Really well done article by The Oklahoman. Looks like Downtown Edmond is close to a tipping point for reinventing itself.

Downtown Edmond Gets Cool: Development spreads from the heart of suburb's center

https://newsok.com/article/5598286/downtown-edmond-gets-cool-development-spreads-from-the-heart-of-suburbs-center

I agree. For the first time in my 48-years, the wife and I have actually driven to downtown Edmond recently and walked the area, visiting several different businesses. In the past, downtown Edmond was a single visit destination - run-in, run-out and leave the area.

I hope this continues.

This could be another big change as downtown spreads west of the tracks.

https://newsok.com/article/5601348/dolese-closing-edmond-plant

This could be another big change as downtown spreads west of the tracks.

https://newsok.com/article/5601348/dolese-closing-edmond-plant

Lots of ideas to develop this land...but nothing concrete yet. :wink:

With the location close to the train tracks, its seems a little too far west of downtown Edmond? This is the same street if you continue east of the railroad tracks you run into Othello's and Weather's TV and Appliance.

Lots of ideas to develop this land...but nothing concrete yet. :wink:

With the location close to the train tracks, its seems a little too far west of downtown Edmond? This is the same street if you continue east of the railroad tracks you run into Othello's and Weather's TV and Appliance.

I’d put my money on it being apartments once the city does the quiet zones they are talking about. People actually living downtown would really boost the businesses.

Edmond has launched a new community engagement tool for public input on downtown development and public works projects.

You can rank priorities of certain things that feel important to you. This was my suggestion on a long term plan of Broadway.

“Remove on street parking, lane of traffic, and turn lanes, and add fully protected bike lanes, widened sidewalks, and a streetcar(I will provide more details about the street car down this post. This will allow restaurants and businesses to have patios, open spaces to sit, and increases safety and desirability for the travel mode alternatives.

Build a multi-modal transit hub between First and Main. This hub will serve as a bus depot, commuter rail, streetcar, Citylink HUB/HQ, Amtrak(heartland flyer extension), and possible candidate for HSR and Greyhound bus depot.

The streetcar line should be used a tool to better UCO with Downtown.

A rather ambitious proposal would be to have it meander through the east side of UCO campus where the parking lots are allowing structured parking to be built and surface lots turned into housing and school expansions, the street turns west down Ayers to Broadway, south on Broadway until 1st St., then to Fretz, Fretz south to 5th, then 5th East to Rankin where it would be connect back UCO.

There are other less ambitious possibilities obviously but this would likely see healthy ridership and be a serious commuter tool. It would link UCO with downtown Edmond, connect Stephenson Park area with DT Edmond and UCO, and provide a feeder/connector route with the transit hub.

Two parking garages accommodating 2-4 thousand cars could be placed at Main next to the railroad tracks for the commuter rail allowing for downtown access, park n ride for streetcar/commuter rail, adjacent to transit hub, etc. And another garage replacing the downtown community center which sees a new one built. These parking garages would offset the loss of parking on Broadway and ensure ease of parking for decades to come. These garages should have retail at ground level and potentially residential and/or office on top floors.”

My interim improvements were adding raised crosswalks adjacent to Broadway, parklets, and such.

Here is the link to add your input: https://polco.us/groups/city/edmond-ok

https://www.edmondsun.com/news/local_news/central-business-district-expansion-brings-opportunities/article_fbb460e6-027e-11ea-9241-df70caa5ee69.html

City seeks private sector conceptual plan for centralized municipal building


2020 is considered to be an avenue for investment downtown by the private sector.

Downtown Littler’s cityscape north of Second Street could change if private developers submit bids meeting construction requirements to build on city-owned properties. A request for qualifications is anticipated to be issued in early January, said Steve Commons, assistant city manager.

Board members of the Edmond Economic Development Authority recently heard Commons address the five acres of city-owned property that will be offered for private development along Littler Avenue. The building improvement spaces include the Public Works Administration, Municipal Court, the site of the former police station, Downtown Community Center, and the parking lot to the north of it. The City First building and parking lot is also included in the conceptual plan.

- https://www.edmondsun.com/news/city-seeks-private-sector-conceptual-plan-for-centralized-municipal-building/article_e0bb1528-2e75-11ea-9522-476522a40344.html

Not sure where the discussion was had about the changes to downtown Edmond’s main street which is Broadway but I figured this was the place to put this. The speed limit was lowered and right turns on red were banned.

What a really stupid move. I went the speed limit just to see if anyone followed it and I was passed by everyone and those behind me were tailgating. You want to make a right turn but you can’t less you want to risk a ticket(not sure how seriously EPD enforces this stupid rule) and you wait on nothing with no one crossing. The fonts look really weird on the new speed limit signs.

Raise the speed limit back to 25 or even 30 would be better as that’s usually how fast traffic moves.

Narrow the road from 4 to 2 lanes.

Permit right turns on red again.

Add protected bike lanes and expand the sidewalks.

Remove the pull in parking and convert it to parallel parking.

The City's speed limit reduction and the banning of right turns on red was a fantastic move.

