Statement from Miles Associates


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/link1.jpg

During the last twenty years Oklahoma City has focused on improving the CBD and adjacent areas. Districts such as Bricktown, Film Row, the C2S Park, and Midtown are benefiting tremendously from this attention. Now that The Innovation District is taking shape Miles Associates believes it’s time for the City to spend some effort there.

Founded in 1980, Miles Associates specializes in science and technology projects in the corporate, health, and academic sectors. As a former campus architect at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Bud Miles founded Miles Associates to provide specialized architectural services tailored to meet the needs and challenges of institutional clients. The firm currently employs 31 professionals located in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas. Some notable Oklahoma projects include the OU Children’s Hospital and Atrium, GE Oil & Gas Global Research Technology Center, OU Devon Energy Hall, and Quik Trip’s Corporate Headquarters.

In addition to architecture, Miles Associates has master planned several university campuses in Oklahoma and the Caribbean, including the OU Research Campus, ECU, and the University Center of Southern Oklahoma. The firm has also master planned corporate headquarters and healthcare campuses including the Oklahoma Health Center, and the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Campus (now the OU Research Park).

Their familiarity with The Innovation District prompted them to study ways to reduce the negative aspects of the I-235 barrier that divides the Oklahoma Health Center from Automobile Alley. Their self-defined goal was to increase connectivity and improve walkability. The OKC Innovation Link is the result of over thirty months of study, planning, and design. Many different civic leaders have seen the plan, provided valuable input, and are excited to see it progress. But the design is still conceptual, and will require a lot more input from stakeholders and considerable development before its viability is determined.

There are other examples of similar highway-capping projects in Dallas, Boston, and Columbus. The Columbus example is notable for its efficient creation of new land for the construction of buildings and pedestrian spaces. The Dallas example spans Woodall Rogers Freeway with a park that successfully knits both sides together. The Miles solution incorporates good attributes from each example, resulting in a unique design that is striking and functional.

Several features are included in the Phase-1 project to enhance the pedestrian experience. Each of the two bridges will be widened to accommodate walking and biking paths. A new flyover pedestrian bridge will link the OU Research Park to the 9th Street activity corridor. The studies indicated that 9th Street should be the primary link to Automobile Alley, and that’s why it was given a prominent terminus on the cap.

The graceful curve of the cap is designed in response to existing topographic conditions and respect for existing vehicle travel lanes and clearances. Several new sites are created for buildings, pathways, and public spaces. In addition to creating new building and green spaces, the design attracts walking and biking instead of repelling them, resulting in increased connectivity and improved walkability.



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http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/link5.jpg

My understanding is this is only conceptual at this point but there are plenty of powerful people in OKC who want to see this done.

It's been talked about for quite some time.

This is really cool. Hope it pans out!

^^^^^^^^
Glad to see the incorporation of buildings. I was concerned it was going to be primarily park/green space, which by itself generally doesn't promote walkability. Having development lining the streets will draw pedestrians and go a long way toward complete neutralization of the freeway barrier/scar.

Here's a project website: http://okcinnovationlink.com

I started a thread about this very thing 3 years ago:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=35757

I like it, but I question the feasibility and the financing. While this would improve aesthetics and give us something KC might be jealous of, it's benefit to the tax payers is more speculative than all of the other MAPS projects.

Also, I find it interesting that this arguably benefits GE more than anyone else. I'm all about throwing bones to GE if the bones lead to well-paying jobs, but giving it a park view at the potential cost of $100M or more just seems a bit questionable.

In the end, I'd love for this to get built, but I think it's a tough ask given the state's current economic position.

http://newsok.com/could-park-development-be-built-over-interstate-235-in-okc/article/5515671

Seems the city power leaders are setting up some MAPS items the past few weeks.

Soccer stadium
I-235 Cap
State fair arena

Not opposed to any of the 3 but seems like civic projects are coming out all at once.

Just saw this shown on KOCO and noticed they actually gave the forum credit. First time I've seen that.

