Council OKs 1st purchase of Core to Shore land
Journal Record
March 5, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – City council members approved the acquisition Tuesday of the first new parcel of land in the planned development of Oklahoma City’s core when the Interstate 40 crosstown is moved south.

The council unanimously agreed to purchase the U.S. Postal Service main city branch, 320 S.W. Fifth St., for more than $3.68 million. The council also cleared the immediate use of $50,000 in earnest money to secure the deal. The purchase will be funded by general obligation bond proceeds.

The Transportation Department has started building about three miles of a new I-40 route closer to the Oklahoma River and plans to release the old crosstown to development.

City leaders have dubbed the area Core to Shore and have proposed setting aside 10-15 blocks of it for a city park. City planners are trying to synchronize the park’s development with the lowering of the current I-40 bridge to ground level as a new city boulevard, which is projected for 2014.

The post office property would likely be near the center of the park. Early examples of the direction the park might take include the 25-acre Millennium Park in Chicago, sections of the massive Central Park in Manhattan, and the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Those parks often have multiple, concurrent community events throughout the year.

Assistant City Manager Cathy O’Connor said city staff will submit the offer to the Postal Service for consideration. Council members first authorized the sale negotiations in September. If the deal proceeds as expected, closing will occur by June 30. O’Connor said the city already owned several properties near I-40 before the realignment was announced.

Coo

A new "Central Park" will be a great thing for downtown OKC. I'm as excited about this as anything we've done downtown or will do.

A new "Central Park" will be a great thing for downtown OKC. I'm as excited about this as anything we've done downtown or will do.

Me, too! :wink:

Very fortunate that this key property became available when it did!

And another good job by city leaders to have their act together in order to acquire it.

It really is a big, ugly concrete eyesore and removing it will really show off Union Station:

http://mysite.verizon.net/res17zef/postoffice.jpg

Our future's so bright, we gotta wear shades... way to go OKC!

Pete, the only bad thing is thanks to Istook, ODOT and past city/state leaders, we won't have much of the railyard left of Union Station. It was our best hope for light rail and would have been a fraction of the cost of what we'll probably pay later.

Our future's so bright, we gotta wear shades...

Just like the class of 1987! ;)

You sure are tall Pete.

Pete, the only bad thing is thanks to Istook, ODOT and past city/state leaders, we won't have much of the railyard left of Union Station. It was our best hope for light rail and would have been a fraction of the cost of what we'll probably pay later.

Metro, I love union station, and it will be great to have the building, no matter what we use it for. I understand about the railyard being moved, but it always seemed to me that it was a bad location for a light rail station. It's an east/west line, and I've always thought north/south would be wiser. Also, isn't it awfully far from the CBD to be an effective station? These are just questions of mine, I'm not trying to be argumentative.

I agree, betts. I have mixed feelings about the loss of the rail lines at that location, but the structure itself is a true treasure.

It could become a very special focal point at the south end of a grand new park.

I'm with betts on the rail yard. It's over and done with. Time to move on.

So when does construction of the park start? Is 2014 suppose to be when the park is completed?

Metro, I love union station, and it will be great to have the building, no matter what we use it for. I understand about the railyard being moved, but it always seemed to me that it was a bad location for a light rail station. It's an east/west line, and I've always thought north/south would be wiser. Also, isn't it awfully far from the CBD to be an effective station? These are just questions of mine, I'm not trying to be argumentative.

I did a little studing of my own and found that Santa Fe Station works as good if not better than Union Station. Not all is lost...we have a super bright future.

It could become a very special focal point at the south end of a grand new park.

Definitely.

I don't know the details of the property (size, partitians, etc.), but I think a great template for the place would be the San Francisco Ferry Building Plaza. They turned it into a farmer's market/plaza with many small specialty vendors in an open environment. It's actually pretty amazing of how important it has become to resident San Franciscans as more than just a transit hub.

Ferry Building Marketplace (http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/)

http://www.touryosemite.com/images/sf_shuttle_tours/ferry_building.gif

http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/sf/a/images/Inside.Ferry.Building.jpg

Has anybody been inside Union Station lately?

I can't seem to find any photos of the interior. Is it completely locked up these days?

No, I believe it is COTPA headquarters.

I think the old Post Office building is a wonderful example of post neo-classical architecture from the new international period and must be saved at all cost.

Sorry, just try to get out in front of the local "save every building" group. Bring on the wrecking ball.

Has anybody been inside Union Station lately?

I can't seem to find any photos of the interior. Is it completely locked up these days?

No there are several offices there.

I say tear down the US Postal building as soon as the city closes on the property. Refer to the master plan, plant some trees in the areas where there will be no water or structures, and let them mature until 2014!!! Don't just start the park around 2014 and plant all these seedlings then, let them mature for the next 6 years! Anybody know when the USPS is moving to their new building near Meridian?

Great idea on the trees.

I say tear down the US Postal building as soon as the city closes on the property. Refer to the master plan, plant some trees in the areas where there will be no water or structures, and let them mature until 2014!!! Don't just start the park around 2014 and plant all these seedlings then, let them mature for the next 6 years! Anybody know when the USPS is moving to their new building near Meridian?

Very good idea. Who is the person that needs to know this?

I say tear down the US Postal building as soon as the city closes on the property. Refer to the master plan, plant some trees in the areas where there will be no water or structures, and let them mature until 2014!!! Don't just start the park around 2014 and plant all these seedlings then, let them mature for the next 6 years! Anybody know when the USPS is moving to their new building near Meridian?

Best idea I've heard in awhile!

Very good idea. Who is the person that needs to know this?

