Scissortail Park

[Anonymous.]

Plus the entire park has an irrigation system, water is the answer to keeping things alive in this state.

[TheTravellers]

Plus the entire park has an irrigation system, water is the answer to keeping things alive in this state.

Did not know that (guess I didn't pay 100% attention during this project ), but yeah, that'll be the key to keeping the newly planted stuff alive in the nasty days and weeks ahead.

[shawnw]

^

That was a city/odot project not a MAPS project where they hired and paid a lot of money to a big landscape architecture firm.

Also, the boulevard is treated just like any other city maintenance, which is to say poorly. Scissortail is endowed by millions for maintenance and programming, just like the Myriad Gardens. How many dead trees do you see in those parks?

Not an apt comparison.

I know, that's why I made the tongue in cheek face

[gopokes88]

The park is no doubt a success but the decision to level the trees is embarrassing. Apparently that was not the designers' idea, as they did no such thing with Gathering Place.

The little starter trees provide no shade and there are scant evergreens, making the park look like a barren wasteland during winter months. It's also just weird to have a "central park" with no mature trees.

For the record I do love that the park exists and go there literally every weekend for the farmers market.

I have literally never seen a post of yours where you aren't complaining or criticizing

[shawnw]

He's not wrong tho

[Laramie]

Criticism can be used constructively. Oklahoma City is getting there. Time to criticize is during the design stages of development where at least our leaders will have a chance to reconsider.

Get involved by getting to know you city council representative.

[LocoAko]

Looks like all the South Robinson-facing buildings across the street from the park between SW 13th and SW 14th are being proposed for demolition this week with no further plans for the land.

[shawnw]

I don't know if any of these buildings were "worth saving" (arbitrary definition I realize) or not, but I'll never understand the hurry to demolish when we can just wait for the timing to take care of itself. At various points in history no eyes would have been batted at the demolition of old run down places like the service station on NWC 10/Hudson (Sunset), the garage at what is now Barrios etc, or Social Capital, and the list goes on. The interesting/creative things people come up with to do with old buidings is worth the wait IMO instead of this being empty land/makeshift surface parking for the next decade.

A more recent example is what is now Fair Weather Brewery, which has gone into some very similar kinds of structures that no one would have cared about being demolished at any time in the recent past.

[Rover]

I don't know if any of these buildings were "worth saving" (arbitrary definition I realize) or not, but I'll never understand the hurry to demolish when we can just wait for the timing to take care of itself. At various points in history no eyes would have been batted at the demolition of old run down places like the service station on NWC 10/Hudson (Sunset), the garage at what is now Barrios etc, or Social Capital, and the list goes on. The interesting/creative things people come up with to do with old buidings is worth the wait IMO instead of this being empty land/makeshift surface parking for the next decade.

A more recent example is what is now Fair Weather Brewery, which has gone into some very similar kinds of structures that no one would have cared about being demolished at any time in the recent past.

Isn't a fair amount of this salvage and auto shop area that could have extensive ground clean-up required? If so, wouldn't that make salvaging the buildings more difficult and expensive?

[shawnw]

Doesn't cleanup have to occur whether or not the buildings are demolished?

[Dob Hooligan]

I don't see any strong reason to save these buildings. Some are value and purpose built shop type metal buildings. While one might be a post war era brick building that might have been more tailored for retail space. It is likely built on cracked and thin concrete, with a wood inner structure that is termite weakened; a leaky roof that needs total replacement; with ancient wiring that has been stripped of any valuable content and collapsed plumbing. I'm guessing the property owners pay higher taxes because there are existing structures; neither the city or the property owners see rehabilitation value within any time frame, and the risk of occupation by homeless squatters suggest they will be burned down within a year.

[Pete]

[andrew]

It’s honestly hard to remember life before scissortail park nowadays. It has very quickly become such an integral part of OKC; truly a beautiful hub of multi-use activities and enjoyment on a scale that was almost a pipe dream back in the early 2000s.

[Pete]

[Laramie]

Thanks Pete,

Those building should have been demolished at the start of building the upper park portion.

[Canoe]

Sissyail was amazing tonight. God bless America.

[soonerguru]

Look at all of those trees that were felled in the making of the park.

[ABCOKC]

Look at all of those trees that were felled in the making of the park.

Umm... the second picture is of the lower park.

[Roger S]

Just saw that Drive-By Truckers will be the headliner for the Second Anniversary concert on 9/24.

Interesting choice politically because they have been very vocal about the last 4 years and their last two albums have been a lot more politically focused....... On the plus side it might make it easier for me to fight my way to the front of the stage.

[Pete]

[shawnw]

Glad you posted that, meant to say earlier that I rode by here last week and there were sidewalks going in.

[ShadowStrings]

In my dream world, the lower park would extend all the way to Walker, and the soccer stadium would go here.

[shawnw]

Gotta say that would be a way cool thing to see for a lot of different reasons...

[jccouger]

In my dream world, the lower park would extend all the way to Walker, and the soccer stadium would go here.

I wonder why this isn't a possibility? Is it just simply not enough space?

[Pete]

I wonder why this isn't a possibility? Is it just simply not enough space?

Would be very, very expensive and time-consuming to buy those properties, especially now that the park is in.

There was no money in MAPS3 earmarked for that and with MAPS4 there wouldn't be nearly enough.