No Sprint or T-Mobile yet... Sprint could be next. They said they're looking into adding their antenna soon. T-Mobile says their customers aren't reporting signal problems, so they have no plans on adding one.

Yeah it was sold out. It was PACKED!!!! It was unbelievable, the crowd was the loudest I've EVER heard it that arena!!! Playoff games don't even come close!!

That's disappointing. Drake is horrible.

That's disappointing. Drake is horrible.

Your post was disappointing. It was horrible.

your post was disappointing. It was horrible.

bahahahaha lmfao!!!!!!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6947953467_389ee79e2b_b.jpg

March 2 2012

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6947953689_3d0284e07f_b.jpg

On Feb. 29, 2012 ODOT allowed the public one last chance to go up on the old I-40 Crosstown and walk or drive and take photos. I took this photo of the Chesapeake Energy Arena new SW Grand Entry construction while I was up there.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6804921652_bd2cecba8b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alonzoadamsphotography/6804921652/)
Chesapeake Energy Arena New SW Entry 2012 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alonzoadamsphotography/6804921652/) by AlonzoAdamsOKC (http://www.flickr.com/people/alonzoadamsphotography/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6942576991_e940e5bd4f_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7208/6942579073_d6a4cac3c1_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6796465376_3b5c533af5_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6942579417_288245de36_b.jpg

I wonder how ESPN, and TNT is going to do a live ariel coverage of the arena when the playoffs come since the old i-40 will be in the process of demolition. I assume thats going to be a messy site when playoffs arrive

I wonder how ESPN, and TNT is going to do a live ariel coverage of the arena when the playoffs come since the old i-40 will be in the process of demolition. I assume thats going to be a messy site when playoffs arrive

All of the streets downtown have been in that situation for months and months. It won't have any affect. Most of their shots are nightime and you can't really see the streets anyway.

I wonder how ESPN, and TNT is going to do a live ariel coverage of the arena when the playoffs come since the old i-40 will be in the process of demolition. I assume thats going to be a messy site when playoffs arrive


That's easy. They'll just say something like 'some people say there is nothing to do in Oklahoma. Now, I'm not saying that's true but I did notice today they are tearing down the interstate highway here.'

Gosh, having that big entrance will help with mass traffic flow OUT of the arena after Thunder games.
It's awful leaving game now..

Gosh, having that big entrance will help with mass traffic flow OUT of the arena after Thunder games.
It's awful leaving game now..

The truth.

Hopefully they can get it glasses in by playoffs. Would look great on cam.

Lit up would be even better. Usually night shots.

ESPN and TNT have been using old aerial footage with an unfinished Devon all season so I'm not sure that'd change for the playoffs, but I wouldn't worry either way b/c none of the angles they use feature the highway that prominently anyway.

I really miss driving by the stadium everyday on the way home and seeing the progress. By next year TNT & ESPN will have plenty of shots to choose from.

ESPN and TNT have been using old aerial footage with an unfinished Devon all season so I'm not sure that'd change for the playoffs, but I wouldn't worry either way b/c none of the angles they use feature the highway that prominently anyway.

They used old footage last year as well but during the playoffs they used a lot of new shots and some of them were even live.

I thought a lot of those new and live shots last year were due to both the Chamber and Fox Sports telling ESPN/TNT that they would gladly get them new shots if they would use them. They were horrified at the material TNT was using if I recall.

remember when one of them was using Tulsa's skyline as one of the banners for the Thunder?

remember when one of them was using Tulsa's skyline as one of the banners for the Thunder?

That's ABC. They put the OKC skyline on one side and the Tulsa skyline on the other--right before showing starting line ups.

I'm hoping something can be done for Western Ave access to I-40. If you've been there at any time of the day, it's crazy now. It's to the point where Shields is really the only exit for downtown unless you go way over to Western. But Shields has far better access. Western is squeezed in there....i'd say it's time for the city to buy up some property and expand to 6 lanes and get rid of some of those lights. It's terrible. And for those early start games where tipoff is at 6...you've got Thunder traffic coming in, worker traffic trying to leave.....man.

But when a regular season game is played in Miami, Boston, New York, and of course Los Angelas on ABC or TNT, its always live aerial footage in High Defition, wish they could do that to us more often.

I'm hoping something can be done for Western Ave access to I-40. If you've been there at any time of the day, it's crazy now. It's to the point where Shields is really the only exit for downtown unless you go way over to Western. But Shields has far better access. Western is squeezed in there....i'd say it's time for the city to buy up some property and expand to 6 lanes and get rid of some of those lights. It's terrible. And for those early start games where tipoff is at 6...you've got Thunder traffic coming in, worker traffic trying to leave.....man.

