your best source for info would be steve lackmeyer's articles/blogs or the oktalk (okmet) forums.

It will be very interesting to watch Devon Tower climb into the sky while construction cranes are also performing major surgery on the nearby Ford Center.

Lots of great symbolism there. :)

don't forget that the new crosstown will be finished in 2012 when the tower is completed.

isn't the crosstown and the blvd supposed to be complete in 2012? so maybe they could have started on the retail towers (as shown in C2S) and the convention center by then too!!???

so... 2012
devon tower
ford center
new blvd
new i-40

possible
convention center
2 retail towers

you're dreaming big.

haha no thats moderate dreaming, dreaming big would have a hell of a lot more haha

haha I-40 done in 2012! FYI...it's on hold

its on hold? is that y i see people working on it everyday?
if it is on hold the i-40 we drive on everyday will fall, its a lot older and in a lot worse shape than the bridge that fell in minn.

it is def not on hold.

I thought it was on hold or significantly slowed down?


http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/13187-union-station-scandal-brewing.html?highlight=i-40+gazette

isn't the crosstown and the blvd supposed to be complete in 2012? so maybe they could have started on the retail towers (as shown in C2S) and the convention center by then too!!???

so... 2012
devon tower
ford center
new blvd
new i-40

possible
convention center
2 retail towers

i don't believe they can start work on the boulevard until the crosstown is finished. since the boulevard is gonna be where the elevated bridge is currently (and is still in use).

I do remember reading that the Central Park, which I believe will extend from the Botanical Gardens south, near Union Station, will progress during the Crosstown construction. I hope I'm correct. We need to plant those trees ASAP.

i know they can't start on the blvd till then, but i was saying 2012 the blvd will be open i-40 will obviously be open, thats when it was all supposed to be done at least, but prolly not till 13 or 14

"i know they can't start on the blvd till then, but i was saying 2012 the blvd will be open i-40 will obviously be open, thats when it was all supposed to be done at least, but prolly not till 13 or 14"

Yeah, you have to remember that once the new Crosstown is open (and that's a general 2012 meaning it could be December 2012) you have to adjust the traffic off of the current crosstown, then you have to dismantle the thing meaning they'll probably do it in sections instead of all at once so not all the traffic will be blocked going north/south. Then they would have to survey, regrade, maybe even replace existing sewer/electrical lines and then build a new boulevard with probably some kind of center median that will require landscaping in it and along the new boulevard. So I'm pretty sure we're looking at 2015 or beyond for the new boulevard to be fully operational!

you are right roberts. The new i-40 and new boulevard are scheduled to be both completed in 2012. You would hope that projects would be building while the construction wraps up.

you are right roberts. The new i-40 and new boulevard are scheduled to be both completed in 2012. You would hope that projects would be building while the construction wraps up.

Are you joking? This is a conundrum?! How can the new "at grade" boulevard be opening the same time the new crosstown opens?! What are they going to divert traffic as a whole in this area and just shut it all down? You've been mis informed. There's no way they could build a new stretch of boulevard that's 3 miles long within a 12-month span. I dare TexDot to complete even this task.

For reference look at a simple project:

I-235 between NW 23rd & the NW 36th St. interchange. That's only a mile of work!

you are right roberts. The new i-40 and new boulevard are scheduled to be both completed in 2012. You would hope that projects would be building while the construction wraps up.

yeah its not like u have to have those other things open to begin some things... so they could all open around the same time.... that would be the ideal situation

thats exactly what i am talking about. Build one side of the highway and route traffic that side. The new crosstown will have 5-6 lanes each side. Route traffic on to that one side of the new highway while you tear the existing one down. Of course it is more extreame than 235 but it is still manageable. The faster the existing one comes down the better.

Yeah, that would be an advantage but you know ODot doesn't have that in their plans.

Another thing you have to realize with the 'at grade' boulevard is that there will have to be a girder bridge installed for BNSF traffic to go over the new boulevard. Problem is in this area there is no place to create a temporary track and bridge like they are doing south of I-40 where the new cross town is being put in. So ODot will have to coordinate with BNSF on the timing of this construction, which can definitely slow down the process!

