1 Santa Fe Plaza (http://goo.gl/maps/zoH68)
finish=1980
1,518 parking spaces
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafegaragewiki1.jpg

Information & Latest News
COTPA plans ground-floor renovations for Santa Fe Parking Garage
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 06:50 PM Thursday, April 19, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY – Plans are in the works to renovate the ground floor of downtown’s aging Santa Fe Parking Garage to attract more attention to the structure’s retail tenants.

Architectural firm Miles Associates on Thursday presented preliminary plans to the Oklahoma City Downtown Design Review Committee to add new storefront signage and showcase an open-air plaza in the building. The plans also might include adding more patio seating.

Rick Cain, administrator for the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, said the authority is in talks with the owners of the neighboring Chase Tower to locate the property line between the parking garage and the tower to expand options for patio seating. Cain said he hopes to begin work on the renovations to the parking garage this calendar year.

The Whole Enchilada Café on the ground floor of the Santa Fe garage closed its doors late last year. The Red Earth Museum also has a long-term lease on the ground floor of the Santa Fe Plaza.
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It's sad the Whole Enchilada failed, but I'm not surprised. The only problem with a patio (which could add life to that cement desert) is that area seems to be like a wind tunnel.

While this subject is not really related to downtown parking, here is Steve's update.

http://newsok.com/renderings-are-unveiled-for-downtown-oklahoma-citys-santa-fe-garage-retail-plaza-renovation/article/3667896

It's not a huge makeover but it's an improvement.

I'd like to know what they're planning on doing with the old building relics from the Baum, Biltmore, Patterson, Criterion, and Terminal Buildings.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157627787003106/

Starts at 7:30 in this video.


http://vimeo.com/22428689

Here's photos of Clarence Ford Park from a year ago.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5101/5623080764_f5980a1fa7_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5188/5622494697_ab132498e8_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5221/5622494895_6560f3494a_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5184/5623082376_1e9b9893ef_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5103/5623082592_30d3f761b9_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5026/5622495851_93e748ae05_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5102/5622498327_5393b6c604_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5306/5622498103_4b5a76a07d_b.jpg

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-f3b2f71ef10c2afb396c00bc3ccf0d36.jpg

Something definitely needs to be done to display/preserve them...maybe incorporate them into the Civic Center park or the MAPS 3 Park???

The make-over plans for Santa Fe Garage are almost as disappointing as recent Lower Bricktown developments. How come we keep snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at every opportunity?

JTF: Comparing the current facade and the rendering (in the linked article) while it is a small improvement, I agree it is rather underwhelming (reminds me of the makeover at 50 Penn Place) and doesn't seem to do much to counter the "invisible" aspect mentioned in the article. Hopefully the end result is better than the rendering (but how often is that the case)???

Well, improving the back side is honestly more dire.

Instead of creating a canopy over the retail space they need to move the retail space closer to the sidewalk and allow each business to have their own door to the sidewalk. This will allow businesses to set their own hours, have window displays which are visible from the street, and allow for outdoor displays and seating. I don't know why street level retail is such a mystery to OKC architects and developers. Have these people EVER been outside Oklahoma City or to any place that has street front retail? Maybe we all need to take a collective field trip.

If by back side you mean the east side, there isn't much to be done there. It's just a parking garage wall on a traffic only side. Broadway got cut from any 180 plans so it's going to stay a tunnel between a raised rail line and a parking garage wall.

Personally, i'd rather see the money go on the west side, where they are doing the work. At least that way it faces where everyone works and visits all day. It's a rather unimpressinve "update", but hey that's better than not doing anything at all. And it is #1 a garage after all. The retail portion was poorly designed from the beginnig, so it sort of limits the options...and being where it is, it also means there probably isn't alot of extra cash around in the owner's pocket to make drastic overhauls. At the end of the day, even if drastic changes are made, there's a large chance that the owner would stand to lose money on the project. A "coat of paint" fix-up sure isn't going to start attracting tenenats and shoppers though, that's for sure.

I've worked near this space for 25 years and nothing has really survived there. It's just too sheltered, too out of the way and too blocked off from normal street traffic to get business from anywhere other than Chase Tower and a few surrounding buildings. I think part of the problem is that the Santa Fe garage and the Skirvin create the worst of all superblocks. You just can't get to this space from any direction but the South and West and most of that is blocked by Chase. All of the potential for access from Bricktown or by the deep deuce or triangle residents is effectively cutoff by the unwalkable/nearly uncrossable Gaylord monstrosity and the way the parking garage and the Skirvin cut off all access from the North and East. It would really help this area succeed if Gaylord were rebuilt and some sort of obvious access through the garage from the East was available.

If by back side you mean the east side, there isn't much to be done there. It's just a parking garage wall on a traffic only side. Broadway got cut from any 180 plans so it's going to stay a tunnel between a raised rail line and a parking garage wall.

