Is it time to replace Arrow to Atoms Space Tower?

[Bill Robertson]

Where is the Arrows to Atoms Tower ?

Just a bit north of the center of the fairgrounds.

[Laramie]

<<<This section (observation) of the tower has been removed; leaving this>>>

My understanding is that the operational apparatus of the Arrows to Atoms Space Tower is 10 feet below ground:

"Officials say the operating system that sits 10 feet below the space tower is ruined..."

Space Tower shut down for the fair | Community Spirit | North Oklahoma City News

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

[Bellaboo]

Just a bit north of the center of the fairgrounds.

Nope, that's the spiraling space needle from Switzerland. See my post # 18.

On post #1, it's the upper left picture.

[Laramie]

Brought back memories: Today's paper featured the Arrows to Atoms Space Tower.

Space Tower still soars in fairgoers’ memories

Briggs, of Oklahoma City, spent part of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest, and the tower reminded her of Seattle's Space Needle. Now 44, Briggs thinks it's a shame that parents who remember the Space Tower from their childhoods can't take their children up in it today.

The Oklahoman

Fair Park has really invested in some decorative gates and fences. When will they invest in something like a new space tower, monorail or stadium? Most of the iconic structures (Grand Stands stadium, monorail, space tower) are gone or inoperable. It's time for something to go along with the proposed exhibition halls and upscale barns.

Prep barn, barrel racing...
Proposed new $60 million exhibit hall that will
include 225,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Gone, but not forgotten...

Monorail, Grand Stands & 'Arrows to Atoms' Space Tower (Top center).

Let's replace the 330 ft., Arrows to Atoms Space Tower with a new iconic structure in the neighborhood of 700 plus feet.

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

[Plutonic Panda]

Personally if it were me, I'd say just repaint it and rehabilitate it. Bring F1 racing by building a permanent track on a large portion of the parking lots and go with structured parking. Build a restaurant at the base of the tower that is open all year. Also reconstuct the monorail and connect it to the convention center and bring a large festival market place to the fair grounds that operates all year except holidays.

[TheTravellers]

I believe the article said it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get it back into shape, and that was just for the control room. Ain't no way they're going to spend that kind of money. Now if we could get the "Bricktown Flyer" put there in its place.....

[Bullbear]

I hate that it is broken and will never be fixed. and that all iconic structures and attractions of the fairgrounds are gone. the airplanes, Monorail, Grandstands the space needle. the entire space no longer feels special. i'm sure much of that is because I am older but I miss those staples of the fair. I can remember when the Garden and flower building I think it was called was so cool inside with landscaped trails and a water fall. we would always go in to see my Grandmothers prize winning flowers of the year..

[SoonerDave]

I hate that it is broken and will never be fixed. and that all iconic structures and attractions of the fairgrounds are gone. the airplanes, Monorail, Grandstands the space needle. the entire space no longer feels special. i'm sure much of that is because I am older but I miss those staples of the fair. I can remember when the Garden and flower building I think it was called was so cool inside with landscaped trails and a water fall. we would always go in to see my Grandmothers prize winning flowers of the year..

I think the "expense" of repairing the space needle is an absolute load of hogwash. If they *wanted* to, they could line up any one of a dozen corporate sponsors who would foot the bill for repairing it for multiple years of publicity/sponsorship. Let's say it cost $250,000 to rehab. You think there aren't at least a dozen companies in the OKC area who couldn't foot that bill as a promotional expense in exchange for their corporate name, logo, whatever to be splattered on the needle for the next, oh, decade or so? Or prime placement on Fair promotional materials? I am irrevocably convinced it could be done if someone in power and influence wanted to do so badly enough.

The point is that no one running the fairgrounds GIVES A YOU-KNOW-WHAT about those "iconic structures." They just want more horse barns and floor space. I firmly believe that, eventually, they'll decide the fair itself isn't worth the hassle and shut it down for similarly manufactured reasons. Yeah, I'm cynical. But you don't plow down everything they've plowed down without the ulterior motive of converting the entire space to an entirely different purpose.

Make no mistake - its my opinion that those "running" the fair CARE NOT ONE BAG OF BEANS ABOUT IT. Period.

[Bullbear]

I think the "expense" of repairing the space needle is an absolute load of hogwash. If they *wanted* to, they could line up any one of a dozen corporate sponsors who would foot the bill for repairing it for multiple years of publicity/sponsorship. Let's say it cost $250,000 to rehab. You think there aren't at least a dozen companies in the OKC area who couldn't foot that bill as a promotional expense in exchange for their corporate name, logo, whatever to be splattered on the needle for the next, oh, decade or so? Or prime placement on Fair promotional materials? I am irrevocably convinced it could be done if someone in power and influence wanted to do so badly enough.

