John Rex Elementary

[Just the facts]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but would you naturally look and tell this was a school vs. say a jail? I think we missed the point of a downtown school - to create a show palace of education rather than just an arguably insignificant building that poorly uses valuable downtown space.

No way Rex Elementary could be confused for a jail - the old jail is a much more attractive and place-making building.

I guess I am old enough to remember when school buildings reflected the collective pride of the community and its commitment to education. Then again, maybe our current crop of lack-luster school buildings still DOES reflect the collective pride of the community and its commitment to education.

[catch22]

This is actually a very attractive building. I like it. And I can't wait to see it being used.

[betts]

No way Rex Elementary could be confused for a jail - the old jail is a much more attractive and place-making building.

I guess I am old enough to remember when school buildings reflected the collective pride of the community and its commitment to education. Then again, maybe our current crop of lack-luster school buildings still DOES reflect the collective pride of the community and its commitment to education.

We will never have the kind of attention to detail on new buildings that we had on old ones. Labor costs are too high. But I've noticed the people who currently are saying they don't like the school are only looking at pictures of it. It actually looks very nice live.

[Pete]

[soonerguru]

My daughter and I passed by this last weekend and she said, "I would LOVE to go to school in a place like that." So much for the jail commentary.

[HOT ROD]

did you have to tell her it was a school?

[HOT ROD]

Anyway, my point was I think this was a missed opportunity for the city to really showcase education. While I admit that the building likely looks better in person than the pics, it doesn't evoke education or even what its' true purpose is.

Most downtown schools make some sort of statement about the city, education, or both - I believe this could have been a capstone for MAPS for Kids and the design should have been monumental to the highest degree and layout/use reflective of its downtown CBD environment.

[Plutonic Panda]

did you have to tell her it was a school?

Seeing as there is no signage on it, probably so.

[soonerguru]

did you have to tell her it was a school?

No.

[Spartan]

It looks a lot better in person!

[jccouger]

Everybody always thought my alma mater looked like a jail, but it really has too many windows for that (even if the bottom floor windows did have bars on them during my tenure there): Northeast Academy Mid-High > Home

This one looks very nice, very cool that it's finally happening...

When did you graduate from NE?

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

[TheTravellers]

When did you graduate from NE?

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

A loooooong time ago, 1983.

[Pete]

[Pete]

Adding cool colored metal awnings to the west side (from https://twitter.com/TylerBHolmes):

[Rover]

I didn't realize they used cool colored metal awnings on jails.

[David]

You've just never been in the right jails, man. Ya gotta aim for the classy ones.

[Urbanized]

You know for all of the joking (and barbs) about this building looking like a jail (it doesn't really), there are unfortunately (these days) security requirements that make them function in a similar way. The only difference is that jails are tasked with keeping bad guys in, and a school's job these days is to keep the bad guys OUT. By necessity that is going to create some similarities when it comes to windows, doors, access, etc....

[Pete]

[betts]

We went to the Myriad Gardens concert last night and walked past the Elementary School with its lights on. Some very pretty colored walls. It looks really nice. They've still got some work to do though and August is rapidly approaching.

[warreng88]

We went to the Myriad Gardens concert last night and walked past the Elementary School with its lights on. Some very pretty colored walls. It looks really nice. They've still got some work to do though and August is rapidly approaching.

I was about to say, when are they scheduled to be open?

[Pete]

^
The school doesn't officially open until September 12th.

Don't know why they are starting so much later than the rest of OKCPS.

[Pete]

From their FB page:

[OKCisOK4me]

That's cool.

[krisb]

^
The school doesn't officially open until September 12th.

Don't know why they are starting so much later than the rest of OKCPS.

The first day of school is August 20. The grand opening event for the community is September 12.

[Pete]

The first day of school is August 20. The grand opening event for the community is September 12.

Ah, thanks for the clarification.


They had better get busy with the Stage Center demolition if they want it finished before school starts in 30 days.