This project essentially passed this morning. Due to variance requirement, the review technically is getting pushed to November meeting. However, the BUDC is in agreement to allow that variance to pass.
The regulation is that any parking garage in Bricktown must have screening element covering vehicles for any street view.
The argument by applicant is that the lack of screening on the north side of the building is a better design element because it gives the appearance of a more breathable structure and becomes less monolithic.
To my surprise, the BUDC agreed that leaving the north with no screening was a better design. Therefore, this project passed as presented. The north side of the garage will be without screen and only have cable barriers as shown below.
It doesn't sound like it will now. The owner of the building at 16 NE 2nd (across the railroad ROW) filed an opposition that went up before the zoning adjustment board the same day I went to argue against an AirBnB next door, and it sounds like they're going to shift the structure south by a few feet and add screening to a part of the north face of the garage nearest the opposition property.
Construction should begin on the garage by summer, with an expected construction timeline of 12 months. Supposedly the connector between this garage and Santa Fe Garage is still on, though I do not know the way this will be accomplished.
Fingers crossed for it to be underground, but I expect some sort of a street level/skywalk to be done for people to be taken up and over Gaylord
They should begin some demo work on this site starting next week (first week of June).
I have a strong feeling that parking in this lot next week (and throughout construction) will be a squeeze considering how much will be blocked, and with the softball world series in town. The Hotel Valets must be moving to other garages, or I am seriously misjudging the size of the lot. But it looks nearly 75-80 full at this moment, if not more
Noticed today that trees are cut down and they were unloading concrete barriers just now. Construction site work definitely has begun
^
Thanks!
I wonder if any of the BancFirst or Continental employees are still parking at the Cox Center?
I know those two companies co-own the Santa Fe Garage but they wouldn't be building this new structure unless they needed the spaces.
If they still have parkers at Cox, they will have to hustle and get them into this new garage before they start demolition for the new arena after the first of the year. Garages tend to go up pretty quickly.
I am curious if the connection to Santa Fe is still on, it was said in May they were still working with the city, but I assume with demo starting they would need to be getting close to a solution. I assume its dead and the city will land on a crosswalk where the folks used to cross, if anything at all
crosswalk is better anyway.
Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!
Santa Fe (now managed by Robinson Park) has a waitlist for their reserved parking, I believe the first 4 or 5 floors are reserved spots. There have been a few days I've noticed a lot full sign out while leaving. Granted half of the top floor is closed for concrete work, but there are a substantial amount of parkers there now as well. I could imagine there may still be a few overflow parkers in PSM
It has been reiterated again today that the city will be building a connection between this garage and Santa Fe and that this is still currently in the design phase. It does appear it will likely be an above grade connection
My best guess is to utilize the existing cut through under the tracks at the midway point of Santa Fe to get past them; then some sort of a ramped bridge to go up and over gaylord into the 2nd or 3rd floor of Santa Fe. I could imagine the city may have to redo this section of Gaylord dropping it to two lanes to accommodate for whatever pedestrian bridge is constructed; unless the plan is to flyover both the tracks and Gaylord together in a direct connection from the top of this garage to wherever it meets the other. Just due to existing underground connections and the location of the new garage, I think underground is far outside the realm of expectations
Wouldn't it be dramatically cheaper just to have a good crosswalk? There are two nearby, but a mid-block one could be put in that includes lights and such and is aligned with pedestrian crossings at the light.
I don’t see how this could be above grade. It would have to be pretty tall to go over the train crossing that is already elevated. You’d be connecting to min 4th or maybe even 5th floor of the Santa Fe garage as there would have to be around 25 feet of clearance for trains on top of elevated rail in place My guess is at grade thru the old street cut thru around entrance to Santa fe garage adding signals there.
^
AND you have to get approval from the railroad which is almost impossible and the reason why the Bricktown tunnel under the tracks was abandoned, even though we had federal money.
far too many overheads in OKC already if you ask me. Could be why OKC appears to be relatively dead when compared to other major cities' downtowns.
completely do not understand the need of an overhead from one garage to another???? That money could be better spent, elsewhere, or to put in retail on ground floor (and have a fund to assure its success)
Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!
There are currently 2 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 2 guests)
Bookmarks