I like it, but I question the feasibility and the financing. While this would improve aesthetics and give us something KC might be jealous of, it's benefit to the tax payers is more speculative than all of the other MAPS projects.

Also, I find it interesting that this arguably benefits GE more than anyone else. I'm all about throwing bones to GE if the bones lead to well-paying jobs, but giving it a park view at the potential cost of $100M or more just seems a bit questionable.

In the end, I'd love for this to get built, but I think it's a tough ask given the state's current economic position.

You're right. The 17,000 people who work in that area are inconsequential and it would only mainly benefit GE. They have indicated that this does not have any funding but it has to start with ideas, so why poo poo it? It's something that obviously would be several years from occurring and who knows how finances may change.

I do worry that the Innovation District is a bit too sprawled out to make this worth it. Don't get me wrong, I support it in general, but if the Innovation District is mostly filled with a suburban model then it's unlikely many people will walk out of their buildings, through the parking lots, and past nothingness (in a walkability sense) to get to this park. Although, while the area around the highly successful Klyde Warren Park in Dallas is much denser, it's actually pretty dead in all directions. Yet, the park succeeds anyway. So, maybe it would work either way.

You're right. The 17,000 people who work in that area are inconsequential and it would only mainly benefit GE. They have indicated that this does not have any funding but it has to start with ideas, so why poo poo it? It's something that obviously would be several years from occurring and who knows how finances may change.

I understand that a number of people work in the area. However, GE is the only private company presently listed on the renderings. If anything, I'd be more supportive of a series of caps over I-40. You could connect Wheeler to the convention center area and the proposed soccer development to the boathouses.

Also, I think it's fairly obvious that this is a target for MAPS. Where else would the financing come from? It doesn't seem like a TIF candidate to me, but I could be wrong.

Finally, this seems like the type of move a city might take if it's already densely built. And I think we can all agree that OKC doesn't have that problem just yet.

So yeah, I have a few questions about this proposal. I don't think it's a bad idea, but I do think its value to the taxpayers is more speculative than what was achieved with previous MAPS funds.

My question for this proposed development is what happens when an ice storm moves in? Do you close the footbridge? Is the city going to salt and scrape the footbridge for the pedestrian traffic?

I don't mind the cap, but much more important at this point than a cap is a design overlay within the Innovation district to construct buildings that adhere to good principals of urbansim. Otherwise the cap is legitamately a waste of money.

To be sure the innovation district is by no means a lost cause. It may never be the archetype of a well planned urban area, but a quick look at the map shows that if the money can be there, there are plenty of places to build fruitful walkable developments that will make the district absolutely worth connecting to the rest of downtown.

My question for this proposed development is what happens when an ice storm moves in? Do you close the footbridge? Is the city going to salt and scrape the footbridge for the pedestrian traffic?

Haha, what? Is this post for real?

Anyways, I am with dankrutka on this. I love the design proposal and the concept of connecting this area to the AA/DD area that is begging to be expanded north and east. However, the entire Research district is embarrassingly suburban. If you are going to provide a walkable avenue from residential to this employer area, then you need to first improve the walkability on both sides. I would propose any funds in future MAPs for this, would be better allocated to general walkability improvements over these 3 districts, and even toss Bricktown in there. However, that also means it may not pass.

I know we are getting down to specifics, but do we know what the actual capping (not building new buildings or anything) will cost and how it would be paid for? What was the cost to cap the highway in Dallas?

I just looked and the cap for Klyde Park in Dallas was $20MM in bonds, $20MM in highway funds from state and fed gov't and $50MM in private donations. They also received $16.7MM in stimulus funds. Total=$106.7 Million. I don't think it will cost as much as we would not be capping the entire highway like they did, but $80 million or so is a good estimate, I think.

I know we are getting down to specifics, but do we know what the actual capping (not building new buildings or anything) will cost and how it would be paid for? What was the cost to cap the highway in Dallas?

