development
|category1=Northwest
|category2=Recreation
|category3=Sports
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|project=
|address=N. May & 27th (http://goo.gl/maps/OTgXe)
|status=under construction
|owner=OKC Public Schools
|cost=
|architect=MA+
|start=
|finish=January 2015
|contractor=
|height=
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|image=http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/taft1.jpg
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Information & Latest News
Links
OKC History Article (http://www.okchistory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125:taft-stadium-a-crumbling-okc-icon&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50)
Gallery

This is from a July 7, 2007 article from the Oklahoman:


Another major investment is supposed to come from MAPS.
“What we’ve been told is if there is any money left over, then Taft will get some,” Palmer said. “But we haven’t heard from them in two years.”
And they won’t for another two, but MAPS indeed has Taft Stadium on its radar.
“It’s on our list, but low on the priority list,” said Mark Carlton, a MAPS representative. “We basically have around $5 million planned for improvements and major construction to Taft Junior High and Taft Stadium.”
However, the planning portion of that project is scheduled to begin in 2009. Actual construction is planned to begin in 2011.


They are talking about MAPS for Kids here.


There is also a foundation that has been established for Taft:

Taft Stadium Restoration Foundation (http://www.taftstadiumfoundation.com/)

I remember in Mayor Mick's announcement of the MAPS 3, he said "12 of the top 14 suggestions were included in MAPS 3. The two that were not included were downtown retail and a football stadium. The football stadium was not included because Taft Stadium and Speigel (sp?) were going to undergo renovations using money from the bond issue that passed."

I looked at the 2007 bond issue website for a list of projects and couldn't find the renovations listed. I understand this is a 10 year bond issue, but do we have any idea what and when it is going to be done? Any help would be appreciated.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't that included as part of the 2007 School Bond (not to be confused with the 2007 General Obligation Bond)?

its a great old stadium. hope they do it. have to wonder if neighborhood noise complaints could be one reason for dragging their feet. i used to live on nw 32nd near May Avenue and could hear both the football crowds and the stock car racing quite clearly.

although i would hate to see a place like Taft Stadium go, maybe we need someplace away from the neighborhoods for high school football, race cars and concerts since those close to the zoo(concerts) and the fairgrounds(race cars) have noise issues also.

maybe a MAPS 4 project?????

its a great old stadium. hope they do it. have to wonder if neighborhood noise complaints could be one reason for dragging their feet. i used to live on nw 32nd near May Avenue and could hear both the football crowds and the stock car racing quite clearly.

although i would hate to see a place like Taft Stadium go, maybe we need someplace away from the neighborhoods for high school football, race cars and concerts since those close to the zoo(concerts) and the fairgrounds(race cars) have noise issues also.

maybe a MAPS 4 project?????

I grew up at NW 24th and Villa, and remember the noise from the stock car races quite well -- wasn't sorry when they ended racing there.

As for crowd noise, it's been a long time since Taft hosted a game big enough to draw a large crowd. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I don't consider game noise to be a warrant to not do anything. Simply look at almost any metro school and the stadiums are next to homes (all of Mid-Del, PC, Mustang, Norman, etc). You don't see them stopping improvements because of the crowd.

At MWC - there's actually a house on one endzone that put a deer stand on top of this house so he could watch the game from there.

I like the sound of the crowd & band!
I also grew up with the race noises from the fairgrounds - love them!
aren't most games/events over by 10pm?
anyone complaining about noise seems a little crumudgeon-y
thats too bad.

now the early bird band practice on weekends would get me a little testy.

Game noise shouldn't be an issue. First of all, it's usually happy noise, and it's not going to be that often. Speaking as someone who hears train noise all day and night long when I'm home, I don't think people should be very put out about game noise a few nights a year.

i am not saying that the noise bothered me. as a matter of fact, i used to sell hot dogs at taft and the fairgrounds as a kid. however, i do remember people complaining and know that people complain now about the fairgrounds and the zoo. my post was simply one of pointing out a reason why the city may be dragging its feet a little bit.

I don't think sound has anything to do with it at all. It is strange that they have spent so much time on the best stadium in the district though. They tore down the crap at the other places, but left the jewel alone.

Now it's going to take a lot of planning and money to do it right. They need to do something to help the place, and at this point, I'd rather see something rather than nothing. A simple cleaning of the grounds, putting seats in, new field/track, parking lot. At least that's a start to gutting the interior and doing what should have been done 30 years ago.

Hopefully they don't do the same crap that was done to Jelsma Stadium in Guthrie.

What's wrong with it? Other than being weird by having the baseball stadium on one end, it's been rated one of the best places to watch a high shool football game by ESPN. One could only hope that Taft would be that good.

