Aquarium

[bombermwc]

Yes, yes he does.

And we can do this thing soooooo much better than the Jenks aquarium. That place is a joke and is expensive for the extreme low quality of the place.

Think Dallas, think New Orleans. Those are both older concepts now and we have the opportunity to take up a notch!

[Urban Pioneer]

IÂ’ll say it again, this MAPS is misguided. You donÂ’t wave a $700 million to $1 billion dollar check in the air and ask what we should spend it for. It seems as if the city has already done their scientific polling ahead of time and already knew what they wanted to do. ItÂ’s disguised as a public process but it seems like the same old Oklahoma City we all know too well.

It depends on how you look at it. There are some very specific special interests that obviously are getting their piece of the pie and under the guise of "economic revenue generators".

Conversely, you have a new slate of city councilors who campaigned on a promise to work on homelessness, sidewalks, transit, trails, animal welfare, mental health, substance abuse, placemaking, and reinvestment in neighborhoods outside of downtown. They were ushered in by their voters with those specific agendas. The scientific polling demonstrates that the voting public hasn't changed their priorities since those council seats changed. They have a mandate. The great debate, if there is one internally, is over projects that do not specifically address those concerns. These people waltzed into office with a mandate from their constituents and even the data from last week shows that nothing has changed with what the likely voter wants.

[shavethewhales]

Yes, yes he does.

And we can do this thing soooooo much better than the Jenks aquarium. That place is a joke and is expensive for the extreme low quality of the place.

Think Dallas, think New Orleans. Those are both older concepts now and we have the opportunity to take up a notch!

What exactly is "extreme low quality" about the Jenks aquarium? There are some great exhibits there, including a freaking shark tunnel. It's not a huge place, but what they have is well done. I get that the outside doesn't look very flashy, but not every project has to be a monument to architectural ego.

IMO, the concept shown in these renderings looks far too shoved back into a corner. I am sure OKC will get an aquarium soonish, and I hope the final product focuses less on providing flashy eye candy from the highway and more on providing high-quality exhibit space.

[Executionist]

Yes, yes he does.

And we can do this thing soooooo much better than the Jenks aquarium. That place is a joke and is expensive for the extreme low quality of the place.

Think Dallas, think New Orleans. Those are both older concepts now and we have the opportunity to take up a notch!

What is "low quality" about it? And why "a joke" Specifics, please.

[Pete]

[citywokchinesefood]

What is "low quality" about it? And why "a joke" Specifics, please.

It is good to bring younger kids to, but the fact of the matter is it is small and frankly unimpressive. A world class aquarium is on par with the Shedd Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, or Churaumi Aquarium. The number of exhibits as well as the size of exhibits leaves a lot of more experienced aquarium enthusiasts wanting for more. I have brought my nieces and nephews to the Jenks aquarium twice, they had a fantastic time both times, the adults that have been to some of the aquariums I have already mentioned were completely unimpressed. The Jenks aquarium is great for what it is, and I imagine it is an awesome field trip for local elementary and middle school students. You really need to go and time your experience with some of the live demonstration exhibits or you really do not get your moneys worth for the tickets. The highlight of the facility to me is the Oklahoma river life exhibit with the otters and other local wildlife, this was unique and easily the high point of both trips I have taken to the Jenks aquarium. With that being said I could easily see someone that has been to multiple top tier aquariums considering the Jenks aquarium to be a bit of a joke. By comparison it is woefully unimpressive to other facilities.

[gopokes88]

Who dat?

[Pete]

Who dat?

Just showing that in one day that Instagram post had well more than 4,000 likes.

Numbers on Facebook were huge as well.

[BG918]

It is good to bring younger kids to, but the fact of the matter is it is small and frankly unimpressive. A world class aquarium is on par with the Shedd Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, or Churaumi Aquarium. The number of exhibits as well as the size of exhibits leaves a lot of more experienced aquarium enthusiasts wanting for more. I have brought my nieces and nephews to the Jenks aquarium twice, they had a fantastic time both times, the adults that have been to some of the aquariums I have already mentioned were completely unimpressed. The Jenks aquarium is great for what it is, and I imagine it is an awesome field trip for local elementary and middle school students. You really need to go and time your experience with some of the live demonstration exhibits or you really do not get your moneys worth for the tickets. The highlight of the facility to me is the Oklahoma river life exhibit with the otters and other local wildlife, this was unique and easily the high point of both trips I have taken to the Jenks aquarium. With that being said I could easily see someone that has been to multiple top tier aquariums considering the Jenks aquarium to be a bit of a joke. By comparison it is woefully unimpressive to other facilities.

I don’t think the Oklahoma Aquarium has ever compared itself to the top aquariums in the country , and shouldn’t but for an aquarium in a land-locked State it is pretty well-done. I agree with you that the Ozark stream exhibit is unique and frankly that should be a larger section than it is. The biggest miss with the OK Aquarium is that it doesn’t relate to its riverfront location which is a design miss. If they do a big renovation I hope they add more glazing and windows on that side of the building . I think more interactive exhibits would be good too.

