Ultimately I think we'd be better off if we connected most of the MAPS projects with some form of public transportation. It doesn't necessarily have to be the streetcar, but it should be on the proposed metro rail system at least. The idea is that we're creating the future of OKC, and in the future people will interact with the city in a different way.

One thing I was struck by when riding the streetcar is that the city feels different. I've worked downtown for 15 years, but getting on and off the streetcar gives you a different feeling of where things are located than driving there in a car. People are going to start thinking of things downtown in relation to how close they are to which stop. "That's only a block away from the St Anthony stop." I think future MAPS projects need to build upon that type of orientation. In other words, we need to connect them with the streetcar or some other type of public transit access.

Let's say we get half a dozen different attractions, all in the range of $50M or so apiece. Minor league soccer stadium somewhere in the Capitol Hill area. A Vietnam memorial over in the Asian District. A major expansion of the Farmer's Market partnered with OSU OKC. A country music hall/performance center over in the Stockyards City area. (These are just simple suggestions, I'm not married to any of these). And then we connect them all with a streetcar line that services the attractions and the surrounding neighborhoods. It wouldn't just be a toy to go around downtown, it would help expand the very idea of what "downtown" happens to be.

Does anyone have the vote percentages handy for 1, 2 and 3?

MAPS - 54%
MAPS for Kids - 61%
MAPS 3 - 54.3%

That was the percentages of of the victory right? Not of the eligible registered voters that voted? That was pretty low I thought.

MAPS - 54%
MAPS for Kids - 61%
MAPS 3 - 54.3%

Thank you

So in reality it only takes 4.4% of voters to change it to no.

Maps3 was passed in 2009 and we have changed as a city. So the next vote might be unknown because we’ve had way more growth since Maps 3 compared to growth after/in between 1 and 2 and 2 and 3. As much as downtown has grown I would bet a majority of actual residents growth is in suburban OKC (away from downtown but still in OKC).

Lots of folks will be watching Streetcar. Good thing is park and OMNI will be opening before next Maps and those will likely be very positive and recent stories. But we invested a lot of tax dollars in Stereetcar and citizens are watching not just now but the next year or two.

That was the percentages of of the victory right? Not of the eligible registered voters that voted? That was pretty low I thought.


Yes, I’m sure that was actual people who voted for Maps not all registered voters. Same as any election vote.

I think Maps 2 was so high due to Maps 1 being so great. Then Maps 3 came back down because some didn’t feel Maps 2 addressed their schools. I am just guessing from what I recall of stories done back then.

This is why Maps4 is no gimmie, and will take a lot of PR to make sure it passes.

The MAPS 3 margin was smaller because it was opposed by the police and firefighters due to a dispute with the mayor. The vote also took place during the great recession.

Wrong thread.

Ultimately I think we'd be better off if we connected most of the MAPS projects with some form of public transportation. It doesn't necessarily have to be the streetcar, but it should be on the proposed metro rail system at least. The idea is that we're creating the future of OKC, and in the future people will interact with the city in a different way.

One thing I was struck by when riding the streetcar is that the city feels different. I've worked downtown for 15 years, but getting on and off the streetcar gives you a different feeling of where things are located than driving there in a car. People are going to start thinking of things downtown in relation to how close they are to which stop. "That's only a block away from the St Anthony stop." I think future MAPS projects need to build upon that type of orientation. In other words, we need to connect them with the streetcar or some other type of public transit access.

Let's say we get half a dozen different attractions, all in the range of $50M or so apiece. Minor league soccer stadium somewhere in the Capitol Hill area. A Vietnam memorial over in the Asian District. A major expansion of the Farmer's Market partnered with OSU OKC. A country music hall/performance center over in the Stockyards City area. (These are just simple suggestions, I'm not married to any of these). And then we connect them all with a streetcar line that services the attractions and the surrounding neighborhoods. It wouldn't just be a toy to go around downtown, it would help expand the very idea of what "downtown" happens to be.

$50 million a piece (most of these items would take $15M--$50M):


Minor league soccer stadium somewhere in the Capitol Hill area.
A Vietnam memorial over in the Asian District.