Personally, i'd rather see the money go on the west side, where they are doing the work. At least that way it faces where everyone works and visits all day. It's a rather unimpressinve "update", but hey that's better than not doing anything at all. And it is #1 a garage after all. The retail portion was poorly designed from the beginnig, so it sort of limits the options...and being where it is, it also means there probably isn't alot of extra cash around in the owner's pocket to make drastic overhauls. At the end of the day, even if drastic changes are made, there's a large chance that the owner would stand to lose money on the project. A "coat of paint" fix-up sure isn't going to start attracting tenenats and shoppers though, that's for sure.
From what i am reading, the City owns it???

If by back side you mean the east side, there isn't much to be done there. It's just a parking garage wall on a traffic only side. Broadway got cut from any 180 plans so it's going to stay a tunnel between a raised rail line and a parking garage wall.

Personally, i'd rather see the money go on the west side, where they are doing the work. At least that way it faces where everyone works and visits all day. It's a rather unimpressinve "update", but hey that's better than not doing anything at all. And it is #1 a garage after all. The retail portion was poorly designed from the beginnig, so it sort of limits the options...and being where it is, it also means there probably isn't alot of extra cash around in the owner's pocket to make drastic overhauls. At the end of the day, even if drastic changes are made, there's a large chance that the owner would stand to lose money on the project. A "coat of paint" fix-up sure isn't going to start attracting tenenats and shoppers though, that's for sure.

Just for some background info..

EKG has long been identified as one of downtown's worst eyesores, and that has just as much to do with the run-down appearance of the garages as it does the unnattractive nature of the EKG ROW itself.

And also the garage is owned by COTPA. They are largely being motivated by both public pressure to fix the garage's appearance and also by a desire to bring in more revenue with the street-level retail spaces that are vacant.

...It's just too sheltered, too out of the way and too blocked off from normal street traffic to get business from anywhere other than Chase Tower and a few surrounding buildings. ...You just can't get to this space from any direction but the South and West and most of that is blocked by Chase. ...It would really help this area succeed if Gaylord were rebuilt and some sort of obvious access through the garage from the East was available.

Hear hear. COTPA understands this building has many challenges. Their primary goal (for this small project with a limited budget) is to replace deteriorating storefronts, repair crumbling soffits, and bring some attention to the access points leading to the courtyard. They wish funds existed to transmogrify the whole building, but they currently don't.

JTF's suggestion of pushing the storefronts to the outside face of the structure is a good one. In addition to being more "urban," it would add rentable space. Each individual retail space currently HAS doors fronting exterior space, and will continue to have the same (there is no adjacent 'street,' except for the short South face).

The problem with even the improved space is that COTPA does not have the mechanisms to aggressively market leases. They have readily admitted in several meetings that this is not their strong suit. I am worried about this brokerage deficiency with our purchase of Santa-Fe station.

COTPA can easily hire a commercial real estate brokerage firm to market the properties.

Several very good ones in town and that's how most property owners lease their commercial space.


But I agree, that space isn't very desirable and will always have limited appeal.

COTPA can easily hire a commercial real estate brokerage firm to market the properties.

Several very good ones in town and that's how most property owners lease their commercial space.

But I agree, that space isn't very desirable and will always have limited appeal.


I don't disagree. I just wish they would actually do it.

Some small revisions to this project, as it's getting ready to commence.

I really like the light-up panels shown in the second rendering.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe1.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe2.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe3.jpg

looking at the pics of the courtyard... i wonder if all of the architectural bits and pieces from okc's past are going to be moved elsewhere. i really think those things should have a home. -M

I like the lights but that is about it. We might also need a new definition of "urban cafe".

So no changes to EKG?

Still desolate

$2.5 million building permit today.

Renovations should be starting soon.

Work has started on this project. They took the architectural artifacts out of the courtyard about a month ago. I saw workers in the old restaurant space the other day looking at plans and now there is construction fencing ringing the entire retail area.

Yea they are ripping a lot of stuff out of somewhere, there is debris piling up outside.

To say that the EKG (or East side) of this garage only faces street traffic is absurd. It faces one of OKC's new and upcoming residential districts as well as a new ALOFT hotel. I believe 2nd Street will soon become one of the most used streets for pedestrians and the way EKG is structured right now is absurd. Walking West on 2nd Street is pathetic until you hit Broadway.

They should at very least put those lights on the East side of the garage.

I agree it could be much better, but lindsey, keep in mind the tenants are on the west side, hence the improvements to draw more traffic to them.

Aluminum bracing going up today.

Brackets for the blue rectangle light things are going up today.

So now I know how COTPA intends to pay for this. We just got notice that parking rates are going up 30% (!) this July. Let me see...sell off most of your garages to private owners...create artificial scarcity of public parking...raise rates a ridiculous amount....WIN!

This sucks. It's costing my company almost $2000 a month more to park our employees now.

Wheee!

So now I know how COTPA intends to pay for this. We just got notice that parking rates are going up 30% (!) this July. Let me see...sell off most of your garages to private owners...create artificial scarcity of public parking...raise rates a ridiculous amount....WIN!


Wow, 30% increase???

No doubt they also want to fund their proposed garages as well.


Maybe you can get the now private SandRidge garage at a discount soon.

Gosh.. 30% rate increase? I pay for my own monthly parking in the Santa Fe garage, and that's a HUGE increase.

