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Information & Latest News
Links
County Assessor Record
Official Website (http://boathousedistrict.org/boathouse-district-about/chesapeake-boathouse/)
Gallery

That thing looks great. I haven't been to that part of OKC in awhile I think I will go by to check it out.




P.S.- where are the girls in bikini's gonna be out sunbathing?!?!?!?

thanks for the update. anyone have any more recent pics?

Looks great. Hope they remove the temporary facility.

opening is supposed to be next week

The link does not work for me. :-(

It is now COMPLETE.

Leaders dedicate $3.5M boathouse to rowing future

By Michael Bratcher
The Oklahoman

City and business leaders Tuesday christened a $3.5 million boathouse along the Oklahoma River, calling the building an architectural jewel that will bring international attention to Oklahoma.
The Chesapeake Boathouse is the first of its kind to be built in an area designated as "boathouse row." It will offer Olympic-style rowing, kayaking and dragon boating for metro area residents.

"To have this structure represent the sport of rowing is truly a symbolic development," said Mike Knopp, boathouse executive director. "For so long, the river tended to divide the community."

Knopp expects the boathouse will further develop the city's commitment to rowing. He said Oklahoma City has the potential of having one of the best rowing venues in the nation.

The building can house up to 124 rowing shells from local crews, including groups from Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma.

Hugh Tullos, a member of the Chesapeake Junior Crew who began rowing in 2002, said the boathouse rivals anything found at Princeton.

"Rowing has given us opportunities where normally we would not have been noticed," Tullos said.

Mayor Mick Cornett said the opening marks a great time to be in Oklahoma City. The mayor said the city has seen more than $2.5 billion in private investment since the start of MAPS.

"Seems like things are happening so quickly, but we deserve every bit of it," Cornett said before he joined business leaders in dousing the "bow" of the boathouse with champagne.

At dusk Tuesday, the structure was illuminated for the first time. The walls are made from a translucent material, which glows and creates an optical illusion of the boathouse floating on the river. Sixteen columns of light representing oars also highlight a reflecting pool at the front of the building, which is shaped like a bow.

Architect Rand Elliott said rowing once was the most popular sport in the world. Crews worked late into the night Monday ensuring the building was ready for Tuesday's opening.

"If we pinch ourselves just a little bit today, we'll realize this is historic ... and the future of Oklahoma City," Elliott said.

The boathouse is a project of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation and is an official Oklahoma Centennial Project.

Aubrey McClendon, president of the boathouse foundation, called Tuesday's opening "not only the opening of world-class rowing" but also a new relationship with the historic river.

"In so many ways in past years, we've seen that Oklahoma has arrived. The boathouse is part of that," said McClendon, who also is chairman and chief executive of Chesapeake Energy.

In addition to Chesapeake Energy and Katie and Aubrey McClendon, founding donors include Clayton I. and Louise Bennett, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission. Major donors also include the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, Kerr McGee Corp., the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority, the city of Oklahoma City, Dobson Communications Corp. and BancFirst.

Clayton I. Bennett said the boathouse is the cornerstone of Regatta Park and will be a "magnificent sight with Bricktown and the Oklahoma City skyline in the background and the Oklahoma River in the foreground."

The building also features an event room that can be reserved for meetings and receptions and a fitness room with strength-training and cardiovascular equipment.

whats dragon boating? sounds dangerous.:smile:

This:

http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/dec97/holiday/boat2.GIF

Yes, dragon boating is the coolest! I wish we could tie this in more to our Asian District, which by the way has new signage up. Malibu, since you are the originator of this thread, perhaps you can change the title of this thread to Chesapeake Boathouse,now complete, instead of almost. Thanks.

Don't know if anyone caught this or saw it. As usual, the OKC media has been quiet about the real news in this city.

The decorative beams that were designed to look like "masts" that are on the front of the boathouse, blew completely over in the wind last week. Apparently it wasn't designed for high winds. Luckily the wind didn't blow them into the boathouse or the roof. I'm shocked Elliott didn't design these for high winds, after all, it's Oklahoma. Oh well at least he and Aubrey McClendon will make sure they get back up right.

I attended an OKC Beautiful board meeting held there in April; wonderful space. As I was leaving, some members of Leadership OKC were arriving for a meeting. I guess it is becoming a popular venue for small groups. Bummer about the storm damage.

Last night, I attended another event at the Chesapeake Boathouse and I look forward to other visits for other functions there in the future. Last night's gathering was a celebration of the first thirty years in Rand Elliott's architectural career. Obviously the perfect location for this party for "The Boathouse's" designer.

Elliott is just now hitting his stride as an architect and I look forward to seeing what he produces in his next thirty years.

I have performed sub-contractor work on the majority of his projects to date and "The Boathouse" has to rank near or perhaps at the top of my personal list of favorites. I can't really put my finger on what sets it apart in my mind, other than it seems so complete and well executed for it's designated purpose(s) as last night's event(s) so wonderfully displayed.

While about four hundred of Rand's friends and business associates enjoyed the drinks, food and conversation in the event space, rowing teams worked on their boats both inside and outside other areas of the building and other individuals worked out in the exercise room; all of this activity just steps apart, yet so different in nature. Hundreds of people working and playing together in an area of town that was virtually inaccessible and absolutely unused; in a building that didn't exist a small number of years ago; in a city that continues to express its culture in new, unexpected and exciting ways.

Rand is a wonderfully talented and hardworking designer of buildings. But better than that, there are several other Oklahoma City architects only a few years his junior that may well be equally talented and as dedicated to their profession as he is. Their presence and the quality of their work will push his creativity to higher levels; with Oklahoma City and our collective quality of life being major benefactors.

Thanks Rand. I believe that the best is yet to come, even for this old guy.

Too bad his architectural genius didn't include the masts that are outside the boathouse. You know, the ones who blew over in the wind a few months ago because he failed to design them to tolerate wind (in Oklahoma!). Anyways he is a pretty good designer other than oversights from time to time.

bump