I mentioned this several months back, but I now know the gears are turning to make this happen--and the recent storms we had were ultimately the catalyst. The news has been reporting that several state agencies are leaving their Lincoln Plaza building and temporarily re-locating to Sherpherd Mall.

I have heard from a very credible source that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is in serious negotiations to move downtown into the American Farmers and Ranchers Mutual Insurance Building at 8th and Harvey. Apparently they have to find someone to buy the building and then lease it out to them.

I don't know who currently occupies that building, but if the Health Care Authority moved there, that would bring approximately 500 new people downtown every day. Good news for downtown, I think.

There are also discussions to use the old Central High School bldg as a downtown charter school, similar to Classen SAS or Harding. I had a post a few months ago where I advocated bringing either the Harding arts school or the Harding prep school downtown, so that those two school can stop fighting over space. I found out last week that they are now seriously weighing a downtown charter school, and while I doubt my blog had any impact, it's just cool to see that there are others that must have been thinking just that as well.

I like this idea of this building as a school better. That's what it was originally intended as.

Is 8th and Harvey really "downtown"? But still, that's awesome.

Is 8th and Harvey really "downtown"? But still, that's awesome.

Is it not? If not, where are boundaries of what's officially "downtown"?

If OCU can't get the tax credits to rehabilitate the Fred Jones building, that building would make a hell of a law school.

Is it not? If not, where are boundaries of what's officially "downtown"?

That would be Midtown, but it's still good for the overall downtown area.