Norman Forward Campaign

[Norman Forward]

For those of you that aren't aware a group of community leaders, stakeholder organizations and concerned citizens have brought forward a proposal for a comprehensive quality of life package for Norman. To find out more visit Home | Norman Forward

Norman Forward is currently working to add names of supporters for the project and an online petition of support is available on the website.

The next step includes a presentation to City Council in August with the ultimate goal of Council approving a city wide vote in April of 2015.

Some recent stories on the project are

Library tops city?s list of desired amenity » Headlines » The Norman Transcript

Proposal requests improving, expanding youth sports facilities » Headlines » The Norman Transcript

[Norman Forward]

Proposed Athletic Facility Improvements - Include - increased baseball fields, aquatics facility, senior center, increased soccer and football fields and basketball courts


Conceptual proposal for Griffin park with increased soccer fields, increased parking and inclusion of indoor soccer facility





Conceptual proposal for aquatics facility

[Mr T]

I think folk in Norman are busy with the 87th Walmart and our terribly substandard animal shelter. Covered elite soccer fields are not the hot topic.

[bombermwc]

NYSO would disagree....and I believe most of the population would too.

[tfandango]

This seems to be partially overlapping (parks, outdoor activities, bike paths, etc) with this Norman City Center plan mentioned in another post a little bit ago, are these competing efforts, complementary? It seems a little strange to come out with 2 similar plans, both would require a lot of money.

I do love the idea of the competitive pool though, for selfish reasons. My daughter is on the swim team and Norman has no pool to host a competition in, OCCC is the closest pool. OU's pool is no longer regulation and must be rented (and when it breaks down it really breaks down!).

I would like some clarification on the 2 plans though, thanks!

[kevinpate]

If the current baseball area is reborn as expanded soccer, where are the baseball fields and the aquatic center in the other rendering to be located?

[Jersey Boss]

Is this where the Sutton Wilderness area is presently located?

[Jersey Boss]

So the article that was published about youth facilities on the 16th of July said : "Currently, there is no land identified for the number of sports fields and other facilities in the Norman Forward plan, but Laffoon is confident that will be worked out." I am really confused now on where this will be.

[kevinpate]

The expansion of soccer fields would consume the existing baseball park at Robinson and 12th, as well as the existing big soccer field just north of there on 12th. The water you see in the rendering is not the lake in Sutton wilderness, which is a wee bit further to the north of that rendering. All of this proposed switch to a soccer mecca is just to the north of the Old Griffin Memorial Hospital complex.
Griffin sits to the south of Robinson and West of 12th. The proposed soccer conversion is to the north of Robinson and just west of 12th. On an unrelated note, this has made me nostalgic for Hope Hall on the grounds of Griffin (where a former employer leased space for several years.)

It is not clear from the article or the rendering where the baseball fields and aquatic center would go. There is no space in the Robinson/12th area for it though, so I am thinking either over near UTC off NW24th perhaps or somewhere west side, which was a goal a few years back, but the new grand park idea met some resistance as I recall.

[Jersey Boss]

Thanks Kevin. I was confused and you called it correct with the lake adding to my confusion. I certainly want definite locales, who gets to use the facilities, and cost before supporting the plan.

[kevinpate]

Yeah, unless some work has already happened, what they show as a small lake was, just a few years back, merely a big ol' ditch and low spot between the dog park and the existing base ball fields. When my lads were in their kid pitch era, we parked in that p-lot behind the big soccer field on 12th and crossed a narrow foot bridge over that ditch to reach the northern most kid pitch fields.

A much shorter walk for their rather portly number one fan.

[Norman Forward]

Thanks for the questions! As currently proposed the Griffin complex would be for soccer, the other facilities (aquatics, baseball, football and structured facilities would be located elsewhere (NOT at Sutton wilderness) - there are negotiations underway in considering several locations which could either incorporate those facilities at one site as shown in the conceptual drawing or split in more than one location. As for use, these are public athletic park areas that would have, just as they do today, both public use and tournament field options. But with expanding their size and number allow a great opportunity for both uses.

