# Civic Matters > Suburban & Other OK Communities > Norman >  Land South and East of Everest Center

## j7m7l7

Does anyone know what exactly is happening west and south of the duck pond? I know the Lindsey is going to be expanded to 4 lanes, but why were properties demolished?

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## JimTrabersColostomyBag

To the east the old Islamic Center was demolished along with the house behind it to make way for a new Islamic Center. OU owns the land to the south of that (across Lindsey from the Duck Pond). OU demolished the Parkview Apartments there and I think they plan to build "retirement" apartments for alums wanting to retire back to Norman.

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## BG918

There is a proposal for a medium density townhouse development there called Legacy Village.  You can see the plan on the McKinney Partner's website under Planning projects: http://www.tmparch.com/

I don't know the current status of the project though.  It would be great to see this start along with the OU housing at Lindsey & Jenkins.  Lindsey is also being widened with new landscaping and sidewalks through that area.

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## kevinpate

Whatever they built there eventually, the old Parkview Apts. needed to go, just like the old Yorkshire Apts did.  They were all merely passable, roughly, twenty years back.

The Lindsey location could be rather nice with a new development there, alum based or otherwise.

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## BG918

> Whatever they built there eventually, the old Parkview Apts. needed to go, just like the old Yorkshire Apts did.  They were all merely passable, roughly, twenty years back.
> 
> The Lindsey location could be rather nice with a new development there, alum based or otherwise.


It's great to see renewed interest and investment in the areas east of OU.  That area for a long time has been kinda rundown.  They really should extend the Legacy Trail that goes from downtown to Robinson by the tracks, and currently ends at Duffy St, south past Boyd to Lindsey where it would connect with the Duck Pond park.  It would also be nice to see actual bike lanes along Brooks between Jenkins and Classen as that is a popular bike route going into campus from the east, and could connect to the trail along the tracks for access into downtown.  There are two infill developments currently going up near where the trail would go north of Boyd: one on Monnett (small apartment building) and one by the Mont (401 Lofts).

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## ou48A

A year or so ago the mayor of Norman expressed a desire to extend Legacy Trail trail to the south.

I would very much like to see Lindsey Street 4 laned all the way to I-35

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## BG918

> A year or so ago the mayor of Norman expressed a desire to extend Legacy Trail trail to the south.
> 
> I would very much like to see Lindsey Street 4 laned all the way to I-35


Me too.  Do away with the center turn lanes and make it 4 lanes the whole length with bike lanes and new sidewalks on both sides.

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## rcjunkie

> Me too.  Do away with the center turn lanes and make it 4 lanes the whole length with bike lanes and new sidewalks on both sides.


Needs to happen ASAP, however, I doubt the stretch from Jenkins to Barry is never widened.

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## ljbab728

> Needs to happen ASAP, however, I doubt the stretch from Jenkins to Barry is never widened.


I'm not familiar with Barry. Did you mean Berry Road?  Or maybe it's been renamed for Switzer?  LOL

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## soonerfan_in_okc

> I'm not familiar with Barry. Did you mean Berry Road?  Or maybe it's been renamed for Switzer?  LOL


I wouldn't be suprised....hahaha.

But they wont ever be able to widen it to 4 lanes in the section named above.  Too many houses, and i really doubt that eminent domain could be used for convenience of a 4 lane road instead of 2.

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## blangtang

those old farts in the old historic area of campus would SCREAM if you try to 4 lane that residential segment between berry and campus.

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## rcjunkie

> I'm not familiar with Barry. Did you mean Berry Road?  Or maybe it's been renamed for Switzer?  LOL


My bad, besides if it was named after Switzer, they would probably call it God Ave.

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## soonerliberal

The Lindsey situation west of Campus is the perfect reason for an improved northern gateway to campus.  It would be nicer if Main Street and then either University or Jenkins were used to be a new northern entry to campus that was redeveloped and heavily landscaped.

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## ou48A

Lindsey Street west of campus stays so congested so much of the time that it hinders police and fire dept. traffic.
 It also hinders commerce.
 For the greater good of all,,,, buying a few houses to 4 lane Lindsey is completely justifiable.

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## ou48A

Improved access to OU and Norman is needed from the OKC area but also from the south.

Here’s my solution from the south.

4 Lane Jenkins from Lindsey to HY 9. From HY 9 south build a new road to interstate standards. The road would continue in a southerly direction until it meets I-35.
Norman really needs another bridge over the river. The growth of OU and Norman would justify its construction

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## venture

What would be nice is a just a new east side north/south limited access highway. The easiest option would probably be to just update Sooner Road/12th from OKC/Moore and then create a new east side loop that would go between 36th and 48th until Highway 9. Then from Highway 9 south along US 77 upgrade that some and then create a new diversion just before Noble that goes to the west to cross the river and intersect 35. 

