Oklahoma Contemporary

[Plutonic Panda]

A future MAPS project to either trench or elevate the train tracks ought to be considered for the downtown area.

[shawnw]

If railroads weren't such a slothy nightmare to deal with maybe. even if we passed a maps initiative for that, they'd scoff and say "when we're good and ready, good day."

[Plutonic Panda]

If railroads weren't such a slothy nightmare to deal with maybe. even if we passed a maps initiative for that, they'd scoff and say "when we're good and ready, good day."

They’re doing it here in LA. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a trenching project in the San Gabriel valley. It has made a huge difference and is money well spent.

[shawnw]

I'm just looking at the precedent to date in dealing with the railroads here in OKC. Not a thing has been by anyone else's schedule but theirs.

[Laramie]

The railroads are subsidized by the U.S. Government.

Railroads need to take what they can get while the gettin's good. This is an area where IMO the city should take the upper hand. Try teasing them with some offers.

[Paseofreak]

How are the railroads currently subsidized by the U.S. Government? I consulted to CSX and Norfolk Southern for years and to my knowledge and the assertions of railroad senior management, they most certainly are not.

[baralheia]

They’re doing it here in LA. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a trenching project in the San Gabriel valley. It has made a huge difference and is money well spent.

And in general, railroads are less cantankerous about grade separation projects; they typically benefit both the city and the railroad, as fewer grade crossings mean better safety for train crews and for the general public as well. Grade separation also typically reduces maintenance costs, as they no longer have to maintain crossing signals and the like.

[Pete]

Whiteout by Erwin Redl now installed at Campbell Art Park:

[turnpup]

This looks really cool in person. We were walking by the other night and he was sitting there with his laptop doing final programming. Seemed like a nice guy.

[BG918]

A future MAPS project to either trench or elevate the train tracks ought to be considered for the downtown area.

I doubt the taxpayers would go for that, it's not that big a deal.

[catch22]

I doubt the taxpayers would go for that, it's not that big a deal.

A cheaper solution would be to pay to move BNSF’s operations building to the north side of the yard. Most of the times the trains are stopped there to swap out crews at the building behind OnCue. This takes about 10 minutes for the new crew to do their safety checks and what not. If this building were moved closer to 36th, the trains wouldn’t stop on the downtown intersections as often.

[Pete]

[shawnw]

Last beam is up:
https://twitter.com/LukeOKC/status/1075509000953847809

[Pete]

Here is a photo with the Christmas tree:

[Pete]

[mugofbeer]

I doubt the taxpayers would go for that, it's not that big a deal.

I would be more in favor of eliminating any at-grade crossings of the railroad throughout the metro. Downtown is fine.

[SagerMichael]

What’s up with the land between the Oklahoma Contemporary and Broadway Park?

[Pete]

What’s up with the land between the Oklahoma Contemporary and Broadway Park?

Most of that is owned by the museum but there is a small office building just north of Broadway Park that is under separate ownership. Until they moved to the old Journal Record building (now the Heritage) it was the HQ for Saxum PR.

[Sooner.Arch]

Cladding has started

[Pete]

[Pete]

[TheTravellers]

Realized Whiteout ends at the end of March, wondering what's the best place to see it from? Seems like it'd be kind of underwhelming from ground level, but not sure if there are public places high enough around it to get the full effect (not sure if the video above is from a drone or someplace that mere mortals can go).

[SEMIweather]

Realized Whiteout ends at the end of March, wondering what's the best place to see it from? Seems like it'd be kind of underwhelming from ground level, but not sure if there are public places high enough around it to get the full effect (not sure if the video above is from a drone or someplace that mere mortals can go).

I unfortunately don't have a good answer to your question other than confirming that it is underwhelming from ground level.

[TheTravellers]

I unfortunately don't have a good answer to your question other than confirming that it is underwhelming from ground level.

Ha, well, thanks for that, though, it does help, I'd hate to pass it up thinking "Eh, can't see the patterns", then have someone come back after it's over saying "It's so great at ground level, you shoulda seen it".

[SEMIweather]

Ha, well, thanks for that, though, it does help, I'd hate to pass it up thinking "Eh, can't see the patterns", then have someone come back after it's over saying "It's so great at ground level, you shoulda seen it".

I think it would have been better at ground level if they had used larger lights. I'm sure it looks much cooler from above, so it kind of seems like a missed opportunity that they didn't put a temporary 2-3 story observation deck in the area. Not sure how realistic that would have been in terms of cost, though.