I'm all in favor of renovating Taft Stadium but that's all up to the OKCPS at this point, and private money if they can collect enough. MAPS for kids didn't address Taft Stadium, although they said if they had extra money left over they'd consider improvements. They could consider addressing it in a future school bond issue, but they probably still have more pressing needs with their school buildings, which were left to decay for 30+ years prior to MAPS for kids.

And i still don't understand why they didn't include it. It was/is the biggest pile of crap in the district. I just don't understand for the life of my why they ignored it.

I guess they're trying to put academic facilities before sports facilities?

Except they worked on athletic facilities at other locations. Crap, look at Douglas. They built on the old football field so they had to rebuild the stadium, but that stadium was in far better condition than Taft.

All they did to Jelsma in Guthrie is increase seating, new vistors locker room, updated concession stand/press box (football and baseball), cleaned the rock walls, refaced the seating areas on both sides, paved the vistors bus parking area, refaced the baseball dugouts and concesion area.

I really don't see the crap your talking about. Taft Stadium could be a real gem if they would put the money in that it deserves.

Race cars in Taft Stadium?!

Huh?

I'm all in favor of renovating Taft Stadium but that's all up to the OKCPS at this point, and private money if they can collect enough. MAPS for kids didn't address Taft Stadium, although they said if they had extra money left over they'd consider improvements. They could consider addressing it in a future school bond issue, but they probably still have more pressing needs with their school buildings, which were left to decay for 30+ years prior to MAPS for kids.

You are right as far as MAPS for Kids goes, they were hoping to have enough money but apparently didn't. Can't find the material now but could have sworn it was included in the 2007 School Bond Issue??

Yes, the first time I ever went to any races was at Taft stadium. Billy Patton Sr. raced there, I was just a kid. He just turned 80 in September but sadly has just passed away. His son also raced at the fairgrounds and his grandsons race too. Great memories - sad to drive by there now.

I hope the stadium gets restored in a good manner. I think it would be an asset to the area and OKC.

Race cars in Taft Stadium?!

Huh?

Yep, back in the early-to-mid 60s.

Races were at Taft from 1946 to 1964. Here's a pretty good history of early OKC dirt track racing.
Oklahoma City Racing 1957-1967 (http://users.icnet.net/~robertb/okcrace.htm)

If the stadium were to be restored, it would be a good venue for watching MLS soccer. Just saying....

and can we say band contest!!! Those sight lines are amazing!

That is one great old stadium. Renovated, it would be an awesome venue.

Has any of you ever been to Cambridge Mass. and noticed how much Harvard's stadium looks like Taft. We just need to encourage ivy to grow on it.

Has any of you ever been to Cambridge Mass. and noticed how much Harvard's stadium looks like Taft. We just need to encourage ivy to grow on it.

haha, in the state it is in, ivy would tear that thing to pieces.

and this should have been in maps 3. might as well, a few extra million wouldnt have hurt it considering how big it is, lol.

Plans are proceeding to renovate Taft and Speegle Stadiums at the end of this football season.

Long overdue and glad they are keeping the historic brick facade, but sad they only have the budget for tilt-up metal stands. Also note the capacity is being substantially reduced to about 5,000 from over 10,000.



Renovate Taft Stadium’s current facilities to provide a functional and
safe venue to use and enjoy. Taft Stadium is located at 2609 N. May
Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Taft Stadium is to be renovated based on criteria from the Base Project
Management Plan (PMP), current design standards, and the
educational specifications. These criteria have been narrowed to
necessary items based on budget constraints.
The new facilities that will be built consist of an artificial turf, resurfaced
track, locker rooms, pressbox, new metal grandstands, new concession
buildings, public restrooms, fenced storage, and structural repairs to
renovate the existing WPA wall on the East side of Taft Stadium. All
new construction will meet ADA guidelines and be up to current building
codes.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/taft1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/taft2.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/taft3.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/taft4.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/taft99.jpg

The home side is going to be very strange because the new metal bleachers will be much smaller than the historic massive concrete stands, and thus the brick wall will just be standing alone behind the stands, separated by a large gap.

Here is the current home side:

http://www.gaviota2.com/oklahoma/sightseeing/metro/metro-Images/213.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/tafthome.jpg
(from NewsOK.com)

And the visitor's:

http://www.gaviota2.com/oklahoma/sightseeing/metro/metro-Images/217.jpg

great to hear... can't wait to see the renovations start. this place has been needing upgrades for awhile. Interesting to see them lower the seat by that much.. i have always thought it should probably be reduced, but i always through out the 7,500 number...

great to hear... can't wait to see the renovations start. this place has been needing upgrades for awhile. Interesting to see them lower the seat by that much.. i have always thought it should probably be reduced, but i always through out the 7,500 number...

It's been several years, but the last time I was there, as in the visiting stands, the visiting team had a couple of thousand fans, NWC had a couple of hundred.

