8 level parking garage planned for Midtown (https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=614-8-level-parking-garage-planned-for-Midtown)

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is planning to construct a large new parking structure on the southwest corner of NW 7th and Robinson.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq1.jpg


Plans submitted by GSB Architects show pre-cast concrete skinned in vertical aluminum tubing, glass-enclosed stairwells and a total of 431 spaces.

OKCTalk has learned the existing garage to the west of the building is in poor structural condition that would require expensive repairs.

The plan is to build new on the surface lot to the north of their building, then demo the existing garage and convert the area to surface parking for fleet vehicles and a green space for employees.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq2.jpg


DEQ is a state agency that employs about 400 at its 707 N. Robinson offices who oversee air quality, water quality, land protection, and other environmental programs.

The 10-story building was constructed in 1960 by Southwestern Bell and DEQ purchased it in 1998. The existing 6-story garage was built in 1957.

The new streetcar runs directly past the building and proposed garage.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq3.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq4.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq5.jpg

Looks better than the current garage and It’d definitely get the job done..... but it’s still boring. Just like the DEQ building itself. Could they add some ground retail?

DEQ needs to freshen up the exterior of their building. Very sixties Brutalism.

Looks better than the current garage and It’d definitely get the job done..... but it’s still boring. Just like the DEQ building itself. Could they add some ground retail?

If they added some ground level interaction (retail, restaurant, offices, Etc.), and give the DEQ building an exterior facelift, this would be perfect. I guess it’s better than nothing, but it leaves a lot to be desired with a streetcar stop nearby and the opportunity to continue building the urban fabric between downtown and midtown.

This is a state agency. Surprised their getting any kind of new parking garage.

So none of you preservationists going to say anything (garage or not). Built in 1957? That's criteria for being historic. Complaining about tearing down historic structures get awful quiet when there's no vested interest.

The current garage may be the oldest remaining parking garage in OKC. I cannot think of one that is older.

I figured it being a state agency might have something to do with that. Thanks. It’d still be nice to see the building get a facelift

DEQ needs to freshen up the exterior of their building. Very sixties Brutalism.

Take your feelings about the midcentury look of this building, translate it to people in the 60's and you'll easily see how no one thought twice about destroying all the Victorian and Art Deco architecture we used to have.

Alright! Transit oriented development on the streetcar route! Too bad it's oriented around a different form of transit than the streetcar :( I understand that the old parking garage is in shambles and employees need to park but that doesn't negate the fact that this is terrible land use. I wish the department of environmental quality would have thought a bit more about the impact such a project and the types of transport and land use such a project implies has on environmental quality.

People are actually getting mad because we are tearing down a 60 year old parking garage? ITS A FREAKING PARKING GARAGE! LOL

I will say the new design is really industrial and seems just heavy. Id love to see a green parking garage in okc though.

People are actually getting mad because we are tearing down a 60 year old parking garage? ITS A FREAKING PARKING GARAGE! LOL


no?

Id love to see a parking garage with greenery in okc.
Me too. Would be awesome.

People are actually getting mad because we are tearing down a 60 year old parking garage? ITS A FREAKING PARKING GARAGE! LOL

No, one person was just trying to pick a fight with preservationists.

Me too. Would be awesome.

Especially for the department of environmental quality. A bright, airy garage with vegetation would be awesome.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/53/14/5f5314a75c90c310798e821d2de69e71.jpg

Especially for the department of environmental quality. A bright, airy garage with vegetation would be awesome.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/53/14/5f5314a75c90c310798e821d2de69e71.jpg
My thoughts exactly, catch - ESPECIALLY for the DEQ.

I don't mind the destruction of the current garage but I mind that we're losing the art. Not that I'm fond of that particular art, but the new garage, if not having ground level retail (which I get), should at least have ground level interaction, in the form of art, since we currently have art.

I have seen DEQ employees parking in the lot on the east side of the street just north of the Firefighters Union Hall. I wonder if that piece of land will now be open to development after the new parking structure is finished.

The current garage may be the oldest remaining parking garage in OKC. I cannot think of one that is older.

The current garage used to have a pull through Kerr/McGee station there just inside the sidewalk. Was about the only place you could fuel up downtown.

Fair to say this project is dead with the DEQ move to "State Tower"

Yes, it was dead even before that.

The good news is this property will now likely be sold to a developer.

DEQ announced the demolition of their parking garage and stated on X they would be unveiling the designs for their new garage tomorrow.

https://x.com/oklahomadeq/status/1812881446782312909?s=46

^

Thanks.

I wonder if it will look like the renderings in the first post, proposed back in 2019.

New video showing renderings. Looks like it’s going in the same spot. Really cool look IMO!

https://x.com/oklahomadeq/status/1813251244082831777?s=46

New video showing renderings. Looks like it’s going in the same spot. Really cool look IMO!

https://x.com/oklahomadeq/status/1813251244082831777?s=46

Heck yeah. Nice improvement.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq071624a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq071624b.jpg

Next project is to spruce up the DEQ building - the dated architecture will be even more noticeable with this addition!

Next project is to spruce up the DEQ building - the dated architecture will be even more noticeable with this addition!

The parking garage will look better than the actual building.

The new parking garage may look better than the office building, but the building is owned by the state and debt-free. I have been inside on a few occasions, and it is quite nice and up-to-date in most areas. Is it fancy? No. I have been in federal buildings that were built in the last 20 years, and they were in much worse condition inside and out. I'm happy to see a nice, modern parking garage in place of that ugly old thing.

