John Rex Elementary

[metro]

I think Steve is forecasting rather than referring to specific new projects. We all know I40 is moving, and homeless shelters are moving, Devon opens up next door next year, new MBG is now open, get the picture........

[Reno and Walker]

I ONLY wish you guys could give us more detailed/concrete information. .....

Thanks for the teasers though, it does provide for interesting conversation.

Hot Rod you are more then welcome.. Cannot give too much detail on this forum. I know too many people in the area.. Thats why I do lunch a lot with people who I can trust in the neighborhood

[Spartan]

I have to set you guys straight again. I believe City Arts is going to move there from the State Fair Grounds.. Lets see if I can go 2 for 2 .. The Elementary school has been an idea for 25 years, ever since Urban Renewal relocated the peacock back in 1983.. I hope a school does not go there it is too close to Film Row and City Rescue Mission transients. I believe still a little unsafe for kids due to the location of the Mission.

Also the alley that runs West off of Dewey between Reno and California is a drug highway for transients and prostitutes.It would be a horrible location for a school unless they move the mission which will never happen in my lifetime.

Well, I'm familiar with CityArts possibly moving downtown, and that does seem very likely. Didn't realize that they wanted this site. This site was already chosen for the elementary school, I believe. MAPS for Kids has already hired Anthony McDermid as the architect for that project. Perhaps CityArts and the downtown elementary could share a site, and that goes along with my original wish that the downtown elementary school be scrapped for an arts-oriented secondary school for downtown.

By the way, the site is ONE block, not four blocks. I believe it will just go from Sheridan to California, which of course, will be drastically cleaned up. It is ridiculous to say that the current vagrants should prevent the reuse of an area because those vagrants obviously aren't the best and highest use, also, the homeless services for the city are all shifting out west by the Fairgrounds.

There are other spaces in the Arts District that would be conducive to City Arts and I'm pretty sure that they WILL be moving downtown. This isn't a City Arts vs. elementary school type thing. And I think the elementary school could go anywhere, but makes as much sense in Mid-town, DD, Arts, C2S, so on.

[Reno and Walker]

The new homeless alliance shelter on about 5th and Virginia is awesome very Frank LLoyd Wright influenced building and the new detox is an even more impresive structure.. I hope I never get the full tour.. But seriously OKC will have the best looking shelter in the USA hands down.. It should attract visitors from all parts of our country..

[mcca7596]

Isn't there also something called the "Jesus House" in addition to City Rescue Mission downtown?

[lasomeday]

What a horrible location for a grade school. What is the city thinking? The school should be walking distance from housing. The only housing in walking distance is the homeless shelters.

The school should be built north of downtown. This location is prime for residential.

ANOTHER FAILURE BY CITY PLANNERS!

[betts]

You can easily walk from SoSA to the new school location and perhaps proximity to Core to Shore was part of the decision-making process. The kids who live in Mesta Park and Heritage Hills already have an elementary school: Wilson. In fact, several people I know who live there were asking why the new school isn't a middle school, as they said there's no guarantee their kids will be able to go to Classen.

[Reno and Walker]

I ONLY wish you guys could give us more detailed/concrete information. .....

Thanks for the teasers though, it does provide for interesting conversation.

Why do you need detailed concrete information. This is where I have spent 37 years of my 38 years here on earth I have a clue about what is going to happen in my backyard..

[Larry OKC]

Hmmm....tell us about the 1 year gap...LOL

[Spartan]

What a horrible location for a grade school. What is the city thinking? The school should be walking distance from housing. The only housing in walking distance is the homeless shelters.

The school should be built north of downtown. This location is prime for residential.

ANOTHER FAILURE BY CITY PLANNERS!

This is a resounding point, but I do think the west side of downtown has at least as much potential as any other side of downtown, possibly the most. Certainly more than the south side of downtown.

[Rover]

This is a resounding point, but I do think the west side of downtown has at least as much potential as any other side of downtown, possibly the most. Certainly more than the south side of downtown.

Maybe that is why the mayor has been so adamant about boulevard and the ability to funnel people in and out.

[Larry OKC]

What a horrible location for a grade school. What is the city thinking? The school should be walking distance from housing. The only housing in walking distance is the homeless shelters.

The school should be built north of downtown. This location is prime for residential.

ANOTHER FAILURE BY CITY PLANNERS!

