#201...rticle=1516863

I hope this doesn't turn out to be one of those boondoggles where people whom I know who prefer to live in old, modest, yet reasonably well kept homes in the OM face the bulldozer of eminent domain while the true rot and decay goes largely unaddressed.

[Lauri101]

The clock tower concept looks good - hope the end result does.

As far as OM goes, I'll veer off-topic to follow Woody's comments.
I've owned my home for nearly 30 years and my original $25K investment has tripled because of additions and improvements. I love this neighborhood and would like to stay here until I'm unable to live alone.

That being said - the absentee landlords are killing the OM "well-kept" image. There is a group of owners who live in Costa Rica and own over 100 homes in the OM. They hire a management company to oversee the rentals and the company obviously has no clue as to how to screen tenants. We've had drug deals taking place in plain sight and break-ins all over. MWC's finest does their best, but it's difficult to keep up with a moving target.

Until the absentee owners are made to act responsibly to avoid penalties, the OM and other modestly-sized home neighborhoods will suffer. Meanwhile, I love my Glock.

[mmonroe]

You're kidding me right... that clock tower is absolutely horrid. It's like some junior partner stole the architecture from Rose State College. (I don't like the campus of RSC either.) I want to see something landmarkish that will stand the test of time, not something that will need to be torn down in a few decades.

[bombermwc]

Yeah, can't say i'm a big fan of the design either. There doesn't look like there was much effot to not make it look like it's on stilts. The lock itself is out of proportion to the height of the thing. And forgive me, but why do we need a second clock tower 50 yards away from the much better centennial clock?

[oneforone]

The clock tower concept looks good - hope the end result does.

As far as OM goes, I'll veer off-topic to follow Woody's comments.
I've owned my home for nearly 30 years and my original $25K investment has tripled because of additions and improvements. I love this neighborhood and would like to stay here until I'm unable to live alone.

That being said - the absentee landlords are killing the OM "well-kept" image. There is a group of owners who live in Costa Rica and own over 100 homes in the OM. They hire a management company to oversee the rentals and the company obviously has no clue as to how to screen tenants. We've had drug deals taking place in plain sight and break-ins all over. MWC's finest does their best, but it's difficult to keep up with a moving target.

Until the absentee owners are made to act responsibly to avoid penalties, the OM and other modestly-sized home neighborhoods will suffer. Meanwhile, I love my Glock.

Thank you for that piece of information. My wife and I live in an apartment off of Air Depot. We were considering looking at rental properties in the original mile. Now I think we will look elsewhere.

I will give big kudos to Midwest City PD. They have always been fast to respond anytime I needed them. I like the idea they move all over the city and they make themselves even more visible at night. I work swing shift so I am often coming home and going to the gym in the wee hours of the morning. I was getting out of the car the other night heading inside and I noted a car was driving the lot. I looked up and saw it was MWCPD. I waved at the officer and he stopped. I noted I was waving hello and I liked the idea they patrol so heavily at night. I told him I lived in Oklahoma City most of my life and the only time I seen officers in the residential areas is when somebody called them. He thanked me for the complement and said they like to keep an eye on everything. My complex does not have that many problems but, I see them checking the parking lot pretty regularly. I like the idea the police and fire departments are proactive here. That's one of the many reasons I want to live here as long as I can.

[Okiezmom]

The new clock tower is going up. I hope the finished product looks better than the drawing.

[Lauri101]

The new clock tower is going up. I hope the finished product looks better than the drawing.

I'm retracting my previous compliment about the tower - it looks awful!
Cheap looking materials, fugly design - the drawing actually looked better than the real deal.
I'd rather keep the water tower, warts and all.

[Okiezmom]

I agree....at least the old water tower has character.

[woodyrr]

I went to see the new Midwest City clock tower today.


Roof On by woodyrr, on Flickr

More photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39213183@N02/

[bombermwc]

Every time i see it, i think....damn that thing is ugly. I'd rather see a normal cell tower!

[oneforone]

It reminds me of the 1987-1991 F150. No imagination. It's clear somebody threw the design together at the last minute. To me it looks somebody put legs on a wall/mantle clock and called it good.

[Okiezmom]

I wonder who had final approval on that? The sad part is that it probably cost a lot of taxpayer money even though it looks cheap.

[Lauri101]

Someone should have some 'splaining to do. I think I'll call my Councilman tomorrow and ask. My grandson could have done better with his Legos!

[RadicalModerate]

Once the cell phone antennae are transplanted, it will make all the difference . . .

(I wonder if the designers spent too much time watching reruns of the Tom Cruise version of War of the Worlds)

[Stew]

Good grief that clock they put up next to the tower is gawd awful. What were they going for with that? Eye sore? April fools joke? Help somebody's cousin in the ugly clock biz?

I don't get it.