I looked over all the C2S information on okc.gov again. I can't seem to find if there is even a plan as to the types of trees that will eventually be planted.

Hopefully, the recent ice storms will be taken into consideration, and the horrible damage to the tree canopy. Has anyone noticed the HUGE popularity of bradford pears? Not only in OKC, but all over the state. I've always said that they are notorious for breakage; they were peeled like bananas all over Norman (where I live).

I vote for lots of sycamores and cottonwoods and American elms (Survior Tree)!

Probably the city council and the chamber of commerce. You can get their email addresses on City of Oklahoma City | News (http://www.okc.gov) or Greater Oklahoma City Chamber - Official Home Page (http://www.okcchamber.org)

I'll ask again, but does anyone know construction of the park starts? Is 2014 suppose to be when the park is completed or when it starts?

(I have no involvement in this project!)

I think everything is still in the planning stages and subject to change. From City of Oklahoma City | Core to Shore (http://www.okc.gov/planning/coretoshore/)

The following completion sequence will likely be changed by such factors as market forces, availibility of funds, decisions by property owners or ther factors.

Phase I (2008 - 2014) will firmly establish the character of the Core to Shore district north of the new Interstate 40 alignment.
- PUBLIC REALM:
* New Interstate 40 Alignment
* Boulevard
* Convention Center adn convention hotel
* Union Station Restoration
- PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT:
* West Park Phase I
* Boulevard Mixed Use Development, destination retail and office towers

Phase II (2012 - 2020) will complete development north of I-40 and begin development of key parts of the Wheeler Park and North Shore neighborhoods south to the river.
- PUBLIC REALM:
* Promenade Park
* Community Events Center
* Wheeler Park School
* Little Flower Plaza
* West Park neighborhood green
* Wheeler Park neighborhood green
- PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT:
* Wheeler Park Phase I
* River Towers
* West Park Phase II

Phase III (2018 - ...) will complete the Wheeler Park and North Shore neighborhoods, and extend redevelopment east of the BNSF corridor.
- PUBLIC REALM:
* Transit Center
* Access Improvements east of BNSF
* Riverlake water feature
- PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT:
* Wheeler Park Phase II
* Parkview
* Riverlake mixed use
* Bridgewater (Pull-A-Part site)
* Producers Cooperative site

It really is sad for the Bradfords are my favorite trees. Very green and grow very beautifully and even, sad that a lot of them were damaged so bad because they really are pretty.

I also think that the tress planted in the park should be native to compliment OKC and + they would withstnad the weather much better. I'm not saying all the tress, but most, if not all should be able to endure OK's notorious weather.

I can't wait for the demolition to start taking place. A lot of those buildings are such eyesores and we'll at least see some signs of progress if balls meets the walls. I like seeing dirt move around from time to time; it gives me something to look forward to.

* Promenade Park[/B]
* Community Events Center
* Wheeler Park School
* Little Flower Plaza
* West Park neighborhood green
* Wheeler Park neighborhood green
- PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT:
* Wheeler Park Phase I
* River Towers
* West Park Phase II


just a note promenade park .. is south of the new I-40 the big Central park between the new BLVD and the new I-40 west of the new convention center site is part of the 2008-2014 plan

Yeah pretty much anything in that entire area south of the current I-40 from the RR tracks west to Walker and down to the river will be torn down with a few exceptions like Union Station and Little Flower Church. There are a few other buildings that may be spared but most of it will be demolished to make way for the massive convention center (east of Robinson) and the huge new park (west of Robinson). I'm working on a design for the convention center for Butzer's studio at OU, I'll be sure and post some pics and information in the next few weeks. Of course my design is just an idea but things like the program and site location are real and what the city wants. Let me just say we are thinking BIG with regard to the new convention center, like 3x the size of the Cox...

I just planted Autumn Blaze maples to replace some of the trees that were knocked down. They grow well in OKC and they have fabulous autumn color.

When I was at that last open C2S meeting I was talking to someone who is involved in the project (cannot remember who it was now). They told me their plan was, if the bond issue passes (as it hadn't at that time) to start acquiring the land and I remember him saying clear the area and demo buildings that could be demo'd. I'm thinking he said something about getting a head start on tree planting, but that could be wishful thinking. He did tell me the park was the one thing they could work on even before the Crosstown is completed, so that's hopeful.

Just as long as they don't bulldoze the existing trees to plant new ones, ala Edmond...DOH!

BG: Looking forward to seeing your designs. I wish they gave us better local projects like that. I haven't designed a building in OK in at least a year and a half.

I just planted Autumn Blaze maples to replace some of the trees that were knocked down. They grow well in OKC and they have fabulous autumn color.


THANK YOU!

I've been trying to figure out what kind of tree I have in my front yard. After a quick image search...Autumn Blaze Maple.

Sweet. Now I know what to go buy more of.

It really is sad for the Bradfords are my favorite trees. Very green and grow very beautifully and even, sad that a lot of them were damaged so bad because they really are pretty.

I also think that the tress planted in the park should be native to compliment OKC and + they would withstnad the weather much better. I'm not saying all the tress, but most, if not all should be able to endure OK's notorious weather.

Yeah, Bradfords look great in the spring with those white blooms, but the rest of the year they are ugly, and they are weak. Their leaves--something about them just looks fake.

I love the sycamores around Myriad Gardens and the stage center. They are huge and have obviously grown fast in the 20 years since they were planted. I think there should definitely be a lot of redbuds. They are pretty year-round but will look great in the spring when blossoming. Think something like the this:

http://www.geraldbrimacombe.com/East%20Coast/Washington,DC%20Cherry%20Blossoms%202.jpg