That is the complete opposite way the city is going, even the new boulevard that is replacing the old i40 is only going to be four lanes. The boulevard is what is intended for a lot of the access to downtown more than the exits they have open now, it is just hard to build that while people are still using the structure on the land it will be built on.

They have created a terrible bottleneck at 1-40/1-44 exchange,even going west on 1-40 it's way worst now than before they opened the new crosstown. I wonder if that will ever get fixed? But,that is a good area to take a shot of downtown from. Lets hope that if they do take a new shot they will have the buildings lit up all over downtown.

They have created a terrible bottleneck at 1-40/1-44 exchange,even going west on 1-40 it's way worst now than before they opened the new crosstown. I wonder if that will ever get fixed? But,that is a good area to take a shot of downtown from. Lets hope that if they do take a new shot they will have the buildings lit up all over downtown.

This road went from 4 lanes I-40 west bound down to three. It'll get fixed when they finish the new bridge over Agnew and the new connection to I-44.

I'm hoping something can be done for Western Ave access to I-40. If you've been there at any time of the day, it's crazy now. It's to the point where Shields is really the only exit for downtown unless you go way over to Western. But Shields has far better access. Western is squeezed in there....i'd say it's time for the city to buy up some property and expand to 6 lanes and get rid of some of those lights. It's terrible. And for those early start games where tipoff is at 6...you've got Thunder traffic coming in, worker traffic trying to leave.....man.

I went through that interchange twice today around lunch hour. Once I went east on I40 to south on Western. The other time I went north on Western to west on I40. I zipped right though both times while barely slowing down. The traffic was minimal.

That's the key, you went at lunch. Try at rush hour.

The boulevard is going to be a crap access point for downtown. It's going to have stoplights on it as well. And you would have to exit I-40 3 miles west of downtown rather than only 1 like you do today.

Access to downtown is definitely not the new I-40's strong point. But i'll take it over the crosstown any day.

Any new pics?

slightly off topic from the construction, but does anyone know why backyard bbq isn't open inside the arena? Im craving some bbq nachos

Any new pics?

This. While I really really appreciate people taking pics of the Devon tower and posting them here, I wish we could get pics of the other downtown projects more. It seems like we get pics of Devon multiple times a week even though the tower is complete (the outside) and nothing is going to change.

That's the key, you went at lunch. Try at rush hour.

The boulevard is going to be a crap access point for downtown. It's going to have stoplights on it as well. And you would have to exit I-40 3 miles west of downtown rather than only 1 like you do today.

Access to downtown is definitely not the new I-40's strong point. But i'll take it over the crosstown any day.

At worse, we have the same amount of access as we did before when you take the boulevard and I-40 together. Going west there are no interesections along the boulevard before you reach Gaylord. Before there was only Robinson which we had to backtrack to Gaylord because of arena construction.

Going east(unless something changes which I doubt) there are no interesections along the boulevard until reaching walker.

I don't really see the issue. I see urbanist having more an issue with so much of the boulevard being controlled access.

This. While I really really appreciate people taking pics of the Devon tower and posting them here, I wish we could get pics of the other downtown projects more. It seems like we get pics of Devon multiple times a week even though the tower is complete (the outside) and nothing is going to change.

The exterior is not complete.

Also, I post pics regularly. Wheni shoot, I shoot all DT projects. Change just isn't as dramatic in picturesque Devon, nor does work progress as fast.

The exterior is not complete.

Also, I post pics regularly. Wheni shoot, I shoot all DT projects. Change just isn't as dramatic in picturesque Devon, nor does work progress as fast.

I know the rotunda and the stuff on the ground is not complete. I was talking about the actual tower. Which is 99.9% complete.

Have you been by the Braniff building in a while? Pretty dramatic changes in the past couple weeks, specifically on the side facing SandRidge.

And I appreciate your contributions. I'm not trying to be a prick, just wanting to make sure other projects are documented as well as Devon was/is.

I know the rotunda and the stuff on the ground is not complete. I was talking about the actual tower. Which is 99.9% complete.

Have you been by the Braniff building in a while? Pretty dramatic changes in the past couple weeks, specifically on the side facing SandRidge.

And I appreciate your contributions. I'm not trying to be a prick, just wanting to make sure other projects are documented as well as Devon was/is.
There is more to the tower than you see, the roof, and backside of roof is still being worked on, the backside of the tower and garden wing, missing windows all the way up, and the connection wing to the Colcord is still not done, not to mention exterior of other base items including the auditorium.

I understand your points, but it's not worth it to me to drive DT to Sandridge to snap a 2 pics that can sum all the new activity up, compared to 40-50 that sum up Devon progress. I'll probably be down there later this week and will get some updated shots. You have to think too, Devon's budget is allowing work to progress much more rapidly than other projects can.

So now this is another Devon Tower thread? Lol

So now this is another Devon Tower thread? Lol

Aren't they all?