No shocker Plupan but we're gonna disagree again. We're talking about what... 5 blocks? Folks shouldn't be using downtown broadway as a quick way to get between Danforth and 2th. I'd recommend Fretz or Blvd for that. If we want downtown to be walkable and to really build the type of social place that they're trying to build, we need folks to slow down through there. Pedestrians should take priority.

I'm with you on narrowing the road. I know that's been discussed.

So the right turns on red... I'm torn. I know the logic and the reasoning behind banning them. I know that studies have shown that it improves pedestrian safety and reduces sudden breaking and other incidents. But it does add an inconvenience. I do think this falls in line with people learning new habits and adjusting how they get around town.

I prefer parallel to pull in parking, but that is a significant reduction in the amount of available parking. I know there are longer term parking plans, but I still think there's value in people being able to find spots in the street.

Part of what I'd love to see with a narrowing of the road is a widening of the sidewalk. This will encourage more outdoor dining options.

The City's speed limit reduction and the banning of right turns on red was a fantastic move.
Okay cool opinion but in reality it did absolutely nothing to change driver behavior so keep living in fantasy land.

No shocker Plupan but we're gonna disagree again. We're talking about what... 5 blocks? Folks shouldn't be using downtown broadway as a quick way to get between Danforth and 2th. I'd recommend Fretz or Blvd for that. If we want downtown to be walkable and to really build the type of social place that they're trying to build, we need folks to slow down through there. Pedestrians should take priority.

I'm with you on narrowing the road. I know that's been discussed.

So the right turns on red... I'm torn. I know the logic and the reasoning behind banning them. I know that studies have shown that it improves pedestrian safety and reduces sudden breaking and other incidents. But it does add an inconvenience. I do think this falls in line with people learning new habits and adjusting how they get around town.

I prefer parallel to pull in parking, but that is a significant reduction in the amount of available parking. I know there are longer term parking plans, but I still think there's value in people being able to find spots in the street.

Part of what I'd love to see with a narrowing of the road is a widening of the sidewalk. This will encourage more outdoor dining options.
Jerry, I agree with you in theory but the design of the road is should have been changed. They didn’t do that. They just slapped a number in a sign and told drivers to obey it. The few times I’ve been through there no one has. Have you noticed a difference?

But yes we do need to emphasize and prioritize pedestrian activity in downtown Edmond no doubt. I could live with the right turns on red but right now I don’t see the justification.

I agree the road design should change. The design of the road should reflect the desired speed. It's one of the problems I have with Broadway between 2nd and 9th. It should be completely redesigned to match the desired speed limit (35). Right now it's designed for 45mph (at the minimum).

I believe they were looking at a "jog" of broadway as it enters downtown. I'm not sure what the official name for that is but similar to what was done on Western between 41st and 45th.

Okay cool opinion but in reality it did absolutely nothing to change driver behavior so keep living in fantasy land.

Why do you have to be so mean-spirited in responses?

My "opinion" is based on degrees in engineering and planning and certification/licensure in both. I can provide literature that supports my "opinion."

I've observed some change in driver behavior already. It hasn't really been long enough to claim it has, or hasn't, changed anything... but I think things are looking better.

No Right Turn on Red is a pedestrian-first idea to promote a walkable, urban district. It is a minor inconvenience when driving through downtown. I think it's delayed me 30 seconds the couple times I've had to wait.

The speed limit should absolutely not be 30 mph - if people are driving that fast, jerrywall is right, it's a design problem. We need to remove a lane of travel NB and SB, widen sidewalks, and maybe add bike facilities. I'm all for reverse-angled parking the area. You can't be for creating a pedestrian-friendly district and also promote higher vehicle speeds at the same time. That doesn't track together.

The existing ROW supports a good variety of options for the future.

I agree on a redesign. I think a median with trees with one NB and one
SB lane would suffice. That width wise would be about three of the current four lanes. That’d leave an extra lake width in space to expand the sidewalks and outdoor areas of restaurants without removing parking.

Not in a spot to look at the moment but anyone know what the demolition north of Edmond Road and west of the tracks is going to lead to? I tried finding an updated “What’s Coming to Town” from the city but was unsuccessful.

I agree on a redesign. I think a median with trees with one NB and one
SB lane would suffice. That width wise would be about three of the current four lanes. That’d leave an extra lake width in space to expand the sidewalks and outdoor areas of restaurants without removing parking.

Not in a spot to look at the moment but anyone know what the demolition north of Edmond Road and west of the tracks is going to lead to? I tried finding an updated “What’s Coming to Town” from the city but was unsuccessful.

It's part of the Ice House redevelopment... I know there's a thread on OKC Talk somewhere. I'll try to find it.

Yes it is the ice house and it’s in the restaurants and bars section.

Thank ya.

No problem! I can’t wait for this development to wrap up it will be great.

I agree on a redesign. I think a median with trees with one NB and one
SB lane would suffice. That width wise would be about three of the current four lanes. That’d leave an extra lake width in space to expand the sidewalks and outdoor areas of restaurants without removing parking.

