OKLAHOMA CITY | Projects & Construction

[Peerson]

Excavation has begun on the site for the Convention Center garage:


source: https://twitter.com/dtOKCbuilds/status/1154776392300683264


Renderings:





https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44229&page=6

[Peerson]

Positive Tomorrows

Positive Tomorrows is a non-profit organization in Oklahoma City that provides assistance to homeless children.
They recently set out to build a new school in NW OKC to accomodate growing demand.



from the architect's description:

The 36,000 square-foot elementary school will have classrooms for Pre-K through 5th grade, art and music, special education, and outdoor learning opportunities.
The facility also has a secure entry vestibule, offices, family support services, meeting rooms, and additional rooms for clothing and donations.

Other features include a large, centrally located Commons area, Learning Stairs, an indoor/outdoor Library, a Maker Space, and Kitchen Lab.
Two of the classrooms double as storm shelters during severe weather.

https://www.maplusarch.com/educationpositivetomorrows

At their current facility, they are helping 74 kids, which is about the limit.
With the new, larger facility they will be able to provide services to over 200 kids.

All funding is through private donations.

Renderings:










Construction for this started last fall.

Location is at 901 N. Villa:


This is situated next to the existing complex for NorthCare, which is a mental health clinic.
General Pershing Blvd is the long street near the bottom of the photo.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=44663


Construction shot from about a month ago:


https://twitter.com/MAplusArch


Recent pics from MA+ Architecture:







https://twitter.com/MAplusArch

Positive Tomorrows is the only private school in the USA with the sole purpose of educating homeless children.
https://www.405magazine.com/Positive-Tomorrows-Building-New-School/

website: https://www.positivetomorrows.org

[Peerson]

WRWA terminal expansion

Will Rogers World Airport has added a section to their website to cover the new terminal expansion.



url: https://flyokc.com/were-expanding

This goes into great detail about the coming changes ahead for the airport as a result of the terminal expansion.

• Centralized Security Checkpoint
• Improved Circulation of Passengers
• Public Observation Lounge
• Public Art
• Future Custom Facilities
• Concessions
• Pet Area, etc...

Slides:








Huge rendering (broken into two parts):







They have also set up a construction cam here:

https://app.oxblue.com/open/WRWATerminalExpansion


A few shots from the cam today:






An old cargo building was recently demolished to make room for the new terminal gates.
They posted a time-lapse video of this on their facebook page:



video link: https://www.facebook.com/WillRogersWorldAirport/videos/2372693626316686/?__tn__=-R

[Peerson]

Omni Hotel -- now working on the foundation of the 12th floor:


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=35905&page=87

Exterior panels are starting to be installed as well.

Since there are 17 floors total, this will probably top out in about 5 or 6 weeks.

[Peerson]

I came across a really cool photo from Kool Cats Photography

7-28-2019


https://www.flickr.com/photos/katsrcool/48398361047/sizes/h/

You don't often see the Omni Hotel tower crane from this perspective.
Heck, you can barely see the hotel at all, covered up by the convention center building from this angle.

In fact, a number of the perspectives seem unusual, but it could be that this was a telephoto lens "zoom in" shot.
Also, being on the down side of a hill is making farther off buildings on the other side of the hill seemingly sink down.
It makes for a cool effect for this photo, no doubt.

It also makes me think about Hubcap Alley, which is something I've never posted about.
So I think I'll do so now.
Warning: long post ahead (uh-oh )

The area along Robinson, south of the interstate, is known as Hubcap Alley.
And has been since about the 1940's.


http://oklahoman.com/article/3712184/oklahoma-citys-hub-cap-alley-braces-for-change


Here's a couple of shots of this area from October 2012 (not that long ago):





The Devon Tower was brand spanking new (in fact, the interior wasn't quite finished yet).

This part of town was absolutely thick with various businesses related to auto repair & maintenance.
Auto parts, tires, wheels, paint shops, repair shops, and.... lots and lots of hubcaps.



Hence the name.

Hubcap alley was considered either an ugly eyesore or a charming example of urban grit, depending on your viewpoint.
It really did serve a useful service for the community.
You could find practically any auto part in existence, and most repair shops did their work for cheap.

