View Full Version : HUGE pile of dirt off to the east at 235 and 35



kristae
05-13-2009, 10:17 AM
Does anyone know what that huge pile of dirt is going to be thats off to the right as your going up I35? It has a big tunnel going through it and looks like it has been in the same state of construction for a couple years now.

Charlie40
05-13-2009, 10:18 AM
I have wondered about that myself.

metro
05-13-2009, 10:26 AM
oh wow. Do a search for American Indian cultural museum or aiccm.

Platemaker
05-13-2009, 10:59 AM
oh wow.

:lol2:

CuatrodeMayo
05-13-2009, 12:25 PM
http://www.poormojo.org/pmjadaily/archives/Blank-Facepalm.gif

Martin
05-13-2009, 12:31 PM
ok, guys... it was an honest question. don't pile it on. : )

-M

okcpulse
05-13-2009, 01:03 PM
The huge pile of dirt really isn't a "pile" of dirt. The earth is being terraformed for Promontory Point, a symbol of a Native American's spiritual growth and spiritual journey.

They are now in the process of laying sod, so it will be green, and no longer red dirt. There is a pathway that leads tourists to the highest point, which is the pinnacle of spiritual revelation.

Awesome, in my opinion.

Luke
05-13-2009, 01:09 PM
The huge pile of dirt really isn't a "pile" of dirt. The earth is being terraformed for Promontory Point, a symbol of a Native American's spiritual growth and spiritual journey.

They are now in the process of laying sod, so it will be green, and no longer red dirt. There is a pathway that leads tourists to the highest point, which is the pinnacle of spiritual revelation.

Awesome, in my opinion.

They could have had a much bigger one at 240 & Bryant.

fuzzytoad
05-13-2009, 01:14 PM
The huge pile of dirt really isn't a "pile" of dirt. The earth is being terraformed for Promontory Point, a symbol of a Native American's spiritual growth and spiritual journey.

They are now in the process of laying sod, so it will be green, and no longer red dirt. There is a pathway that leads tourists to the highest point, which is the pinnacle of spiritual revelation.

Awesome, in my opinion.

seriously??

and how much is the pinnacle of spiritual revelation costing us?

HSC-Sooner
05-13-2009, 01:22 PM
It costs taxpayers about $50.4 billion dollars. President Obama personally approved it and 90% of the funding will come from non-Native Americans.






:doh:

metro
05-13-2009, 01:24 PM
Not sure how you've missed it in the last 5 years. Here is a good place to start.

Home (http://www.aiccm.com/)

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/2911-first-stage-native-american-cultural-center-begins.html

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/12455-american-indian-cultural-center.html

andy157
05-13-2009, 01:52 PM
ok, guys... it was an honest question. don't pile it on. : )

-MI guess they figure everyone is like them and knows everything about everything

Luke
05-13-2009, 01:56 PM
I think a real-life OKCTalk get-together would help minimize name-calling. We could have security guards there, just in case.

ourulz2000
05-17-2009, 08:37 PM
oh wow.


http://www.gifbin.com/bin/1232550426_worf%20face%20palm.gif

fourthworldtraffic
05-19-2009, 08:56 AM
I have to give Luke some applause for that suggestion. brialliant numbskulls all are we that hide under the hood of secondhand anonymity,idling our engines. let us be not nice but civil in our vicious competition.

edcrunk
05-20-2009, 04:50 AM
i can't believe people don't know what that is...

sxl
05-20-2009, 07:45 AM
i can't believe people don't know what that is...


i didnt. ed.

CCOKC
05-20-2009, 08:57 PM
Although I know what the big pile of dirt is there are plenty of people around town that do not. Of course most of us know, we would not be on OKCTalk if we did not know what what going on around town but I would venture to guess that half the people I know did not know anything about it until I told them and even then I am not sure they understand what a big deal this is going to be.

Ash_Fox
05-20-2009, 09:06 PM
Although I know what the big pile of dirt is there are plenty of people around town that do not. Of course most of us know, we would not be on OKCTalk if we did not know what what going on around town but I would venture to guess that half the people I know did not know anything about it until I told them and even then I am not sure they understand what a big deal this is going to be.

None of the people I know understood either. I tried telling them and they thought I was a little crazy.

metro
05-21-2009, 08:32 AM
That's sad.

kevinpate
05-21-2009, 08:38 AM
sheeple, and we live amongst many, have attention spans which barely outshine goldfish. A large mound of dirt near a plodding construction zone is not something that will catch a passle of eyes.

I'd venture this guess - not only does the vast majority of the metro not know what is being built, the vast majority of the vast majority don't have clue one the mound is anything other than dirt for, or removed from, the nearby highway construction.

progressiveboy
05-21-2009, 09:18 AM
That's sad. Yes that is sad for OKC. However this speaks volumes in that people on a collective basis need to be "in the know" about what is happening and going on in their community.

