The Oklahoma City-County Health Department, in conjunction with the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City Public School System, University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City Community College, plans to build a Learning and Wellness Campus in the Parmelee neighborhood in south OKC. The campus, located halfway between SW 59th St and I-240 on the east side of S Walker Ave, behind Southern Oaks Library and immediately adjacent to Parmelee Elementary School, will feature wellness and cooking classes, preventative care and counseling services, additional community meeting space, a public gym (in addition to the gym in the pre-existing community center right across the street from Parmelee Elementary), and library and learning services for adults and children. Additionally, the project will more than double the current park size, adding walking trails, workout stations, community sports fields, and community gardens.

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The OCCHD plans to hold three informational meetings about this project:

Saturday, October 17, 2015 - 9:30am - Wilmont Baptist Church - 6440 S Santa Fe - 634-0440
Monday, October 19, 2015 - 2:00pm - God of No Limits Ministries - 7200 S Walker
Monday, October 19th, 2015 - 6:00pm - Southern Oaks Community Center - 400 SW 66th - 297-2449

I believe there is some opposition to this project from the surrounding neighborhood.

This project was designed to combat poor health outcomes in this cluster of zip codes 73108, 73109 and 73119. The proposal is for the center to be in the 73139 zip code.

I can't imagine why something like this is being opposed. It will go onto a completely unused peace of land, which I'm sure is why it was chosen. I guess they think it will attract low class people who might want to improve their lives into their NIMBY neighborhood.

I don't see how this can be considered anything other than a wonderful project.

https://twitter.com/keatonfox/status/641711194768736256

"Sen. Ralph Shortey now speaking against idea. Says "family planning" to be offered and that brings in unsavory folks" via https://twitter.com/keatonfox

https://twitter.com/WILLIAMCRUM/status/643821098824404993

"Ward 5 Councilman Greenwell says he's offended by elected officials spreading "misinformation" about planned SW #OKC health/wellness campus." via https://twitter.com/WILLIAMCRUM

Here's the Fox 25 story about the public meeting in September: http://okcfox.com/archive/planned-southside-health-center-creates-neighborhood-opposition

For the record, I live in this neighborhood. The only opposition I've heard from my immediate neighbors have is the increased traffic through the neighborhood to the facility. The park and gardens are a fantastic idea and I very much look forward to them! But the additional traffic coming into the neighborhood for the wellness center does concern me a little bit.

I just find the location a little odd based on the original parameters. If it is meant to serve the immediate area then the location makes sense to me. Between SW 59 and 104th where Earlywine is located the neighborhood parks are fairly bare bones. Woodson Park as well as the Maps Senior Center are located in the zip codes they identified. Everyone suffers from NIMBY. Some people object to panhandlers, prostitution, section 8 houses, mental health facilities, plasma centers, pawn shops or housing projects. Keep in mind this is in close proximity to an elementary school.

You mean you're not bat poo cray cray about the flood of prostitutes who will teach all the neighborhood children about dirty, nasty sex? Wow, you have no chance at winning a republican primary.

There is no need for the "flood of prostitutes" to do so when you have the public schools, cable television and the internet.

Traffic, safety bring concern for residents at open house for health campus plan at OKC's Southern Oaks Park | News OK (http://newsok.com/traffic-safety-bring-concern-for-residents-at-open-house-for-health-campus-plan-at-okcs-southern-oaks-park/article/5454607)

Wow. Someone should take health data on the opponents...

You can't lead a horse to water.

Most of my neighbors that I've either talked to or overheard at the neighborhood watch meetings aren't really opposed to having the campus there. We simply want to make sure the traffic issue is addressed, to ensure that the neighborhood stays safe. The huge park behind the building is a home run, and I can't wait to see that open.

S. Walker is way over capacity. Unfortunately everyone knows to use it to avoid rush hour traffic on S. Western.

Has anything new happened with this?

Not yet, that I am aware of. It's very close by, so I will keep an eye on it and report when I see something start happening.

Ok thanks man!

No movement on this just yet. The City wants to get started on the park trails component ASAP, and has asked our neighborhood association to submit a letter to the Mayor endorsing the trails and the wellness campus as a whole... But some of my neighbors still have concerns about the wellness campus itself. I believe the plan is we're going to try and get someone from OCCHD as well as the wellness campus on the north side and Pete White to come talk to us about everything and field some questions before we pledge our full support.

S. Walker is way over capacity. Unfortunately everyone knows to use it to avoid rush hour traffic on S. Western.

I meant under here. Bad typo.

Any updates?

No earth has turned that I am aware of... I'll do some digging and see if I can find out where we are on this facility.

https://www.okc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1769/18

Public meeting scheduled to discuss Southern Oaks Wellness and Learning Campus
Post Date: 06/24/2016 2:21 PM

The public is invited to attend an open house to discuss updates to the proposed Southern Oaks Wellness and Learning campus on Thursday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Parmalee Elementary School, 6700 S. Hudson. The discussion will be led by Oklahoma City Ward 4 Councilman Pete White.

The open house will include a presentation from Mass Architects, who is designing the campus. Representatives from the Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation Department, Oklahoma City-County Health Department and Oklahoma City Public Schools will be on hand to answer questions.

“We want to continue to provide our residents with an open dialog about this project as it moves forward,” said Councilman White. “When built, the wellness campus will be a first-of-its-kind for the city and will offer residents with the benefits of health care, wellness education, recreation and learning all in one facility.”
About the Wellness and Learning Campus

The proposed campus includes a 15,200 square foot health center to be built by the City-County Health Department. The center will offer traditional public health services like immunizations, primary and preventative health education as well as enhanced wellness programs such as fitness and nutrition classes. It is a partnership project between the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Oklahoma City Public Schools, University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Community College and the Metropolitan Library System.

The campus concept was presented to the City of Oklahoma City by the Oklahoma City-County Health Department as a means of improving health outcomes in the 73129 ZIP code and surrounding areas, which show high rates of cardiovascular disease and other health issues.

For more information about the project, or the open house meetings, call (405) 297-3882.

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Media Contact
Jennifer McClintock
(405) 297-3903 or (405) 464-9288
jennifer.mcclintock@okc.gov

Glad to hear this is progressing! I really want to see the southside get more love.

I was at the meeting last Thursday and took a bunch of notes, but haven't had the time to post about it. I'm super excited about this project after getting to talk with a few people involved in it's design; it's fully funded and they should break ground on it this fall. As soon as I have the time, I'll post the information that was shared at the meeting.

Ground was broken on this today.

Im curious how the fields will be controlled. The new fields off I-44 and 44th or whatever it is, got fenced off while the old crappy fields were open. It's great that there are fields there, but if they're locked up all the time, how are the "accessible" to the community?

Another thing i think is weird is that in this same area of town, they increased the count of baseball fields and didn't really add any soccer fields. I would think that the demographics of the area would lend themselves to be more statistically skewed to soccer than baseball. Especially given how the idea of softball clubs has decreased so dramatically from the 80's. It's not a little league park. If the idea was to have a space for people to go play and be active, it's certainly failed in the regard in every way possible.