Looks as if we will soon have a new official "district" in OKC--Founders District. This new district, centered around the Founders Tower, is bound by NW 59th to the north, N. May to the East, Independence to the west, and NW Expressway to the south.

Businesses, organizations, and residents (in the Tower) have formed a neighborhood association in the last year and have already completed and are planning on completing more projects to improve the neighborhood--lots of trees have been planted along the bountries of the neighborhood,the medians on the interior have been completely re-landscaped and irrigated, and they are working on more street lights for safety and visibility on the interior streets of the area. It is very exciting to the see the cooperation between all of these groups for the betterment of the area.

It really has a diverse gathering of national and local businesses and organizations with some buildings being renovated and improved in recent years...


-Crowne Plaza Oklahoma City Upscale Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Crowne Plaza (http://www.crowneplaza.com/hotels/us/en/oklahoma-city/okcne/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=Google-PS-CrownePlaza-_-G+B-AmericasWest-_-OK-OklahomaCity-_-crowne+plaza+oklahoma+city&siclientid=1863) -recent interior renovations

-Cimarron Alliance Cimarron Alliance | For a fair and just Oklahoma! (http://www.cimarronalliance.org/) -Recently moved into a suite in the Bank of America (Founders Bank building)

-Founders Tower Founders Tower - Welcome (http://www.founderstower.com/) -renovated from offices in last 5-6 years with The George Prime Steakhouse to open in the fall in the restaurant space on the top floor

-Daystar Foundation and Library Daystar Foundation & Library: Home » Daystar Foundation & Library (http://www.daystarfoundation.org/) -completely renovated the former Bankers Bank/Kodak building in 2011

-People Source Corporate HQ Contact Us | People Source (http://www.peoplesourceok.com/index.php?contact-us#corporate) -recent complete renovation


Just great to keep seeing areas of the city improving due to grass-roots efforts! Positive momentum all around us!

Just curious, do districts get any kind of financial perks or are they just deemed districts to help people find their way around easier?

Just curious, do districts get any kind of financial perks or are they just deemed districts to help people find their way around easier?

If I had to hinder a guess, I would say any financial "perks" would be in the form of promotion, development and the overall raising of awareness/interest in a specific area. I personally have a bizzare (possibly unhealthy obsession) with the concept of "districts" due to what they add to an area's identity and community pride (seriously... ask my wife... she gets so annoyed with my hours and hours of working on self-produced blank maps for absolutly NO REASON).

That being said... raising awareness to a particular area often times will lead to financial perks. Like with Bricktown, for instance. When Horton and Brewer came in and started to develop a new identity for the old "Wholesale District" or "Warehouse District" (whichever title you perfer), other developers, city leaders, citizens, etc. all started to take notice, and now BT has become what it is today. Some of that development has been organic, some manufactured... some public, some private. The point is, creating or changing any given "district's" identity can lead to many forms of "financial perks" through both public and private investment.

I really don't think that the identifying of a "district" is designed simply to help people find their way around easier. (I'm no stranger to sarcasm, by the way... but I will take the question seriously nonetheless) I truely believe that identifying "districts" (and neighborhoods, for that matter) is a show of community pride and shared vision, as well as a way to increase development opportunities and resourses... the idea that "districts" help people "find their way" is just a happy coincidence :)

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to upload some screen shots from Google Maps into paint... it's gonna be a long night of picking colors and clicking the "fill" icon...

Just curious, do districts get any kind of financial perks or are they just deemed districts to help people find their way around easier?

Fantastic is right. A lot of districts don't have any FT professional staff, especially fledgling ones. Once you get FT professional staff then you have people who are good at grant writing, project conception, etc etc... then you get the federal funding, so you can build another wing.

IMO, this pushes the concept of districts. There's nothing in this district that remotely resembles a district. I can only think of expansive parking lots, big box stores, fast food, a couple suburban-style office complexes, etc. I see potential, but little urban fabric.

