John Rex Elementary

[lasomeday]

I get what you are saying. I feel safe there, but I wouldn't let my 6 year old walk around there! It only takes one!

[ljbab728]

I get what you are saying. I feel safe there, but I wouldn't let my 6 year old walk around there! It only takes one!

I hope you wouldn't let your 6 year old walk around anywhere alone unless it's in your fenced in back yard. It only takes one anywhere. Do people think that schools take no security precautions for the students? I don't really understand this.

[ljbab728]

Okay if you say so jbab.. I tell you what I invite you to come volunteer one day this month and serve food with me and then you can make a conclusion.

No need to volunteer with you. I"ve seen plenty of mental illness among the population all over OKC. Please tell me specifically what dangerous issues it has caused for people in that area compared to the other "safe" areas.

[UnFrSaKn]

Rolling in the Deep

Posted by slackmeyer
on July 1, 2011M at 11:15 pm

I don’t get to do a column on Tuesday because of the lack of a business section with Monday being a holiday. But if I did have a column that day, I’d say this: Mark this day on your calendar; it’s a historic one for downtown Oklahoma City.

Yep, the city council is set to decide, once and for all, the location of the downtown elementary school. Expect an easy approval of the decision previously made by the Oklahoma City School Board and MAPS for Kids trust to build the school at Sheridan and Walker Avenues, across from Stage Center.
Will a separate decision to approve a recommendation by the MAPS 3 citizens review board to build the new convention center south of the Myriad Gardens be just as easy? Despite the best of efforts by Mayor Mick Cornett the past few years to lock in a different site south of the Oklahoma City Arena, don’t be surprised if the “Core to Shore North” site sticks.

[G.Walker]

Instead of an elementary school, they should make this an magnet high school, for the visual and performing arts, since the location is in the Arts District of downtown Oklahoma City...

[Just the facts]

I think the idea is to start at the beginning. Children go to elementary school first. Then they get older and you build a Jr High. Then they get older and you build a high school. Eventually there might even be a college campus. If you build the high school first then you have to recruit a new class of downtown resident every 4 years. Build the elementary school first and bring the other levels on-line as needed and a family could live downtown for 20 years. The downtown elementary school will not be the last public school built downtown and might explain why some sites were not choosen. For example, the Century Center site would make a much better high school than an elementary school as high school kids would be able to ride a streetcar all on their own.

[betts]

Classen School of Advanced Studies has a visual and performing arts"major" at this point in time so I think an elementary school is a good place to start as we develop a downtown population base.

[Rover]

If you want to retain the urban class, which this board seems to think is the younger creative worker and professionals, then they are more likely to stay beyond their "beer drinking" years if there is a way for them to keep their young kids close as they start their families. If they have to move to the burbs after starting their families just to get their kids in a decent elementary school, then it would seem counterproductive to luring them downtown in the first place. We have to give the downtown a chance to grow without constant turnover. I think a specialized school does not do that. The downtown math and science school is great, but it doesn't really add to the sense of community in downtown, IMHO.

[betts]

Anthony McDermid is saying downtown elementary school will be multiple-story and a design that is more urban than our usual suburban elementary school.

[Pete]

Now that's it's looking like Stage Center may be doomed, that property combined with the elementary school site is quite large and very well-positioned.

It's probably too late but this may end up being a missed opportunity for a large development. If the Ford site people were serious about their plans for their site, the city could have worked out a land-swap deal which would enable them to go forward on the SC/school site.

[G.Walker]

a developer could still get a nice high rise condo on the Stage Center site though

[Just the facts]

Now that's it's looking like Stage Center may be doomed, that property combined with the elementary school site is quite large and very well-positioned.

It's probably too late but this may end up being a missed opportunity for a large development. If the Ford site people were serious about their plans for their site, the city could have worked out a land-swap deal which would enable them to go forward on the SC/school site.

My guess is that Bob Howard wants the $30 million dollars and not the land. A land swap does nothing for him.