I just looked and the cap for Klyde Park in Dallas was $20MM in bonds, $20MM in highway funds from state and fed gov't and $50MM in private donations. They also received $16.7MM in stimulus funds. Total=$106.7 Million. I don't think it will cost as much as we would not be capping the entire highway like they did, but $80 million or so is a good estimate, I think.

Ours would be very expensive. The Klyde Warren Park in Dallas is only 1/4 of a mile long, our proposal is over a half mile long, and is in a much wider area. I bet it would cost upwards of $300 million to do what is proposed here.

I love this idea! Until we moved offices, I used to work on the eastern side of the Innovation District. While the proposed highway cap is a bit of a walk from that side of the district, it would have been awesome to be able to walk or ride a bike over there to enjoy something different. Keep in mind, too, that this isn't only serving the Innovation District - the largest part of the park plaza is right next to the Metropolitan and the eastern half of Automobile Alley, so I do not believe that this would end up being a dead area.

Literally my only concern here would be that Phase II, as proposed, appears to involve the acquisition and demolition of the Walcourt (http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=25952). I'd much rather see this structure restored to it's former glory and integrated into this park - or at least, serving as a northern residential bookend just like the the Metropolitan to the south.

Ours would be very expensive. The Klyde Warren Park in Dallas is only 1/4 of a mile long, our proposal is over a half mile long, and is in a much wider area. I bet it would cost upwards of $300 million to do what is proposed here.

But the whole thing isn't capped and that is what I was taking into consideration. Again, I have no idea what something like this would cost.

But the whole thing isn't capped and that is what I was taking into consideration. Again, I have no idea what something like this would cost.

FWIW one reason that Klyde Warren ended up being so expensive was that FHWA and TxDOT ended up reclassifying the freeway under the park as a tunnel, meaning it had have to have special fire protection and venting systems put in place. My memory is hazy, but that fact alone cause the price tag to exceed its original budget significantly.

From the eyeball test, it doesn't look like this concept would rise to that level. It would still be pricey but maybe not as much as some on here think.

My question for this proposed development is what happens when an ice storm moves in? Do you close the footbridge? Is the city going to salt and scrape the footbridge for the pedestrian traffic?
You do realize that there are already other pedestrian bridges over freeways in OKC?

Speaking of....why not just build a nice pedestrian bridge? Would be far less expensive, and it would still serve a purpose to connect the areas adjacent to the highway.

Speaking of....why not just build a nice pedestrian bridge? Would be far less expensive, and it would still serve a purpose to connect the areas adjacent to the highway.

Or a pedestrian bridge with retail on one side? I can't remember which city did this, but it was a big success in bridging the gap between two districts. However, again, I'm just not sure there's enough activitiy in this area to really merit an investment like that. I think the retail could struggle.

Or a pedestrian bridge with retail on one side? I can't remember which city did this, but it was a big success in bridging the gap between two districts. However, again, I'm just not sure there's enough activitiy in this area to really merit an investment like that. I think the retail could struggle.

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Yes! I searched for it (albeit briefly) and couldn't find it. It's a fantastic development.

i think this is the Columbus development y'all are referencing.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/.a/6a00d834518cc969e20154366eba20970c-800wi

Yep. That's the one.

Don't get me wrong, this is great looking and a good start! However, I was really hoping for full cap with a good mix of everything. From the Harrison/10th Street Exit to NE 13th Street.

the entire Research district is embarrassingly suburban
I don't know that I'd go that far. It's not embarrassing at all. There's some nice, new construction that has gone on in the last several years. No, it doesn't look like Midtown Manhattan and it never will and that's okay. It's a campus. Sure, it could be made more pedestrian friendly but if you've traveled through the area lately, you know that there's actually quite a few pedestrians around at all times of the work day. The area could use some help and improvement, but I wouldn't call it an embarrassment at all.

