Maps3, Senior Centers and the Downtown Park

[Mikemarsh51]

Wow, metro talk about not being able to let go! Isn't it suppose to be good to have opposing sides to a discussion? Apparently you don't do well with opposing opinions! Oh well!

[Larry OKC]

Apparently the Aquatics part has only been dropped from the reporting....It has NOT been dropped as it still appears in the committee report at this time (taking up about half of the concept space).

http://okc.gov/AgendaPub/cache/2/3cn...2013937976.PDF

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
State-of-the-art senior health and wellness centers will encourage healthy lifestyles and serve as a gathering place for active seniors. The Senior Health and Wellness Centers will be approximately 37,000 square foot buildings and will be designed and built on sites yet to be determined. The Centers are to serve as the focal point for services to seniors in the community by striving to meet their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual and vocational needs through programming and services that promote wellness and enhance the quality of life. The Centers are outcome-focused venues that enhance physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, social engagement, life-long learning, and a deepened sense of purpose. It is anticipated that the member peak load for each center will be 4,000 seniors. The design is to be inviting and present visible activity to the community. Major program areas may consist of the following: fitness and track area, aquatic areas, health clinic, social and learning areas and administrative and support areas. Each facility is to reflect the needs of the surrounding community and will include an operating partner. Operating partners will be selected through a competitive proposal process. The size of the Centers will be driven by available construction dollars.

The disclaimers are still in there about each center possibly not having all of the same things as other ones and due to cost issues, they may have to cut something...keep letting your Council person & the Mayor know that they need to do everything they can to keep those elements that are important to you...

[TheTravellers]

This is probably elsewhere on the site, or maybe on OKC's site, so I apologize if it is, I just haven't found it yet, but if anybody happens to know off the top of their head, this info would be appreciated: How "on-track" is the MAPS3 funding? Are they hitting their numbers? I saw an update in one of the newsletters that goes out in the city bill, but only once and that was a while ago.... Thanks.

[Larry OKC]

Havent heard anything recently but last I heard they were well above projections (multi-millions)...think year to date growth has slowed a tad but still growing and above projections... revenues from the Outlet mall are exceeding projections too

[BoulderSooner]

This is probably elsewhere on the site, or maybe on OKC's site, so I apologize if it is, I just haven't found it yet, but if anybody happens to know off the top of their head, this info would be appreciated: How "on-track" is the MAPS3 funding? Are they hitting their numbers? I saw an update in one of the newsletters that goes out in the city bill, but only once and that was a while ago.... Thanks.

from the last MAPS 3 meeting ..

in Jan we were 5.79% ahead of projections in collection ... and we are 2.97% ahead for the Fiscal year ...

i don't know what the total amount ahead we are because the % ahead was not added until this fiscal year .. however the city was way ahead last year in tax revenue vs projections .. so i would bet that year 1 of collection was ahead as well

[Larry OKC]

This is probably elsewhere on the site, or maybe on OKC's site, so I apologize if it is, I just haven't found it yet, but if anybody happens to know off the top of their head, this info would be appreciated: How "on-track" is the MAPS3 funding? Are they hitting their numbers? I saw an update in one of the newsletters that goes out in the city bill, but only once and that was a while ago.... Thanks.

http://newsok.com/by-the-numbers-okl...rticle/3661556

[TheTravellers]

Thanks for the info, kind of surprised they're ahead of projections since it was such an ambitious number to hit each year for 7 years...

[Larry OKC]

Have to remember that the $100 million /yr was the average. I did the math on it once and even presuming the rock bottom (lower than expected figures) that came in for the Arena improvements as the base figure, just using the average growth projections, at the end of 7.75 years, I think my quick-n-dirty math came within $10,000 of the $777 million projected. There will be ups and downs over the long term just as each MAPS program has had significant revenue increases from its starting point. Where we ran into trouble on the Arena tax was it was short lived (only 15 months) and happened right when we went through OKCs version of the recession.

[BoulderSooner]

the boat house foundation as now applied to be the first senior center partner .. their plan is in this weeks wellness center agenda ..

[Larry OKC]

BoulderSooner: Do you know if they are expecting more subsidy from the City like the "Y" and the City/County health Dept were saying (above and beyond the "free" building)?

[BoulderSooner]

BoulderSooner: Do you know if they are expecting more subsidy from the City like the "Y" and the City/County health Dept were saying (above and beyond the "free" building)?

i would say no ... in the proposal it says they have a deal in place with a hospital to provide some funding .. and they already knew the cities stance on the issue ..

also on the agenda was to reject the offers from the Y and city/county health

[JohnH_in_OKC]

the boat house foundation as now applied to be the first senior center partner .. their plan is in this weeks wellness center agenda ..

That would be cool! I'm (almost) 63 & I don't mind sharing the indoor pool with athletes in training -- just make the pool extra large (Olympic size, if possible) and have special early morning sessions for athletes.

The Oklahoma River is one of my favorite places to walk in OKC (except in winter or inclement weather) so having one of our Senior Wellness Centers at the boathouse area would be an asset to the city. We need to extend our Metro Transit free bus-trolley system from Bass Pro to the OKC river for every trip instead of just whenever there are special events at the boathouse area. We have a beautiful river asset that needs to be shown off to all the visitors who ride the free downtown buses and also provide easy access to the Aquatic Center for seniors (including myself) who often ride OKC's buses to save gasoline. Right now there's no safe and easy way to walk from Bass Pro to the boathouse area, even though I've done it several times, both under the new Crosstown & over it before it was completed. The walk (to the new Lincoln Blvd) is too long a trek for most seniors. I usually end up driving to the boathouse area for safety and convenience.