CCOKC
05-22-2009, 09:26 AM
Maybe a sign even if temporary would help. Think of all the people that drive past there every day. Couldn't hurt fundraising I would think.

Thunder
05-22-2009, 11:11 AM
At first I thought it was dirt for construction along the river. Then later I thought it was for the new I-40. They now have a sign posted on the east side facing toward the Eastern bridge.

I think the dam on the Eastern bridge is falling apart. The support poles, some of them seem to have fallen out of place.

Pete
05-22-2009, 05:26 PM
I would venture to guess that half the people I know did not know anything about it until I told them and even then I am not sure they understand what a big deal this is going to be

I've said all the way along that this project is almost too difficult to classify and explain and not only does that not help with the general public knowing about it and recognizing the site, it also stands in the way of more people really getting behind the center, both financially and in spirit.

I hope this turns out to be one of those things that finally comes together and is truly unique, inventive and popular.

But at least in the short-term, the vagueness of this entire project is a huge challenge.

edcrunk
05-22-2009, 07:12 PM
platemaker told me he snuck up to the top of it and took in the view... and said it was amazing! i can't wait to check it out.

Platemaker
05-24-2009, 09:29 PM
Maybe a sign even if temporary would help. Think of all the people that drive past there every day. Couldn't hurt fundraising I would think.

You just might be on to something.

ssandedoc
05-25-2009, 01:35 AM
They could build an electronic billboard to advertise for the AICCM and sell ad spots for revenue to complete the project.

CuatrodeMayo
05-25-2009, 07:21 AM
They could build an electronic billboard to advertise for the AICCM and sell ad spots for revenue to complete the project.

And it would be very in keeping with the native american theme...

edcrunk
05-25-2009, 11:29 AM
And it would be very in keeping with the native american theme...
it totally would... as long as it was some sort of color changing, multicolored LEDs and featured the letters C - A - S - I - N - O.

warreng88
05-26-2009, 09:43 AM
An update on the dirt.

Budget cuts spare plan for Oklahoma museum
Still under construction, American Indian site may receive $2M

BY JULIE BISBEE
Published: May 25, 2009

A proposed budget agreement awaiting the governor’s signature calls for budget cuts for most state agencies. But the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum will see its budget grow.

The cultural center, which is still under construction, will receive $1 million to pay for debt service on a $25 million bond issue. The museum also will get $1 million to pay for operations, according to the budget agreement.

A completion date for the museum has not been determined; officials are still seeking funding to complete it, said Gena Timberman, executive director of the Native American Cultural and Education Authority, the state agency overseeing construction of the center.

While progress continues on the center, some lawmakers questioned the appropriation when debating the budget bills this session. Lawmakers who worked with Gov. Brad Henry crafting the budget said funding for the cultural center was one of Henry’s priorities.

"If the question about (funding) priorities comes up, I would be correct in referring them to this million dollars?” asked Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, during a Senate appropriations committee meeting last week.

Henry said appropriations to the center ensure the project’s future and the state’s investment.

"Tens of millions of dollars from private and public sectors have been invested in the construction of the cultural center,” Henry said.


About the center
Construction on the cultural center, at the intersection of Interstate 40 and Interstate 35, began in 2006 and will include a welcome center, a museum and an outdoor amphitheater along the Oklahoma River. Right now, travelers might just see a massive red earth mound sitting on the horizon. The site is a former oil field that was donated to the state.
In a few years, Timberman said, they will be able to visit a museum that will illustrate the stories of American Indians across Oklahoma. The cultural center is still securing funding to complete the project and is a little over halfway there, Timberman said. About one-third comes from private, tribal or other sources.

Money from last year’s $25 million bond issue will help pay for erecting steel on the gallery building, which will begin to take shape by the end of this year, Timberman said.

"We’re really grateful to the Legislature, the governor’s office, and the Speaker of the House and the Pro Tem of the Senate for working in a way to support a project that benefits all of Oklahoma,” Timberman said.

http://newsok.com/budget-cuts-spare-plan-for-oklahoma-museum/article/3372424

metro
05-26-2009, 09:59 AM
They could build an electronic billboard to advertise for the AICCM and sell ad spots for revenue to complete the project.

Ah yes, just like our American Indian ancestors did back in the day. Wasn't it Sequoyah that sold advertising to help in creating the first written language for Native Americans? What a great way to show off the remediated natural landscape. This is about a $200 million dollar project. Ad revenue wouldn't even generate a million. It would take a few years just to pay for the electronic billboard itself. To me, and I'm sure to AICCM, it wouldn't even be worth it, and would detract from the beauty of the site. Billboards don't generate a ton of revenue, unless you own plenty of them. If we're talking one or two on this site, it wouldn't be worth the effort.

http://www.ok.gov/~arts/p/permart/paintings/wilson/sequoyah.jpg

Luke
05-26-2009, 11:40 AM
They could attract a TON of attention if they incorporated a nice casino somehow.