Why does something have to be "urban" for it to be a district?

IMO, this pushes the concept of districts. There's nothing in this district that remotely resembles a district. I can only think of expansive parking lots, big box stores, fast food, a couple suburban-style office complexes, etc. I see potential, but little urban fabric.

I have been in on the grass-roots efforts of the making of this district, and I will kindly disagree with you. Perhaps "neighborhood" would be more to your liking, but it is simply semantics. The Founders Tower is the centerpiece of the district, as it was developed around this major building. Although the mix of businesses has changed, the tower still holds together the neighborhood as an iconic landmark building. So, to me, it is a district because of its unique identity due to this significant piece of architecture that gives the area a distinct and cohesive identity. And now, with the active pulling together of both residents and businesses, positive things are getting done. THAT is the most important result of this cooperative activity.

There is lots of potential and announcing ourselves as a district, helps our identity take shape and the interest grow among stakeholders in keeping the momentum we have gathered in the last year gather more steam. Have you been to our district lately? Yes our steps have been small, but wonderful things are happening there...you should come by and see. And the way people have responded and taken interest in making this area of our city better is gratifying, inspiring, and fills me with pride.

Celebratory, what are the boundaries the district currently supports and what are the final.boundaries the group.hopes to.attain?

I stated the current boundaries in my first post at the top of the page...and as far as I know we have no plans to expand them.

I have been in on the grass-roots efforts of the making of this district


And the way people have responded and taken interest in making this area of our city better is gratifying, inspiring, and fills me with pride.

Keep up the good work!

Keep up the good work!

Thanks, will do!

I love the Founders Tower, but wish somehow the Continental Theater hadn't been demolished and replaced with another parking lot.

I love the Founders Tower, but wish somehow the Continental Theater hadn't been demolished and replaced with another parking lot.

Agree with this very much, it would make a great theater to rival the big screens at the Warren and Harkins, might've even been able to turn into an IMAX. Saw "2001: A Space Odyssey" there under the influence of some, um, stuff, wooooooooooow......

Hotel flag change: Crowne Plaza at NW Expressway and May is, starting today, a Wyndham. New signs are up on the building. Is this a rung or two up from the Crowne Plaza brand?

Hotel flag change: Crowne Plaza at NW Expressway and May is, starting today, a Wyndham. New signs are up on the building. Is this a rung or two up from the Crowne Plaza brand?

maybe one rung up.. . both under standard traditional category of properties.

IMO, this pushes the concept of districts. There's nothing in this district that remotely resembles a district. I can only think of expansive parking lots, big box stores, fast food, a couple suburban-style office complexes, etc. I see potential, but little urban fabric.

My gut response is to agree with you. I don't want to take any wind out of Celebrator's sails, as there is clearly passion for the effort.

Is it fair to ask at what point labeling some area a "district" begins to water-down the term for established districts? "District" itself a broad term, but as used in OKC it seems pretty specific. I know I've heard Steve Lackmeyer complain that we are already overusing the term. I'm not saying I agree with him or the argument against creating districts, but I do think it might be worth discussing.

My gut response is to agree with you. I don't want to take any wind out of Celebrator's sails, as there is clearly passion for the effort.

Is it fair to ask at what point labeling some area a "district" begins to water-down the term for established districts? "District" itself a broad term, but as used in OKC it seems pretty specific. I know I've heard Steve Lackmeyer complain that we are already overusing the term. I'm not saying I agree with him or the argument against creating districts, but I do think it might be worth discussing.

Sigh, guess we have to discuss this every time I post here....

Sigh, guess we have to discuss this every time I post here....
+1

Took this yesterday:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/founders081820a.jpg

Another beautiful shot, thanks Pete. In the last year we have established a 501(c)(3) and an endowment fund at Oklahoma City Community Foundation to support the perpetual maintenance of the public land in the district, chiefly the medians. People should take a drive down United Founders Blvd. and see how nicely landscaped they are and how much it beautifies the neighborhood.