A major expansion of the Farmer's Market partnered with OSU OKC. (Save and renovate the historic Farmer's Market.)
Oklahoma City Farmer's Market: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMB1G4_Farmers_Public_Market_Oklahoma_City_OK

A country music hall/performance center over in the Stockyards City area.
Edmond, OK - Armstrong Auditorium: https://www.armstrongauditorium.org/

Hoya, hope you have submitted these items.

funding of true local media outlets (https://www.freepress.net/issues/future-journalism/local-journalism)

I have dreamed of an Oklahoma City Museum of Modern Art and Sculpture Museum. 15071
The lot would be right across the Museum of Art. Personally, I would tear down everything there except the concrete structures that were part of the bank
15072
This portion would become the outdoor sculpture garden, similar to the sculpture museum in Dallas. Those are dreams haha, big ones I know!

15075
The lot would be perfect for a sculpture museum or modern art museum
This museum is in Dallas and is what I hope we strive for

How about a War Memorial Monument that would include all wars associated with the United States.

United States War Memorial Monument...

Why do we need another war memorial? Not trying to be negative here, but I thought we have a plethora of them around the city and the surrounding suburbs.

Why do we need another war memorial? Not trying to be negative here, but I thought we have a plethora of them around the city and the surrounding suburbs.

I can not agree more with you. We have so many and no one even visits them. Why would we put money on something that won’t be used to it’s fullness.

Why do we need another war memorial? Not trying to be negative here, but I thought we have a plethora of them around the city and the surrounding suburbs.

Add a mega tourist attraction dedicated to war heroes; may want to consider bringing all city-owned related memorials into one War Memorial Park with a vertical monument center piece.

A Clara Luper monument is long overdue and there's already an organization working towards that. Roscoe Dunjee should absolutely be honored in some way too. He was an absolute legend, and to me, maybe the most compelling figure in OKC history. Indigenous peoples and histories are underrepresented in OKC too.

Then maybe a parking meter monument where the first one was placed. I'm only kind of kidding, but there should be a historical marker.

Then maybe a parking meter monument where the first one was placed. I'm only kind of kidding, but there should be a historical marker.

For people to spit on?

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/3b/d4/90/3bd490e45312c4b677a03c600158bfef--city-parking-oklahoma-city.jpg


The first parking meter installed in Oklahoma City is at the Oklahoma Historical Society today.

80 years ago, parking device got its start in downtown OKC: https://newsok.com/article/5433519/80-years-ago-parking-device-got-its-start-in-downtown-okc

As a thread akin to walkability in OKC, do you all believe that an expansion of the OKC Underground tunnels could be at all viable in terms of logistics, cost, and public use? I have been thinking about how and if this could be done for a while and I would love to hear other opinions.

As a thread akin to walkability in OKC, do you all believe that an expansion of the OKC Underground tunnels could be at all viable in terms of logistics, cost, and public use? I have been thinking about how and if this could be done for a while and I would love to hear other opinions.

Welcome Ethan!

There will be an extension either above or below EK Gaylord, connecting the Santa Fe Garage with the proposed parking structure just east of the RR tracks on the north side of Main Street. The city has already set aside money for this as part of the deal with BancFirst and Continental.

As far as doing more than that, there is a strong movement away from doing so because generally speaking, driving people underground on into skywalks is considered bad urbanism. The idea is to get people on the streets to creat more street-side retail and services and to create more vibrancy.

From a fiscal perspective, the bigger the underground gets, the more the cost is for DOKC to operate it, which potentially pushes up BID assessment fees for those business that touch it.

Welcome Ethan!

There will be an extension either above or below EK Gaylord, connecting the Santa Fe Garage with the proposed parking structure just east of the RR tracks on the north side of Main Street. The city has already set aside money for this as part of the deal with BancFirst and Continental.

As far as doing more than that, there is a strong movement away from doing so because generally speaking, driving people underground on into skywalks is considered bad urbanism. The idea is to get people on the streets to creat more street-side retail and services and to create more vibrancy.

Pete, thanks for the feedback. I sincerely appreciate the insights you and others have brought to these discussions.

