Stockyards City

[Platemaker]

The new Stockyards City Arch is nearly complete... this comes just in time for the 100 year anniversary of the district. The span was erected over the last few days. The area is also being showcased in the National Trust's the 2010 National Main Street Conference in Oklahoma City, May 2-5.

I'm happy to see this being done... and hopefully showcasing one of OKC most unique and authentic districts. I've always thought a new arch was a great idea (with the the historic arch sort of tucked away)... I always pictured it at Exchange and Penn... this is on Agnew directly on the south bank of the Oklahoma River. I still say a second (matching?) one at Exchange and Penn would be a wonderful added bookend to the district. Picture it...

Although, I didn't snap a shot... the arch is quite substantial compared to the historic arch... or the stockyards arches of Fort Worth or Chicago.... it is easily visable from the heart of the Stockyards at Exchange and Agnew.

Go Southside!

Now if we can only get funding for the triumphant arch originally planned on Lincoln near the Capitol!!!

Some pics taken tonight:







Our historic arch on Exchange... embrace the REAL culture of OKC some of you!



Fort Worth's historic arch:



and Chicago's... basically the arch only remains here... the stockyards are long gone:

[gen70]

There needs to be a serious doc. on the OKC stockyards in my "O".

[metro]

Nice. I wonder if they are going to put signage on the arch. Surely they will. Glad to see our City and private investors finally putting the emphasis into our districts they deserve.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks, and very nicely done, Platemaker. I've not been in the Stockyards area lately and what you're documenting is very nice, indeed.

[okclee]

To bad the MAPS 3 couldn't do some more improvements in this area.

The Ft. Worth stockyards is very nice and makes the Okc stockyards look average.

[Midtowner]

Well, the stockyards ain't what they used to be. There are quite a few rural sale barns out there now stealing from its market share and since the slaughterhouse closed, I think business isn't what it used to be.

[Architect2010]

The Stockyards is just so small. If you drive through it and blink, then you've missed it. IMO, development should take place from the existing built up area to the river to make it more cohesive to the waterfront. As it is now, it literally could be mistaken as a town in the middle of nowhere with all of the large lots around it.

[Doug Loudenback]

Disagree, Architect. If one drives past Agnew on Exchange and they drive around the crappy roads that circumvent the place, and then consider the Armour and Wilson plants that gave OKC an early-day shot in the arm (as well as smell in the nose), it ain't so shabby:



For more, see Doug Dawgz Blog: Stockyards City

[okclee]

Either way, it would be nice to see this area come up a bit. I think Bass Pro and Toby Keith should have been located in the Stockyards. More of natural fit in my opinion.

[kd5ili]

IMO, the Stockyards area is a sleeping giant...so much potential, but there needs to be some serious investment and growth, and one heck of a PR job.

-Chris-

[Architect2010]

Doug. Your map just solidifies my point. Look at all the empty space inside that black bordered square of yours. While the actual stockyards and those two plants or whatever are cool, they aren't exactly what will make or break a historic district. Actually, they aren't very worthwile to me at all when it comes to entertainment and viability. They're just very large cool places to look at. Which isn't bad, but the Stockyards need some urban growth.

[Platemaker]

The Stockyards is just so small. If you drive through it and blink, then you've missed it.

The 'urban' parts of Stockyards City (historic buildings, etc on Agnew and Exchange... not the actual stock exchange or plants) measure 56 acres. The original parts of Bricktown (not including Lower Bricktown) cover about 57 acres (but that includes the large area covered by the ballpark).

You said 'if you drive through it and blink, then you've missed it'... I think that tells me you might want to get out and walk around.

IMO, development should take place from the existing built up area to the river to make it more cohesive to the waterfront. As it is now, it literally could be mistaken as a town in the middle of nowhere with all of the large lots around it.

Next time you go you might notice it really already is built to the river. The only thing between is a park... River Park.

The key that would give the urban feel is Exchange Ave. between Penn and Western linking it to downtown (specifically Film Row). It's already built up... an attractive streetscape alone along the full length of Exchange would do wonders to gentrify the area. Incidentally, that streetscape would probably kickstart the Farmer's Market as well.

After that, the NEW development should be mainly urban residental in the northeast and southeast areas of the district. That would require razing several blocks of run down houses (being carefull to save a few of them that are worth it obviously). Now the area is LARGER than Bricktown including Lower Bricktown.

[kd5ili]

Maybe develop a small entertainment district similar to this:



-Chris-

[Architect2010]

Platemaker. No need to be a smart ass. I have walked around it. I said you can drive through it and miss it because about the only part that you can tell that you're actually in the Stockyards and is actually interesting and makes you want to get out is from about 13th to 10th. That area, the shops, arch, the actual stockyards is what I am talking about. The rest of it is just kinda ehh. It needs to be built up. Infill, more shops, maybe a residential, and a mixed use project like the one above but western themed. You can take my opinion as just hatin' on the Stockyards, or you can realize that not everyone in this city is a OKC-promoter, and that they won't know every little cool tidbit about the Stockyards like you. That is what I see and that's what they see.