When it was somewhat "tucked away" out of view, as it was for many decades... well, no problem.
But once the downtown area began to revitalize, then it became a problem.

Will Hider took some great shots of this area back in October 2012.
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157631810716169
I'm going to use them for a quick tour.

Here's the "pink shack" that was evident in the first photo:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104902949/in/album-72157631810716169/


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104902421/sizes/l/

This is an auto paint shop called Jerry's Custom Paint Center.

Further down the road is the two-story brick "shell" of a building.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104906875/sizes/l/


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104922396/sizes/l/

This was the 'Robinson Trading Post' many decades ago.


https://oklahoman.com/article/3838793/hub-cap-alley-then-and-now

That building was going to be renovated as a private residence back in 2012.
The owners had the interior gutted.
But then nothing happened (don't know the story).
It's still gutted today.


Sign for Cusack Meats


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104912506/sizes/l/


Johnny's Hub Caps & Wheels


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104889023/sizes/l/


V & H Mufflers


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104909222/sizes/l/


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104908050/sizes/l/


"Hubcap Alley" Sign


https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/8104901142/sizes/l/


When the city decided to create a new downtown park -- what is now called Scissortail Park -- Hubcap Alley met its fate.

Not wanting a dilapidated, gritty looking mess butted up right next to a shiny new park, the city set about buying up properties.
The lower section of the park, south of I-40, would cover pretty much all of the western part of Hubcap Alley.
All the buildings on the west side of Robinson were slated for demolition.

There was one hold out: Cusack Meats.

The owner absolutely did not want to sell... unless the city coughed up an outrageous amount.
They battled for awhile, and I think the city was threatening eminant domain.
But they ended up backing down. Cusack will keep his plot of land.

Here's what the lower section of Scissortail Park looks like.


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=29309&page=4

It was meant to be one contiguous L-shaped area, but the Cusack Meats property took a rectangular chunk out of the plans.

Another view, with the old buildings still there:




Then the demolition began in October of last year:







In the last photo, you can just see the pink reflection of Jerry's Paint Center down the road.
And closer, the bright yellow of the V & H Mufflers building.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=29309&page=5

The lower section of Scissortail Park is set to open in 2021 -- two years after the upper section.
More about the lower park here: https://www.405magazine.com/Scissortail-Lower-Park-Plans-Released

Note that Hubcab Alley on the east side of Robinson is untouched.
It is still free to be developed.
At this time, though, there's not much sign of anything going on.

I think this will change, however.
When both sections of the park are completed, this area of town will naturally see more activity.
I could definitely see some gentrification occuring on the remaining (east) half of Hubcap Alley.
Although some might not like that either, if the old quality of the area is lost.

[Peerson]

7-28-2019

Omni Hotel


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=35905&page=87


Convention Center


https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=26179&page=188

[JoninATX]

Alot of prime real estate around Scissortail Park. Can't wait to see what the future holds.

[Peerson]

A very cool photo of Frontline Church in downtown OKC (from spring):


larger version: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7s0FETWkAEUKin.jpg:large
https://twitter.com/DowntownOKC

And a more recent pic near the top of the same church:


https://deskgram.net/p/2096963304118555688_670785384

[Peerson]

A lot of brickwork and glass has been completed for the Broadway Park building.





original: https://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=15461&d=1564452084
https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=41953&page=11

Rendering:


https://www.skylineink.com/portfolio/broadway-park/

[Peerson]

The Monarch building is still chugging along:







https://twitter.com/dtokcbuilds

[plutonicpanda]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

All. Those. Surface Lots. A literal sea of parking spaces. Literally zero consideration of public transportation access.

Not to mention the typical assortment of southern metro yuppie recreational options ("fill in the blank" bar & grill chain, topgolf, indoor skydiving, cheap chain microbrewery, etc. The predictable template of offerings found in every suburb between Charlotte and Phoenix.

And this development somehow represents "progress"?