You guys are crazyyyy if you think ODOT will stick to schedule. Have you ever seen ODOT work? This isn't Texas or Florida where they build quality roads overnight. They've already delayed the project several years over original estimates. Don't be surprised if it gets delayed again.

isn't the crosstown and the blvd supposed to be complete in 2012? so maybe they could have started on the retail towers (as shown in C2S) and the convention center by then too!!???

so... 2012
devon tower
ford center
new blvd
new i-40

possible
convention center
2 retail towers


What's this about 2 retail towers? Have I missed something? I've not heard about this.

The two retail towers are concepts proposed as part of the Core 2 Shore project. They are just ideas at this point.

Chicken, feel free to search some of the Core To Shore (C2S) threads. There are links to powerpoint presentations and pics. As FritterGirl said, they are just fantasy right now, but hopefully someone with a vision and money can make it a reality. If I ever make it bigtime, I'll do my part in continuing with this city's renaissance.

I will be somewhat impressed if the grade level crosstown blvd (or Mayor's Alley or whatever they ultimately call it) is open prior to Thanksgiving weekend, 2022.

I don't see it happening any sooner, but of course, I've been wrong on other things, so perhaps i will do us all a favor and be wrong in this guesstimate as well.

I agree with metro......... to have both the new I-40 relocation and boulevard completed by 2012 sounds crazy.

Where would they divert all the traffic currently on I-40, THE MAJOR national east- west highway, while both projects are going on simultaneously?

Does anyone recall how long it took to construct the I-40/I-35 interchange?
seemed like 10 years or so?

i think metro was saying we're crazy to think the crosstown will be finished by 2012... due to how slow I-35 took and other odot projects. it had nothing to do with the boulevard.
but i do agree... the crosstown and the boulevard cannot be finished at the same time.

I thought this thread was about the new Devon tower...? The last 2 pages have been about I-40... Hehe... Just an observation. :-)

...AND DEVON will have its first renderings of it's new building available. Exciting times ahead!

Update: Afraid they're some time out from that.

Update: Afraid they're some time out from that.

Meaning? It won't be next month? We have to wait longer? Ugggghhhh...

Update: Afraid they're some time out from that.
where did you come across that info?

Yes FritterGirl, since you work for the city do you know something we don't? Devon had previously announced we should expect to see first renderings in August.

Retracting my last post.

Building renderings, and perhaps model, will be ready for Devon in/around third week of August. No confirmation on whether they will be made available to the public, or simply submitted to DE for their review.

Plans for another major project associated with the building will not be put in place until sometime in October, or later.

Sorry. Source got confused.

Okay. I don't know what other major project you are talking about that is tied-in with the Devon Tower... I'll bite...

*OMG! What major project? I haven't heard of this! Please elaborate FlitterGirl.*

lol. gawd. Cooking chicken at KFC for 8 hours makes you nuts. :]

Wasn't trying to bait. The project has been mentioned before and announced in the papers. It's the proposed tie-in to the Myriad Gardens across the street.

LOL, yeah, I can see how plans for a project going 100 ft. across the street vs. maybe 700 ft. in to the air can take much longer. No biggie on that though. I do hope, we the public, get something soon.

Hey Everyone:

With the Devon Tower and everything else OKC has going on the city is undergoing a rapid transformation. I thought it might be a good time to start a blog - imagiNATIVEamerica (http://www.imaginativeamerica.com) - and try to apply some of the things I am learning in school (getting a Masters in City Planning and Urban Design) to the issues we are encountering in Oklahoma City.

Hope you enjoy it and please contribute to the dialogue.

Thanks, Blair

Hey Everyone:

With the Devon Tower and everything else OKC has going on the city is undergoing a rapid transformation. I thought it might be a good time to start a blog - imagiNATIVEamerica (http://www.imaginativeamerica.com) - and try to apply some of the things I am learning in school (getting a Masters in City Planning and Urban Design) to the issues we are encountering in Oklahoma City.

Hope you enjoy it and please contribute to the dialogue.

Thanks, Blair

Hi Blair.....Welcome to OKCTalk! I'll have to take a look at your blog. Are you the Blair, brother of Grant and son of Kirk?

Hi Blair.....Welcome to OKCTalk! I'll have to take a look at your blog. Are you the Blair, brother of Grant and son of Kirk?