There is more to the tower than you see, the roof, and backside of roof is still being worked on, the backside of the tower and garden wing, missing windows all the way up, and the connection wing to the Colcord is still not done, not to mention exterior of other base items including the auditorium.

I understand your points, but it's not worth it to me to drive DT to Sandridge to snap a 2 pics that can sum all the new activity up, compared to 40-50 that sum up Devon progress. I'll probably be down there later this week and will get some updated shots. You have to think too, Devon's budget is allowing work to progress much more rapidly than other projects can.

Gotcha. Just wish there were more pics of the other stuff whenever people are already down there to take pictures.

That's the key, you went at lunch. Try at rush hour.

The boulevard is going to be a crap access point for downtown. It's going to have stoplights on it as well. And you would have to exit I-40 3 miles west of downtown rather than only 1 like you do today.

Access to downtown is definitely not the new I-40's strong point. But i'll take it over the crosstown any day.

Bomber, I don't want to change this into an I40 thread but I was responding this part of your statement.


I'm hoping something can be done for Western Ave access to I-40. If you've been there at any time of the day, it's crazy now.

Lunchtime qualifies as any time of the day.

At worse, we have the same amount of access as we did before when you take the boulevard and I-40 together. Going west there are no interesections along the boulevard before you reach Gaylord. Before there was only Robinson which we had to backtrack to Gaylord because of arena construction.

Going east(unless something changes which I doubt) there are no interesections along the boulevard until reaching walker.

I don't really see the issue. I see urbanist having more an issue with so much of the boulevard being controlled access.

The main difference now is the addition of lights between point A (downtown) and point B (the on-ramp). The extra few blocks on Western requires more turns and stops than before...and there are a LOT of lights for such a short distance. If 2 or 3 of the lights were removed, it would make a big difference...just force the cross-traffic to use a street with a light...funnel it so it's more efficient rather than stopping western for 2 cars to cross.

I'm not saying the number of exits are a bad thing, although i would have placed the western exit/entrance a little further east. But it may not have made sense. Western could have been the best option based on a lot of factors.

Anybody have anything new on the Arena to get this back on topic? Any new pics, timelines, etc.? I think there is already an 1-40 relocation thread.

Bump. Anything new?

They're installing the glass on the main entrance. It appears to have ....surprise!....a slightly bluish cast.

I was downtown today an noon and took these...

1184

1185

1186

Thanks Del!

Good to see the glass going in:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1186&d=1333660039

There's no way they have this done by the playoffs, which start in 21 days. They probably won't even make the conference finals, which start late May.

Is that glass on the right side?

This is taking way to long. I wonder? Did p180 slow down this construction too?

There's no way they have this done by the playoffs, which start in 21 days. They probably won't even make the conference finals, which start late May.

That's what I said in post number 706 back in February and others disagreed with me.

That's what I said in post number 706 back in February and others disagreed with me.

So what exactly is the hold up? I seen no progress since I was there back in late February during the Lakers game

It was never supposed to be done by the playoffs. Noone from the organization ever said that. I've always heard during the playoffs.

It was never supposed to be done by the playoffs. Noone from the organization ever said that. I've always heard during the playoffs.

I'm not sure what organization you're referring to. The Thunder have little if any control over this project.

"• Chesapeake Energy Arena, Reno Avenue and Robinson Avenue: The $91 million renovation and expansion largely will be finished with the new Sunset Grill on the club level opening in May. The Grand Entrance facing southwest toward intersection of the future Boulevard and Robinson Avenue also will be opening in May. The only part of the project not yet bid is the build-out of the Thunder space. "



Read more: http://newsok.com/downtown-oklahoma-city-abuzz-with-building/article/3648172#ixzz1rQ6w04em

It looks to me that even late May would be optimistic for the completion.

I have always heard June and the Chesapeake Arena website says June. Maybe at one point they thought they could open it early in May, but clearly that isn't going to happen.

I'm sure there were things hapenning that we couldn't see from the outside, but it did seem like they did a lot of work and then just sort of crawled for a few months. I would be interested, for no reason other than curiosity, why that was...or more pointedly, that WAS hapenning at that time. It seemed like the structure we went up quickly, and then sort of stalled.

I have always heard June and the Chesapeake Arena website says June. Maybe at one point they thought they could open it early in May, but clearly that isn't going to happen.

It will not be completely done until the August timeframe.

Some photos from Urban Pioneer:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arena41112a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/arena41112b.jpg

Nice pics! Is there a set deadline for this? I know sometime right after playoffs, but will the outside at least be complete?

from TNT last night

http://i46.tinypic.com/301zqdv.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2znofwn.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/30c5fdj.jpg

So how did you get access to the exterior of FNC and when they caught you, did you take the slide all the way down to the bottom?! ;-)