The point is that no one running the fairgrounds GIVES A YOU-KNOW-WHAT about those "iconic structures." They just want more horse barns and floor space. I firmly believe that, eventually, they'll decide the fair itself isn't worth the hassle and shut it down for similarly manufactured reasons. Yeah, I'm cynical. But you don't plow down everything they've plowed down without the ulterior motive of converting the entire space to an entirely different purpose.

Make no mistake - its my opinion that those "running" the fair CARE NOT ONE BAG OF BEANS ABOUT IT. Period.

I wish I didn't agree with you.. but i do. I really hate seeing it fade

[SOONER8693]

I think the "expense" of repairing the space needle is an absolute load of hogwash. If they *wanted* to, they could line up any one of a dozen corporate sponsors who would foot the bill for repairing it for multiple years of publicity/sponsorship. Let's say it cost $250,000 to rehab. You think there aren't at least a dozen companies in the OKC area who couldn't foot that bill as a promotional expense in exchange for their corporate name, logo, whatever to be splattered on the needle for the next, oh, decade or so? Or prime placement on Fair promotional materials? I am irrevocably convinced it could be done if someone in power and influence wanted to do so badly enough.

The point is that no one running the fairgrounds GIVES A YOU-KNOW-WHAT about those "iconic structures." They just want more horse barns and floor space. I firmly believe that, eventually, they'll decide the fair itself isn't worth the hassle and shut it down for similarly manufactured reasons. Yeah, I'm cynical. But you don't plow down everything they've plowed down without the ulterior motive of converting the entire space to an entirely different purpose.

Make no mistake - its my opinion that those "running" the fair CARE NOT ONE BAG OF BEANS ABOUT IT. Period.

Agree 100%. It is very sad. Once a great state fair, now a joke.

[yukong]

Agree 100%. It is very sad. Once a great state fair, now a joke.

It started when the Fair Board hired Skip Wagner to be manager of the fairgrounds. He made the first major changes. We hired him away from somewhere in Texas and he was more committed to the barnyards portion. In fact, I remember the first fair after he took over. It was a disaster as far as I was concerned. Lots of venders dropped out and it was just poor. We finally got rid of him and the new management seemed to be interested in bringing back the "old fair" feel. But I agree that they now don't seem to care about what made the fair great. The monorail, the space needle, and others. I miss the big old mansion that was down by the garden building. Every year that was our favorite thing to go through and see the different furnishings and how they kept changing it up. I'm not opposed to the elimination of the travel and transportation and carriage buildings especially for a nicer newer one. But why the grandstands? I know the company line...but I miss that old girl. But I know Devon, or Continental...shoot, the Chickasaw Nation, would donate all the money necessary to fix the space needle for their name emblazoned all over the car and up and down the needle. And the good will it would generate for just getting it going. It would be no trouble. They could have done the same for the monorail. Just aggravates me to no end to see all the good old stuff disappearing.

[ljbab728]

I miss the big old mansion that was down by the garden building. Every year that was our favorite thing to go through and see the different furnishings and how they kept changing it up. I'm not opposed to the elimination of the travel and transportation and carriage buildings especially for a nicer newer one.

I enjoyed that also but I wouldn't call it a mansion. It was just a very interesting older Oklahoma farmhouse.

[zookeeper]

It's sad about the Space Tower or "needle" as it was called for years. There was a duplicate by the same company at Marineland Of The Pacific, a legendary oceanarium in Los Angeles. Seaworld bought the park many years ago (1987) and just shut it down. It only wanted some of the aquarium attractions. It sat abandoned for years and they finally tore the Tower down in 1995. Here's a pic of the "other" tower in LA.

[SoonerDave]

I realize this is pure pipe dreaming, but hey, you never can tell..

I know that Steve Lackmeyer (sp) has had some problems here and has opted not to visit and/or contribute as frequently/at all for reasons that he, of course, is entirely entitled to have, but if he does lurk around here I wish/hope he might see this thread and get the notion there are lot of OKC residents who hate to see what's happened to the iconic aspect of the fairgrounds, and wishes something more than just horse barns and convention space were going in its place. Surely *someone* with *some* influence can do something to turn this tide before we lose the fair entirely - which I admit many fear we've already done. Some public discussion of this issue would be to everyone's benefit, especially if it made TPTB currently running the fair/fairgrounds just a bit uncomfortable.

