After an extensive planning process and several community meetings, Military Park near NW 25th and Classen is set for a complete overhaul.



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From planning documents filed with the city by the Parks and Recreation Department:


Military Park, a 1.8 acre urban green space located within the Military Park Neighborhood and Oklahoma City's Asian District, is one of Oklahoma City's oldest recreation areas. Bounded by Classen Boulevard, Military Avenue, NW 2th and NW 24th streets, its unique triangular shape is defined by the street grid. For most of its existence, Military Park has remained and un-programmed, open green space. Currently the park contains a playground, swing set and benches along with numerous mature to semi-mature trees.

The intent of the proposed improvements is to re-imagine the site as an activated urban park serving the needs of adjacent residential neighbors, academic institutions, religious entities and commercial land uses. Additionally, the site will host a monument dedicated to the relationship between the United States and South Vietnam.


Nearby and much larger Memorial Park at NW 36th and Classen reopened to the public late last year after a similar revamp.



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This is awesome! I eat at Lido way more often than I should and always see this park and wonder why it hasn't been updated yet. Very happy to see. This is going to be a huge benefit for that neighborhood.

I like the monument idea.

A little history - back in 2006, when Public Works was running the process to design the Classen Streetscape and also program the 2007 GO Bond Election, the designer of the Streetscape originally made the medians incredibly beautiful, too much so. Parks likened it to a botanical garden in the median, one that no one would get to use because the City didn't want people in the median. Therefore, we scaled back the Streetscape project and intentionally added a project to the 2007 GOB Election to greatly enhance Military Park. Glad it's coming to fruition.

WAAAAAYYYY too late on this! This should have been addressed at least when they did the Asian District/Classen Pagoda Streetscape.

Anyway - good to see it FINALLY is making the development list.

WAAAAAYYYY too late on this! This should have been addressed at least when they did the Asian District/Classen Pagoda Streetscape.

Anyway - good to see it FINALLY is making the development list.

Did you even read my post above?

Did you even read my post above?

I wasn't intending to be so flippant... (also, where's the Edit button?)

What I meant was - the funding for the park was approved after the streetscape was designed, and the Bonds to complete the streetscape were sold immediately following the GO Bond election, but the park bonds weren't ready until now.

i know, im just expressing my own personal opinion that this is way too late to implement.

i didn't take your post as offensive, i know what you meant. I just wish the development was already completed as the Asian District is just waiting for more integration and placemaking such as this.

If the Asian district is waiting for more integration and placemaking, the district should actually, you know, placemade and integrated…That whole area of Classen/Western/23rd, save for maybe Golden Phoenix, will probably need to be leveled in like 10-15 years.

I wish someone would do something with the old furniture store that is on the corner of Classen and 25th and bordering the park. The place is a bit of an eyesore and their really isn't any decent parking for anything of use to go there.

^^^^^^^
Hoping you mean that you wish someone would renovate it, but that's not the impression I get from your post.

No I definitely want someone to do something with that space.

They have started work on this.

From today:

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They are getting close here; need to place the statue on the pedestal at left center:

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Pete- The statue is being sculpted and cast in Washington State with an anticipated delivery date in June 2017. Meanwhile finishing touches are being completed. Just a bit more concrete, site furnishings, lighting and landscape items are are left. I think we will be open in about 3 to 4 weeks.

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Walked through this yesterday and it's looking GREAT. I wish we could get permission for a mural on the back side of that building, would help things so much.

Also, unfortunately, people are jerks. The park isn't even officially open yet I don't think and there are already swastikas carved into one of the picnic tables.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Open for business but still lacking the statue that will go on the pedestal shown in the first photo.

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According to post #16, the statue will be set in June of this year. Just a couple more months.

13930
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Meant to post this the other day...

That park is such a facelift for this area of Classen. So many good additions are lining this boulevard and I can be quite the corridor with a few more years of work and progressive ideas to improve it.

The "Brothers in Arms" statute get installed in a ceremony tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM.

Tomorrow (07-06) or Saturday (06-08).

Relatives are coming from Texas (Tyler, Dallas, Terrell & North Richland Hills). Lost my brother in Vietnam, May 1970.

Tomorrow, Thursday.

Tomorrow, Thursday.

Thanks, Pete

We'll visit the park tomorrow & Saturday. I'll contact relatives about Saturday.

Just took these:


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Press release from the City:

Sculpture installed at Military Park honors Vietnam War soldiers

A bronze sculpture installed Thursday at Military Park serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice and service shared by American and South Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War.

The sculpture, commissioned jointly by the City of Oklahoma City and the Vietnamese American Community of Greater Oklahoma City and Metropolitan Areas, was created by artist Thomas Jay Warren. It was funded by a $210,000 donation from the Vietnamese American group, which raised an additional $40,000 for other elements of a memorial plaza with the sculpture as its centerpiece.

The sculpture is called “Brothers in Arms” and depicts an American soldier and a South Vietnamese soldier standing back to back, ready to face danger together as they did daily during the war.

“The two figures quite literally embody the soldier’s most solemn pledge: ‘I’ve got your back, brother,’” said Warren.

The soldiers stand at slightly larger than average life-size: 6 feet 6 inches tall for the American, and 6 feet tall for the South Vietnamese. They’re poised facing north on a 3 ½-foot tall pedestal that was locally designed to be part of a plaza that will serve as the site of war remembrance events.

The soldiers are wearing authentic Vietnam War-era uniforms and accessories. The patina on the bronze has different shades for their skin, uniform and boots to add depth and realism.

The memorial plaza also has flagpoles and a Vietnamese urn to be used for incense burning, a cultural tradition for remembrance events.

The sculpture will be dedicated at 3 p.m. Saturday at the park, which is located in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Asian District at NW 24th Street and Classen Boulevard. The event will include remarks by civic leaders, a presentation of colors, choral ensemble, dragon dance, ribbon cutting and laying of wreaths.

Warren was selected through a national competition coordinated by the City’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. The 12-person selection committee chose Warren’s concept from among 29 submissions from artists in 14 states.

Warren, a professional member of the National Sculpture Society, has designed 30 war memorial sculptures in 13 states and Canada.

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Military Park really has the chance to be something special. You've got great existing retail around and density as well. BRT stops at 23rd. I like to get takeaway at any of the places around and sit at the table and relax.


If the CVS and the pink building were redeveloped to ground floor retail and apartments upstairs it would look great. I think theres the Asian District TIF and then maybe funding for being along a BRT line too?

Crossing Classen is also another thing that needs to be made safer. Maybe reducing the lanes or adding a ped signal or something.

Pete, is the plan to remove some of those massive parking lots and turn them them into parks still happening or was that just conceptual?