John Marshall and Northwest Classen only draw a few hundred, that's for sure.

Taft used to be the biggest stadium in OKC and was used for all types of things and even state title football games that would draw 20,000. It was in effect, the OKC stadium.


But of course, the priority is to make it usable and safe for the schools that use it now and this will represent a big improvement. I know they had severe budget constraints so at least the saved the facade, although I worry that it's going to look a little absurd standing alone.

Been trying to find a rendering that shows how that will look from the side or inside the stadium, but perhaps there are good reasons those perspectives are not being featured.


Anyway, lots of great memories sitting on those concrete steps. I went to Putnam City but we played many away games there and sat on the home side a few times for playoff games. Also remember seeing the Oklahoma City Slickers soccer team and some other events.

Pete: Not pretending to be a structural engineer, but won't that wall require some sort of structural support, or the next decent Oklahoma wind will blow the thing right on over???

Pete: Not pretending to be a structural engineer, but won't that wall require some sort of structural support, or the next decent Oklahoma wind will blow the thing right on over???

The press box or something structural may be going on that side as not to have a large blank wall on that side for seemingly no reason.

Anyway, lots of great memories sitting on those concrete steps. I went to Putnam City but we played many away games there and sat on the home side a few times for playoff games. Also remember seeing the Oklahoma City Slickers soccer team and some other events.

The Oklahoma City Dolls played there and I remember going to demolition derby events there when I was a child.

Snowman: possibly but the schematic Pete posed shows little to nothing there to help support this decades old wall that I presume is an integral part of the concrete stadium step structure

Also there was a blurb in Monday's Oklahoman that the School Board had allocated some monies to add an unspecified amount of seating. Presumably, this is adding to the scaled back renovation and not the current???


• The board approved about $400,000 in extra funding for the renovation of Taft Stadium. More seats will be added.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-school-board-approves-contracts/article/3712794#ixzz27UrUfqOM

Glad to see they are adding more seats!

Still want to see how the home stands related the historic brick wall.


FYI, the press box is on the visitor's side.

Aw man, that's too bad that they're taking out the current seating. I can understand and appreciate why, but man the height ratio of those made for AMAZING sight lines that you just don't get anywhere else!!!!!!

I would rather have seen metal seating attached on top of the conrete...think OU seating. It's not really attaching a whole new seat, it's just slapping the butt section to the conrete so you aren't sitting on the actual concrete.

The place is long overdue for it's share of renovations. I'm just sad that it's going to lose a lot of the historic character it once had.

High schools: Taft, Speegle stadiums will be flattened, rebuilt
Two of the city's most historic stadiums have become run down over last decade or more. The Oklahoma City Public Schools' administration has worked to clean them up in their current form. But the time has come to rebuild.

Speegle and Taft Stadium, two of the city's most historic stadiums, have become run down over the last decade or more. The current administration at Oklahoma City Public Schools, led by athletic director Keith Sinor, has worked to clean them up in their current form.

But the time has come to rebuild, in the form of a $19 million project scheduled to begin in four months.

Read the full article at:
High schools: Taft, Speegle stadiums will be flattened, rebuilt | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/high-schools-taft-speegle-stadiums-will-be-flattened-rebuilt/article/3743784)

I hope the new stadium are built in a historical style. A scaled down version of University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field would be awesome.

The article says the WPA portions of the stadiums will remain. So for Taft, they will leave the big stone wall with the art deco Taft Stadium logo. From May, it should look the same as today. I love that place. I remember seeing many a North West Classen game there. As well as the Oklahoma City Plainsmen semipro football team. Had a family friend play for them. And, i remember the 1978 State football championship game between PC and PC West. That was a great game. Marching band contests. Drum Corp International competitions. It was a great place. Hate seeing the stands go. But glad they are saving the WPA wall.

Building permits issued Friday for the work at Taft and Speegle stadiums.

Recent article:

High schools: Taft, Speegle stadiums will be flattened, rebuilt | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/high-schools-taft-speegle-stadiums-will-be-flattened-rebuilt/article/3743784)

Was by Taft Stadium on Saturday 9/1/13, and the demolition is well under way. The west stands and press box are completely gone, and several sections of upper seating on the east side have been removed. The stepped concrete diagonal beams supporting the east rock wall are still in place; the plan may be to leave them. Sad to see the old stadium go, I spent a lot of happy hours there in high school.

Isn't the plan to leave a lot of the east facade up?

I took a quick look at it earlier today and it would appear that is the plan. I could see that east wall being somewhat fragile so they seem to have left some of the horizontal segments in place to help give some support. Otherwise, as BB37 said above, about everything else has been removed including the south seating and the field itself!