Mind you, this isn't about building new exhibit halls. Its about the unceremonious trashing of the unique aspects of the fairgrounds that made it distinctive, the history that's been trashed along with it, and a broader section of the public who are really, really tired of the public doublespeak rationalizations behind all of it.

Here's an open call to Mayor Mick, whom I've supported in all his campaigns, to "get real" about the fairgrounds with the citizens who feel our history is being bulldozed for a horse barn. Hear us. Please. I don't really care how many millions in horse shows we have; I don't care about how many square feet of new concrete we're buying. I care about the persistent destruction of our fairgrounds. I care about the abject lack of interest in persisting a unique and distinctive fairgrounds area, and how I'd very much like to see those of us who *do* care get a say in inspiring its reinvigoration. It *can* be done. It absolutely *can* be done. It will *never* be done by those who have already concluded it is impossible. Those people should be removed from the process.

[Urbanized]

I enjoyed that also but I wouldn't call it a mansion. It was just a very interesting older Oklahoma farmhouse.

In all fairness, it was referred to as the Goodholm Mansion on signage and in reporting. It also never was on a farm; it was built at NW 4th and Walnut, in what we now think of as Deep Deuce/Flatiron.

It was moved to the fairgrounds in the eighties and removed in 2008, to a house moving company's yard in Nicoma Park, where it now sits eerily and forlornly on a hill overlooking NE 23rd. I spotted it by chance a few months ago on a motorcycle ride.

[SoonerDave]

In all fairness, it was referred to as the Goodholm Mansion on signage and in reporting. It also never was on a farm; it was built at NW 4th and Walnut, in what we now think of as Deep Deuce/Flatiron.

It was moved to the fairgrounds in the eighties and removed in 2008, to a house moving company's yard in Nicoma Park, where it now sits eerily and forlornly on a hill overlooking NE 23rd. I spotted it by chance a few months ago on a motorcycle ride.

I can toss in a few more bits on this - the home was at least partially renovated (well, in the context of bringing it up to what was at least the idea of then-contemporary standards) by the local DAR, and they raised funds by offering tours during the fair for something like $5 a person to offset some of the expense. (My grandmother guided some of the tours one year). Obviously most of the DAR membership was median to older ladies, and the fact the home had no air conditioning meant they had to have lots of help guiding the tours because the house would get hot inside (very little breeze) and only took in a few folks at a time. They had quite a bit of volunteer labor to do some of the fixup work, and actually got the living room, kitchen, and rear area in very nice shape - more than adequate for their touring purposes. It proved too much, however. As I recall, they never had the money to fix up more than a portion of the house at a time, but due to the age of the house, as one part would be repaired, others would start to fall part. The upper floors were never opened for the tours due to the structural integrity of the first-floor ceiling, as well as the roof superstructure. I think the rate of deterioration just became too great to handle, and the DAR had to abandon it, sadly. And given the way fair management has changed over the years since that time, I rather doubt the place would have been welcome there much longer anyway. They've kicked out everything else novel and compelling - no reason to think Goodholm would have been an exception.

[SoonerDave]

It started when the Fair Board hired Skip Wagner to be manager of the fairgrounds. He made the first major changes. We hired him away from somewhere in Texas and he was more committed to the barnyards portion. In fact, I remember the first fair after he took over. It was a disaster as far as I was concerned.

BIngo. Wegner destroyed the fair. I will say, however, he was brought in by powers who wanted to "overhaul" the fair because it wasn't sufficiently cosmopolitan for their froufrou tastes.

I'll never, ever forget the mayor at that time - think it was Humphries - was quoted in the paper as wanting to "do something" about the Fair's "funnel cake and corn dog image."

The elitism just reeked. And the height of the asininity was when they literally set up a "tea room" in the middle of what was the old International building (arched roof). It was obvious that the leaders were, and largely are, clueless and disinterested.

That was the catalyst that started the ball rolling, and rolling right over the fairgrounds to nothing more than a pile of horse barns and conventioneer space.

I will say, however, that at least some folks - myself included - were angry enough about what was being done to at least write letters to the paper AND every member of the city council AND the mayor to express their frustration. Heck, one of my letters was read on the air by Mike McCarville on his old 6pm newstalk show on KTOK one evening - what was funny about it was that as he was reading the letter, and I was listening to his show, I was thinking "wow, someone else feels the same way I do," and then I realized he was reading MY letter!!!

