Rebuild the Belle Isle Powerplant

[Patrick]

How cool would be it be if someone built a replica of the Belle Isle Powerplant somewhere in downtown and made it into an upscale restaurant? Man, I wish I had lots of money. Think of the possiblities.

[Pete]

It's an absolute crying shame that place was demolished n the first place.

At one time, it was to be renovated as part of a big multi-use project to be built around the lake.

But the office market sunk (this was the 80's) and it was ultimately bulldozed and replaced with a Wal-Mart.

What's really sad is that now that economy is booming, it could have been saved and turned into something truly special.

Makes me sick to think about it.

[OklaCity_75]

The main reason why they tore down the power plant was because almost a dozen teenagers died exploring the inside of it.

I always thought it was an eyesore. If anything I would like them to restore the area to what it was before the powerplant. From what my parents tell me there used to be a lake and an amusement park over in that area.

[jbrown84]

What's really sad is that now that economy is booming, it could have been saved and turned into something truly special.

Makes me sick to think about it.

My pastor used the Belle Isle plant as an illustration last Sunday and it reminded me how cool that could have been if we had turned it into some kind of mixed use project instead of imploding it, but considering how many people died there it would have been very controversial and certainly led to people thinking the building was haunted or at least not wanting to go there.

But such a unique, cool building it was.

[Patrick]

My pastor used the Belle Isle plant as an illustration last Sunday and it reminded me how cool that could have been if we had turned it into some kind of mixed use project instead of imploding it, but considering how many people died there it would have been very controversial and certainly led to people thinking the building was haunted or at least not wanting to go there.

But such a unique, cool building it was.

Nice to see you were paying attention Sunday! LOL! That's actually where I got the idea for the thread....I was thinking about the message from last Sunday.

[Patrick]

The main reason why they tore down the power plant was because almost a dozen teenagers died exploring the inside of it.

I always thought it was an eyesore. If anything I would like them to restore the area to what it was before the powerplant. From what my parents tell me there used to be a lake and an amusement park over in that area.

I actually do remember the lake as a kid, before it was drained. Used to flow under the Belle Isle bridge, or near to it, from what I remember.

[Pete]

I was an eyesore and unsafe because it was in disrepair.

Both could have easily been remedied without tearing it down.

[BDP]

Could have been something like this:

[mranderson]

Could have been something like this:

What city is this picture in?

[The Old Downtown Guy]

The main reason why they tore down the power plant was because almost a dozen teenagers died exploring the inside of it. . . . I always thought it was an eyesore. . . .

That is a bogus urban myth _75. But, I do believe that at least one kid's risky midnight adventure resulted in death. Fortunately, none of my friends or I fell while climbing to the top of the Nichols Hills water tower or riding an oil well pump jack, which were two of the favorite late night activities my high school running mates and I engaged in. In any case, the bad outcome of foolish actions by teenaged boys is not a legitimate reason for demolishing a landmark.

The real reason that the Bel Isle Power Plant (which by the way was an architectural acclaimed award winning industrial building) was demolished was a lack of vision and creativity on the part of the OKC development community in years past. Tract houses in the 'burbs and tilt-up strip malls r-us. OKC is only now seeing a little pizzazz in commercial real estate development; damn little, but a at least a little.

My recollection is that the property changed ownership a few times and finally fell into the hands of Sooner Development just prior to the OKC Public Works Department beginning an extension of Classen Boulevard which created the access to their pathetic looking shopping center. I just want to hurl every time I see the name "Bel Isle Power Station" on the sign; its like a 24/7 poke in the eye of Oklahoma City. What a dump; filled with the same tasteless chain stores that populate most of the other similar looking flea markets of the future built by Sooner. Boy oh boy, another WalMart; how exciting.

The Bel Isle Power Station could have been the focal point of a fabulous multi use town center development, which was the original concept for the property. Another development opportunity squandered. What stands in its place is the real eyesore and we'll be stuck with it for years.

[OklaCity_75]

I remember back in the 80's and early 90's when I was kid. Several times the lead story on the 10 O'clock news was a kid that died at bell Isle.

On one occasion they were live while Fire Rescue was trying to retrieve a kid who was injured.

I do not like the idea they put a Wal-Mart there. I think a city park would have been a better fit instead of a shopping center. The lake could have been cleaned and stocked with fish. Walking trails, picnic areas, ball fields and playgrounds could have been added as well.

As we all know the almighty dollar speaks volumes when it comes to development.

[Pete]

As we all know the almighty dollar speaks volumes when it comes to development.

This has certainly been the case in OKC.

In other cities, they are out-right militant about preserving anything with history.

And as we know all too well, once something with that type of history is gone, it's gone forever.

[Patrick]

What city is this picture in?

That's the Powerplant in Baltimore, Maryland, a development by none other than David Cordish. You know, the guy we screwed when we handed the land to Hogan for free.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

That's the Powerplant in Baltimore, Maryland, a development by none other than David Cordish. You know, the guy we screwed when we handed the land to Hogan for free.

I'm sure you are talking about the Urban Renewal land in Lower Bricktown Partick, not the Bel Isle parcel. And, I don't think that the Lower Bricktown land was free, exactly. The money just came out of one pocket and back into another.

But what an interesting connection between what might have happened at Bel Isle if Cordish had been the developer in Lower Bricktown. There's no guarantee that Cordish could have gotten into the Bel Isle deal, but if he had been working in this market, he would have had the opportunity to buy the land. Obviously, the design of the end product could have been better in both areas.

[jbrown84]

That's actually where I got the idea for the thread....I was thinking about the message from last Sunday.

Yeah, I figured.

[Patrick]

Hogan basically gave the city money for canal improvements (around 3 million) in exchange for the land. So I guess you could say he paid for it. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe. LOL!