Another option could just be doing a loop around Norman. Where 77/Flood breaks off from I-35 on the north, create a new highway that would continue off to the east around the north side of Norman until the area I mentioned above and then loop back around. Still won't do much for traffic on I-35, but it would definitely offer quicker access (and more options) to OU.

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## BoulderSooner

> Lindsey Street west of campus stays so congested so much of the time that it hinders police and fire dept. traffic.
>  It also hinders commerce.
>  For the greater good of all,,,, buying a few houses to 4 lane Lindsey is completely justifiable.


there is plenty of right of way to build the road to 4 lanes with no turn lane

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## BG918

> there is plenty of right of way to build the road to 4 lanes with no turn lane


Yep, no need for a turn lane.  You can please the neighborhood by providing nice sidewalks (non-existent now), replacing any lost trees and planting twice as many as there are now, and putting in lighting that fits in better with the neighborhood (not the glaring acorn lights you see on the OU campus).  Bike lanes would be a nice touch too as there are already quite a few bike commuters on Lindsey, at least have them from campus to Berry.  

Totally agree that Lindsey from I-35 to campus, and Main from I-35 to University and University from Main to Boyd need upgrades as they are the main gateways to OU and are pretty pitiful in their current state.

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## ou48A

> there is plenty of right of way to build the road to 4 lanes with no turn lane


You are right I drove down Lindsey Street Friday and as you say there is enough room to build a 4 lane without a center turn lane. 
They would need to cut down or move several very big old trees, but it would be well worth it.

The City of Norman and OU need to make this a priority IMHO.

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## BG918

> You are right I drove down Lindsey Street Friday and as you say there is enough room to build a 4 lane without a center turn lane. 
> They would need to cut down or move several very big old trees, but it would be well worth it.
> 
> The City of Norman and OU need to make this a priority IMHO.


Just a few, probably no more than 5 or 6 in the area around Flood and Lahoma that are too close to the road.  If they do it 4 lanes I would hope they would build the road with curb and gutters (current Lindsey does not even have that west of campus) and then keep a 3-4 ft. strip of land on each side and plant trees all along it from I-35 to campus with the sidewalks on the other side.  It would be really nice coming down Lindsey from the highway with trees lining the street all the way into campus, similar to what they have done with Lincoln north of the state capital.

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## ou48A

OU and Norman really need to improve their street and parking capacity. 
I would like to see a Commuter rail station with a short spur located just north west of the duck pond
With enough capacity it could help with large events and cut down on daily congestion.

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## rcjunkie

> OU and Norman really need to improve their street and parking capacity. 
> I would like to see a Commuter rail station with a short spur located just north west of the duck pond
> With enough capacity it could help with large events and cut down on daily congestion.


Commuter rail for local events and congestion ?, seriously, it's what, 6 blocks from the duck pond to the major event locations on campus.

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## ljbab728

> OU and Norman really need to improve their street and parking capacity. 
> I would like to see a Commuter rail station with a short spur located just north west of the duck pond
> With enough capacity it could help with large events and cut down on daily congestion.


Yes, you and I have had a discussion about that before.  I totally disagreed with you about having a rail station in that nice park setting adjacent to the campus.  I grew up in Norman,went to school at OU, and have been attending football games since the early 60's.  Traffic can be very congested at times but it's that way at any major college and football stadium on game days.  I'm sure it can be improved but a rail station by the Duck Pond should not be a priority.

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## kevinpate

> OU and Norman really need to improve their street and parking capacity. 
> I would like to see a Commuter rail station with a short spur located just north west of the duck pond
> With enough capacity it could help with large events and cut down on daily congestion.


Like most locations, there are no real parking issues unless you insist on parking within 40' of an entrance or insist on arriving last minute.  When even a tub like me can enjoy a leisurely stroll, or use the available but oft ignored transit modes from places like Lloyd Noble, there is really no rail solution needed for any event in Norman.

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## ou48A

> Commuter rail for local events and congestion ?, seriously, it's what, 6 blocks from the duck pond to the major event locations on campus.


I’m talking about a regional commuter rail system than would serve the needs of Norman & OU along with the rest of central Oklahoma. There are many people coming from other area community’s to OU on a daily basis. For large events they could add additional trains just like other major city’s do.

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## ou48A

> Yes, you and I have had a discussion about that before.  I totally disagreed with you about having a rail station in that nice park setting adjacent to the campus.  I grew up in Norman,went to school at OU, and have been attending football games since the early 60's.  Traffic can be very congested at times but it's that way at any major college and football stadium on game days.  I'm sure it can be improved but a rail station by the Duck Pond should not be a priority.