On a continuing note, do you believe that a viable public good could arise from an expansion of the Bricktown Riverwalk? I had an eye and a mental map toward the area just west of Climb UP until I saw that the OG&E substation was to be constructed there. Maybe potential could be found in expanding northward toward the Banjo Museum, or something of the sort.

Welcome Ethan!

There will be an extension either above or below EK Gaylord, connecting the Santa Fe Garage with the proposed parking structure just east of the RR tracks on the north side of Main Street. The city has already set aside money for this as part of the deal with BancFirst and Continental.

As far as doing more than that, there is a strong movement away from doing so because generally speaking, driving people underground on into skywalks is considered bad urbanism. The idea is to get people on the streets to creat more street-side retail and services and to create more vibrancy.

Also if the Cox Center garage ever comes down, that will plug up the pink hall. Also, of the 10 ac/hvac units that control the air quality in the UG, some of them were installed in 1971. At this time, the city administration and the DOKC board will ultimately make the decision on the UG's future. It is my understanding that they are happy sustaining it for several more years.

I’d like to see the underground stay around but make the emphasis on it being an art gallery, or even more interactive with hands on exhibits featuring OKC’s history from before the land run to present day. Would be a good rainy day feature for downtown. Less emphasis on it being transportation and more emphasis on it being a destination.

I'd like to see a CVS/Walgreens go in down there.

Wouldn't expect them to expand the underground concourse any more than what Pete mentioned through the Bricktown canal viaduct.

The metro concourse has killed the street life. Expect the streetcar to help with the resurgence of street life which will help bring back some above ground retail; potential for future developments with some retail store front.

Would like to see a west extension of the Bricktown Canal into downtown on the IDEAS 4 MAPS.

I just had an idea this past weekend while out shopping with the wife. Maybe some sort of program or push to get more retailers, national brands and the such to open up in the core along the streetcar route. Maybe bring back the idea of a galleria mall or something. It would just be nice to come downtown in the morning and stay all day satisfying both shopping and dining needs.

I don't think I have seen this mentioned before so I'll throw the idea against the wall. While travelling in Europe, I noted virtually every major city with a river has lined and channeled the river with businesses, apartments and condo's. Along the near-downtown portion of the Oklahoma River, how about installing a walkway above the rocks lining the river that would be 6-10 feet wide. This would hide the rocks, which aren't exactly attractive, and provide space for walking/biking/seating along the river while preserving the rocks below (which I have read temper the waves and make for better rowing). Bench seating and planters could line the edge next to the railing to simply attract people to the river's edge. Such a structure would be more attractive than the rocks edging the river and provide a far better riverside for walkability than a simple asphalt trail on top of the berm.

Future development adjacent to the river would include trees next to the elevated walk and have room for outdoor patio restaurants and bars perhaps built up to, or above, the level of the berms channeling the river. By elevating the main floors along the river, you'd be protecting from catastrophic floods while providing a level of parking below the main levels

^^^

MAPS for Media. Start subsidizing local ownership of TV and Radio and maybe even an alternative
to the trash can Oklahoman. My friends at Free Press are starting some initiatives to sensibly do stuff
like this....

Serious question. Whether you like the Oklahoman or not, how do you make people read papers again? Unless you are going to have an online-only traditional newspaper, the internet killed paper publications. They are hurting in most major cities with some, like Pittsburgh, not having a DAILY local paper at all (this one publishes only 5 days a week). The one remaining newspaper here in Denver has only 60 or so remaining employees.

I don't think I have seen this mentioned before so I'll throw the idea against the wall. While travelling in Europe, I noted virtually every major city with a river has lined and channeled the river with businesses, apartments and condo's. Along the near-downtown portion of the Oklahoma River, how about installing a walkway above the rocks lining the river that would be 6-10 feet wide. This would hide the rocks, which aren't exactly attractive, and provide space for walking/biking/seating along the river while preserving the rocks below (which I have read temper the waves and make for better rowing). Bench seating and planters could line the edge next to the railing to simply attract people to the river's edge. Such a structure would be more attractive than the rocks edging the river and provide a far better riverside for walkability than a simple asphalt trail on top of the berm.