It has been suggested that it won't just serve residents but people who work downtown could send their kids too (so is it within walking distance of businesses). Don't forget that the people in the homeless shelters are consisting of families more and more and those kids need a school too. Is the location of this school within walking didtance of the proposed Streetcar? That could mitigate.

[kevinpate]

I thought I had read all the shelters in that area are being relocated.

[betts]

The first new school in decades planned for downtown Oklahoma City likely will be located at the former “Skid Row,” which has been a vacant lot since 1990 when an urban renewal group razed a city block of seedy establishments. After months of analyzing a dozen sites for the $11.1 million downtown elementary school, a task force recommended the city block on the southwest corner of Sheridan and Walker avenues.

“Of the four sites that we considered to be all excellent candidates for the school, one involved an unwilling seller so we x-ed it out,” said Anthony McDermid, principal architect with TAP Architecture, the Oklahoma City firm selected to design the school.

http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-...adlines_widget

[ljbab728]

The first new school in decades planned for downtown Oklahoma City likely will be located at the former “Skid Row,” which has been a vacant lot since 1990 when an urban renewal group razed a city block of seedy establishments. After months of analyzing a dozen sites for the $11.1 million downtown elementary school, a task force recommended the city block on the southwest corner of Sheridan and Walker avenues.

“Of the four sites that we considered to be all excellent candidates for the school, one involved an unwilling seller so we x-ed it out,” said Anthony McDermid, principal architect with TAP Architecture, the Oklahoma City firm selected to design the school.

http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-...adlines_widget

I certainly agree with the assessment of the old Central High School site. While it's an iconic building, it's much too large and not suitable for an elementary school.

[mcca7596]

I wonder if TAP or any other of the people involved in the selection have a good idea of what kind of development is planned for the Preftakes block, as I'm sure potential housing so close was one of the main factors.

[Larry OKC]

This reminds me of an episode of WKRP, where they got together to raise all of this money for a new homeless center out of the downtown area, when it was brought up, thats not where the homeless people are at. Their point was, you build those things to meet the needs of the area. Not try to move the "element" somewhere else. Probably on the internet somewhere if someone knows how to post.

[Spartan]

The Legacy and Montgomery are already right there, though. This decision was made a long time ago. So I'm just wondering why people are now saying in another thread that this site might end up being the new City Arts center instead. I'm struggling to understand that.

I wonder who the unwilling seller was.

[Urban Pioneer]

Regarding City Arts, isn't this a large area owned by Urban Renewal? I think it might be larger than we think, maybe.

[king183]

Can someone (maybe RW or Steve) explain the discrepancy between this report and people on here saying City Arts is going in on the lot?

"The first new school in decades planned for downtown Oklahoma City likely will be located at the former “Skid Row,” which has been a vacant lot since 1990 when an urban renewal group razed a city block of seedy establishments.

"After months of analyzing a dozen sites for the $11.1 million downtown elementary school, a task force recommended the city block on the southwest corner of Sheridan and Walker avenues. "

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-scho...#ixzz1ObOEzUFV

[Pete]

OCURA owns the cleared land bounded by Dewey, Walker, Sheridan and California. It's right around 3 acres which is almost exactly the same size of the land occupied by Wilson Elementary, although at Wilson only about 25% of the land has buildings -- the rest is open space.

I'm confused as well, as it has been reported this will be the elementary site but now we're hearing City Arts. Might be big enough for both, I suppose... Although I question why a property with so much potential for commercial development be used for a school that could go almost anywhere.

[Rover]

With the CC and the school there, it looks like the downtown business area is being directed north and west with the boulevard serving as an artery to feed the high public uses areas (Bricktown, the park, the CC and the new school) from the west and northwest. By putting it sw of downtown business district, it might encourage the residential to develop on the west side of c2s.

[Rover]

There is a large developable area there. If the school is to be a truly urban design, it may not need nearly all the area and both could locate there. What a great way to create interaction between emerging young people and the arts. I love the idea of putting the school amongst the art facilities.

[Edge]

What is the current timeline on a) design, b) construction, c) operational guidelines (it sounds like charter vs. neighborhood school is still up in the air), and d) opening for the new downtown elementary school?

[Reno and Walker]

Maybe I am wrong, but could City Arts also fit on that block with a school. Things seem to change daily in this city.. Still believe City Arts will be there somewhere on that block.