Guessing the old garage is structurally [soon to be] compromised.

Looks a lot better in that rendering.

It is more than structurally compromised. My understanding is that over half the garage is closed off due to serious issues.

30+ years ago when I worked for the Journal-Record (in the building that now houses the OKC National Memorial) we parked in this garage, and one of the best features was the full-service garage and fueling station inside. Get your oil changed, tires rotated, fuel up, etc., all without leaving the garage. It was truly from another time. It was also one of only two gas stations downtown at the time.

The new parking garage may look better than the office building, but the building is owned by the state and debt-free. I have been inside on a few occasions, and it is quite nice and up-to-date in most areas. Is it fancy? No. I have been in federal buildings that were built in the last 20 years, and they were in much worse condition inside and out. I'm happy to see a nice, modern parking garage in place of that ugly old thing.

100%! That is what makes the building so attractive. I would love to see the windows/doors updated - hence my comment that it could use some sprucing :) - the building is fine, just a bit dated.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq1.jpg


This design looks much cooler (more dangerous :-)).

It's interesting they've decided to rebuild the new garage on the site of the old one; the original plan was to construct a new one on the north side of the building.

While I enjoy the Art Deco style and would've probably leaned into it a little more. I actually like the style of the building. Now if they would've paid homage to the AD accents of the old by applying some of the figures to the glass, that would've been pretty fire too. The lights in between sections I'm sure are going to be color-change LEDs, so it will make it feel modern, and the height gives the area a bit more of midtown presence.

Thought to sidetrack a bit, Pete, do you think they'll look to update the DEQ's exterior to modernize in the future, probably to match with the garage a bit more so it doesn't look as outdated? I feel like they would probably have that in the back page somewhere, they're probably putting all of their coins in QoL for the interior and the garage (which judging from the Twitter post, appearing to be structurally deficient and in immediate need of a replacement).

I mean i do think it's a really ugly building....very 1950's governmental style. But it's not in bad condition. In fact, I would say that the facade appears to be in great condition for it being 60-70 years old. It's not like the county courthouse and it's office building that are complete and utter crap and shouldn't be used under any circumstance, but are.

Here's the tricky part with structures like this. Is it old enough to count as an example of that era's architecture to be preserved? Is it enough of an example to serve as an example? Most of you may not have ever seen the Admin builing on the FAA MMAC campus. I would argue that it is much more of an example of the era and would deserve more effort for preservation (if we want to). It has similiarly had some updates inside although I dont know that I would go so far as to say it was "nice". It's typical government cubes with old school halls/doors/etc.

19022

But I always caution when people say "re-facade the thing". It's a very urban renewal thing to say. On one hand the intent is to try to make older buildings look newer. But we do lose that history that we're too close to today. So many buildings had facades put on them in the 50s' and 60's to look "modern" because the turn of the century and even art deco looked "old" then. Man are we happy when we rip things off and find the jewels underneath (like the downtown Uhaul that we'll probably never get to see again).

International style was purposely more brutalist than the previous deco and ornate eras. So on one hand, i'm not sure that we'll ever look back at International and think "man I wish we had saved some of those bland boxes". But maybe in 50 years when all the architects have gone crazy with the influence of Gaudi (im making this up), the clean lines will be appealing? We just don't know.

They have submitted plans to Downtown Design Review and they have changed slightly:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq091724a.jpg

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/deq091724b.jpg

F YI - The DDRC approved the project. Demo is scheduled to start in January.

Pete, do you think they'll look to update the DEQ's exterior to modernize in the future, probably to match with the garage a bit more so it doesn't look as outdated? I feel like they would probably have that in the back page somewhere, they're probably putting all of their coins in QoL for the interior and the garage (which judging from the Twitter post, appearing to be structurally deficient and in immediate need of a replacement).

There are no such plans and no likelihood that there will be such plans. In the next few years, there are plans to repair mortar issues in the brick, but nothing more.

It's interesting they've decided to rebuild the new garage on the site of the old one; the original plan was to construct a new one on the north side of the building.

There was too much opposition from the “powers that be” to building on Robinson. So they pivoted back to the current garage sight. It should be noted that the legislature passed house bill 1023 in 2023 that is now codified at 27A O.S. Section 2-1-111 - Authorization to Remove or Dismantle Appurtenances - Report
Cite as: 27A O.S. § 2-1-111 (OSCN 2024), Article I - Short Title and General Definitions

A. The Department of Environmental Quality is hereby authorized to remove or dismantle any appurtenances connected to the Department's headquarters at 707 N. Robinson in downtown Oklahoma City. Once the appurtenance is removed, the site may be used for a parking lot for employees of the Department of Environmental Quality.

B. The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality shall submit a report to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate within ninety (90) days of this act's effective date, detailing the timeline and cost for dismantling the appurtenance, along with the number of expected parking spaces to be constructed compared to the number of spaces the Department needs. The Executive Director shall also submit reports to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate once construction begins and upon completion of the project detailing any changes from the initial report and the final outcome of the construction project.

They just filed their demolition permit, so the old structure should soon be coming down.

They just filed their demolition permit, so the old structure should soon be coming down.

OG&E is burying the electrical lines running down the alley between Robinson and Harvey. Once that is complete, the demo will commence. The garage is now closed completely, and one lane of 6th Street has been closed. Also, a construction (office) trailer has been set up in the parking lot on the north side of the DEQ building. Construction will begin on the new garage as soon as the demo is completed.