Not in a spot to look at the moment but anyone know what the demolition north of Edmond Road and west of the tracks is going to lead to? I tried finding an updated “What’s Coming to Town” from the city but was unsuccessful.

Agree here, too. Wider sidewalks with trees would be great but Edmond is alsogoing to need to expect a great need for significantly more parking once some of the development fills in and covid passes. If done right, that lce House project could be very successful.

Agree here, too. Wider sidewalks with trees would be great but Edmond is alsogoing to need to expect a great need for significantly more parking once some of the development fills in and covid passes. If done right, that lce House project could be very successful.

They've got long term plans and they're being aggressive about looking at parking going forward. They published the following downtown parking plan report this summer for those who are interested.

http://edmondok.com/DocumentCenter/View/5917/2020-06-21-Downtown-Edmond-Parking-Plan-Final-REPORT

Also, there's a lot more parking in or near downtown that lots of folks aren't aware of. Except for the 4th of July events, I've never found downtown parking to be an issue. I just don't try to park in the street. I always head to one of these lots. The worst of them is just a few blocks from downtown (this map is an old one but it gives an idea of the various lots).

https://edmondok.com/DocumentCenter/View/2145/Downtown-Parking-Map?bidId=

The Farmer's Market parking should handle most of the Ice House needs, although eventually a parking garage over near the tracks somewhere would be beneficial IMO.

Sorry just got off work so words are blurry at this point... did they discuss parking garages in the report? I could forsee one west of downtown and one east. Then redesign the downtown corridor and maximize space for development in lieu of that sq footage going to parking spaces. Would also force patrons to walk past multiple establishments (more exposure) rather than park, run in, then leave.

The last thing I remember is the parking garage and performing arts center were on an indefinite hold. I could be wrong but I think a transit hub will be at least 20-35 million for a bare bones and if it’s done nicely 50+ million.

Edmond didn’t even have the money to build the better streetlight setup they wanted to as bids came in higher than predicted. They are simply replacing broken fixtures and adding some new ones of the same heigh and design. I believe down the road they will add the taller and redesigned lights from how I read it but i think Edmond simply doesn’t bring in the proper amount of revenue to keep up with the growth which is why they need to raise taxes and the state of Oklahoma needs to allow cities to collect revenue with other methods than sales taxes. I think Oklahoma is one of the few states that is so restrictive in that regard.

Agree with the statement they don't have the money to keep up. I moved to the 15th and Santa Fe area last year and drive 33rd between Santa Fe and Kelly every day. There are at least 10 streetlights out that haven't been fixed. I've reported it to City Hall but nothing gets done. I believe the lights are Edmond's responsibility based on the design but also reported it to OKC just to cover all bases.

Was checking the monthly update to city projects and saw this surprising but very welcome news:


• Rebidding of Downtown lighting, ADA & ITS project: Staff is interested in rebidding
the project in early 2021 because we especially need to proceed with much needed ADA
improvements. We are hopeful to solicit bids and receive better pricing for the work then
we did in March 2020. Below are some details on the 3 components of this project:
o Lighting: 82 taller downlights to replace the existing along Broadway and a few
side streets.
o ITS: The goal of the project is not to improve traffic flow, but to replace traffic
cabinets and add security cameras to better monitor traffic in real time.
o ADA improvements: Better align existing intersections and improve wheelchair
ramps.

http://edmondok.com/DocumentCenter/View/5139/City-of-Edmond-Project-List---October-2020?bidId=

Hopefully the city will be able to do it as originally proposed. Good on Edmond for doing this!

Great article by Edmond Active(a highly underrated publication IMO) about various things happening and being built around downtown. If you’re interested in Edmond I’d highly recommend giving this a read!

http://edmondactive.com/downtown-edmond-coming-down-the-rails-2/?fbclid=IwAR1a0h4fTEu9FAYT3hb6amQd7dqwRKRqlL5aBMMz K33Vd-zxJOONFsDqSSc

It's a small change, but so nice to see Downtown Edmond business flying pride flags, both inside and out. It's nice to see and I hope it is a signal of more inclusivity in Edmond.

City Council apparently discussed another apartment complex last night. This one would be downtown and more urban style, maybe incentives are being discussed too. Anyone have the lowdown?

Several apartment complexes being proposed right now, NIMBYs must have their hands full.

I think the NIMBYs only care about the apartment buildings outside of downtown which is still dumb. Virtually every medium city has apartment buildings scattered around the city.

There are several urban type apartment/condo units planned at Stephenson Park. Maybe it’s there?

There’s plans for one next to Edmond Railyard just to the west on the other side of the tracks. Im guessing that’s what this is about. Should start this year I heard

Hadn’t even heard about those. Good deal.

There’s plans for one next to Edmond Railyard just to the west on the other side of the tracks. Im guessing that’s what this is about. Should start this year I heard

This is the one on last nights agenda. Milhaus, a large national developer, is the developer apparently and is asking for money I think. I was curious if anyone went or followed last nights meeting. It wont be starting this year if they are only just beginning the discussion.