Future development adjacent to the river would include trees next to the elevated walk and have room for outdoor patio restaurants and bars perhaps built up to, or above, the level of the berms channeling the river. By elevating the main floors along the river, you'd be protecting from catastrophic floods while providing a level of parking below the main levels

You're basically talking about a boardwalk... and I agree, that could be a really really neat addition to the riverfront. I'm not sure if underground parking would work that close to the river, though, due to the water table. But yes, absolutely, a boardwalk along the river has a lot of potential.

https://ihg.scene7.com/is/image/ihg/holiday-inn-hotel-and-suites-ocean-city-3387549354-16x5?hei=512

Boardwalk, Ocean City, Maryland. Really neat & cool place; if you get to OC, MD., visit Phillips Seafood Restaurant (pic below), you can taste the ocean in that fresh seafood.

https://www.phillipsseafood.com/uploads/image/locations/oc-crab-house/PCHover.jpg

Also, check out some of the old pics of Oklahoma City's Delmar Gardens. IIRC it had a boardwalk along with a host of amenities.

You're basically talking about a boardwalk... and I agree, that could be a really really neat addition to the riverfront. I'm not sure if underground parking would work that close to the river, though, due to the water table. But yes, absolutely, a boardwalk along the river has a lot of potential.

If l remember correctly, there is a berm along the length of this part of the river. The boardwalk, as you put it would be on top of the berm extending over the rocks. If a developer were to build riverside patios and building access to the river on floor 2, the same level as the top of the berm, floor 1 could still be used for parking access but still be at the current ground level.

Serious question. Whether you like the Oklahoman or not, how do you make people read papers again? Unless you are going to have an online-only traditional newspaper, the internet killed paper publications. They are hurting in most major cities with some, like Pittsburgh, not having a DAILY local paper at all (this one publishes only 5 days a week). The one remaining newspaper here in Denver has only 60 or so remaining employees.

Probably some combination of making your reporters not report stuff on twitter, and put everything behind a paywall (which I'm noticing the Oklahoman is already doing) and then having your most popular, or at least most followed reporters put out long and pleading twitter threads on why to subscribe.

Ultimately it comes down to content. I don't know anything about their financials, but from the outside looking in, the KC Star seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the wheels on, and I think a lot of that is because they seem to be doing real and important journalism.

Physical books sales have been increasing for the past ~5 years or so. I wonder what the driver in that is.

Physical books sales have been increasing for the past ~5 years or so. I wonder what the driver in that is.

To me it's apples and oranges. For news, I rarely sit down for an extended period. I like it in short bursts. For me, that makes it easier to get it on the Web as opposed to having the time to scan a physical newspaper. For books, I prefer the tactile feel of a book as opposed to a Kindle, etc. I can see why many people prefer eBooks, but it's just not for me.

I never got into eBooks, I only ever used them when I was in college and I could find free PDF copies of the text. I have always preferred the physical book as well as greatly enjoy shopping at Full Circle for my books.

As for news, I like reading the physical paper. However, I hate paying for biased news and poor journalism. So I hardly ever pick up physical news publications. As for the Gazette, I will pick it up every week along with some of the other offerings around it.

If l remember correctly, there is a berm along the length of this part of the river. The boardwalk, as you put it would be on top of the berm extending over the rocks. If a developer were to build riverside patios and building access to the river on floor 2, the same level as the top of the berm, floor 1 could still be used for parking access but still be at the current ground level.

Not really, no... There aren't any man-made levees along the river through downtown, though there is a natural berm on the south side of the river across from the Boathouse District... It's not very tall at all though. In all other areas that I can see, the top of the rocks is at the same level as the river trails on either side. And that close to the river, I personally wouldn't want to have any vehicles or anything valuable lower than the level of the rocks... That's also there for flood and erosion control. That's good out of the box thinking but what you describe with parking wouldn't work here, unfortunately. But the boardwalk idea is ace. That would go a long way to further activate the river and that area of downtown.