[Colbafone]

Mayor Holt did NOT say that. Another person replying to him did.

Brah, I didn't say Holt said it. It was the chick that originally tweeted at Holt.

It's still an ugly, pervasive frame of mind that people have though. Gotta have faith in the 'ol, trusty Oklahoman!

[gopokes88]

Brah, I didn't say Holt said it. It was the chick that originally tweeted at Holt.

It's still an ugly, pervasive frame of mind that people have though. Gotta have faith in the 'ol, trusty Oklahoman!

That is no way unique to OKC, OK or the USA. That's just people in general. Splitting into warring tribes

[TheTravellers]

I'm curious about "landlocked" that keeps coming up. An aquarium is pretty much a big building(s) full of water (fresh, sea, or combo) plunked down somewhere and I don't believe they usually depend on a supply of seawater to operate, they're pretty much autonomous and self-sufficient. So why does being a landlocked state matter as to whether an aquarium is great or just good or bad?

[dcsooner]

It gave me another reason to start another twitter account to call Steve out on his bull****. He blocks every single account even though I have never been rude, but he is a snowflake that cant take a hard question let alone ask one. Steve Lackmeyer embodies the mediocrity of the Oklahoman.

I really dislike when we take our opinions and disagreements personal. He is just doing the best job he can just like everyone else. Lighten up

[gopokes88]

I really dislike when we take our opinions and disagreements personal. He is just doing the best job he can just like everyone else. Lighten up

Its great cause he gets just as angry as the city wok guy in South park

[EBAH]

just popping in to say this is still just a mind blowingly terrible idea and I hope it never gets built. I'd love to know who is ACTUALLY paying for all of this and what the point is. Not only do we NOT NEED THIS, WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS.

[EBAH]

Yeah, great proof that people scrolling their facebook feeds barely read, barely think about consequences and know little about financing or maintaining infrastructure projects, but LOVE shiny things. Have any more painfully obvious insights about life in 2019 you'd like to show us Pete?

[jerrywall]

I'm curious about "landlocked" that keeps coming up. An aquarium is pretty much a big building(s) full of water (fresh, sea, or combo) plunked down somewhere and I don't believe they usually depend on a supply of seawater to operate, they're pretty much autonomous and self-sufficient. So why does being a landlocked state matter as to whether an aquarium is great or just good or bad?

An aquarium in a non landlocked area is more likely to have direct involvement with marine research and have greater collaboration opportunities with research institutes, scientists, etc. One in Oklahoma can do the same, more focused on freshwater, but that's limiting compared to oceanic opportunities. Obviously, as tech has progressed, and the world gets more mobile and virtual, these differences won't matter as much as they used to.

[Richard at Remax]

just popping in to say this is still just a mind blowingly terrible idea and I hope it never gets built. I'd love to know who is ACTUALLY paying for all of this and what the point is. Not only do we NOT NEED THIS, WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS.

[Midtowner]

For everyone saying 'build it by the zoo,' weren't there cross-contamination issues between the horses (at Remington) & dolphins which was making it impossible for Aquaticus to operate as it once did?

Horses commonly carry some kind of bacteria which is fatal to dolphins. I've been to the sea lion show within the last year, and compared to what I remember going there as a child, everything was vastly scaled back. The aquarium building itself has been completely shut down. It's an embarrassment.

[EBAH]

Just showing that in one day that Instagram post had well more than 4,000 likes.

Numbers on Facebook were huge as well.

you're such a "journalist" now Pete, kudos

[EBAH]

VERY Serious lol, 100%

[EBAH]

I'd also really like to know why these renderings are popping up so late in this game, who paid for them, and why OKCTalk is suddenly the marketing pipeline for a clear boondoggle that someone is hoping to profit from.

[Pete]

I'd also really like to know why these renderings are popping up so late in this game, who paid for them, and why OKCTalk is suddenly the marketing pipeline for a clear boondoggle that someone is hoping to profit from.

This has been explained, read upthread.

[dankrutka]

just popping in to say this is still just a mind blowingly terrible idea and I hope it never gets built. I'd love to know who is ACTUALLY paying for all of this and what the point is. Not only do we NOT NEED THIS, WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS.

I wasn’t sure if I agreed with your post since you provided no explanation, reasons, or evidence... but then I saw your use off CAPS LOCK and it totally changed my mind! Great contribution to the dialogue!

[hoya]

I wasn’t sure if I agreed with your post since you provided no explanation, reasons, or evidence... but then I saw your use off CAPS LOCK and it totally changed my mind! Great contribution to the dialogue!

It's really unfair how persuasive caps lock is. It's like a cheat code for arguments.