The Lighthouse, Oklahoma City, U.S.A. | Emporis.com (http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&lng=3&id=streetlighthouse-oklahomacity-ok-usa)

Stumbled upon this on Emporis... Says it's proposed 11 story condos anybody have any idea what this is?

I found this, 4 years old though.

Lake Hefner people didn't seem to like it too much.

Fighting tides of development - The Landrunners OKC Running Club (http://www.okcrunning.org/landrunners/Articles/JournalRecordLakeHefnerDevelopment.htm)

but it is proposed on the East side of Hefner pkwy not sure why people would be against this

I know. I like the idea...maybe someone can inform us onto the status of this. (I think it is dead based on time)

Because they are against ANY change in the area...my dad got to go through a punch of the public hearings on the Parkway and the majority of those people were happier with a two lane road that was backed up for miles (causing more pollution) than a highway, they were also the ones that demanded no concrete barriers and no lights.

I could understand if it was on the lake side of the highway but it is not on the "park side" of the highway, those fields have always been in a somewhat awkward location. As far as it affecting the wind, any development has affected the wind, the change from two lane blacktop to highway changed the wind some but the prevailing wind is from the south, not the east. Out of all the time I spent sailing out there I can count the times that we had a wind directly from the east on one hand.

It is a dead proposal. People opposed it based on many different reasons.. they said it would alter wind patterns over Lake Hefner, which is not true; the site is currently used as a kiddie leagues baseball diamond, as though we don't have enough grass fields in this city and people didn't want the baseball diamond taken away; and people who frequent the trails at Lake Hefner are just generally opposed to development anywhere within a 2 mile radius of the east lakeshore.

For these people, folks who haven't been downtown in years and probably think it was moved to the east end of the NW Expressway, and they don't go there either...development is evil. The enemy is rich people. If it's not endorsed by Michael Savage or Rush, not appearing in a commercial on FOX News, or it doesn't have a location inside Quail Springs--it's the enemy. It is incredible how passionate these people will come out to oppose the enemy they know absolutely nothing about.

Because they are against ANY change in the area...my dad got to go through a punch of the public hearings on the Parkway and the majority of those people were happier with a two lane road that was backed up for miles (causing more pollution) than a highway, they were also the ones that demanded no concrete barriers and no lights.

I could understand if it was on the lake side of the highway but it is not on the "park side" of the highway, those fields have always been in a somewhat awkward location. As far as it affecting the wind, any development has affected the wind, the change from two lane blacktop to highway changed the wind some but the prevailing wind is from the south, not the east. Out of all the time I spent sailing out there I can count the times that we had a wind directly from the east on one hand. I lived in OKC for 36 years (and I am aware of the winds there)and I can say that the wind almost never comes out of the east.

It is a dead proposal. People opposed it based on many different reasons.. they said it would alter wind patterns over Lake Hefner, which is not true; the site is currently used as a kiddie leagues baseball diamond, as though we don't have enough grass fields in this city and people didn't want the baseball diamond taken away; and people who frequent the trails at Lake Hefner are just generally opposed to development anywhere within a 2 mile radius of the east lakeshore.

For these people, folks who haven't been downtown in years and probably think it was moved to the east end of the NW Expressway, and they don't go there either...development is evil. The enemy is rich people. If it's not endorsed by Michael Savage or Rush, not appearing in a commercial on FOX News, or it doesn't have a location inside Quail Springs--it's the enemy. It is incredible how passionate these people will come out to oppose the enemy they know absolutely nothing about.

It's rather amusing how you've made something so insignificant into something political. I don't think I've ever heard a spin quite like this (from Condos to rich people and Fox News), not even from a Democratic Leader.

If people can jump to call MAPS 3 the liberal big government conspiracy, then I think I'm entitled to point to political indicators as an explanation of why people are the way they are when it comes to development in the OKC suburbs. Memorial Road or bust, basically.

It would have been nice if Lake Hefner could have been developed just for fishing, pic-nicing, strolling, playgrounds for the children, etc. But certain folks couldn't leave well enough alone. Obviously, someone wanted to recreate a memory of a night of fine dining, after docking their yacht in Catalina, as the sun gently disappered into a great body of water.

High-Rise apartments? Hell No!!!!!

Those restaurants have been a fantastic addition to the lake! I can't tell you how many out-of-towners I have taken to those places and they have been blown away by the true gem we have in Lake Hefner. That sunset view is pretty unique in the interior plains. So now we have fishing, jogging, playgrounds, and some very carefully placed development (we're not talking about fast food and cheap retail). I think it's a win-win. As for the apartments, I bet half my parents' friends, as retuiring baby-boomers, would buy in that building. The east side of the highway is a perfect place for such a quality development.

stlokc,

I have been to the restaraunts as well, and I have enjoyed it. A lot of work has been done out there by the City to making it a fun day outing. I am glad there are no fast food drive-thrus on the lake. But NO to apartments on the lake anywhere. I don't want Lake Hefner looking like Lake HoldHerCloser.

This proposed project was not "on the lake", it was across the highway from the lake, it would have not disrupted the lakeside activities along the east shore of Lake Hefner. I do agree that they should not allow that type of development "on the lake" directly, meaning inside whatever roads encompass the lake. Outside of those roads it should be allowed.

This proposed project was not "on the lake", it was across the highway from the lake, it would have not disrupted the lakeside activities along the east shore of Lake Hefner. I do agree that they should not allow that type of development "on the lake" directly, meaning inside whatever roads encompass the lake. Outside of those roads it should be allowed.

That's a horse of a different color. Then I have nooooo objection. I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

Possumfritter, The Lighthouse Condos would have been an upscale housing project. In 30 years it wouldn't have deteriorated to crappy housing, but rather it'd be more comparable to the historic upscale apartment towers along the Arkansas River in Tulsa.

There is approx 12 miles of shoreline of Lake Hefner, not all of it has to be natural and undeveloped. There is already enough room for fishing, trails, and what have you. It would be foolish to be against an 11 story condo building. Ive always thought one or two condo/apt towers on the lake would be awesome and, if the exterior was visually pleasing, that it would be a very cool addition to the horizon. And as Spartan says, this wouldnt be low rent apts. An 11 story houshing tower doesnt get built often in our city, it would be foolish to not allow it.

Just look at the Restuarants, they have been great for the lake. There is plenty of shoreline to allow a tower development on a similar or smaller size footprint as the restaurants. It would be one of the most desirable places to live in OKC.

For those opposed, why would building something like this right along the water be a bad idea? It seems to me that waterfront would be the ideal location. Every new highrise condo/apartment in Jacksonville is waterfront; St Johns River, Intracostal, and Ocean. You could throw up 20 highrises around Lake Hefner and 90% of the shoreline would still be open space.

Yeah, there's an old thread or two on this. I actually was the chief organizer of some of the land-use surveys done for this. It's a dead project due to neighborhood assocations and special interest groups.