What’s ahead for downtown Oklahoma City?
April 22, 2010

NewsOK (http://newsok.com/whats-ahead-for-downtown-oklahoma-city/article/3455993?custom_click=pod_headline_technology)

Project 180
Cost: $140 million
Estimated completion: 2014
Project 180 is a makeover of downtown streets, sidewalks and parks. The project is funded through a tax increment financing district established with construction of a new $750 million Devon Energy headquarters. Plans call for the addition of public art, marked bike lanes, decorative street lighting, outdoor furniture and hundreds of new parking spaces.



http://s3.amazonaws.com/newsok-photos/916371/medium.jpg

(giddy)

(correction)

Myriad Gardens

Budget: $38 million (part 2007 GO Bond, part Project180 TIF funds)

Estimated completion: 2012

Changes include the addition of a grand performance lawn and amphitheater, a children’s discovery garden and play area, water features, an ice skating rink, a restaurant and café, a dog release area and a new grand entrance to the Crystal Bridge.

But as Casey noted - also VERY Giddy.

Thanks for taking all my hard work on this and copying and pasting it here at OKC Talk. Not cool. I don't understand why work from NewsOk can't be treated with the same respect given to blogs. Do a quote or a snippet or description of the article, and provide a link where people can see the entire deal (I commonly do this on my blog, as does Charles Hill with Dustbury, and Doug with DougDawg).

As for the price tag, Fritter, yeah, I only listed the Myriad Gardens 180 project, and didn't list the bond project of $8 million for reglazing of the Crystal Bridge. That's unfortunate. That show's just how complicated all this was.

I edited the original post to provide just a snippet.


If you add all that up, it's $2.3 BILLION in improvements coming in the next few years, and that's not even including three new boathouses and the finish line tower, Film Row, Ford Center improvements, and lots of other things that are under construction or firm projects.

I doubt there is a city anywhere near OKC's size with this much downtown investment happening at the present.

Pete, those are excellent points to make. By no means does this represent EVERYTHING. Due to space limitations and other matters, we had to cap this off at the BIG stuff.
Not listed:
Devon Boathouse
Chesapeake Finish-line tower
Native American Cultural Center
Howard and Clagg MidTown projects

When you add in all the "smaller" items, we're at $2.5 BILLION being invested downtown.

What’s ahead for downtown Oklahoma City?

NewsOK (http://newsok.com/whats-ahead-for-downtown-oklahoma-city/article/3455993?custom_click=pod_headline_technology)

Okc Thunder - NBA Championships
Cost: Priceless
Estimated Completion: 2010 and beyond


Steve, no excuse for leaving the Thunder off your list. :tiphat:

I'd love to buy Frontier City and White Water Bay from PARC, relocate both parks to the riverbanks near downtown, create one giant combo theme/water park and call it Delmar Gardens.

Thanks for taking all my hard work on this and copying and pasting it here at OKC Talk. Not cool. I don't understand why work from NewsOk can't be treated with the same respect given to blogs. Do a quote or a snippet or description of the article, and provide a link where people can see the entire deal (I commonly do this on my blog, as does Charles Hill with Dustbury, and Doug with DougDawg).

As for the price tag, Fritter, yeah, I only listed the Myriad Gardens 180 project, and didn't list the bond project of $8 million for reglazing of the Crystal Bridge. That's unfortunate. That show's just how complicated all this was.

Steve, my apologies, but hear me out. First off, I did nothing illegal or against TOS (unless Pete or Oklahoman changed them) and no disrespect was intended. Secondly, there was no author on OKCTalk, there are people who post full articles from other journalists at the Oklahoman, and I don't see anyone fussing about it. I also posted the link above the article.

Secondly, no offense, but it wasn't any new news or updates, just a summary. In fact, I thought it was a good enough summary worth posting in full on OKCTalk, since some Oklahoman links die after a few months or years, and this is a thread that will probably be revived in a few years, instead of reviving a thread on each of the respected topics. Thanks for doing the article and it looks like Pete honored your request. :congrats:

I'd love to buy Frontier City and White Water Bay from PARC, relocate both parks to the riverbanks near downtown, create one giant combo theme/water park and call it Delmar Gardens.