Not really, no... There aren't any man-made levees along the river through downtown, though there is a natural berm on the south side of the river across from the Boathouse District... It's not very tall at all though. In all other areas that I can see, the top of the rocks is at the same level as the river trails on either side. And that close to the river, I personally wouldn't want to have any vehicles or anything valuable lower than the level of the rocks... That's also there for flood and erosion control. That's good out of the box thinking but what you describe with parking wouldn't work here, unfortunately. But the boardwalk idea is ace. That would go a long way to further activate the river and that area of downtown.

OK, so no lower level.......

This is why we must start subsidizing media.... and the problems don't just lie in declining readership or print news...it is virtually impossible to learn about what happened in OKC on the big corporate owned ch4, 5, etc... 4 minutes of idle chit-chat between the anchors, 5 minutes of weather, 6 minutes of crime, 4 minutes of funny national stories, then a few mintues of sports -- thats what happened in our town today? Come on.... we can do better.


Serious question. Whether you like the Oklahoman or not, how do you make people read papers again? Unless you are going to have an online-only traditional newspaper, the internet killed paper publications. They are hurting in most major cities with some, like Pittsburgh, not having a DAILY local paper at all (this one publishes only 5 days a week). The one remaining newspaper here in Denver has only 60 or so remaining employees.

So email your TV stations to change. Denver 9 has a very different news show while another has only a bit of news with a bunch of special interest junk. lts a matter of individual taste. We already subsidize media and its called NPR/PBS. ln the political climate we have today, there is slim to no chance of new subsidies

The subject of 'logrolling' is going to come up again.
You might want an arena but not a soccer stadium, for example. Or you might want the streetcar expansion but not a cap for I-235.


Forgive my ignorance, what is meant by the statement "not a cap for I-235"?

Forgive my ignorance, what is meant by the statement "not a cap for I-235"?

There was a proposal to cover a section of I-235 between downtown and the Health Science complex, for a few blocks.

(for the purpose of building on top of it, for better pedestrian connectivity)

......... and so I-235 doesn't seem such a divider between the Central Business District and the Health Sciences Center. lt's been done with some success in a few places like Dallas. Denvers new I-70 corridor will have a cap with a soccer pitch on top.

You're right. We can just do it after everyone else does, which they will. Like everything else here.



So email your TV stations to change. Denver 9 has a very different news show while another has only a bit of news with a bunch of special interest junk. lts a matter of individual taste. We already subsidize media and its called NPR/PBS. ln the political climate we have today, there is slim to no chance of new subsidies

Huh?

I don’t think we should do a new MAPs just to check a block it needs to be substantial and good for all citizens.

What is the longevity of our NBA arena? At some point we will need to replace or rebuild it. Is that in 10/20 years? If 10 that comes fast and we need to think ahead. I think most would support some cost for this but not all, so owners would need to be involved to see what the split of costs would be. This arena was a great spend for the city and we must protect it by planning ahead imo

Will we help build soccer/multi use stadium and if so that might be needed soon.

Cap over 235. One interesting aspect if this happens, when driving 235 south you go over the 23rd street area and as you start the downward drive you are at eye level with the 13th/10th steet overpasses. It would be and interesting view if the cap happens, being able to almost see the top of cap from just north on 235S.

Bus service. Put some serious money into this. Get more buses and that means drivers/maint costs. Make this system realy work. This would enhance streetcar too. Maybe look at it differently too. Build some hubs around the city, actual places where you can be inside and buses go to/from. So you might have a hub somewhere along NW Exp and buses feed into it. So to go downtown from outer reaches you have one trip from area to outer hub and then from there to downtown hub. Basically you break down the city into quadrants with each having a hub which is like a main hub only we now have 5 hubs vice 1. It would make it easier to manage imo. But would cost a lot. Likely fed dollars too?