OKC school district leaders work to improve Taft, Speegle stadiums without destroying historical elements | News OK (http://newsok.com/okc-school-district-leaders-work-to-improve-taft-speegle-stadiums-without-destroying-historical-elements/article/3878719)

Isn't the plan to leave a lot of the east facade up?

The east wall with the Art Deco "Taft Stadium," as well as the much smaller wall that borders the north end of the stadium, is to remain intact. Again, the stepped diagonal beams that supported the upper seating sections as well as the outer wall, are still in place. It's not clear from the renderings if diagonal beams will ultimately be kept, but they're going to have to do something to provide the lateral support for the wall.

I've looked at the plans. The first row of columns parallel to the WPA wall and about 15 feet to the west of the wall will remain. (As will the ticket booth building in the center area of the wall and between the wall and that row of columns, formerly below some of the seating.) The columns get backed up with new 2.5 foot by 5 foot thick concrete buttresses from ground level to about 10 or 15 feet below the top of the wall and beams will be added at the top of the buttresses back to the wall. The old raker beams (sawtooth beams running up at an angle that used to support the seating) will remain way up high between the columns backed up by the buttresses and the old wall. Everything west of those buttresses goes away after the buttresses cure...columns, raker beams etc, and the new seating will be 100% new construction in that space.

I've looked at the plans. The first row of columns parallel to the WPA wall and about 15 feet to the west of the wall will remain. (As will the ticket booth building in the center area of the wall and between the wall and that row of columns, formerly below some of the seating.) The columns get backed up with new 2.5 foot by 5 foot thick concrete buttresses from ground level to about 10 or 15 feet below the top of the wall and beams will be added at the top of the buttresses back to the wall. The old raker beams (sawtooth beams running up at an angle that used to support the seating) will remain way up high between the columns backed up by the buttresses and the old wall. Everything west of those buttresses goes away after the buttresses cure...columns, raker beams etc, and the new seating will be 100% new construction in that space.

Thanks for the info. I've been very curious about how they planned to support the wall.

Energy FC unveil plan for Taft Stadium Seating

Energy FC (http://www.energyfc.com/index.cfm?fa=pressreleases.article&articleID=17E0637B-1EFE-E311-A64C-000C296FBAA9)

We live at 21st and May and I was talking to my wife about how the Energy games are selling. She was worried about overflow parking once they start playing at Taft running in to our neighborhood. I told her with the parking in front of the stadium and NW Classen, I seriously doubt we will see parking flow south of 23rd and east of May unless it is just people visiting friends who live in the neighborhood and walking from there.

I was thinking about it and I couldn't come up with a good bar in the area for pregaming. Anyone have any idea?

Bali Hai?

Bali Hai?

Not a bad idea, but I was thinking more of a place you can park at, get a drink and then walk to the stadium, kind of like the Speakeasy. If someone was smart, they would open one this year understanding it will get busier next year when the games are there.

Aren't we kind of limited on being able to open a bar near the stadium with Taft and NW Classen being so close? It would have to be a bar south of 23rd to keep it within walking distance.

Question, the Energy renderings cover the track. Are they planning on pulling stuff out each game to cover the track for those things, or are they considering removing it? I'd have a major problem with removing it after the renovation would have just put it in. The stadium is first, for OCPS and Energy is secondary. I absolutely do not want a soccer field taking over this place from the schools. So Energy needs to be OK with the primary lines being for football and not soccer. We didn't wait 50 years for Taft to finally get renovated with MAPs money, so a pro team could usurp it. And what happened to them building their own place somewhere with room to expand up to 20k later?

Aren't we kind of limited on being able to open a bar near the stadium with Taft and NW Classen being so close? It would have to be a bar south of 23rd to keep it within walking distance.

I am not sure what the distance limitation is. The 51st Street Speakeasy is less than 500 yards from Bishop McGuinness and they opened after the school, obviously. It would be interesting to know the law on that.

300 feet. An ABC-3 (full mixed beverage, no food requirement) must be 300 feet from a school.

Question, the Energy renderings cover the track. Are they planning on pulling stuff out each game to cover the track for those things, or are they considering removing it? I'd have a major problem with removing it after the renovation would have just put it in. The stadium is first, for OCPS and Energy is secondary. I absolutely do not want a soccer field taking over this place from the schools. So Energy needs to be OK with the primary lines being for football and not soccer. We didn't wait 50 years for Taft to finally get renovated with MAPs money, so a pro team could usurp it. And what happened to them building their own place somewhere with room to expand up to 20k later?

By looking at picture 12 of 12, it looks like something will go over the track for the soccer games. There have been talks of building their own place for room to expand later but the renovations of the stadium were conceived before the Energy was. And just for clarification, MAPS money was not used to renovate the stadium. I believe it was part of the 2007 GO Bond.