I like that idea, pulse. Change it up to a riverside, boardwalk-like theme with all the retro strung lights all over and that would look incredible. The developers, of course, will say the land is too valuable to use it for such a purpose. But, I would respond that you make it a destination attraction, include a hotel and retail and you have much of what makes similar attractions work. We're not talking just picking the rides from FC/WW and plopping them down someplace else.

Metro, you brought up the word TOS..which no one has done in like 3 years. Hope you realize that.

I understand the concern about expiring links - and if someone wants to see something in my beat preserved for future readership, just let me know and I'll copy and paste it on my blog with no expiration.
My basic challenge remains the same: if you wouldn't do a wholesale copy and paste from the blog, why would journalists who write for a living be treated with less respect?

Metro, you brought up the word TOS..which no one has done in like 3 years. Hope you realize that.

I highly doubt that, but leave it to you to bring up the inane.

Hey, keep the daggers at me guys ... no need to restart the Metro/Spartan wars... I'll just whine but be cool with both of you at the end of the day.

Steve,

Where did you grab that landsat image? It looks more recent than Google, Mapquest, Bing Maps OR Oklahoma County GIS.

Yep. That was just a part of the work that was involved with this. While this looks like a simple summary of projects, it was a bit more complicated than that. I wanted an image that would show downtown at a key moment: After all the recent work was done, but before this latest wave began (summer 2009). We go

if you wouldn't do a wholesale copy and paste from the blog, why would journalists who write for a living be treated with less respect?


Hey, keep the daggers at me guys

Um, I know some bloggers who make a better living writing than a lot of journalists. And really a lot of what passes for journalism today is no more informative, credible, or substantive than a lot of blogs.

That being said, I completely agree with your point. There is really is no respect for creative rights anymore.

BDP, point taken. I can only imagine what sort of money the Pioneer Woman is making these days with book and movie deals (for the record if I get portrayed in a movie, I'd like to be played by Philip Seymour Hoffman)

for the record if I get portrayed in a movie, I'd like to be played by Philip Seymour Hoffman

Wow. You must be a much more complex character than you've led us to believe. ; )

Cite your sources. People get thrown out of college for doing what whatshisname did. Definately not cool.

And since we're talking about downtown development. I don't care what anyone says. There should be a casino (or two) in bricktown.

Cite your sources. People get thrown out of college for doing what whatshisname did. Definately not cool.

And since we're talking about downtown development. I don't care what anyone says. There should be a casino (or two) in bricktown.

I too would like a casino! A riverboat casino!

PLEASE no casinos downtown. Stay classy Oklahoma City.

Steve doesn't work for free, and considering the precarious state of the newspaper industry, among other reasons, deserves to generate at least some traffic for his work.

Not even a citation? Lame.

I wouldn't be opposed to a casino on the American Indian Culture Center land. But not on the north side of the river next to the Devon Tower, Ford Center, or Bricktown.

PLEASE no casinos downtown. Stay classy Oklahoma City.

So then "The Wormy Dog" -- classy.

Vegas style casino that brings in well-known artists and has gourmet restaurants -- not classy?

The mayor is opposed to them (the tribe that is trying to get a casino built out near Frontier City/Remington Park, originally proposed doing it downtown). He and other leaders are opposed to that location too. The opposition letter to the Feds (signed by Cornett and our Congressional representatives) cited the lack of historic claim to the land in question (that tribes is headquarted in the NE section of the state. Probably not even a possibility by any tribe as the tribe in question can't just buy land and it be "indian land". It has to be put into federal trust and to do that the tribe has to have a historical claim to the land. That limits which tribes are even a possibility. For a non-tribal casino, think the state law would have to be changed (other non-tribal casinos are part of Rasinos...race tracks with added casinos) and if not mistaken, those are very specific and limited by law. Apparently the historic claim doesn't apply to existing casinos as Remington Park was bought and now run by one of the tribes.

