My ideas for OKC

[soondoc]

I wanted to name a few ideas I would love to see for OKC. I love the progress OKC has made and I desperately want it to become a major league city. Here are some ideas and I would like to see what you all think about some of these and how to make some of these a possibility.

1. OKC airport getting a hub and major expansion of airport. If we are going to be major league, we need to upgrade our minor league airport. It would also give us much better flight choices. I know Memphis has a hub and that is a dead and nasty city. It is the first impression people see when coming to our city.

2. Speaking of Memphis, If I was OKC I would be pushing and making an offer that was too good to be true to relocate or perhaps some of the FedEx company. They have history in Memphis but like a said, if we made an unbeatable offer and with our central location, it could happen.

3. Several more high rises with a mixture of business and residential towers. If we could get a hotel of 15-18 stories, you can build an additional 8-10 residential on top of it. Many cities are doing this and wouldn't mind this. We need an W type hotel if for nothing else than to house athletes, and celebs when doing concerts. Maybe put a Ghost Bar or something on the top floor for entertainment.

4. I currently live in NW Arkansas and you would not believe how shabby and unimpressive Wal Mart headquarters are here. We are talking about the largest company in the world and I honestly wish they would move some of it to OKC. Oklahoma has great support and many Walmart and as far as shipping goes, it is the crossroads for many areas in the USA with I-35, 40 and 44. I would dream of a 40 story Walmart tower!

5. We need to connect the Central Park and Sky Bridge with the new Avenue. I would like to see this modeled after the Plaza area in KC with shops, restaurants and loft and mid rise apartments.

6. Make the river a must be place to be. Walking trails along the park, boating activity, and call me CRAZY but even a beach on it. I know a city in Canada has a stretch on a river where they import sand and people come hang out and view the city and river. I think it's called "Clock Tower" and it looks amazing. Basically it a small and not too wide area going several blocks and it could face downtown and the river. We could really have a little stretch of beach to go soak up some sun, relax and feel like you are NOT inland for a brief time.

7. I was just at the Hard Rock in Tulsa and they are doing so much there it is just amazing. It doesn't feel like you are anywhere in Oklahoma at all. That place has a cool factor unlike anything around here. If that thing was in OKC you could literally have a 25 story tower all lit up with flashing LED lights and would give the city so much more energy and momentum. It would draw so many people to the downtown area to not only the casino but to other restaurants and night life. Usually I am not so crazy about casinos but this is a whole different animal is very much a Vegas like project and just reeks of coolness. As for concerts at the Peak, you know they would love to hang out there.

8. The leaders of OKC need to go all out, make offers in every area drawing in companies to start up or relocate here. This city is on the verge of exploding if it can take advantage of the momentum and make it happen.

9. OKC has to get a light rail system. Doesn't have to be extensive but needs to be done.

Ok, those are my ideas, I would love to hear your opinions and who to talk to, write to, etc. to make some of these things a possibility. Also, any other ideas that anyone else might have. I want this to be a first class place and I think some of these things are possible.

[catch22]

Very slim chance we would see an airline set up a hub here. I could see us becoming a focus city for an airline (for example adding a few key Point 2 Point routes bypassing the hubs), but a full fledged connecting hub is not on the horizon anytime soon. I'd like to be wrong on that, but thats a reality. Memphis is a also a dying hub for Delta...I will say it will be gone within 5 years.

[dcsooner]

soondoc,
I love your forward thinking and out of the box ideas. I agree with all of your recommendations and can only hope that the leaders in the city as well as the citizenry will begin to demand a higher quality and number of the ammenities you mentioned. I to believe that OKC can, if properly implemented move itself and the State into a new urbanism heretofore unknown. I only hope those who are stuck in 1960 in Ok do not stiffle innovative ideas posited by forward thinkers like yourself to move the State to a new urbanism and past the mudane. Thank you for your positive outlook.

[Debzkidz]

As for Wal Mart, yes there headquarters are really unimpressive outside (and from what I've heard, inside even more so), and they like it that way. Everything they do is done on the extreme cheap, or as I've heard it called by some there, the "the Wal Mart way". I cannot imagine them ever moving. Not only would they be leaving their home, it would cost money, and a lot of it. Not something they like to do.

[mmonroe]

Went to an LPGA event at the Pinnacle Hills Country Club some years back... the city side of Rogers, AR is OKC early 90's, the Wal*Mart residential area (Mansions) with the Pinnacle Hills Promenade on the other side, are just what I think of when I think of a bunch of Wal*Mart millionaires running around.