You have to remember I said embarrassingly suburban, not embarrassing. My idea of suburban is a lot of empty space/parking lots between POIs, which this district has a lot of. Sidewalks just abruptly end and begin on new lots or don't exist at all for blocks. And the sidewalks that do exist are pointlessly winding around in open spaces that lead to no doorsteps or said POIs. That is exactly what it is like in suburbia. Bikelanes and street parking are nowhere to be found. It is concrete monoliths and paved asphalt as far as the eyes can see. The area is clearly built for easy vehicle access in and out.

You have to remember I said embarrassingly suburban, not embarrassing. My idea of suburban is a lot of empty space/parking lots between POIs, which this district has a lot of. Sidewalks just abruptly end and begin on new lots or don't exist at all for blocks. And the sidewalks that do exist are pointlessly winding around in open spaces that lead to no doorsteps or said POIs. That is exactly what it is like in suburbia. Bikelanes and street parking are nowhere to be found. It is concrete monoliths and paved asphalt as far as the eyes can see. The area is clearly built for easy vehicle access in and out.
Your description may fit what you see from Lincoln Blvd. but it does not necessarily describe development east of Phillips and north of Eighth. As new structures have been added they are more urban than the structures built before 2000.

I agree with RodH. But you are correct, Anonymous. There is a fair amount of surface parking and that's out of necessity. Most of the people you have visiting the campus are from the greater metro area and beyond. My parents go to Dean McGee for the eye doctor and they travel from 3 hours outside of OKC. Most of the patients for the campus are not people walking over from DD, AA, Midtown etc. Again, this area doesn't need the urban density of Manhattan to be a good and useful district. Buildings with surface parking can be fine if done well and done right.

I know several people on this site don't like the suburban feel of the campus but I think everyone would be complaining more if we didn't have it at all. I think it's great to have it here in OKC and so close to downtown. It'd be great to try to have new construction in the area adhere to good design principles, but I think we need to be more concerned with the jobs, technology and research that those buildings brings. And we need to be working on bringing more of that here. GE is a good start.

Steve's update:

http://m.newsok.com/article/5519231

Innovation Link would connect downtown, OU Health Sciences Center

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record October 20, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Innovation Link is a concept that would build a large covered bridge across Interstate 235. It would provide a safe connection between downtown and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

It would also cost about $200 million, according to architect Miles & Associates’ calculations. Since presentations began in early fall, money has not been identified to make it happen.

Architect Dennis Wells said the design was just a fun project for him and firm founder Bud Miles. No one asked them to do it.

But other cities that have similar highway caps also started with no funds. In Dallas and Columbus, Ohio, each project had champions that stepped up and either raised or contributed the funds.

In Columbus, the idea for the Cap at Union Station started in 1989. An unpopular highway-widening project led residents to wanting a park. An idea to cap the highway was developed, but it came with a price tag of more than $8 million.

The price was a minor hurdle compared to the two years and $50,000 it took the city to buy the air rights to 13 parcels underneath the cap.

The Ohio Department of Transportation paid the $1.3 million to construct the bridge platforms, where the retail buildings would sit. The city paid $325,000 to install utilities. Continental Communities Real Estate Co. secured a $7 million conventional loan to construct the buildings and do tenant build-out.

Continental Chairman Jack Lucks said he didn’t want the freeway system to cut people off from his apartment project. The spaces were used by artists.

The Cap opened in 2004. Merchants include Cold Stone Creamery and Hyde Park Prime Steak House.

“There’s been a little bit of turnover with the merchants because we don’t have 500 parking spaces,” he said. “But it’s a terrific thoroughfare.”

The OKC Innovation Link plan calls for about 1,400 parking spaces on two levels.

In Dallas, the $110 million, 5-acre park-deck over Woodall Rodgers Freeway was a public-private partnership, but the public part almost didn’t happen, said Tara Green, president of Klyde Warren Park.

A group of real estate investors was upset about losing out to Chicago in the bid to be the home for Boeing Co.’s headquarters. City officials were told it was because Dallas did not have a vibrant downtown.

The investors were able to raise $10 million in six weeks to get the project on the bond ballot. Nearly half the project was funded through state and city money. The other half was from private donors.