PLEASE no casinos downtown. Stay classy Oklahoma City.

Foosball's for da Devil!!!!Ma mamama mama said Casinos is bad!

We really don't need any more casino's right now. The ones we have are plenty. Let them prosper and grow and provide good entertainment for those who like that type of thing vs. building more casino's resulting in none of them being profitable.

We really don't need any more casino's right now. The ones we have are plenty. Let them prosper and grow and provide good entertainment for those who like that type of thing vs. building more casino's resulting in none of them being profitable.

I agree, Mug. This isn't going to be Las Vegas. The casinos in central Oklahoma aren't going to draw out of state business to OKC. They are an attraction for the local population. Too many isn't good for anyone.

I agree, Mug. This isn't going to be Las Vegas. The casinos in central Oklahoma aren't going to draw out of state business to OKC. They are an attraction for the local population. Too many isn't good for anyone. Agree...

I wouldn't be opposed to a casino on the American Indian Culture Center land.

Wow. That's classy.

Wow. That's classy.

What's wrong with what he said? He gave an opinion, he didn't say anything racist.

...yeah, and all new fried chicken places should be opened up on the noir side of town only. Nothing racist at all /sarcasm.

I wouldn't be opposed to a casino on the American Indian Culture Center land.

The facility is envisioned as a multi-use project with the museum, offices, a hotel, conference center, etc. A casino could be a logical part of the area though I don't favor any new casino's in the city. We have enough already.

I didn't mean anything racial by it. What is with the wild assumptions? Is it or is it not against the law to build a casino off of Indian land? I stand by my statement - I think that is the only place one could go - even if they had to grease up the politicians to make it happen. (Not original Indian land)

My reasoning:

a) It is Indian land, which as I have said, could be argued into allowing it happen.

b) Would bring more people close to downtown, occupy hotels and whatnot.

c) Give people more things to do while downtown. (Come into OKC for a basketball game, stay an extra day to do the casino, then head back to wherever they are from)

d) Far enough out of the way to not make it Las Vegas and still family safe after dark.

e) Being restricted to Indian land would not allow downtown and bricktown to become Las Vegas as far as number of casinos.

f) all of the above.

My reasoning was f.

That is why I wouldn't be opposed to it. I am however, not promoting one as I think gambling is a bad habit and we are a good state and should keep that reputation. However, if one were to go in, on the Indian land across the river, I would not be opposed to it.

Sorry, Skywest, my bad.

I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I apologize.

Sorry, Skywest, my bad.

I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I apologize.

No harm, no foul.

I really don't think though the Casino route is a good idea for downtown. 15 years ago Casino's were unique, now they are saturated all over the nation. I think as far as drawing visitors The American Indian Cultural Center its self is more of a unique draw. Most of the nation does not have the rich native culture we enjoy here. I feel that a Casino would cheapen the experience. If the Chickasaws could do something like the Cherokees with Riverwind ala build a true resort with fine dining options, golf, and now a first rate event center, then that could serve as a draw, but in its current site not near downtown. As much as people don't like the Cowtown element of the city it is what sells to outsiders, its not hick culture it is western culture. I would argue for those from the coasts, and outside the US the AICC will be added to the list of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage, and the stockyards. People want to see something exotic and authentic. Casino's are for manufactured places like Vegas not real colorful cities.

What's wrong with what he said? He gave an opinion, he didn't say anything racist.

Not what he said but the idea of it. Should the Smithsonian Native American Museum in DC also house a casino? That's just tacky any way you sell it.

Sorry if it sounded like I was accusing you of racism. I wasn't clear.

Let me elaborate more. I just don't think a casino belongs on the grounds of a museum and cultural center. A hotel and some shops with authentic Native American goods is completely different. Would it not be tacky if there was a western-themed casino attached to the National Cowboy Museum? This would be even worse because of the association between Indians and casinos.

Like I said, I'm not in favor of one or advocating building one. I just said I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think the most likely place for one to go considering the legalities of it (and even bending the legalities with some good backroom money) would be the Indian Museum land. I do see you and Nick's points - both are valid.