If only someone could make the numbers work to build an OAK type development that started along NW Expressway and wound back between Embassy and Founders Tower...

I love the Founders Tower, but wish somehow the Continental Theater hadn't been demolished and replaced with another parking lot.

And Founders bank.

Continental Theater was replaced with the Residence Inn and Founders Bank will eventually be an OnCue. But I would rather have both mid-century buildings still standing and done an adaptive re-use on both. Trust me, I work in this neighborhood every day and so wish the bank was still there, especially.

And Founders bank.

And what?

If These building were preserved, this would have been one of the best Mid Century architectural districts in the entire country. This list of award winning MCM buildings in one small(ish) OKC area is beyond impressive.

Founders Tower
Continental Theater
Founders Bank
Medical Tower
Ackerman Building
Dunn-Reynolds Urology Clinic
Hilton Inn
Shoppers World
Local Federal Savings & Loan building.

If these buildings were still standing as designed, the Founders district would be an absolute destination location that would draw people from all over.

Sadly, out of all of those mentioned buildings, only founders tower remains relatively original. Such a shame. I hope this area does well moving forward, but the damage done to the district is practically a death sentence.

If These building were preserved, this would have been one of the best Mid Century architectural districts in the entire country. This list of award winning MCM buildings in one small(ish) OKC area is beyond impressive.

Founders Tower
Continental Theater
Founders Bank
Medical Tower
Ackerman Building
Dunn-Reynolds Urology Clinic
Hilton Inn
Shoppers World
Local Federal Savings & Loan building.

If these buildings were still standing as designed, the Founders district would be an absolute destination location that would draw people from all over.

Sadly, out of all of those mentioned buildings, only founders tower remains relatively original. Such a shame. I hope this area does well moving forward, but the damage done to the district is practically a death sentence.

What, you mean people won't come from all over to check out the iconic new paint scheme on the Country Inn & Suites?

Sarcasm aside, this is still a reasonably important retail/hotel hub for NW OKC. It's never going to reach the vibrancy of the Plaza, but it's good that there's a group of people putting in an effort to beautify the area.

If you built a pair of destination inspiring pedestrian bridge over NWX (one by the Wyndham and near Country Inn @ NW 57th Terr), I think it's right behind the Belle-Isle area for best candidate to retrofit.

Some smaller buildings might need to come down and some creative walk ways created. The problem is the total investment would easily top $100M and I just think there are better ways to spend $100M in other higher opportunity areas.

the damage done to the district is practically a death sentence.

Death sentence? Seems a bit hyperbolic, don't you think? Remember, one bit of development that is scheduled to come that could help drive more interest/development in the area is the Bus Rapid Transit that is supposed to have a stop or even a park and ride lot somewhere in the vicinity of NW Expwy and Independence. I would hardly call that plan contributing to a "death sentence" for the area. C'mon.

And what?

Founders Bank.

16343

Founders Bank.

16343

Sorry.

Forgot the "[/sarcasm]"

Founders Bank.

16343

I have seen that photo before and it is just stunning. This, of course, is from the days before it had all of that brick cladding around the outside, which was the first crime committed against this gorgeous building.

Death sentence? Seems a bit hyperbolic, don't you think? Remember, one bit of development that is scheduled to come that could help drive more interest/development in the area is the Bus Rapid Transit that is supposed to have a stop or even a park and ride lot somewhere in the vicinity of NW Expwy and Independence. I would hardly call that plan contributing to a "death sentence" for the area. C'mon.