[Dubya61]

soondoc: Good ideas. I've no idea who to represent them to. As you don't currently live in OKC, you don't have any ward to represent them to. You might look up the e-mail address on the CoOKC website of the councilmember representing an areay where you used to live and see if you can get your ideas heard there. My wishlist for OKC really only has three items: 1) don't back down ANY on current MAPS plans, streetcar plans -- fulfill the promises (but with a better boulevard and CC/CC hotel), 2) contract some or at least vow to not expand anymore, and 3) establish an RTA working in partnership with OKC's suburbs / partner cities.

[adaniel]

Good List. I'll just add my take:

-As someone mentioned earlier, I don't see OKC being a hub. Given the state of the airline industry, I think that ship has sailed. As you mentioned, smaller cities like Memphis are rightfully sweating when (not if) the axe will fall on their airline hub ops. At the same time, I think the Chamber is correct in lobbying hard for new flights. I think we are actually pretty close to getting at least decent service to all major cities, just need to get some more flights out west and one of the NYC airports. I wouldn't be opposed to using small incentives to lure more flights. And FWIW the airport trust recently floated ideas to start funding a new terminal expansion.

-The idea of a casino district in OKC has been floated around. This is highly unlikely because there is no restricted BIA land in OKC (or the immediate area for that matter). Plus, there is a school of thought in Tulsa that all of the casinos within the city limits there have a very negative impact on the well being of the city, given that casinos in Oklahoma do not pay any sales or in most cases property tax but cities still are responsible for providing basic services. IMO independent of one's opinion on gambling I think downtown OKC has progressed enough from needing a big draw like a casino.

[Bunty]

OKC should put up bigger ferris wheel than the one in Texas. It's not all that huge, so wouldn't need to be very costly. Costly would be beating the new one to go up in New York City, since it will be the world's new biggest.

[bchris02]

Interesting thread! I am going to respond to your posts one by one.

1. I would love more flights and more airlines out of Will Rogers. Unfortunately though I don't think a hub could ever happen here. The airline industry is not what it once was and the future of air travel is fewer hubs and fewer airlines.

2. If FedEx left Memphis, that place would be Detroit overnight. FedEx is really the only thing keeping it afloat. Landing a company like that would be a boon for OKC but I don't see where it would make economic sense. Cost of doing business from Memphis isn't that much more than it is in OKC, definitely not enough to justify the cost of moving.

3. This is a real possibility and many of this stuff is already being talked about and are in the works. There is rumors of a new tower going up soon. Its just rumors now but after Devon it wouldn't surprise me if one more gets built. That's the way building booms work, a ton come at once and then there aren't any for a long time.

4. Not happening. Wal-Mart had once considered moving to Dallas/Ft Worth but they decided against it and have deep roots in NW Arkansas. In the mid-00s, Wal-Mart began to require all of their distributors to have offices in NW Arkansas. Much more would go into such a move than what you think.

5. Something called "Core 2 Shore" has been in the works for about a decade to do just that. Hopefully it actually materializes though. I have a feeling the national economy has a lot to do with the slow progress, plus everybody is kind of waiting for the demolition of I-40 and construction of the boulevard.

6. I agree with this except for the beach thing. That would be just tacky as the Oklahoma River is not near large enough to create anything remotely authentic. I think a "fake beach" would be tacky anywhere but if it had to happen it would be a better fit on a lake somewhere than on the Oklahoma River. Plus the water is very contaminated and there's no way anybody would want to swim in it.

7. I am not against gambling at all, but casinos generally draw in an undesirable crowd and I don't think it would be what downtown really needs. Plus, I think in Oklahoma casinos can only be on tribal lands and there isn't any within the city limits of OKC as there is Tulsa. OKC does have a mini-casino in Remington Park, as well as one in Norman. There is a new casino/hotel being built between OKC and Shawnee called "Grand Casino" as well. There are plenty of options in the metro area.

8. Completely agree with this. I've heard the very conservative politics of the area on social issues is what keeps out technology companies and the like. Can anybody confirm this?

9. Agreed. I think OKC should have light rail running from Quail Springs Mall, through downtown, and down to OU.

[goodfriday]

I like the way you think soondoc.

[RadicalModerate]

Memphis has decent BBQ and Beale Street and the most UnUser Friendly Airport I've ever been forced to be in.
Surely OKC can be better than that. Except for Beale Street.
The inclusion of the word Walmart within the context of improvement of any sort is sort of confusing.
We should lead the nation in the number of TeslaSuperCharger Stations because if we build them they will come.
And sidewalks. We need more new ones and old ones converted from trip hazards/lawsuit generators to walkability.

[1972ford]

Is love to see Okc's big oil and gas companies team up with hobby lobby and other large Okc businesses create a tuition free college here for their industries. Or maybe an 4 year commitment to work for the companies in exchange for education. Not only would this help educate Oklahomans it would be a draw for more people and businesses to move here