Construction started in 2009 and the park opened in 2012.

“We have doubled our estimate on annual attendance,” Green said. “We’re seeing a million people annually. We are not seeing that sophomore slump.”

She said the biggest change in downtown is the price of real estate around the park. There has been more than $1 billion in development around the park, which has been all private development.

The price of land has skyrocketed. In 2009, land near the park was $80 per square foot. This year, the Texas Capital Bank building sold for $500 per square foot.

“It taught Dallas how to walk,” she said. “Of course, people know how to walk in Dallas. But we used to get in our cars to drive a couple blocks. Now in Dallas, people who live uptown will walk to work. If your walk is scenic, people are more inclined to walk.”

The OKC Innovation Link would span from NE 13th Street to NE Eighth Street, over I-235. It would go only as far east as Oklahoma Avenue and west to Walnut Avenue.

The Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority gets the first right of refusal on land sold in the area, said Lisa Salim with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. OCURA can buy the land at the price it was purchased for in the 1980s.

OCURA Executive Director Cathy O’Connor said if the organization is involved in the development, it could acquire the land and provide it to the developer. The group did a similar process with the GE Global Research Oil and Gas Technology Center.

“On a project like this, we’d have to know the city is interested in pursuing it and the funding is available,” she said.

i think this is the Columbus development y'all are referencing.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/.a/6a00d834518cc969e20154366eba20970c-800wi

Since this was built 20 years ago, the surrounding area has started to see numerous infill towers.

http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/pizzuti-hotel-05.jpg
http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/park-street-hotel-05.jpg
http://www.dispatch.com/content/graphics/2014/03/27/convention-projects-art-gctrnn15-11convention-projects-c-jpg.jpg

One of those is Glimcher, another became a massive garage instead, and several more are planned. Several more caps exist and continue to be planed, including two on the east side of downtown, and two on the south side of downtown.

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1324739/26576689/1443724608837/Long-Street-Bridge-BLOG.jpg?token=PIYCHPvvq1aGHXQGFlZhmJMTbFY%3D
http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/odot-7071-third-street-rendering-01.jpg

This reminds me of the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, England that spans the River Avon, built in 1774.
http://www.planetware.com/photos-large/ENG/england-bath-pulteney-bridge.jpg

http://vmg1.info/wp-includes/js/imgareaselect/pulteney-bridge-bath-uk-i16.jpg

https://s12.postimg.org/5zpwoef19/Pulteney_Bridge_shops.jpg

That's pretty sweet. Venice has those types of arcaded bridges as well.

I don't really understand doing it over water though. You do it over a freeway bc the freeway is an ugly break in the urban fabric that hinders pedestrian walkability and connectivity. Water on the other hand attracts people, but perhaps like Venice they have plenty of other water-centric spaces, too.

Is there still talk of this project or is it dead in the water?

Dead.

They may instead do some gateway enhancements with the upcoming GO bond.

It's not dead. Things are cooking behind the scenes...

Is there still talk of this project or is it dead in the water?

The project was a conceptual idea, but it was never funded. More like a pet project for a long term vision to link various downtown areas that have been severed by the construction of I-235.


Dead.

They may instead do some gateway enhancements with the upcoming GO bond.

Is it accurate to say it is dead if it was never alive? That's like saying I am divorced from Reese Witherspoon.

The project was a conceptual idea, but it was never funded. More like a pet project for a long term vision to link various downtown areas that have been severed by the construction of I-235.



Is it accurate to say it is dead if it was never alive? That's like saying I am divorced from Reese Witherspoon.

I say 100% emoji to that

That's a shame though. Like Andrew's other idea of Market Circle, it was literally too perfect of an idea that the city/Alliance/powers-that-be could never get behind it.

Oklahoma has a lot of these native sons who are brilliant but have to begrudgingly pursue opportunities elsewhere. Oklahoma should really listen to them (selfish argument lol).

Health Center Foundation to manage Innovation District

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record April 18, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Health Center Foundation is getting a new life as it takes on managing the Innovation District.