Oh shut up. Not every fucking development has to be in your image. Get real. This development is progress and is a great development. Many, many people on this country don't want to use mass transit. I hate it even in NYC. I appreciate the abundant parking and don't take it for granted. But I'm sure you think every road should be two lanes with a bike lane, street car, and a stop sign or roundabout every 100 ft.

[plutonicpanda]

Peerson, Bravo man! Thank you for these updates. I just don't have the time but I've long hoped for someone like you to update OKC thread on this site as I love for my city to be showcased in every which way! Thanks again man!

As a reminder, I've also made this map for OKC: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid....47319600298715%2C-97.79169915937496&z=9

[plutonicpanda]

I am not sure if you included it but Round1 is locating to Quail Springs.

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=63...ertainment-complex-at-Quail-Springs-Mall

Chesapeake Arena getting major upgrades: https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=633-135M-improvements-proposed-for-arena-Thunder

Many more civic projects to come from MAPS 4. Stay tuned.

[Peerson]

Thanks plutonicpanda.

I agree that OKC needed some attention on this forum. It's not the biggest or most impressive city around, but it's got a lot of interesting and unique qualities to it. And things are really popping right now.

I've been a long time lurker at SSP (about 7 years). Although I did stop visiting for about six months or so. When I came back, I noticed that the OKC Projects thread hadn't had a post in nearly a year and a half. Yikes! People who were only getting updates about OKC from this forum would think nothing is happening -- the complete opposite of the truth.

When I found myself grumbling "dang, why doesn't anybody post something about all the stuff going on in OKC..", then I paused and realized... well, why not me? So I made an account and the rest is infamy.

I haven't posted about Round1 yet, but I was planning to. Unless you want to put more info up yourself... feel free.

Incidentally, I do have a kind of policy about what I choose to post about. My main concern is about the downtown area and I concentrate on posts about activity there.
Roughly a 2 mile radius around Devon Tower, just to make a guess. Although leaning a bit more north since more of the activity lately is in that direction.

I decided early on not to put up posts about projects in Edmond or Norman or Yukon, ...etc. That would be perfectly appropriate since they are in the OKC metro. But I just decided to keep it more condensed and focused. The further some project is from downtown, the more I want there to be something really special about it (size, impact,...) before bothering.

But that's just my personal preference. I'd be glad for others to chime and post about stuff as well. It feels as though I've kind of "owned" this thread for the past few months. But I don't want it that way. I'd love to be just one of many who posted here.

[Peerson]

Left Frame Lofts

Steel work for the roof has started.


https://deskgram.net/explore/tags/LEFTFRAMELOFTS










https://twitter.com/dtokcbuilds

[Dale]

You’ve pulled the thread out of the hole in a very big way! Much appreciated!

[Peerson]

Originally Posted by Dale

You’ve pulled the thread out of the hole in a very big way! Much appreciated!

Thanks Dale.

Ok, since I hate to waste a post w/o some kind of content, I'll sneak in a cool photo of Lake Hefner:


https://deskgram.net/p/2102454445827986453_670785384

Taken earlier today.
Yep, it's a cloudy day -- but the temps are much lower as well (thank goodness).

[Peerson]

Innovation District - Land Use & Strategic Development Plan

This is one of those posts concerning a topic that's not easy to present.

Is it dream material?
Or something more substantial?
Hard to say at this point, but it appears to have enough solidity to be more than just pie-in-the-sky visions.

The city commissioned a study about ways to develop and integrate the downtown section of OKC sometimes referred to as the "Innovation District".

Innovation District is a general term for the area encompassing the Baker Hughes/GE research center, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics,
and the collection of hospitals and medical research institutions all clustered near Harrison Avenue / 8th, mostly east of I-235.


https://twitter.com/OKCinnovation

The commissioned study, which was conducted by Chicago-based Perkins & Will, apparently was two years in the making.
It was finally revealed in a collection of presentations last Wednesday (7-31-2019).

Here are some renderings used in the presentations:




















https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=42496&page=8


This plan actually covers both the Innovation District and the State Capitol area.

One thing I have to comment about: those renderings mix potential new developments with existing structures.
That might be confusing if you're not already familiar with the area.

