River Grandstand

[Pete]

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development
|category1=River
|category2=Maps 3
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|status=dead
|owner=
|cost=$10 million
|architect=Rand Elliott
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|height=
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|acreage=
|other=Maps 3 project; may also include floating stage
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[Plutonic Panda]

Is this going to be built?

[Snowman]

Is this going to be built?

It is budgeted for in phase 4 of the MAPS3 river projects, so as long as their is not some major overrun with building the whitewater course/buildings then yes. Of course their could be major changes from the concept to what actually gets built.

[David]

I have to wonder what the plans are for getting people to the grandstand. Looking at the area on Google Maps, that part of the south bank of the river doesn't look particularly accessible without a fair bit of a hike. The closest parking is the lot on the west side of Lincoln, but even getting to it is a bit of a maze based on the streets I am looking at.

Lincoln already has a pedestrian walkway on the east side, you could drop a staircase off the side of it right at the south bank to provide a bit better access so people walking from the boathouses don't have to go all the way down to Byers to get off the bridge. Maybe an elevator too for disability support.

[jn1780]

I have to wonder what the plans are for getting people to the grandstand. Looking at the area on Google Maps, that part of the south bank of the river doesn't look particularly accessible without a fair bit of a hike. The closest parking is the lot on the west side of Lincoln, but even getting to it is a bit of a maze based on the streets I am looking at.

Lincoln already has a pedestrian walkway on the east side, you could drop a staircase off the side of it right at the south bank to provide a bit better access so people walking from the boathouses don't have to go all the way down to Byers to get off the bridge. Maybe an elevator too for disability support.

This is Oklahoma City, the solution almost always involves building a road and parking lot. lol

[Snowman]

I have to wonder what the plans are for getting people to the grandstand. Looking at the area on Google Maps, that part of the south bank of the river doesn't look particularly accessible without a fair bit of a hike. The closest parking is the lot on the west side of Lincoln, but even getting to it is a bit of a maze based on the streets I am looking at.

They have already used one of the vacant fields on the south side of the bridge for overflow parking and run the tram back and forth to it, though I would not be surprised if they eventually bought some land near it and put in surface lots, also the city might allow a temporary permit for on street parking (especially the N/S streets) for a couple days of the year, since the biggest events are somewhat of a tournament style (with one off events mixed in) so by the second or third day of even the largest events some tapering off will occur as teams get knocked out.

Lincoln already has a pedestrian walkway on the east side, you could drop a staircase off the side of it right at the south bank to provide a bit better access so people walking from the boathouses don't have to go all the way down to Byers to get off the bridge. Maybe an elevator too for disability support.

So far has not been funded and nothing in MAPS3 specifically indicates money will go to this but the boathouse district plan has had elevators and stairs on both sides from the bridge to the pedestrian trails since it was first released around ten years ago

[David]

Hey, there we go. Exactly what I was thinking.

[catcherinthewry]

I have to wonder what the plans are for getting people to the grandstand.

Zip Line!

[UnFrSaKn]

Pushed back?

OKC whitewater project bids come in high | News OK

[UnFrSaKn]

Bill Crum:

10:35
Yes. People are already talking about spectators preferring to sit in the grass along the river instead of a hot grandstand. So I suspect the grandstands could end up dead. And they've already put off the wind screens pending completion of the white water center.

[Plutonic Panda]

Well that kind of sucks. I mean, it would be nice to have a grassy hill as an option to sit on, but don't you think a grandstand would the river feel more "official" for events?

[Snowman]

Well that kind of sucks. I mean, it would be nice to have a grassy hill as an option to sit on, but don't you think a grandstand would the river feel more "official" for events?

The grandstands have never been high on what I would like to have seen done. Right now we only have one organic local yearly event that might plausibly get any use out of it, some years there would be more than if we hosted a larger national or international event, most of the rest would probably work best if it was just pretended like it was not there. However once you have them, they can make other events feel like hardly anyone came. Then there is the logistical issues created by putting it on the opposite side of the river from everything else, even if they put stairs flanking the river to the bridge that is going to feel like a long walk people will not want to do many times. There is pretty much a fact that most of the audience will either knows at least one of the people racing well or will be a family member, part of the reason sitting in the grass is popular is teams will bring tents/awning, lawn furniture and other things and set up group viewing area east of the where the finishline general viewing area. It makes the most sense to have these mini camps on the north side since they will have team members coming and going all day to launch and recover boats, and is where much of the people from your city will go if not either racing or going to the sort of rowing fair. This could end up causing a bit of an issue with where do you set up the food trucks and temporary event spaces, do you cater more to the grandstands or to the athletes. It also places people much further away from the permanent children's playground and courses that people might like to go over to before or after the people they know race. In some ways I could see doing more of the terracing like near the finishline tower in front of the boathouses like in the original district master plan would be better overall for events.

