Taft Stadium

[warreng88]

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|category1=Northwest
|category2=Recreation
|category3=Sports
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|address=N. May & 27th
|status=under construction
|owner=OKC Public Schools
|cost=
|architect=MA+
|start=
|finish=January 2015
|contractor=
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Information & Latest News

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[Pete]

This is from a July 7, 2007 article from the Oklahoman:

Another major investment is supposed to come from MAPS.
“What we’ve been told is if there is any money left over, then Taft will get some,” Palmer said. “But we haven’t heard from them in two years.”
And they won’t for another two, but MAPS indeed has Taft Stadium on its radar.
“It’s on our list, but low on the priority list,” said Mark Carlton, a MAPS representative. “We basically have around $5 million planned for improvements and major construction to Taft Junior High and Taft Stadium.”
However, the planning portion of that project is scheduled to begin in 2009. Actual construction is planned to begin in 2011.

They are talking about MAPS for Kids here.


There is also a foundation that has been established for Taft:

Taft Stadium Restoration Foundation

[Larry OKC]

I remember in Mayor Mick's announcement of the MAPS 3, he said "12 of the top 14 suggestions were included in MAPS 3. The two that were not included were downtown retail and a football stadium. The football stadium was not included because Taft Stadium and Speigel (sp?) were going to undergo renovations using money from the bond issue that passed."

I looked at the 2007 bond issue website for a list of projects and couldn't find the renovations listed. I understand this is a 10 year bond issue, but do we have any idea what and when it is going to be done? Any help would be appreciated.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't that included as part of the 2007 School Bond (not to be confused with the 2007 General Obligation Bond)?

[circled9]

its a great old stadium. hope they do it. have to wonder if neighborhood noise complaints could be one reason for dragging their feet. i used to live on nw 32nd near May Avenue and could hear both the football crowds and the stock car racing quite clearly.

although i would hate to see a place like Taft Stadium go, maybe we need someplace away from the neighborhoods for high school football, race cars and concerts since those close to the zoo(concerts) and the fairgrounds(race cars) have noise issues also.

maybe a MAPS 4 project?????

[BB37]

its a great old stadium. hope they do it. have to wonder if neighborhood noise complaints could be one reason for dragging their feet. i used to live on nw 32nd near May Avenue and could hear both the football crowds and the stock car racing quite clearly.

although i would hate to see a place like Taft Stadium go, maybe we need someplace away from the neighborhoods for high school football, race cars and concerts since those close to the zoo(concerts) and the fairgrounds(race cars) have noise issues also.

maybe a MAPS 4 project?????

I grew up at NW 24th and Villa, and remember the noise from the stock car races quite well -- wasn't sorry when they ended racing there.

As for crowd noise, it's been a long time since Taft hosted a game big enough to draw a large crowd. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[bombermwc]

I don't consider game noise to be a warrant to not do anything. Simply look at almost any metro school and the stadiums are next to homes (all of Mid-Del, PC, Mustang, Norman, etc). You don't see them stopping improvements because of the crowd.

At MWC - there's actually a house on one endzone that put a deer stand on top of this house so he could watch the game from there.

[tburn]

I like the sound of the crowd & band!
I also grew up with the race noises from the fairgrounds - love them!
aren't most games/events over by 10pm?
anyone complaining about noise seems a little crumudgeon-y
thats too bad.

now the early bird band practice on weekends would get me a little testy.

[betts]

Game noise shouldn't be an issue. First of all, it's usually happy noise, and it's not going to be that often. Speaking as someone who hears train noise all day and night long when I'm home, I don't think people should be very put out about game noise a few nights a year.

[circled9]

i am not saying that the noise bothered me. as a matter of fact, i used to sell hot dogs at taft and the fairgrounds as a kid. however, i do remember people complaining and know that people complain now about the fairgrounds and the zoo. my post was simply one of pointing out a reason why the city may be dragging its feet a little bit.

[bombermwc]

I don't think sound has anything to do with it at all. It is strange that they have spent so much time on the best stadium in the district though. They tore down the crap at the other places, but left the jewel alone.

Now it's going to take a lot of planning and money to do it right. They need to do something to help the place, and at this point, I'd rather see something rather than nothing. A simple cleaning of the grounds, putting seats in, new field/track, parking lot. At least that's a start to gutting the interior and doing what should have been done 30 years ago.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Hopefully they don't do the same crap that was done to Jelsma Stadium in Guthrie.

[bombermwc]

What's wrong with it? Other than being weird by having the baseball stadium on one end, it's been rated one of the best places to watch a high shool football game by ESPN. One could only hope that Taft would be that good.

[Patrick]

I'm all in favor of renovating Taft Stadium but that's all up to the OKCPS at this point, and private money if they can collect enough. MAPS for kids didn't address Taft Stadium, although they said if they had extra money left over they'd consider improvements. They could consider addressing it in a future school bond issue, but they probably still have more pressing needs with their school buildings, which were left to decay for 30+ years prior to MAPS for kids.

[bombermwc]

And i still don't understand why they didn't include it. It was/is the biggest pile of crap in the district. I just don't understand for the life of my why they ignored it.

[Patrick]

I guess they're trying to put academic facilities before sports facilities?

[bombermwc]

Except they worked on athletic facilities at other locations. Crap, look at Douglas. They built on the old football field so they had to rebuild the stadium, but that stadium was in far better condition than Taft.

[ewoodard]

All they did to Jelsma in Guthrie is increase seating, new vistors locker room, updated concession stand/press box (football and baseball), cleaned the rock walls, refaced the seating areas on both sides, paved the vistors bus parking area, refaced the baseball dugouts and concesion area.

I really don't see the crap your talking about. Taft Stadium could be a real gem if they would put the money in that it deserves.

[JohnDenver]

Race cars in Taft Stadium?!

Huh?

[Larry OKC]

I'm all in favor of renovating Taft Stadium but that's all up to the OKCPS at this point, and private money if they can collect enough. MAPS for kids didn't address Taft Stadium, although they said if they had extra money left over they'd consider improvements. They could consider addressing it in a future school bond issue, but they probably still have more pressing needs with their school buildings, which were left to decay for 30+ years prior to MAPS for kids.

You are right as far as MAPS for Kids goes, they were hoping to have enough money but apparently didn't. Can't find the material now but could have sworn it was included in the 2007 School Bond Issue??

[Tall Girl]

Yes, the first time I ever went to any races was at Taft stadium. Billy Patton Sr. raced there, I was just a kid. He just turned 80 in September but sadly has just passed away. His son also raced at the fairgrounds and his grandsons race too. Great memories - sad to drive by there now.

[gen70]

I hope the stadium gets restored in a good manner. I think it would be an asset to the area and OKC.

[BB37]

Race cars in Taft Stadium?!

Huh?

Yep, back in the early-to-mid 60s.

[SoonerBent]

Races were at Taft from 1946 to 1964. Here's a pretty good history of early OKC dirt track racing.
Oklahoma City Racing 1957-1967

[Theo Walcott]

If the stadium were to be restored, it would be a good venue for watching MLS soccer. Just saying....

[bombermwc]

and can we say band contest!!! Those sight lines are amazing!