For example, The Beacon of Hope does exist -- it was completed in 2005.
Here's a shot of a recent event held in Stiles Park near the beacon:


https://twitter.com/dtokcbuilds

But, at the moment, the beacon is just surrounded by shrubs and a grass lawn -- no paved walkways or surrounding towers.

Here's the current entry to the Oklahoma Health Center:


https://twitter.com/OKCinnovation


The main purpose for organizing this downtown area into an "Innovation District" is two fold:

• To foster expansion of the current biomedical (and other) research activity
• To develop more walkability, housing, and general integration of these research institutions with the surrounding neighborhood and businesses

The emerging biomedical and tech companies in the area is seen as a key factor in diversifying OKC's economy
(i.e., try to move away from too much reliance on the oil and gas industry).

Another issue of concern is that the area is somewhat cut off from downtown by I-235.

from an Oklahoman article:

The Oklahoma Health Center, home to the OU Research Park, OU Medical School, the Baker Hughes/GE research center, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, and an array of hospitals, research institutions and biotech companies, has a workforce totaling 18,000. But it has very little mixed-use development or connection to the surrounding historically black neighborhoods or downtown.

Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, sees that lack of vitality as holding the district back from realizing its full potential in generating outside investment, creating new jobs and sparking creation of new businesses.

With a first phase timed to be completed by 2025 and a second phase timed for 2025 to 2040, Will & Perkins and its team forecasts the Innovation District will create 6,600 permanent jobs, $423 million in wages with 16% in engineering and research and development, 31% in data sciences, 53% in pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical device and health care.

https://oklahoman.com/article/5637571/pl...trict-as-economic-engine-for-okcs-future


The revealing of the study contents was made public July 31 at a couple of locations.
Here's some pics of the presentations held at the Baker Hughes/GE research center.







https://twitter.com/OKCinnovation

There will be a period of time where public input will be heard about the study, and then it will go to the city's planning commission.
It will then be added to Plan OKC.

Plan OKC is a master plan that can (and presumably will) be used by city officials as a guide for future development and infrastructure decisions.
Particulary decisions about long term goals -- e.g. 20, 30, even 40 years out.

Some of the items from the study are being prepared as elements for inclusion into MAPS4.
I'm not sure what though, as that presentation has not been made yet.
The 10th Street Bridge Expansion looks like a good candidate, as I can't see how that kind of project would be funded otherwise.

If any items from the study DO make it into MAPS4, then those items would become real -- not just dream material.
(That's assuming that the public votes to approve MAPS4 itself).

In any event, it's great to look at the renderings and think about what may come.

[plutonicpanda]

I'll chip in!

Quail Springs Mall which is one of the last surviving OKC suburban shopping mall is getting a new entertainment complex(based out of Japan IIRC) called Round1.

As we first reported in April the company has been expanding rapidly in the U.S., helping to fill vacancy in traditional malls due the shifting retail landscape.

Plans show Round1 plans to take 43,000 square feet of the mall's lower level between AMC theaters and JC Penney.

An existing El Chico restaurant will be moved to another spot within the mall, but it's not clear if other affected tenants, including a large Gap store, will be relocated or cease operating at Quail Springs.

- https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=63...ertainment-complex-at-Quail-Springs-Mall

Thank to Pete of OKCTalk for the photos.

[Peerson]

53 days until Scissortail Park has its grand opening (as of today, 8-4-2019)
I'm using https://days.to/27-september/2019 for the counting.

There's much left to be done.
One of the big items on the docket is the hundreds of trees still needing to be planted.





https://www.instagram.com/scissortailpark/

They now have trees and feather grass planted all the way up to the south end of the park by I-40.
Crews are still pushing hard to get the remaining trees into the ground.





https://twitter.com/ScissortailPark

For some reason, that last shot reminds me of the famous photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.....

According to the park's twitter page, most of the trees being planted are Shumard Oaks.
They are native to this area and can handle the Oklahoma weather just fine.

At maturity they reach about 75-80 feet tall and 50-60 feet wide.
They have a brilliant red/red-orange fall color.

I haven't heard much info about the maintenance of the park.
Except that irrigation lines have been laid throughout, so the plants shouldn't wither away from lack of water.