Convention Center Garage

[shawnw]

Almost reads like there's another tax surplus coming and they know it so they want to get that money obligated.

[Laramie]

They've gotten smarter by overestimating these costs; lesson learned from previous MAPS projects.

Take the surplus money, apply it as a perk to enhance another project. You may get that riverfront amphitheater after all.

[UnFrSaKn]

History repeats again and again. Via Oklahoma Historical Society and The Oklahoman Archives.

[Jeepnokc]

History repeats again and again. Via Oklahoma Historical Society and The Oklahoman Archives.

So...those buildings are still there with the original facades behind or was this torn down for the Omni and CC?

[stile99]

So...those buildings are still there with the original facades behind or was this torn down for the Omni and CC?

Phew. I thought I was the only one who completely failed to see whatever point was being made.

[Pete]

So...those buildings are still there with the original facades behind or was this torn down for the Omni and CC?

Those original buildings are still there. Directly east of the Omni site on what will become the mixed-use residential and garage project.

Demo won't happen until OG&E completes a new facility east of the Broadway Ext on Wilshire, which should be this spring.

[5alive]

WOW...no idea that beautiful building was under there

[pw405]

Lol... WTF?! Why spend money to make a building look terrible from the outside? Was it a 60's-70's thing?

[OKCRT]

Reminds me of something the PEE plan would have done.

[Paseofreak]

Lol... WTF?! Why spend money to make a building look terrible from the outside? Was it a 60's-70's thing?

An unrealistic desire to become the Jetsons.

[Dob Hooligan]

Oh, it continues today. The desire to modernize on the cheap any building over 30 years old will never stop. We could start a new thread devoted to post Y2K commercial “remuddle” throughout Oklahoma County.

[Jeepnokc]

From Pete's drone shots...looks like the put a new roof on the buildings also in addition to the gold skin.

[Laramie]

Surprised to see what was underneath that gold frame facade--IMO a structure with potential; maybe a few modifications OG&E could have elevated it to a building that complemented the scene of many of the buildings in that area.

[UnFrSaKn]

Look what I found.


Looks like the two remodel photos are two sides instead of just Broadway. Three buildings. Number 3 is gone now. Looks like another historic building demo to watch next year. Any chance the developers will reconsider the current renderings they have so far?

[dankrutka]

I would love to think the developers would reconsider. These types of buildings add character to a city. Clearing them all is short-sighted, bad planning. But, I expect them to go down. The chamber should rebrand - Oklahoma City: The city without a past. /s

[shawnw]

I would love for these to be saved, but because a parking garage is going here, one that is very much wanted by all the parties in that neighborhood (CC, Omni, park, etc) I think we should prepare ourselves accordingly.

[kevin lee]

No offense, but what is so special about these buildings? Why is the past so important? Im not a big fan of tearing buildings down. Im not a fan of keeping them based only on their age either. Just a question for whomever. Maybe it will open my eyes to something new (or old).

[stile99]

No offense, but what is so special about these buildings? Why is the past so important? Im not a big fan of tearing buildings down. Im not a fan of keeping them based only on their age either. Just a question for whomever. Maybe it will open my eyes to something new (or old).

*THESE* buildings? Absolutely nothing. The problem stems from OKC having no regard to historical buildings, so the objection to tearing those down overflows into a sense of unwillingness to tear anything down, even if there is no historical value. Some people are somehow convinced, despite the piles of evidence, that there's no need for a parking garage there. They'd cry about it if it were a field.

Unless, of course, it's the U-Haul building, and then the song changes for some reason. And the Myriad/Cox Center. Although interestingly, there they split. Half of them want it restored to a street grid (which they will then cry is boring), some want it to remain as a backup convention center, or be rebuilt. A couple people think a soccer stadium could work there.

[UnFrSaKn]

By the way, I’m all for whatever they were planning to do here, just incorporate the facades into the design. We all know no one has that kind of foresight for that kind of thing though. What is the draw to Bricktown honestly? Need I remind everyone that “Bricktown” was “what’s so interesting about those buildings”. The majority wanted to bulldoze the whole area also. I don’t need to tell you what a bad idea that was. It took one businessman putting his money where his mouth was and great sacrifice, going against the crowd, that gave us our most popular and mature district everyone enjoys.

[Pete]

Just so everyone understands, the Omni required the garage as part of their deal with the city, so the demolition is already quaranteed.

Just waiting for OG&E to move to their new facility in the spring.

[Pete]

[hoya]

How many people knew these buildings were behind this facade before this weekend? Basically nobody.

The deal has been done for months and months. Construction has already started. It's far too late to say "hey wait, maybe there's something cool here".

[stile99]

By the way, I’m all for whatever they were planning to do here, just incorporate the facades into the design.

Exactly how would this work for a garage?

[hoya]

I'm all for historic preservation, but it's ridiculous to put these buildings in the same category as basically any other demolition. The Boulevard Place proposal that is going in this spot has met with almost universal praise and approval on this very website (in this very thread, in fact). People have been rooting for this ugly gold building to get torn down and replaced. Nobody knew there was anything valuable under the facade. If they did know, they sure as hell didn't say anything about it.

The new building is clearly a higher and better use. The garage is a requirement for the Omni hotel, and the apartments that will wrap around it are very impressive. This is the exact kind of development that we've been asking for. 8+ floors, concrete construction, lots of retail. This is very high quality stuff. I'll quote Hot Rod from earlier in the thread.

Anyway, I am ELATED by the choice of OCURA selecting Blvd place; it seems like they are finally getting it. I am not saying that because they selected my choice; im saying that because OCURA finally stuck to their own guidelines Core-2-Shore developments need to be: [8-floors or taller, retail on the ground, steel or steel/concrete construction, etc]. This might be a game changer for the city but also for OCURA to demand better development for our city (instead of settlling for second best and saying, well better than what was there before. Too bad OGE is taking so long to relocate their data center.

and then from Pete:

I'm not too worried about this not happening.

Until UnFrSaKn's post on 11/24/18, the only real criticism appears to be that this building won't get torn down fast enough. And now, based on two photographs of what was there in what looks to be the 1970s, we are lamenting how this city doesn't respect its history. We get complaining post after complaining post talking about how short sighted the city is. But that attitude actually makes it harder to fight for historic preservation. Because everyone and their dog understands that 1) nobody knew this was here until like two days ago, 2) we don't know how much of the original structure remains (OG&E may have gutted those buildings), and 3) what is going in its place is of exceptionally high quality.

When you complain about a project like this, it makes people not take historic preservation seriously. It makes them think you are crazy, and they become less willing to listen to you in the future.

[Pete]

^

Just because people didn't know about these buildings doesn't mean they aren't worth saving. In fact, the city orchestrated this entire purchase from OG&E and then an RFP for the housing that will surround a garage, and never once mentioned there were historic buildings involved, and that in itself is troubling.

The deal is done, the buildings can't be saved, but that absolutely does not mean there shouldn't be a dicussion about what has become an absolute rash of demolitions of late, all in aid of urban renewal.