OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[borchard]

Probably more of a reason to put the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium on or near the river.

BTW I passed by the OKANA hotel portion of the resort today (July 17). It has topped out at 11 stories. Skeletal frame can be seen crossing I-40/I-35 junction into MWC from OKC. The FAM and OKANA area looks impressive.

Returning home I drove Eastern Avenue north from S.E. 29th Street to get a better view. The red dirt mixture reflects the construction progress.

OKC IMO can attract more events without Energy FC's 17 home games as an anchor tenant. Again, a 20,000 capacity venue opens the door for more events or a new anchor USL tenant,

Prodigal LLC needs to move on and get out of the way of progress.

I agree with Laramie. IF OKC builds the MAPS4 Stadium they should build it with at least a 20k capacity. And, IMHO, even with 20k it should be constructed with the ability to expand at a later date, if need be, like San Antonio's stadium was built years ago. The number of other events that could be brought to such a stadium would be a reason to build it with a larger seating capacity: HS FB Championships, Small college FB games (OBU v SNU, etc...), XFL, USFL, MLL, NWSL (possibly). Now that OKANA is there, the possibility to collab and go after something like the FCS FB Championship, which is now held at an 18k seat soccer stadium in Frisco, TX.

[Mountaingoat]

I agree. I am a believer in "if you're going to do it, do it right the first time."

[Pete]

[Bowser214]

This looks so much bigger in person. Love the water looks blue not brown.

[Bowser214]

On page 8 blog entry #188 I had forgotten about the Market Place this development is going to have. Still amazes me how so much happening in OKC!

[HFAA Alum]

It's brown. Thats the reflection of the sky you're seeing in the river.

[Jake]

This is going to be such a big deal. Can't wait!

[catch22]

Okana by catch22, on Flickr

[OKCisOK4me]

Nice shots, catch22!

[soonerguru]

Agree. ^^^^

[ChrisHayes]

I was out there checking it out earlier today, and it looks like there are already a lot of water park parts. They're piled up beside the museum. A bunch of different colored tubes like water slide parts. Weird that they would be sitting out in the open like that.

[HFAA Alum]

I was out there checking it out earlier today, and it looks like there are already a lot of water park parts. They're piled up beside the museum. A bunch of different colored tubes like water slide parts. Weird that they would be sitting out in the open like that.

To be fair, most waterpark parts are always sitting out in the open being that the park isn't indoors.

[HOT ROD]

looks like the hvac is going in the windows. ...

[Rover]

looks like the hvac is going in the windows. ...

The sleeves, or the units?

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^
Probably just commenting that the smaller openings in the sheathing next to each room’s windows would seem to indicate that through-wall PTAC units are intended there.

[Rover]

^^^^^^^^
Probably just commenting that the smaller openings in the sheathing next to each room’s windows would seem to indicate that through-wall PTAC units are intended there.

Right. The sleeves go in early and the units are installed in them much later, usually.

[HOT ROD]

yes Rover (and urban), I was hoping that the hvac would be more centralized rather than window units mainly due to the aesthetics and corrosive impacts that runoff can have with the façade.

I believe OMNI has central hvac iirc as do most modern, highrise hotels - I was 'expecting' similar quality here due to the rep of the folks building it.

[Pete]

You can see in the last photo they have started work on the spa/restaurants/marketplace on the west side of the lagoon; looks like they are starting on the lagoon as well.

[Pete]

Regarding the brightly-colored slide sections, part of the slides will actually exit the building and then come back in.

Also, there will be outdoor slides near the lagoon (see in the right-center of the last image):

[Pete]

[Pete]

[dankrutka]

It be cool if Okana had a partnership with Riversport OKC where guests at Okana could rent a kayak, row to the boathouse district, and then catch a ride back to Okana. It could be advertised as rowing an Olympic length course, which will of course be even better if OKC gets rowing for the Olympics. The course provides a reasonable distance and destination for people interested in trying it out. Is something like that part of the plan?

[bucktalk]

I drove by this project for the first time this week. While the project itself is impressive, to say the least, the approach off of I-35, then driving east under the underpass is so bad, so sketchy at best. The entire corner encompassing truck stops, Greyhound bus terminal, many homeless people and mounds of trash scattered about - I wonder if this area will be improved once the project site is completed? Also, I have no idea who/what group could lead out in making much needed approaches to this project?

[Pete]

^

Once the new housing is online with lots of low-barrier beds (i.e. don't have to be sober) there should be room for most of the homeless population.

Then if at that point the homeless make the choice to stay on the street, the City will have more power to enforce anti-loitering and anti-littering laws. In other words, they can offer them a place to stay but if they refuse, they will not be allowed to camp out at these intersections and create mountains of blowing trash.

I suspect what will happen is they will be chased off to other areas that are less visible.

[Laramie]

I drove by this project for the first time this week. While the project itself is impressive, to say the least, the approach off of I-35, then driving east under the underpass is so bad, so sketchy at best. The entire corner encompassing truck stops, Greyhound bus terminal, many homeless people and mounds of trash scattered about - I wonder if this area will be improved once the project site is completed? Also, I have no idea who/what group could lead out in making much needed approaches to this project?

Notice some signs of homelessness at Reno Avenue under the Eastern Avenue bridge I-40 entry/exit where the dam was built. The city needs to put this on their top priority list to address.



Why not offer some incentives to relocate the Greyhound Bus back to Downtown to the Santa Fe Station Intermodal Transit Hub which the City invested $28.4 million to transform the depot. IIRC the grand scheme was to make the old Santa Fe Station Depot a transit hub for Amtrak, City Buses, Greyhound Buses. taxi services and the Modern Street Car on the ground level.

What happened to those plans?