OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[Laramie]

If we continue to add developments like OKANA, our tourism will continue to grow. That's why the Chickasaw's want the Zoo to build the Aquarium on their site--anything comparable to Tulsa's Jenks Aquarium or larger will be a boost for OKANA & FAM museum. There's a ton of potential in this area; so critical for the new road infrastructure to be able to accommodate traffic.

The WCWS could benefit from OKANA with its 404 luxury hotel rooms, an additional location besides downtown area hotels, Northwest Expressway hotels and Meridian Hotel corridor.

OKC core will have the Omni Luxury Hotel (largest) at 605 rooms, OKANA Luxury resort will be next largest at 404 rooms moving ahead of Sheraton at 395 rooms.

[HOT ROD]

the point is two fold; 1) we need to further densify downtown rather than keep branching out having fields inbetween major anchors and 2) OKC's government seems to have a system of back-room good ole boy deals that neglects public input despite the "public reviews" that are offered. Both of these issues are why OKC has not reach critical mass and we likely never will as long as we dont address these 2 issues. MAPS has been successful largely because OKC has been so lacking compared to peer major cities; just getting what we got made the city relevent. But it could have been done better and we should have better, more connected development yet special interests seem to always creep in and as was mentioned, long before the council approval which serves as a rubber stamp.

It'd be awesome if someone could really do some investigative journalism here, not to point fingers or anything but to improve the process and hold officials accountable. If they say they promote transparancy then someone should mention when things arent; which is nearly every major development. Luckily, there doesn't appear to be much corruptions (other than the fairgrounds imo) but the city should take public input more than just a baked survey. I have been calling for master plans for years and still haven't really seen one other than the Core-2-Shore plan which came from the former mayor Cornett.

Can anyone reach out to Holt and the crew? I'd hate to see MAPS suffer long term because of this.

[Plutonic Panda]

Real shame they were denied the opportunity to stick this in MAPS 4 with a canal extension running through it. The City would be much better off with this somewhere downtown.

I still hope they extend the canal into the Producers site. That would be a TIF I could behind.

[RodH]

Just because a project you like was not included in the MAPS program does not mean that something inappropriate happened during the selection process. Nor does it mean that the representatives who were tasked with choosing the projects are persons of bad character. There are always more projects proposed than there is room to include in the program. Someone is always going to be disappointed. Aquarium proponents should be happy that there may still be an opportunity for one to be developed instead of making unsubstantiated accusations against the people who did not chose to include it in MAPS in 2019.

[chssooner]

The aquarium wasn't even mentioned until like, 2 weeks or so before the Maps 4 projects were announced. It may have even been less than that. No one mentioned an aquarium until Pete did here but by then, the projects had already been basically named (which is fair, since it was a year long process to pick them, not a 2 week process).

[Laramie]

The Aquarium will be good for OKC. If its on the OKANA RESORT site or downtown, it will be supported with the right infrastructure, parking and complementary developments. Not a fan of putting everything downtown; keep it open for the new NBA-style arena and more hotels, office towers and corporate developments.

We have a mix of unique neighborhoods & districts. Adventure District, Arts District, Asian District, Automobile Alley, Boathouse District, Bricktown, Capitol Hill, Downtown, Classen-Ten-Penn, Deep Deuce, Eastside, Farmers Market, Lincoln Terrace, Mesta Park, Midtown, Paseo Arts, Plaza District, Putnam Heights, SOSA & Uptown... ...there are several not listed.

More promising parcels like Producers Co-Op Oil Mill. Plenty of opportunity zones & areas for our city.

[Pete]

The aquarium wasn't even mentioned until like, 2 weeks or so before the Maps 4 projects were announced. It may have even been less than that. No one mentioned an aquarium until Pete did here but by then, the projects had already been basically named (which is fair, since it was a year long process to pick them, not a 2 week process).

It was a little late but they had submitted the idea to the city well before I posted about it.


Anyway, looks like it's going to happen now. If so, OKANA will truly be a regional draw.

[BoulderSooner]

The aquarium wasn't even mentioned until like, 2 weeks or so before the Maps 4 projects were announced. It may have even been less than that. No one mentioned an aquarium until Pete did here but by then, the projects had already been basically named (which is fair, since it was a year long process to pick them, not a 2 week process).

it was in discussion with the city over a year (at least) before the maps 4 projects were announced ..