A few ideas and thoughts to ponder

https://kotv.com/newsimages/slideshow/163d92b3-0ad3-4c62-9ba1-f9b0b81ce95d.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOu2ytITaYzANBulHpSaT_jwA5gkC7TcOXIskgw=w216-h144-c http://www.pittsburghsgrandhall.com/images/about01.jpg

Stockyard City Opry Center Music Hall: Construct a 1st class Opry Center Music Hall in Stockyard City with room to accommodate 1,500 (1,000 theater style seats with 500 seat balcony) equipped with with cup holders, lighting, led exterior lighting, a reception area 5,000 square foot room--The room layout can be custom-design to exact event specifications, and host up to 300, dependent on the layout; also an area for offices. The center needs to be equipped with second-to-none lighting for national telecasts--surface parking to accommodate 600 vehicles.

Opry Center Music Hall can also be equipped to host WWE Wrestling, boxing & mixed martial arts. Weddings, receptions & special events.

Budget: $15 million - $18 million.

What are everyone's thoughts about a destination lake? Don't know the logistics or if it's possible, but it would be cool if they could connect Draper and Thunderbird. This would create a nice big lake for boating, camping, and nature enthusiasts. More tourism dollars would stay local with less of those dollars going to the Eufaula area. Also private development would boom on the southeast side.

What are everyone's thoughts about a destination lake? Don't know the logistics or if it's possible, but it would be cool if they could connect Draper and Thunderbird. This would create a nice big lake for boating, camping, and nature enthusiasts. More tourism dollars would stay local with less of those dollars going to the Eufaula area. Also private development would boom on the southeast side.

There is info on that scenario out there. It is shown as damming West Elm Creek with a connection to Draper after filling.

There is info on that scenario out there. It is shown as damming West Elm Creek with a connection to Draper after filling.

Where would I be able to find out about this?

Lake Hefner is one of the best sailing lakes on the planet. Don't understand why it isn't a bigger deal than it already is.

Probably some combination of making your reporters not report stuff on twitter, and put everything behind a paywall (which I'm noticing the Oklahoman is already doing) and then having your most popular, or at least most followed reporters put out long and pleading twitter threads on why to subscribe.

Ultimately it comes down to content. I don't know anything about their financials, but from the outside looking in, the KC Star seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the wheels on, and I think a lot of that is because they seem to be doing real and important journalism.

On that note, I'm sympathetic to the arguments these writers make that consumers should simply ignore the editorial page because "it's just one page." However, virtually everyone who reads the Oklahoman currently reads it online, and editorials do not appear on "one page." They are often displayed in play position on the homepage of NewsOK.com, and they often have very devastating content, such as the recent one regarding climate science that the Gazette rightfully and responsibly lampooned.

By the way, I'm paying for the Oklahoman, so spare me the "poor Oklahoman" comments. I'm a paying subscriber, as much as I believe OPUBCO is very much to blame for a lot of the backwardness and terrible leadership of our state over the years. Indeed, I would almost be surprised if we do not see an editorial lauding the terrific leadership of Mary Fallin in the next couple of weeks as she exits the state mansion. That would be totally in their wheelhouse of tone deafness.

So, yes, I love reporters like Ben Felder, and I appreciate the health coverage of one of the reporters who hasn't been there for four years, and I often very much appreciate Steve's insights and reporting (when he is not being ridiculous like he was today about the streetcar on opening night). But all of this good work does not negate the negative impact the editorials make, and they are influential, if not to readers they are to decision makers in OKC.

So it's a mixed bag. Rather than whine about why we should ignore the opinion pages, perhaps the paper's ownership should consider offering more balanced opinion on their opinion pages, and stop performing as sops to their titanic industry friends, even when it is incredibly socially irresponsible, as they did with their recent "humans influencing climate change is a hoax" staff editorial.

They are basically refusing to even report on my Supreme Court case. Even if you don't like me, you have to admit there is at the very least a small story here, worth informing the people fairly, not just the side they like. This is a big problem with the paper.

They are basically refusing to even report on my Supreme Court case. Even if you don't like me, you have to admit there is at the very least a small story here, worth informing the people fairly, not just the side they like. This is a big problem with the paper.

I do agree that that story should be newsworthy. But another thing i've noticed is that a lot of their city coverage is actually very thin. Example: they will report an issue passed the council but won't even report who voted for and against. Notably, they often do mention if a councilor is absent (not actually sure how relevant that is). It is very rare they report on discussion related to city issues in front of council.