“We’re going to reinvent ourselves,” said Terry Taylor, president of the foundation. “We’re going to restructure ourselves. That means a new organization.”

The call for a leading entity came in a nonprofit research group’s study of the Innovation District, which stretches south from NW 13th Street to Fourth Street, southeast to the railroad tracks, east to Lottie Avenue, and west to Robinson Avenue.

But there’s not an ideal group to manage the district, not even the foundation, according to the study. The authors wrote that while the foundation coordinates its members and oversees the campus master plan, it doesn’t have the structure, powers, or comprehensive geographic focus to coordinate cross connections within the district.

Taylor said the foundation has a lot in the works, including considering whether an executive director is needed.

“We’re branching out,” he said. “We’ve been looking at staffing as the months come on. We’ll determine what we need to do.”

The foundation has about a $3 million annual budget, though $1 million is designated for projects specifically in the health center. Taylor said trying to get more money will be one key factor in the restructuring. The study suggested more events that allow district employees to commingle, and there are grants available for those activities. Taylor said the foundation is studying how it can take advantage of that money.

As the foundation looks at its new role, the state is considering its part in helping draw more development to the Innovation District.

The Office of Management and Enterprise Services oversees the development within the State Capitol Complex and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The district runs from NE 30th Street to NE Eighth Street.

OMES Planning Director Ben Davis said the state is working on changing its conditional uses in the area, allowing more flexibility with development.

Davis said he helped prompt the rule changes after he learned there are not many permissible uses in the Health Sciences Center’s zoning.

The existing rules allow for nine uses permitted by right, including clinic, extended care facility, health-care residential, helicopter pad, hospital, hotel, research lab, and a public health facility. There are also five conditional uses: bank or credit union; barber shop, spa or salon; child care; copy center; and conference center.

If the rules are changed, new developments could include office, residential, institutional, and retail use not tied to the health center. New development proposals in the area must be approved by the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning Commission.

Davis said there is vacant land available for new structures, but some areas are surface parking lots. A majority of vacant land is outside the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement District, he said. It’s 950 acres total and overlaps the Innovation District’s 832 acres.

“I think the new rules will make it a lot easier for mixed development to happen,” he said.

I tried and failed to find an Innovation District thread, so feel free to move this post to a more appropriate thread if applicable, but the Brookings Institution just released a report regarding the challenges and opportunities facing OKC's Innovation District. I've just read the summary and not the full report, but it seems to be very comprehensive and informative. I plan to read the full report later and will edit this post with any interesting information provided therein, but thought I'd post in case anyone else is interested.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/positioned-for-growth-advancing-the-oklahoma-city-innovation-district/

Thanks for the link. "Implement a technology-based economic development and entrepreneurship effort within the innovation district."

Can't help but think of the Edge fund, well on its way to a $1 billion goal when Fallin liquidated it in 2012 in a seemingly short-sighted(to me, anyway) move. http://newsok.com/article/3677810

I don't know how well Edge was performing, but killing it just as it was getting off the ground was pretty stupid. These things take a long time to cultivate.

Thanks for the link. "Implement a technology-based economic development and entrepreneurship effort within the innovation district."

Can't help but think of the Edge fund, well on its way to a $1 billion goal when Fallin liquidated it in 2012 in a seemingly short-sighted(to me, anyway) move. http://newsok.com/article/3677810

I don't know how well Edge was performing, but killing it just as it was getting off the ground was pretty stupid. These things take a long time to cultivate.

That was truly one of her more idiotic moves.

That was truly one of her more idiotic moves.

With so many bad moves to choose from, it is hard to tell which is her most stupid. She and the legislature are in a race to the bottom.

With so many bad moves to choose from, it is hard to tell which is her most stupid. She and the legislature are in a race to the bottom.

Without a doubt. It's truly embarrassing.

