OKC Core to Shore plan adds 1,300 waterfront acres to urban core

[shane453]

OKC Core To Shore Committee

http://okmet.org/bb/gallery/4_09_02_07_9_06_05.jpg

http://okmet.org/bb/gallery/4_09_02_07_8_58_25.JPG

The Core To Shore team was created by the mayor last year to help plan the future of land between downtown's current southern boundary, the elevated I-40, after the highway is relocated about 5 blocks south to be replaced with a wide, landscaped boulevard. About 1,300 acres of mostly undeveloped or very lightly developed land lays between downtown and the north bank of the Oklahoma River.

At their most recent meeting, on February 7, planners presented the most detailed redevelopment plan so far. The committee has whittled down choices, choosing what to keep and throw out of various designs, and are still refining the final development plan.

Common elements are a gigantic parkspace stretching all the way from the current Myriad Gardens to the river, retail lifestyle center with residential elements, a large new convention center, transit center, a marina lake connected to the River for recreational boating, and a variety of residential styles from highrise down to dense single family homes.

The most recent plan included (for some reason- I don't know why, but the planner is from out of town) space for a 30,000 student university and student housing. The committee strongly felt that would be inappropriate, considering the size of OU with campuses in DT OKC and 30 minutes away in Norman, and OSU just an hour away, and rapidly expanding Oklahoma City University just two miles away. Instead, they suggested a nice amateur sports complex with all kinds of facilities to attract national cometitions etc. Other ideas for the property currently occupied by a gigantic cotton mill include a loop extension of the Bricktown canal and more mixed use development along it.

As you can see from the renderings, this is a MAJOR redevelopment effort for Oklahoma City, which will really change the way we view downtown- because currently, downtown is NOT south of I-40, so this will really double the size of the urban core and be a huge part of the city's future.

[Diddle E Squat]

What a stupid idea to relocate the rail station to this proposed 'transit center'. The current station is perfect, within walking distance of all of downtown, Bricktown, and the existing and future convention centers. (It runs from a block north of the current covention center to the road that splits the CC from the arena, across the street on the east side of them.) Why move it 2000' further south? I have a good guess as to their reasoning, but it is foolish and short-sighted.

Just another example of how the plan needs futher refinement.

[BG918]

I generally like the plan but agree the current Santa Fe Depot should be used because it's right across the street from the Ford Center and adjacent to Bricktown. Unless of course there was a plan to turn it into a museum or something, that would be cool. What university would this be south of Bricktown? Would OSU-OKC move from the westside to downtown? Would there be a central branch of OCCC built?

[SnyderBock]

It will be interesting to see how this plan plays out and what kind of funding cuts will have to be made!

[oilcan]

Makes sense... that area (after I spent some time living there) is a huge cry for help.. That river is not the most attactive thing in the world however, it is close to downtown's core... Google earth that mofo, that Oklahoma red clay give a real distinctive muddy look to it... almost like the rivers had in the NW after Mt. St Helens erupted.... but good to see development happening in OKC... I enjoyed myself there..

[Hot Rod]

its actually much better looking river now since they've redesigned it.

[BG918]

^ It still needs a lot of landscaping though. Yes it has water all the time and that is a big improvement but it's also lined with rocks with little or no trees along the banks. OKC, or a local corp., should invest millions of dollars into just planting thousands of trees along the banks. It will be a much difference place in 10 years after those trees mature and take over those banks.

[houston19514]

What a stupid idea to relocate the rail station to this proposed 'transit center'. The current station is perfect, within walking distance of all of downtown, Bricktown, and the existing and future convention centers. (It runs from a block north of the current covention center to the road that splits the CC from the arena, across the street on the east side of them.) Why move it 2000' further south? I have a good guess as to their reasoning, but it is foolish and short-sighted.

Just another example of how the plan needs futher refinement.


I don't know exactly what they have in mind, but it's pretty clear from the maps that the proposed transit center is much more extensive (and would not fit) within the current station.