[kd5ili]

I will have to say that the photos of the Fort Worth Stockyards vs the OKC Stockyards did give me a bit of a laugh...in the Fort Worth photo there is actually a district in the background vs one small building and a bunch of telephone poles in ours.

-Chris-

[kevinpate]

Not my cup of murky liquid, but is there a mass of people, anywhere, who are truly clamoring to:
live next to,
dine outdoors nearby to,
shop and cart purchases around and through open air lifestyle centers near

functional and active stockyards?

[Steve]

Story in Sunday Oklahoman.

[jbrown84]

I will have to say that the photos of the Fort Worth Stockyards vs the OKC Stockyards did give me a bit of a laugh...in the Fort Worth photo there is actually a district in the background vs one small building and a bunch of telephone poles in ours.

I noticed that too. In our defense, that photo faces into the actual stockyards. Taken from behind the arch, you'd see we have historic buildings like what you seen in that Ft. Worth pic.

I've never been to the Ft. Worth stockyards, so I don't know how they compare. Is it really a residential district like Plate is proposing? I think I'm with Kevin on this one, especially given how many other areas we still need to bring to full potential (that are closer to downtown, no less).

You can only have so many western-themed restaurants and shops.

[Steve]

The Fort Worth Stockyards is a tourist district.

[jbrown84]

Well this much I know. I know the Cowgirl Hall of Fame is there. What else? What makes it more lively than OKC's Stockyards City? Nearer to downtown? More western-themed restaurants? What?

[lasomeday]

A western themed hotel that rises up next to the street, Club Rodeo, and maybe a place where local country western singers could play at could be located in Stockyard City. It would be awesome to have some of these places in that district.

[HOT ROD]

I think the thing that would make Stockyard's City into a "destination" is very simple:

move the National Cowboy/Western Heritage Museum into the district AND create a Western themed urban strip. ...

To me, I often wonder why OKC doesn't concentrate it's Western Heritage/Tradition into a nice area and then feed it/off of it. Why are things here and there, and most of the Western things aren't western themed at all - or western themed things are in "modern areas" of the city?

wouldn't it be great, if we had one part of town that was 'stuck' in the 1950's - (or) the highpoint of the Stockyards? Wouldn't it be great if OKC's ONLY world class museum was truly Western Themed and LOCATED in a truly Western Themed entertainment district? Wouldn't it be great if OKC had ONE part of town that offered modern urban living with truly Western Theme?

And yes, wouldn't it be great if there was a part of town that offered a 'bricktown' sized portion of dance clubs, bars, and restaurants that were all Western Themed and very close to each other? And since it is near the Fairgrounds, the two districts could/should feed off each other (and would with the NCWHM located at SC) .....

This is my vision for Stockyard's City and although it would mean a loss for the Adventure District, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum should be located in Stockyard's City, and we could try to get another world class attraction for the current Adventure District location. ....

That's just my two cents.

[ssandedoc]

I think the thing that would make Stockyard's City into a "destination" is very simple:

move the National Cowboy/Western Heritage Museum into the district AND create a Western themed urban strip. ...

ARE YOU KIDDING? Do you have any idea how much money that would cost to MOVE that entire museum? It would be millions and millions of dollars. You have no idea how much time and money they spent on the collections care of one portrait being toted to Europe.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is in a world class facility, and has one of the largest collections of Western art in the U.S. If people want to see it they can drive 15 minutes on the interstate.

Seriously, moving the entire museum is the most absurd thing I've ever heard on this forum.

[bluedogok]

I remember when the Fort Worth Stockyards was nothing more than the Coliseum and Billy Bob's, they have done quite a bit to it over the years to make a tourist destination, basically the Fort Worth West End. We went there earlier this year when my cousins band played at Billy Bob's, we stayed at the Hyatt Place hotel in the The Stockyards and walked over to Billy Bob's. Much nicer than my old 45 minute drive over from Northeast Dallas where i used to live. The OKC Stockyards could be developed into something similar, I do think the idea of Toby Keith's being down there is a good one.

[kevinpate]

Hot Rod, I have a better idea. How about the new owners of Remington take IT to Stockyard City and we leave the Cowboy Hall of Fame right where it be.

Yeah, I know it's now under a new name. But liking the former name is one of my vices, and as it ain't an illegal vice, I'm not inclined to let it go anytime soon.

And it absotively, posilutely does not need to be moved from its present location.