Of note - the BRT line improvements will redesign the NW Expressway x Independence intersection. NW BRT docs sketch out several concepts for this intersection, varying from a pedestrian bridge to simple crosswalks, and it's unclear exactly how it will turn out as it is still in the planning/engineering phase. Additionally Councilman Cooper and people associated with Maps 4 have suggested that bike lanes along Independence may be in store. The idea here would be to connect Integris and the neighborhoods along Independence to the trails network at Lake Hefner. At any rate, expect that by end of 2023 this critical intersection will have finished construction with some sort of multi-use concept. Currently pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure is literally nonexistent there; it is completely impassable except by car. So this is a big step in the right direction if the city planners pull it off.

Much of the Founders District and the adjacent neighborhoods (Roberts-Crest) had sidewalks installed within the past year. What I find odd is that United Founders Blvd is the one street that doesn't have sidewalks, and it's the 'beautified' street. Gorgeous big trees and well-maintained grass... and yet pedestrians have to dodge speeding SUVs to enjoy it. I sincerely hope that there is a grander plan for this street, because it has a lot of potential. Frankly I would love to see it slimmed down to one lane for cars each way, with ample protected pedestrian/cyclist space where the other car lane was. This area does not get a lot of traffic, and I promise you the cars zooming over to Sonic do not appreciate the landscaping. Even better would be to have some sort of infrastructure that let people linger, e.g. benches, public art, food trucks. I do worry that with the On Cue going in where the old bank used to be that this area will go in the opposite direction as this hope I have.

The biggest issue with calling this a district right now is that it doesn't have things to do for an average person. One thing that would help a lot would be if the Founders Tower offered the top floor as simply a viewing room, maybe with drinks/snacks, but not with the seating of a fancy restaurant. I went there when it was 3Sixty and it was awkward to walk around to get the full view. You'd have to squeeze past people eating a nice dinner. Who wants to do that? I feel like in general Founders Tower is underutilized as the centre of the district. Right now it's a half-empty building that I can't interact with in any way, that doesn't host any events I'm aware of. It has absolutely wonderful views that I can't go see. It's got an empty parking lot, as does most of the District. This area has a lot of potential. But it will take conscientious effort to build it into someplace that fulfills that potential.

Love the idea of founders tower becoming our defacto public observation deck (even they charged a nominal fee to man it). They could easily still have a small cafe up there while still performing this function. It would be even better if they restore the rotational capabilities. This is the very notion of "Placemaking". There's also plenty of parking for if they went this route.

Lady-O, wanted to address some of your comments here. Yes, the area did receive sidewalks last year and trust me, we were in talks with the city quite a bit over sidewalks on United Founders Blvd. First, they only offered sidewalks on ONE side of the street--that was all that was allotted for much of the sidewalks project in the area--strange but true.

Second, if had selected to put in sidewalks on United Founders Blvd., we would have lost lots of mature landscaping--something property owners who have made big landscaping investments along there were not willing to do--which was fine since they are helping to keep the area nice.

We proposed a painted bike lane on United Founders for a while, but that proposal was slowed by the city and then was not pursued further by neighborhood volunteers. And since the street is not too busy, as you said, we felt that the extra-wide travel lane provided for reasonably safe passage for bikes and peds along there, and we see walkers up and down there frequently.

We have also considered benches, etc. both in the medians and off the medians, and there you run into ADA compliance requirements, which again, demands curb cuts and other concrete work that takes away from established landscaped areas and brings in more concrete to an area that already has lots of it. Art installations are a great idea once more funding is available. We are just trying to maintain those public medians to high levels which is a MAJOR annual cost.

So there is a quick run-down of what we did during that sidewalks expansion.

We think OnCue will be a great addition to the area and do not anticipate it running things down. They have already responded to be supporters of the District and have contributed financially already (!) to beautification even before they have turned dirt on the site.

A 501(c)(3) has been formed and an endowment fund at Oklahoma City Community Foundation has been established in order to support beautification efforts in the public spaces in the District in perpetuity. Sounds like you know quite a bit about the neighborhood, do you work or live in Founders District. We have a small, but dedicated group of people are trying really, really, hard to make this area better and better. Trust me, I know. I am one of them.