I realize they have lost a lot of staff but as the newspaper of record, they should at least include who voted for and against an item in an article they choose to pull out into a story. And I say this knowing that the council will vote on literally dozens of issues in a typical meeting.

Their coverage of our Congressional leadership is even worse. They sometimes will just report who voted for an issue and who voted against, with literally nothing else but PR quotes regurgitated from the media staffs of the Congressional reps and senators.

There was one story about Inhofe's stock purchase but no follow up.

They never once that I recall reported on Coburn's utter hypocrisy on spending matters. Were it not for the Post and the TImes we would know very little about the pols who represent us in Washington.

The paper also has a long history of shielding industry leaders in OKC from aggressive coverage. So, for example, when it was clear things weren't going well at Chesapeake, they were just reporting company-issued PR until the company was literally laying people off by the hundreds. Then, suddenly, "voila! ****'s going down at Chesapeake," something we had been learning from other national outlets for months. Sandridge was flirting with bankruptcy and the stories were all just as rosy as can be, with quotes from the CEO about shareholder "value," etc. As someone who lost a major investment in Sandridge shares (my bad), I was not served well by this cheerleading pablum.

Now, if a Democratic governor (Walters) has done anything at all, they will absolutely throw the book at them with front-page, copyrighted stories.

Tramel occasionally writes a good column but the sports coverage has been bad for a long time. Now, it just seems irrelevant. I read everything they offered after the OU playoff game and there was little of value or interest. Mainly a think piece from Tramel, some stats I could have gleaned elsewhere, and that's it.

I'm sympathetic to the people who work there for low pay and the fear of losing their jobs. I really do, but the paper has more apparent issues than "one page."

Where are our design gurus out there.

Build & kill two birds with one stone--Multipurpose indoor soccer stadium arena on city owned land or State Fair Park:

Couldn't we combine a multipurpose soccer-arena indoor stadium using a 1,000 seat partition section of seats for a smaller arena venue (take up half the field) that could be rolled back when the larger soccer-American football stadium events are in use.

Leave the suites unfinished; allow those who want to purchase suites to custom build the suites (first rights to build for Funk-MacLaughlin) and lease or own them to interested party/parties or allow them to own outright if they build. Say $1 million per suite--offset some cost of building the stadium-arena.

The indoor soccer stadium-arena probably could be built on a budget of $130 million with a maximum seating capacity of 25,000 for traditionally outdoor sports and downsized with the partition section seats using half the soccer field to 13,500 for arena sports like rodeo, ice hockey & basketball. The suites could further offset the cost of $130 million--allow space for 50-75 suites.

Does that make sense?

...also posted this idea on the state fairgrounds development thread...

Reminder to submit Ideas 4 MAPS: https://www.okc.gov/government/maps-4

Where are our design gurus out there.

Build & kill two birds with one stone--Multipurpose indoor soccer stadium arena on city owned land or State Fair Park:

Couldn't we combine a multipurpose soccer-arena indoor stadium using a 1,000 seat partition section of seats for a smaller arena venue (take up half the field) that could be rolled back when the larger soccer-American football stadium events are in use.

Leave the suites unfinished; allow those who want to purchase suites to custom build the suites (first rights to build for Funk-MacLaughlin) and lease or own them to interested party/parties or allow them to own outright if they build. Say $1 million per suite--offset some cost of building the stadium-arena.

The indoor soccer stadium-arena probably could be built on a budget of $130 million with a maximum seating capacity of 25,000 for traditionally outdoor sports and downsized with the partition section seats using half the soccer field to 13,500 for arena sports like rodeo, ice hockey & basketball. The suites could further offset the cost of $130 million--allow space for 50-75 suites.

Does that make sense?

...also posted this idea on the state fairgrounds development thread...

I think funding development like this is a good idea - if we could somehow leverage the advantage MAPS funds give with matching private donations... it could accelerate the timelines or create better final results.

I think this would be problematic for a livestock show facility to be paired with skccer. Not that both couldnt be built on the same land such as the fairgrounds. The soccer stadium could be paired with football and concerts, however.