[Plutonic Panda]

Hopefully it is built it compete with the Georgia Aquarium. Aim big.

[ChrisHayes]

I don't understand the argument that having the aquarium at Okana won't benefit the city. They've already estimated that Okana as was originally planned would bring in many millions of tax revenue to the city. Nevermind the likely spurring of further development because of it. Now, add a huge aquarium to the deal, and it's an even bigger draw. Not everything needs to be in downtown. Put everything down downtown and you won't have room for more actual buildings. I look forward to the CoOp site being developed, but let's face it, building the aquarium there would cost a LOT more money and probably take a lot longer time to do than with Okana. I'd much rather see CoOp be developed into an elaborate mixed use development than have the aquarium there.

[bombermwc]

Me neither Chris. If its in OKC, it's a benefit to OKC....as long as it doesn't suck. The Jenks aquarium, yeah that's expensive and sub-par. I'd rather drive all the way to downtown Dallas for an aquarium than go to the mini-mall version like at Jenks.

Like i've said before, the Chickasaw Nation doesn't do crappy projects. They're all quality with a lot of thought put in to it. If they're doing this, then you know that it's set up for success and quality.

Just another addition to this development that will wow us all in 10 years when its all completed.

[Laramie]

Me neither Chris. If its in OKC, it's a benefit to OKC....as long as it doesn't suck. The Jenks aquarium, yeah that's expensive and sub-par. I'd rather drive all the way to downtown Dallas for an aquarium than go to the mini-mall version like at Jenks.

Like i've said before, the Chickasaw Nation doesn't do crappy projects. They're all quality with a lot of thought put in to it. If they're doing this, then you know that it's set up for success and quality.

Just another addition to this development that will wow us all in 10 years when its all completed.

Do agree that the Tribe does quality projects & developments.

The Chickasaw Tribe wants the OKC Zoo Aquarium on their 100 acre track to increase tourism--beneficial to OKANA & FAM. Just not sure how much input or financial assistance they will put into it.

Now when the Tribe begins talking financial assistance, the City will get involved offering the necessary infrastructure to insure
its success.

[soonerguru]

The aquarium wasn't even mentioned until like, 2 weeks or so before the Maps 4 projects were announced. It may have even been less than that. No one mentioned an aquarium until Pete did here but by then, the projects had already been basically named (which is fair, since it was a year long process to pick them, not a 2 week process).

This was my thought as well. Reading above, I guess I was wrong. Not sure why I didn't hear about it until like a week before the council vote.

The aquarium proposal seemed very last minute and not well conceived. It was actually used by opponents of MAPS to vote against it. Odd deal.

This proposal seems much more likely to come to fruition.

[Pete]

New entrance (over the concrete channel) and road starting to take shape:

[HOT ROD]

did anybody say the acquarium wouldn't benefit OKC?

I think the only argument made was that it'd been nice if it were a MAPS 4 project that we saw at the COOP lands. We have that empty land yet we're building great assets over 1.5 miles away in blighted land that's separated from downtown by interstate and the river. IMO, it would have been nice to build OKANA and FAM at the COOP lands, along with the acquarium and perhaps an extension of the canal - naturally extending downtown and making a world class destination. THAT is what people are venting, the land choice, not that an aquarium anywhere in OKC wouldn't benefit OKC.

[Pete]

[Jake]

Im so excited for this.

[Pete]

They are really getting busy now.

From ground level, you can really see how much earth they have already moved.

[Pete]

[amocore]

Guests will have a good view of the metal shredders from the upper rooms of the hotel... and downtown too !

[Bowser214]

Ch 5 reported this morning today was official ground breaking.

[mugofbeer]

I still hope they extend the canal into the Producers site. That would be a TIF I could behind.

+1

[mugofbeer]

Guests will have a good view of the metal shredders from the upper rooms of the hotel... and downtown too !

It's amazingly addictive.

[amocore]

It's amazingly addictive.

Surely for some ! It is an impressive piece of machinery if you had the opportunity to drop some scrap iron overthere.

[Pete]

The large asphalt patch is a temporary parking area for the construction trailers and workers.