^Thanks for the comments.
You could also thank Pete Brzycki, who runs OKCTalk, since he generates about 90% of the info that I post!
And all the other OKC locals who post about their city.
I'm really just a relayer of info gathered by others. But I enjoy it.
Yes, the district was originally an airpark, built in 1947.
This 2002 aerial photo below is near the end of its life as an airport.
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/OK/Airfields_OK_C.htm
The angled terminal building near the center is still around (completely redone).
About everything else from the original airpark is gone.
As for the ferris wheel being all by itself out there...
Quite true.
Some history:
The downtown airpark was purchased by Grant Humphreys with a new planned urban district in mind.
He already had some experience in this with his Carlton Landing development (near Eufala, OK).
Grant, speaking in a 2009 article:
Quote:
Humphreys knew the development would have to have a special draw.
“We needed something to bring people across the river,” he said. “We wanted to create something that was a unique experience.”
He found his answer last year while looking at online auction site eBay.
The Santa Monica Ferris wheel was up for sale. Humphreys won the wheel with a bid of $132,400.
It was shipped to Wichita, where 160,000 light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are being installed and the ride is being painted and refurbished.
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https://www.imaginativeamerica.com/2009/04/santa-monica-ferris-wheel-comes-to-the-waterfront/
Rendering released at the time the purchase was announced:
http://oklahoman.com/article/3361616/eba...evelopment?custom_click=lead_story_title
Grant's development group did not know exactly how the ferris wheel would be used, or how the district would be developed.
That was ironed out after months (well, years really) of private brainstorming combined with public charrettes.
The plan that was released around the time the district started real development about 3 years ago looked like this:
As you can see, the ferris wheel is anything but isolated in that (ambitious) drawing.
They decided to start (at least the beginnings) of the urban plaza first by having the ferris wheel assembled at the site.
This was followed up by some supporting buildings nearby for handling tickets and other entertainment functions.
Including... an interesting (and now iconic) OKC sculpture.
Anyone with a marketing background could tell you this was smart PR.
Every tourist who visits the area wants to take a shot next to the OKC letters.
https://www.oc.edu/about/oklahoma-city
Social media is packed with those kind of photos.
And every one of them acts as a little chamber-of-commerce brochure plug for the city.
It's true that installing the ferris wheel before, well, practically anything else makes it look isolated out there.
But someday - presumably - it will be adjacent to a densely packed urban area.
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