The Miles Associates website has been updated and it shows an "innovation link" rendering that is more limited. The new study modifications seem to only build out at 10th St and I-235, as opposed to the previous plans which also built out at 13th and I-235. They summarize this study as, "SMALLER CAP = SMALLER PRICE TAG"

My apologies if this updated study from Miles Associates has been linked to previously. If anyone has any insight as to odds on this project becoming a reality I am very interested. I think the recent purchase of the Walcourt (13th and I-235) is evidence that interest is still growing.

http://www.milesassociates.com/okcinnovationlink

The Miles Associates website has been updated and it shows an "innovation link" rendering that is more limited. The new study modifications seem to only build out at 10th St and I-235, as opposed to the previous plans which also built out at 13th and I-235. They summarize this study as, "SMALLER CAP = SMALLER PRICE TAG"

My apologies if this updated study from Miles Associates has been linked to previously. If anyone has any insight as to odds on this project becoming a reality I am very interested. I think the recent purchase of the Walcourt (13th and I-235) is evidence that interest is still growing.

http://www.milesassociates.com/okcinnovationlink

I wish we'd just remove this section of 235 and replace it with an at grade street/blvd

I wish we'd just remove this section of 235 and replace it with an at grade street/blvd

That is the exact opposite of what they have been doing just south of there. If there was room to widen I-235 through that area, they would. That elevated bridge is a mess though. Even when they get I-235 widen from 36th st to Edmond, there is always going to be that bottleneck.

I would be in favor of the at-grade boulevard after some system of regional transit was put in place. The east and west sides are so disconnected that it almost feels like two different towns. Also, does anyone know which is costlier to maintain: interstates or city streets with a similar number of lanes?

I would be in favor of the at-grade boulevard after some system of regional transit was put in place. The east and west sides are so disconnected that it almost feels like two different towns. Also, does anyone know which is costlier to maintain: interstates or city streets with a similar number of lanes?

I don't even think having alternate modes of transport would be necessary. Just take it out south of say 50th or 36th and re connect the grid. Sure, during the low traffic times, it probably would result in slower traffic not having the highway there. But during peak times, i'd argue you'd be able to get out of town faster/similar time. Currently during peak times 235 gets really backed up, but that's because everybody is funneling onto it at the same time using the same exits. If you returned the city to grid, people would take the path of least resistance spreading out onto many city streets (esp. if grid was strong and connected). It would be stop and go at every intersection, but there wouldn't be traffic jams like you get on 235 after work.

Removing 235 and reconnecting the grid would reconnect the east and west side and would open up acres of taxable land. it would accomplish what the innovation link is trying to plus so much more. We'd be paying for demolition of the highway and a new street grid, rather than a bridge cap, but returning the highway to grid would provide a greater roi by turning a non taxable area into a heavily taxable area that would keep on giving. It would also greatly raise the property values of neighborhoods abutting the highway and would encourage retail growth in east okc.

It's only a dream, but it's time we start focusing in on how to strengthen our core and improve livability around downtown (or other nodes ripe for sufficient intensity) rather than subsidizing lifestyles that suck the city dry of it's funding. 235 was seen as progress but all it did was destroy neighborhoods and provide means to stretch the city out to a density level that is unsustainable. Transportation to the burbs shouldn't come at the cost of inner city living.

Carrying over 80,000 vehicles per day, I235 isn't going anywhere.

Back to the real world as Magz pointed out, I have mixed feelings about this development now. For one, the day that they went back and redid it makes me think maybe it's a bit more serious than some pie in the sky proposal, but I don't know how I feel about it being scaled back.

Imagine, if you will, Parking Garages over a highway. A man can dream.

Parking Garage Expressway, or the PGX, as the locals call it.

Parking Garage Expressway, or the PGX, as the locals call it.

I have never in my life been so turned on.

Now, if they'd just widen Broadway Extension to about 10 lanes on both sides. 20 total lanes. Then build an underground Expressway, a la Dallas. With a 90 mph limit. We might could make even Katy, Texas jealous!

Here's a logo mock-up for you @colbafone:

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