Lady-O, wanted to address some of your comments here. Yes, the area did receive sidewalks last year and trust me, we were in talks with the city quite a bit over sidewalks on United Founders Blvd. First, they only offered sidewalks on ONE side of the street--that was all that was allotted for much of the sidewalks project in the area--strange but true.
...

Actually, it's not that strange. Every sidewalk I've seen the city put in over the past 5-6 (or more) years has only been on one side of the street - both on major thoroughfares and on neighborhood streets (and over the years, I've seen them put in from NW 164th down to south of Reno and from MacArthur over to MLK). I'm assuming their thinking is that one side having sidewalks is sufficient, as people can just cross the street to get to a sidewalk if there's not one on the side they're walking on, so why spend double the money and time unnecessarily. I agree with that sentiment, I'd rather have double the miles of sidewalks than one on both sides of a street.

Everything is "reasonably safe" until someone gets hurt. I get it. And thanks for your efforts. But....

other concrete work that takes away from established landscaped areas and brings in more concrete to an area that already has lots of it

I totally understand where you're coming from here, as a person who walks the Founders District on almost a daily basis (I live in a nearby neighborhood). The real dream would be to remove one of the lanes for cars and building the pedestrian infrastructure without having to infringe on the developed landscaping. You can see in my extremely professional rendering below :p
https://imgur.com/a/xLIlB86

United Founders Blvd is the closest thing we in nearby neighborhoods have to a park, without crossing a major arterial. Which is why it seems very important to me that it not just be for automobiles in the long run. And why I appreciate the work you all are doing very much! From what you're saying, it seems that working with the city has been part of the struggle.

Regarding the OnCue, I'm glad that they're responsive and I do recognize that the area could use a gas station other than the 711 on NW Expwy. My concern is as a pedestrian on specifically on that street. Gas stations tend to not ameliorate restricted pedestrian/cyclist access.

For cycling, I actually think NW 59th street would be a better candidate for bike lanes, as it has street-light access to the Belle Isle neighborhood (and school and library).

Thanks for the insights into the streetscape decisions, Celebrator. I have to disagree that the wider lanes make things safer for pedestrians and cyclists, however. If anything, wider lanes encourage drivers to go faster than they otherwise would, which actually acts to increase the danger to pedestrians and cyclists. In fairness, there are probably hundreds of blocks across Oklahoma City that present a greater dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, most of which don't have any advocates for improvement, so the Founders District is lucky to have you. (In fact, as I type this, I'm seeing that a cyclist was seriously injured at NW 18 and Classen earlier today, just a couple blocks away from where a cyclist was killed at NW 16 and Classen last year.)

. The real dream would be to remove one of the lanes for cars and building the pedestrian infrastructure without having to infringe on the developed landscaping.

That would a nice way to handle it, but that was not on offer from the city. We are constantly looking for ways to improve aesthetics and safety and will do whatever we can to actually see these ideas through. It is VERY HARD though to solicit time and money from people here, it seems, so everything we want to do takes literally years to pull off. It's not for lack of trying though. Glad you enjoy walking our neighborhood, though, that's great to hear.

neat historical photo

https://twitter.com/R_Elivabus/status/1356301420203544578?s=20

neat historical photo

https://twitter.com/R_Elivabus/status/1356301420203544578?s=20

Great shot--never have seen that one. However, I disagree with the tweet, though, I think that photo is earlier than 1972. I would have guessed more like 1967. Man do those medians on United Founders Blvd. look different today.

County Assessor shows the former Hilton Inn Northwest being built in 1972. Although it seemed to me that the area was more built up by then. Maybe the aerial photo is playing mind games on us.

Noticed the building next to Daystar was being demo’d today. 1687116871

New annex being added on to existing Daystar building.

I took this one on Sunday.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/founders042323a.jpg

That's a beauty, Pete. It was a spectacular day. And I am hoping this bout of rain will help green up things even more.