As for the Stage Center, it will be interesting how that goes. Will it go the way of India Temple, the Gold Dome, or just sit vacant for the next 30 years?

[Just the facts]

Anthony McDermid is saying downtown elementary school will be multiple-story and a design that is more urban than our usual suburban elementary school.

You mean it might actually attract people to live near by? That is just crazy enough to work.

[Larry OKC]

How about converting Stage Center into one of the MAPS 3 Senior Aquatic Centers? Turn the flood prone areas into the Aquatics part and just think of all the fun you could have with wheelchair races in the various tube/walkways connecting building sections (I kid)

[lasomeday]

a developer could still get a nice high rise condo on the Stage Center site though

Yeah, a highise on that site would block the sun for the Crystal Bridge and the Myriad Gardens! HORRIBLE IDEA!

Most cities have height limits to the south, east, and west of parks to keep from shading the park and limiting the growth/killing the plants.

[betts]

If we continue to have summers like this, I think the Myriad Gardens might be glad of a little shade! Obviously a joke, but I can't even bear to be outside for a few minutes this summer.

[Larry OKC]

Agree 1000%

[Just the facts]

Yeah, a highise on that site would block the sun for the Crystal Bridge and the Myriad Gardens! HORRIBLE IDEA!

Most cities have height limits to the south, east, and west of parks to keep from shading the park and limiting the growth/killing the plants.

Most plants can't live in full sun. Having shade will allow for a great varity of plant life. My house cast a shadow on all four side at some point during the day and the plants around my house do just fine. In fact, the part of my yard that is the shade the most is the best part of my lawn. Probably because it doesn't get fried sitting in the sun all day.

[kevinpate]

If we continue to have summers like this, I think the Myriad Gardens might be glad of a little shade! Obviously a joke, but I can't even bear to be outside for a few minutes this summer.

Ditto. I've never been just worn down by the heat like I have this summer. Even dark thirty is still warmer than I wish to mess with.

[lasomeday]

Most plants can't live in full sun. Having shade will allow for a great varity of plant life. My house cast a shadow on all four side at some point during the day and the plants around my house do just fine. In fact, the part of my yard that is the shade the most is the best part of my lawn. Probably because it doesn't get fried sitting in the sun all day.

The cactus and palm collections at the Crystal Bridge need full sun. The palms cast shadows that allow for other plants in the Crystal Bridge to grow.

[UnFrSaKn]

New elementary school downtown in MAPS

Jesse Wells Reporting KFOR-TV

6:35 p.m. CDT, July 6, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Leaders in Oklahoma City have approved building a new downtown elementary school. This week the city council gave the go ahead to build the $11-million project on the southwest corner of Sheridan and Walker.
The 500-student elementary will be the last school built as part of MAPS For Kids.

[G.Walker]

A daycare facility will have to be built also for children attending the school of workers downtown who don't get of work until 5pm, and school is out at 2:45, as before and after school care will be needed, unless they implement a program at the school...

[ljbab728]

Yeah, a highise on that site would block the sun for the Crystal Bridge and the Myriad Gardens! HORRIBLE IDEA!

Most cities have height limits to the south, east, and west of parks to keep from shading the park and limiting the growth/killing the plants.

This has been discussed in previous threads. You certainly couldn't prove your point by looking at Central Park in New York which is surrounded by buildings much higher than what might be built in this area.

[Just the facts]

The cactus and palm collections at the Crystal Bridge need full sun. The palms cast shadows that allow for other plants in the Crystal Bridge to grow.

They don't need full sun. They can live in it, but they don't need it.

[lasomeday]

This has been discussed in previous threads. You certainly couldn't prove your point by looking at Central Park in New York which is surrounded by buildings much higher than what might be built in this area.

Did you just compare the Myriad Gardens to Central Park? REALLY! Have you been there. Have you seen the green houses there. Are they next to the buildings?

Study parks, tropical/desert plants, and sun shadows and get back to us!