Yep! But you can just call me Blair. Thanks for the welcome Solitude.

I read the entry earlier about some type of "tie-in" to the Myriad Gardens. I haven't heard much about this, and was wondering if there are more towers going up downtown other than the new Devon Tower and whatever else is tied in with Myriad Gardens? I was speaking to a friend last night and we were discussing the new Devon Tower, and he mentioned that in his neighborhood newsletter (he lives in Paseo), they mentioned that TWO towers were being planned downtown in addition to the Devon Tower. Does anyone have information on these two buildings, or what they possibly may be? New companies? Companies re-locating from other areas of town? This was the first I'd heard of additional towers, but he was adamant that this is what he had read. Any ideas?

The towers are likely the towers that were looked at as ideas as part of the proposed Core to Shore project. You can look back in this thread, and in other threads about Core 2 Shore, which will give you a better idea of what is being considered. You can also visit the Core to Shore site on the okc.gov website to see renderings of what the area could look like, including the towers.

The towers are simply an "idea" at this point. I don't believe there is any discussion of real development at this time, as the land for their use is still under private ownership by other entities.

Sounds like the Myriad Gardens "tie in" will be more significant than I assumed.

Thanks FritterGirl...that's what I figured, but just wasn't sure if I had missed something. But how great would it be if there WERE two additional towers planned AS WELL as the Devon and possible Core to Shore buildings?!?!?!?!

Maybe the Myriad Gardens are going to be covered in a giant glass dome to make it a year around attraction.

Like this but much bigger. Image:Reichstag Dome 8.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Reichstag_Dome_8.JPG)

Maybe the Myriad Gardens are going to be covered in a giant glass dome to make it a year around attraction.

Like this but much bigger. Image:Reichstag Dome 8.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Reichstag_Dome_8.JPG)

Actually, a dome covering the Myriad Gardens would be MUCH bigger than the Reichstag dome.

Personally I am hoping for something more fundamental such as a number of quality restaurants such as Tavern on the Green in New York. This would provide a real draw for the gardens in the evening as well, which I think may be what is missing. I am also thinking sidewalk cafe's during the day and any number of high-quality attractions.

The original design of the Gardens was modeled on Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, which includes both restaurants and a sort of amusement park in the old-fashioned sense of the world. Devon will probably want to create a high-quality urban venue, but let's hope that they don't forget that that location is crucial to other bordering blocks, and there needs to be a good tie-in to the urban fabric of downtown. Currently the gardens are a bit of an oasis. Not good in the long run.

David, please know that the Shakespeare in the Park is a regular summer event for the Gardens, it draws quite a crowd and has a concession stand, but a "Tavern on the Green" or sidewalk cafe's would surely be nice. We just don't have that kind of foot traffic yet on that side of downtown. I imagine when Devon's tower is ready, there will be more than enough.

Maybe the Myriad Gardens are going to be covered in a giant glass dome to make it a year around attraction.

Like this but much bigger. Image:Reichstag Dome 8.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Reichstag_Dome_8.JPG)


The "tie-in" would have to be thought through ever so carefully. Any kind of covering of the Myriad Gardens would be a disaster as we have precious little green space downtown. I like the oasis as someone described it earlier. At any rate - it's public space and I wonder how a private company thinks they have rights to tie their private project in with anything other than complimentary architecture, etc. Of course, the blurring of big corporations and city governance is making it hard to sometimes tell the difference.

could someone refresh my memory and tell me what exactly they want to tie in with the gardens?

The "tie-in" would have to be thought through ever so carefully. Any kind of covering of the Myriad Gardens would be a disaster as we have precious little green space downtown. I like the oasis as someone described it earlier. At any rate - it's public space and I wonder how a private company thinks they have rights to tie their private project in with anything other than complimentary architecture, etc. Of course, the blurring of big corporations and city governance is making it hard to sometimes tell the difference.

Actually, that is a very good point that I remember crossing my mind when I first heard of Devon's plans to update the Myriad Gardens. Nonetheless, if they are able to pull off a quality update that benefits ALL of the public and not just Devon Employees, then I say go for it!