I haven't seen any renderings of the East facing. Does anyone have those?

I asked Steve about it in a chat several weeks ago and he said he was not aware of it.

Here it it:

Gary T 10:11 a.m. The Santa Fe parking garage is an absolute eyesore from EK Gaylord. I know work is being done to make it nicer facing west, but will anything be done to make it nicer facing the east?
Steve Lackmeyer 10:12 a.m. Not much from what I've seen.

Steve Lackmeyer: OKC Central Chat transcript, Feb. 8, 2013 | News OK (http://newsok.com/steve-lackmeyer-okc-central-chat-transcript-feb.-8-2013/article/3753214)

I asked Steve about it in a chat several weeks ago and he said he was not aware of it.

Here it it:

Gary T 10:11 a.m. The Santa Fe parking garage is an absolute eyesore from EK Gaylord. I know work is being done to make it nicer facing west, but will anything be done to make it nicer facing the east?
Steve Lackmeyer 10:12 a.m. Not much from what I've seen.

Steve Lackmeyer: OKC Central Chat transcript, Feb. 8, 2013 | News OK (http://newsok.com/steve-lackmeyer-okc-central-chat-transcript-feb.-8-2013/article/3753214)

This has to be one of the ugliest garages I've ever seen. Would've been a much nicer improvement if they had added the screens like what cover the garages at the airport in San Jose, CA. What they're doing here looks ****ty at best.

I saw they were placing the panels on the east facade...

I am curious (if someone wanted to) if they could tear down one half of the parking garage for a new building and build on top of the other half, or is it built to support extra floors?

Not sure about the east side of this garage in terms of design plans. But it appears they have installed on it, some of the same bracing as the south and west sides for the "blue squares".

EK Gaylord is not shut down everyday, which is good. Last week two lanes were blocked off! Today, none. They have begun putting what looks like the same the same braces for the scatter blue lighting squares on the East size. I assume it will mimic the west side as far as looks. They have also begun the metal work for the grand square entrances on the west and south sides.

So they have began attaching some of the blue light pieces... I must say if this is the finished item I see, then it is rather odd looking. I will try and get some photos.

Here's a pic posted by the Parking Authority:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BNDj1S_CIAAJ8wZ.jpg:large (http://t.co/H6vZECEDmj)


Source: https://twitter.com/ParkingOKC

Pic is roughly 2 weeks old, surely they'll be updating soon...

I did my own update today:

South face of the garage. Notice that these panels are horizontal.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5452/9235913946_50905b0110_b.jpg

East face of the garage. Notice that these panels are vertical.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2863/9233137593_2af069756d_b.jpg

So are some crappy little pieces of metal supposed to make this thing not look like a big ugly massive concrete pile of crap? I mean it is what it is, a parking garage. But it's among those with the least amount of effort....standard in its day, yes, but still crap. The Galleria additions and Devon's changes to it, are soooo much better.

So are some crappy little pieces of metal supposed to make this thing not look like a big ugly massive concrete pile of crap? I mean it is what it is, a parking garage. But it's among those with the least amount of effort....standard in its day, yes, but still crap. The Galleria additions and Devon's changes to it, are soooo much better.

I believe they light up at night, which should help.

The screening material that they can cover the sides with would have been an improvement. This is going to look like someone puked LEDs on the side.

They could at least stain the concrete or something. Anything would look better than leaving the facade behind those new features as is.

Lipstick... Pig...

We all knew it would be like this, unless you thought the renderings were just for fun. Let's not act surprised. It was always going to be "lipstick on a pig".

http://fmacskasy.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/pig-with-lipstick.jpg

Well, I'm not expecting any miracles here. I don't think it's going to do all that much for the look during the day.
But I'm hoping that after dark, the LEDs will make it pop a bit and give a more interesting look for nighttime downtown shots.
I guess we won't know until its finished whether the effect will be good or not.

I would prefer large panels with murals go up to cover the facades of the older garages, similar to the south side of the DEQ garage, only bigger and better.

Santa Fe Parking Garage (July 5 2013) - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157634561895334/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/9246560792_7a233cf992_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9246560278_a399e915ff_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/9246559894_c55df10531_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/9246557310_1ee8f4c14f_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2877/9243774383_aa049e91fa_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/9252795769_a789c9dc06_h.jpg

HAHA. How awful.

This might look neat at night.. but when the sun comes up it's still an ugly mole on the face of downtown.

This might look neat at night.. but when the sun comes up it's still an ugly mole on the face of downtown.

That's how I feel about the whole of downtown during the daytime...OKC shines at night!

http://youtu.be/VgOO1IpLj_Q

I think the best solution to cleaning up the EKG frontage and making that a less depressing corridor would be just to wrap that side with some metal panels. There was an ugly garage in Cleveland's University Circle district that got a similar makeover:

http://www.array-architects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/uh-garages-gallery-01.jpg
http://www.array-architects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/uh-garages-gallery-02.jpg

You can see the original garage underneath the new metallic sheathing. It looks particularly stunning because it matches some newer buildings on the CWRU medical campus, but along EKG it would evoke a very cool vibe of going through a metal tube because it's a walled-in space.

You can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.