[Mel]

I would just hike in our fold out camper chairs. Insects like me a whole lot more than I like them.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City needs aggressive progress. Propose something, by the time we study, plan and build--the projects are sometimes inadequate or obsolete.

Take a note from former Mayor Ron Norick, remember how he got MAPS approved? He took it to a committee of strategic leaders and citizens; he kept the press away along with the blood hound scrutinizers. This allowed us to get a jump start. Critics said that we didn't need a 20,000-seat arena based on the fact that we didn't fill the old Myriad. Did anyone stop to think that the Myriad was too small to attract any major significant events? Would the Hornets have relocated here temporarily after Katrina or would they have gone to Louisville?

The River Granstands is a great idea. The river grandstands includes a floating water stage, this will attract other events. You will attract and/or create more quality adventures.

What city other than Detroit has this type of facility on the river?


You want future water events? Get the city ready and armed with the facilities to move ahead.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[ljbab728]

Most people are not saying that we should just scrap potential plans for the grandstands completely. But, if there is a choice to be made, the Whitewater Center should have priority.

[Plutonic Panda]

Man...

Laramie I agree with you!

I think the city just needs to try and get a maps 3 extension to finish funding the the full maps 3 as proposed. Do the original sidewalks plan and get the grandstands. Snowman, you make good points, but I still support the grandstands. There would just make the whole thing feel like a legit setup for me at least.

[Bellaboo]

This grandstand can come with the next Maps, let's don't half ass the white water course.

We can through a world class velodrome in there too.

[Plutonic Panda]

No you don't understand... I want a legit whitewater course but we can extend the maps 3 collection period to get more money

[David]

IMO it would be better to make the next Maps vote a vote for new projects. We need something new to get people excited, not the same list as seven years previously with an (unfinished) next to some of the projects, especially if the ones in question are various small things like the grandstand.

[Dennis Heaton]

Laramie...You asked, "What city other than Detroit has this type of facility on the river?"

This isn't a "river," but look at what happened in Miami...



Miami Marine Stadium

[OKVision4U]

Mayor / People.... This is what happens when we "Okie Down" a project. Just becuase they sell "cammo" lawn chairs in Bass Pro does not mean I want to use them at a US Rowing Event. Does my grandmother have to sit on the slippery grassy slope too ???

This project MUST have structure. The Grandstand provides that. This is not All Sports Stadium with a grass , red dirt hill. Who is the dumb okie that is suggesting this ??? Please.... The problem is not the the cost of this project, the problem is the dumb okie that always under estimates these things.

Do NOT Okie Down another MAPS project. This is the "why" we have MAPS in the first place. To take projects ( Out of Committee ) and be successful. The Grandstands provide a level of "completion" to the river complex. The south side of the river needs just as much "attention" as the north side. I'm not saying have any boathouses, I'm just saying it needs to have the same level of professional attention to detail as the North side. ..a slippery grassy slope just lets the south wind blow grass and dirt in your face when you are watching these events.

Mayor, don't let this happen. Finish it w/ the same detail. Let's think bigger than a few people sitting in a cammo chair.

[Urbanized]

Are you going to cut/paste the same post into every thread about the various river projects?

[dankrutka]

I actually think just lining the hill with concrete slabs (like in front of the Finish Line Tower) would look better and make more sense. Again, this grandstand is going to be needed very few days in a year. Building seats into the hill would look good, be cheap, and meet the needs of events on the river.

[OKVision4U]

Urb, I will do whatever it takes to make sure the Grandstand does not get cut. I will promise you that. Anytime we build projects on the cheap, we lose. Period! Quit spending out of your own pockets.

I will say many of you get too caught up in the "sand box" dialogue and lose sight on the big picture. That is where I come in. ....the adults taking the keys away from the teenagers.

[David]

Oh, I had almost forgotten the other guy I wish Pete would ban.