I'm assuming it will be some sort of pedestrian bridge or tunnel but will be artistic or "iconic". haha

I'm assuming it will be some sort of pedestrian bridge or tunnel but will be artistic or "iconic". haha


I hear 'ya. I hope whatever Devon does will be "iconic"; but wouldn't everyone agree that word should be nominated as the most overused term for 2007-2008? It seems like I read it and hear it at least once a day.

Maybe the Myriad Gardens are going to be covered in a giant glass dome to make it a year around attraction.

Like this but much bigger. Image:Reichstag Dome 8.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Reichstag_Dome_8.JPG)

No thank you.

I'm thinking it's some sort of sky walk connecting the building to the park. Those things are all over the place in Indianapolis. It seems like all the buildings in downtown Indy are connected. They're pretty nice to have around.

Not sure why they would want to build a skywalk when there is already an underground tunnel running from the "Galleria" parking garage to the gardens.

But I hope whatever it ends up being blows us away!

i'm sorry, but i don't understand the "tie" to the myrid gardens when you can just walk across the sreet. of course i don't know the extend of renovations to the garden area. but please...no reichstag dome lookin thing.

There are no guarantees in anything, but at this point, there is no talk of any reichstag dome-looking thing, so you all may rest easy on that.

Are there other plans? Yes, but what those are is being left to the consultants at this point, so there are really no details to give out other than to say that Mr. Nichols is a big fan of the Gardens and wants to contribute to their positive enhancement in a way that will benefit ALL of downtown Oklahoma City, including the 4,000 employees that will be working directly across the street.

Suffice it to say that any tie-in will have both aesthetic as well as programming elements. (And no the Crystal Bridge will not be rebuilt to look like the new building, although it will be getting a much-needed new "skin" in the next couple of years).

We really won't know any of what they are looking into until October (or so we are being told).

I've been saying for a long time the Myriad Gardens are very underutilized and all this sounds very promising.

Tying together what will be the largest downtown building with the largest current park certainly makes a lot of sense.

I worked downtown for years and never went to the gardens except during the Arts Festival.

I actually see a lot more people down there these days. I think it helps to have a lot more events going on during the day, as well as more hotels that are right there by it.

I'm thinking Devon's plans are more along the lines of much needed upgrades around the gardens. A skywalk would be silly, but I'd like to see some of the bare concrete replaced with stone walls and flagstone steps and such. A snack bar would be cool as well, like this one in Herald Square in NYC.

http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v76/125/97/79800335/n79800335_30322511_6261.jpg

The eastern part of that park is terribly under utilized, especially considering it borders on both the Cox and Ford Centers.

It would be great to see really nice entrances on the NE & SE corners (putting the current surface parking underground), perhaps with huge arches and/or fountains.

I also think a restaurant or two with a nice outdoor terrace would be fantastic. Our own version of Tavern on the Green.

And while we're dreaming, once the Cox Center reaches the end of it's useful life (about the time we'll need a new NBA arena) why not bring the canal over into the Myriad Gardens? Would tie in the CBD with Bricktown and allow the water taxi to actually go somewhere interesting.

The Cox Center could come down, the canal could be extended through the middle of that property with development (more office and hotels) on either side.

Great ideas all around.

The eastern part of that park is terribly under utilized, especially considering it borders on both the Cox and Ford Centers.

It would be great to see really nice entrances on the NE & SE corners (putting the current surface parking underground), perhaps with huge arches and/or fountains.

I also think a restaurant or two with a nice outdoor terrace would be fantastic. Our own version of Tavern on the Green.

And while we're dreaming, once the Cox Center reaches the end of it's useful life (about the time we'll need a new NBA arena) why not bring the canal over into the Myriad Gardens? Would tie in the CBD with Bricktown and allow the water taxi to actually go somewhere interesting.

The Cox Center could come down, the canal could be extended through the middle of that property with development (more office and hotels) on either side.



i like the idea of the canal, but we have a draw that no other city has, thats having two arenas next door to eachother. thats why we are goin to keep getting the big 12 tourni. so i would want to build a new arena next to the ford center and do the same thing before tearing down the cox center, maybe put a new arena where the uhaul building and parking lot is.... i can't stand that building, but hell that 10-15, maybe longer, years away

how about the canal running thru reno between cox and ford center, they will probably close that street anyway in the future. then the canal can run past the myriad gardens and on......