CuatrodeMayo
05-26-2009, 12:36 PM
it totally would... as long as it was some sort of color changing, multicolored LEDs and featured the letters C - A - S - I - N - O.

Exactly.

OKCisOK4me
05-26-2009, 02:19 PM
it totally would... as long as it was some sort of color changing, multicolored LEDs and featured the letters C - A - S - I - N - O.

Shouldn't a percentage what the tribal casinos take in be put toward the construction fund? I mean, is the federal government suppose to pay for everything Native American related? It's their history and their culture. If they want others to learn about it then this should be part of the equation.

LakeEffect
05-27-2009, 09:20 PM
Shouldn't a percentage what the tribal casinos take in be put toward the construction fund? I mean, is the federal government suppose to pay for everything Native American related? It's their history and their culture. If they want others to learn about it then this should be part of the equation.

I was told that the tribes who are members of the group working on the AICC wanted even funding from all tribes so that no tribe could hold power over one another, which probably means casino profits are out...

urbanity
06-18-2009, 09:59 AM
Construction progresses on American Indian Cultural Center and Museum | OKG Scene.com (http://www.okgazette.com/p/12776/a/4146/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=LwBEAGUAZgBhAHUAbAB0AC4AYQB zAHAAeAAslashAHAAPQAxADIANwAyADkA)

metro
06-18-2009, 11:59 AM
http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/12455-american-indian-cultural-center-5.html

soonerfan_in_okc
07-11-2009, 01:24 AM
Not sure how you've missed it in the last 5 years. Here is a good place to start.

Home (http://www.aiccm.com/)

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/2911-first-stage-native-american-cultural-center-begins.html

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/12455-american-indian-cultural-center.html

maybe because she hasn't been around for the past 5 years.

evh5150
07-11-2009, 01:45 AM
It costs taxpayers about $50.4 billion dollars. President Obama personally approved it and 90% of the funding will come from non-Native Americans.






:doh:

and we should pay for it, we took land from them consistently including oklahoma and then gave it to them then took it back from then again. its the absolute least we can do for them

OKCisOK4me
07-11-2009, 09:23 AM
and we should pay for it, we took land from them consistently including oklahoma and then gave it to them then took it back from then again. its the absolute least we can do for them

Okay, then tax the final resting places of our dead relatives/ancestors. I didn't do that to them.......

Debzkidz
07-11-2009, 04:32 PM
Wow, I'm glad I found this post. At the risk of sounding uneducated, I will say this anyway. We've lived in OKC for almost 3 years and we have never heard or seen anything about this. I knew there was some Native American museum thing being built, but that's all I knew. I assumed it was just a building somewhere. Hubby and I kept wondering what that giant mound of dirt was.We just figured it was something being built on the river or some part of I-40 until we could see some kind of opening in it. Then we got really confused. Glad to finally have an answer!

Thunder
07-15-2009, 07:20 AM
Debzkidz, I think this huge dirt mound we are talking about is just off the west side of Eastern and south side of I-40 and the river. With the location right there, it is impossible for it to be in connection to the new I-40, because just a few hundreds feet away to the northeast, there is new junctions that was completed a few years ago. The city will not tear all of that down to make such a sharp direction change.

bombermwc
07-15-2009, 08:03 AM
Anyone else notice how dead the grass they just put on there is? There are a few green spots, but overall, the thing looks dead as a doornail.

CuatrodeMayo
07-15-2009, 08:17 AM
They probably weren't expecting such heat this early the summer. That grass was not fully established and got toasted.

westsidesooner
07-15-2009, 08:20 AM
The dead grass isnt a surprise with the heat and lack of rain recently. My yard would look like that too if I didnt spend a gazillion dollars watering it. Im really looking forward to seeing the AICCM completed. Oklahoma and its indian heritage needs something like this. Good compliment to the land run monument.

silvergrove
07-15-2009, 10:43 AM
and we should pay for it, we took land from them consistently including oklahoma and then gave it to them then took it back from then again. its the absolute least we can do for them

I think he meant it as a joke.

Platemaker
07-15-2009, 03:31 PM
Anyone else notice how dead the grass they just put on there is? There are a few green spots, but overall, the thing looks dead as a doornail.

It's coming along...

It was only dirt as of about a month ago. The sod is there and the sprinklers have been on the last few times I've driven by.

metro
07-15-2009, 03:54 PM
If nothing else, it's keeping all that dust from flying around.

David
07-16-2009, 07:13 AM
The inside of the curve looked pretty green when I passed it yesterday, going west on I-40.

metro
07-16-2009, 02:12 PM
I noticed that as well, but if you think about it, the eastern incline gets less sun in the day, and it's the early morning sun when it's not as hot, as say the midday and late afternoon sun when it's blistering hot, not to mention, the westward slope appears to be at a different angle, an angle that would be in the sun more than the steeper eastern slope.