We will need to agree to disagree. I presently live in Norman and visit the OU area regularly for plenty of events, including all football games season. I have been an OU Football season ticket holder for 32 consecutive years!
 OU and Norman have grown significantly. The campus and surrounding areas are project to become even more densely populated. IMO a station could be constructed on the far northeast side of the duck pond. With sound protection and aproperat construction it would blend into the environment in a good way. As it is now there are 30 or so mile long very loud freight trains with no sight or sound protection that go by the duck pond daily Perhaps this project could include sight and sound improvements to the existing rail line and make other needed improvements to this area that would make the Duck Pond a better place to visit.

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## rcjunkie

> We will need to agree to disagree. I presently live in Norman and visit the OU area regularly for plenty of events, including all football games season. I have been an OU Football season ticket holder for 32 consecutive years!
>  OU and Norman have grown significantly. The campus and surrounding areas are project to become even more densely populated. IMO a station could be constructed on the far northeast side of the duck pond. With sound protection and aproperat construction it would blend into the environment in a good way. As it is now there are 30 or so mile long very loud freight trains with no sight or sound protection that go by the duck pond daily Perhaps this project could include sight and sound improvements to the existing rail line and make other needed improvements to this area that would make the Duck Pond a better place to visit.


It's not the sight or sound we oppose or disagree with, it's such a short walking distance that commuter rail is NOT needed, from the duck pond to the stadium, it's a 5 minute walk at most.

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## ou48A

> Like most locations, there are no real parking issues unless you insist on parking within 40' of an entrance or insist on arriving last minute.  When even a tub like me can enjoy a leisurely stroll, or use the available but oft ignored transit modes from places like Lloyd Noble, there is really no rail solution needed for any event in Norman.


I typically arrive 3.5 hours before a football game and park 6 to 8 blocks away while many others park up to over a mile away. Many fans leave early just so they don’t get caught in a 2+ hour traffic jam just to make it to I-35. I have used the LNC transit for one football game. It is well known that it is quicker to walk the one+ mile. OU’s enrolment has significantly grown, the capacity of the OU football stadium has grown by over 25,000 seats, and the city of Norman has grown by about 50,000 since any significant improvements have been made to the streets around campus. East bound Lindsey will see limited improvement in the next couple of years. Many streets lack capacity but in many cases these strees are very old and are in a poor state of repair. Some should be rebuild and have the storm water system upgraded.
It is a daily occurrence to have traffic backed up on the major streets leading in and out of the campus area. This hinders Norman emergency services with regularity. This problem is not limited to normal rush hour periods. The daily congestion around OU makes a “rail solution” with an OU station a viable option should commuter rail system ever be built in central Oklahoma. With the expected continued growth of OU and Norman a park and ride station on the north side of Norman would probably be needed. There are many people enrolled at OU but live in other comunitys.

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## ou48A

> *It's not the sight or sound we oppose or disagree with*, it's such a short walking distance that commuter rail is NOT needed, from the duck pond to the stadium, it's a 5 minute walk at most.


That is good to know. 
Walking doesnt normally bother me, even in bad weather.

But I am for anything that would within reason improve the ridership of a commuter rail system. 
Basically the more user friendly it is and the more visible it is the more people will use it.  
A station near north east part of the Duck Pond gets people closer to their destination but it would also provide an area for more than one loading plat form.
If the train service is going to continue south of Norman a station west of the current tracks would probably be needed.

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## JimTrabersColostomyBag

> That is good to know. 
> Walking doesnt normally bother me, even in bad weather.
> 
> But I am for anything that would within reason improve the ridership of a commuter rail system. 
> Basically the more user friendly it is and the more visible it is the more people will use it.  
> A station near north east part of the Duck Pond gets people closer to their destination but it would also provide an area for more than one loading plat form.
> If the train service is going to continue south of Norman a station west of the current tracks would probably be needed.


I'm all for commuter rail. My mother and grandfather used to ride the interurban down from OKC to attend OU football games. The train would offload at the duck pond then go to Purcell until the game was over.
However, I think there is a "rule" limiting how much distance there can be between rail stations and the duck pond would be too close to the downtown Norman station.
I believe that rule is the reason Noble had to give up it's station because of the proximity to the Purcell and Norman stations.

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## BG918

> I'm all for commuter rail. My mother and grandfather used to ride the interurban down from OKC to attend OU football games. The train would offload at the duck pond then go to Purcell until the game was over.
> However, I think there is a "rule" limiting how much distance there can be between rail stations and the duck pond would be too close to the downtown Norman station.
> I believe that rule is the reason Noble had to give up it's station because of the proximity to the Purcell and Norman stations.


There would likely be a station but it would only be used for special events i.e. football games.  Similar to how the DART Victory station in Dallas is used.  The main station with regularly scheduled service would be in downtown Norman, and actually not a far walk at all from campus especially if improvements were made to Jenkins i.e. new sidewalks, trees, lighting.  That would likely help that neighborhood become more dense with more infill projects in between campus and downtown.

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