[shane453]

No, there is no trace of Oklahoma's red clay on the river anymore. It is full of water (more full than most natural flow rivers, even) all year round and hosts several national and international rowing and even dragboat racing events each year. Because it's fairly straight and has a consistently high water level it's attractive for those events.

As for the transit center- neither the Union Station (at the center of the Riverside development) or Santa Fe Station (between Bricktown and the CBD) are anywhere near the size of the proposed transit center. Rail advocates have fought to force the planners of the I-40 relocation to spare the Union Station rail yard for future transit, and they have won small victories, but it is too late to change the route of the New I-40 altogether, with construction already underway. Also consider that though Santa Fe station is at the center of downtown currently, imagine how centered it will seem when another 1,300 urban acres develop to the south.

[ajmstilt]

...about the river, Compared to Dallas' or LA's drainage ditches, OKC's is a masterpeice

[Hot Rod]

^ It still needs a lot of landscaping though. Yes it has water all the time and that is a big improvement but it's also lined with rocks with little or no trees along the banks. OKC, or a local corp., should invest millions of dollars into just planting thousands of trees along the banks. It will be a much difference place in 10 years after those trees mature and take over those banks.

I agree with BG, there need to be some momentum going on in planting trees. Maybe not line the whole river with them, but set aside some areas which will have a more "nature" feel to it and line it densely with trees.

And yes, imagine in 5-10 years once the trees mature and the river really becomes an attraction for the city!!! :banana:

[oilcan]

Out of curiosity how is the infill going along the banks of the canal?... (south of the ballpark etc)


And what is that is the purpose of the existing hook shape inlet on the north bank of the river?

Thanks

[shane453]

The area of the canal south of the Bricktown Ballpark, between Reno Ave and I-40, still shows up as a blank field on Google Earth, but the real picture is a lot different. The area, now called Lower Bricktown, has been developed rather controversially by Randy Hogan who also designed the East Wharf entertainment area on the shore of Lake Hefner in NW OKC. He has gone a direction that is a little more pad-site suburban style than Bricktown.

Currently, the area features a Bass Pro Shops (complete with canal-front parking lot), a 6-story Residence Inn that opened early this year, Toby Keith's "I Love this Bar and Grill" restaurant, the corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In, Harkins Cineplex which features the largest screen in Oklahoma, several small retail buildings full of tenants, and a 5-story luxury condo building with 30 units and 2 stories of retail/entertainment space.

http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/30.jpg

http://www.ilovethisbarandgrillokc.com/Main%20Gallery/June%202005/Toby38.jpg

http://www.filehive.com/files/0119/centennial2.jpg

[BG918]

^ I like the theater but I'm not a big fan of some of the other developments like Toby Keith's place, the new Residence Inn, and those new condos above. The good thing about the condos is that they have underground parking and street and canal level retail including a bowling alley and coffee shop but why no brick all the way to the roof? This is BRICKtown after all. I wish Toby Keith's would just move to the suburbs, that building does not fit in with the rest of Bricktown. Instead I would rather see some kind of cultural attraction in its place right there at the bend of the canal by the theater, maybe the severe weather science museum that keeps getting mentioned (and something I personally submitted to the city as a possible MAPS III project). More needs to be done to enhance Bricktown's entrance coming from downtown and the Ford Center, there are too many empty lots there.

[shane453]

I absolutely don't wish that Toby Keith's would be in the suburbs... It IS a cultural attraction... I'm sure many people come to Bricktown just to go to Toby Keith's... And while most people disregard the country/western culture as a culture, it is a culture (and it does not equal poor redneck hick culture), one that is probably most prevalent in Ft. Worth and OKC. I think you're just as likely to see a young, urban person dressed in very expensive designer western clothing entering TK's as you are to see someone of the stereotypical "country" brand. Take a trip to the Stockyards to visit one of our western department stores and you'll notice the $1500 boots and risque nightclub apparel that is part of the other side of country culture.

And when considering the amount of brick that should/should not have been used, remember that this isn't Bricktown and no amount of brick could have made it Bricktown... This is Lower Bricktown. The only thing that really bothers me is the parking lot of Bass Pro, but I heard a rumor that someday that could be developed.