As for cost of the projects as proposed that is available at Home | Norman Forward the site shows the proposed funding and cost as well as a look at the other projects proposed. The intention is to post more on those projects on this site as well as volunteer time allows. The next steps will be to present this proposal to City Council, tentatively scheduled for next month.

[gamecock]

Thanks for the questions! As currently proposed the Griffin complex would be for soccer, the other facilities (aquatics, baseball, football and structured facilities would be located elsewhere (NOT at Sutton wilderness) - there are negotiations underway in considering several locations which could either incorporate those facilities at one site as shown in the conceptual drawing or split in more than one location. As for use, these are public athletic park areas that would have, just as they do today, both public use and tournament field options. But with expanding their size and number allow a great opportunity for both uses.

As for cost of the projects as proposed that is available at Home | Norman Forward the site shows the proposed funding and cost as well as a look at the other projects proposed. The intention is to post more on those projects on this site as well as volunteer time allows. The next steps will be to present this proposal to City Council, tentatively scheduled for next month.

I applaud your efforts and would like to learn more, but I can never successfully access the Home | Norman Forward webpage. Is that address correct?

[Norman Forward]

Gamecock - yes it is. Home | Norman Forward - we've had over 200 people go to the site and sign the petition from there so i'm not sure why it isn't connecting on your end. Above my IT pay grade to know more. What browser? There is also a Norman Forward facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MoveNormanForward

[gamecock]

Gamecock - yes it is. Home | Norman Forward - we've had over 200 people go to the site and sign the petition from there so i'm not sure why it isn't connecting on your end. Above my IT pay grade to know more. What browser? There is also a Norman Forward facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MoveNormanForward

Thanks for sharing the facebook page. I have tried accessing the other page on three different browsers, and I can't seem to get it to come up for some reason.

[kevinpate]

For what it's worth, the main site page opens fine for me via Chrome browser.

[kevinpate]

If the new library project goes forward on the north side of Andrews, what are the existing plans, if any, for the current library facility south of Andrews? Will it be consumed by existing space needs of city staff or will it be leveled and something entirely new take its place?

[David]

For what it's worth, the main site page opens fine for me via Chrome browser.

Same here, works in both Chrome and IE.

[Norman Forward]

Aquatic center could serve many community needs » Headlines » The Norman Transcript

July, 27 article on the proposed aquatics facility for Norman

[Bob Loblaw]

sports_and_wellness_07.23.14.jpg

If the current baseball area is reborn as expanded soccer, where are the baseball fields and the aquatic center in the other rendering to be located?

Kevin,

From the look of the street layout in the attached rendering from the Norman Forward website, the proposed Aquatics, Wellness and Athletics Facilities would appear to be located at the NW corner of the Flood/Robinson intersection - at least in this rendering - I originally thought UNP but the gentle N/S road curvature fits the current Flood characteristics better than the serpentine N/S feature of 24th Ave NW near Rock Creek

Bob

[David]

That certainly could be the corner of Flood and Robinson:

Flood & Robinson.jpg

[kevinpate]

If that rendering is a conceptual for the NW land off Flood/Robinson, it looks like it would stretch over into National Weather Service turf, and even the Optimist Gym (at least I suppose they still use it. as the kiddos are all grown, I haven't been by there in a long dang time.) I also thought most all the land north of West Robinson, south of Rock Creek from Flood on over the the airport was still OU land (could be in error on that though.) That would sure make a nice place for fields though.

[Plutonic Panda]

Sales tax hike sought in Norman for 'quality of life' improvements | News OK

[Mr T]

I think the deal is OU would trade the land for ownership of Reaves park.

[kevinpate]

Ok, I'm going to try to keep an open mind, but first blush is they are real dang close to losing my interest after reading the article that the North Base land comes available by swapping out the Reeves Park area for it.

Not a fan of that.