While I got not one reply from the council to any of my letters, I will point out that Wegner "resigned" to accept a job back in Texas the next year IIRC, and many of the initial "renewal" projects in the vein of dumping the corn dogs did, at least, get put on the back burner. Unfortunately, by then, the damage had been done, and the scorched earth destruction of the fairgrounds since then has proceeded largely unabated since.

I think part of the problem is that there is no accountability on the part of the Fair Board, which oversees the fairgrounds I think as part of a trust set up with the City of OKC for some token amount of money. So there's plenty of potential for political cronyism back and forth with essentially zero opportunity for public input.

[Urbanized]

I'm nostalgic for the old fair too, but I strongly suspect you have your facts wrong about Mayor Humphreys and his involvement and the supposed statement.

[SoonerDave]

I'm nostalgic for the old fair too, but I strongly suspect you have your facts wrong about Mayor Humphreys and his involvement and the supposed statement.

This wasn't a "supposed statement." It was an article in the Oklahoman. They were quite unabashed in their desire to reshape the fair at that time. If I can find a link, I"ll post it, but if he didn't actually say it, I'll retract the comment.

[Urbanized]

Please do. Thanks. I seriously doubt Kirk Humphreys would have ever made such a statement publicly or to the media.

[yukong]

I can toss in a few more bits on this - the home was at least partially renovated (well, in the context of bringing it up to what was at least the idea of then-contemporary standards) by the local DAR, and they raised funds by offering tours during the fair for something like $5 a person to offset some of the expense. (My grandmother guided some of the tours one year). Obviously most of the DAR membership was median to older ladies, and the fact the home had no air conditioning meant they had to have lots of help guiding the tours because the house would get hot inside (very little breeze) and only took in a few folks at a time. They had quite a bit of volunteer labor to do some of the fixup work, and actually got the living room, kitchen, and rear area in very nice shape - more than adequate for their touring purposes. It proved too much, however. As I recall, they never had the money to fix up more than a portion of the house at a time, but due to the age of the house, as one part would be repaired, others would start to fall part. The upper floors were never opened for the tours due to the structural integrity of the first-floor ceiling, as well as the roof superstructure. I think the rate of deterioration just became too great to handle, and the DAR had to abandon it, sadly. And given the way fair management has changed over the years since that time, I rather doubt the place would have been welcome there much longer anyway. They've kicked out everything else novel and compelling - no reason to think Goodholm would have been an exception.

I toured the Goodholm every year for the entire time it was at the fair. They had in fact restored all of the first floor and all of the second floor. The 3rd floor was in some level of restoration however it was only used by the people running the operation. They went up there to change clothes and takes breaks as I recall. But they had all the bedrooms on the second floor restored and decked out in period furniture. It changed every year. And at some point, they ran AC throughout as I recall seeing the floor registers that they put in place. Your grandmother must have been the first year or so. It was a fabulous place.

[Laramie]

I understand the need for the transition of the 400 acre fair park complex to build more exhibit halls and large facilities for some trade show exhibits and to maintain the horse related activities at the fairgrounds. Let's not forget the new downtown convention center which will be available around 2020.

Fort Worth is an aggressive competitor; they would like to lure these events to their city.

We still need to address the iconic structures; like the monorail, space tower and the 'need' for a grand stands or mega racing venue?

These are not new ideas:

How about a year round min-amusement operation on the fairgrounds which could involve the use of:

1. A rebuilt or taller new space tower.
2. Resurrect the monorail. Could it be tied in (seasonal) with the street car system through Stockyard City to downtown?
3. Complete renovation of the Jim Norick State Fair Arena to it make more rodeo specific.
4. Feasibility study for the use of a grand stands or new mega racing venue.

We have 400 acres of prime Fair Park land which could be used beyond the annual state fair for other events since we do attract visitors year round to the complex.

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

[shavethewhales]

The old space tower isn't worth salvaging unless it can be done cheaply. It's just too old and small to be worth making a fuss over. It would be a much bigger and better deal for a prospective philanthropist to just build a new, bigger, better modern tower from Intamin. A modern super gyro tower like this one would be pretty cool: Super Gyro Tower > Towers >

[hoya]

I agree. There's nothing really special about the existing tower. I know a lot of people are upset about losing some of the old attractions of the state fair, but I'll be honest, none of them are very appealing today. The old grandstands looked pretty bad to me, I was at 89er ballpark for one of the last games, and that place was a dump. The monorail didn't really go anywhere. I took my nephew on the tower ride maybe 3 or 4 years ago, and while he thought it was cool (he was like 5 at the time), it really struck me how small the tower was.

The horse barns do nothing for me, but I understand we make a lot of money on it. We may need some more permanent attractions at the fair, but I don't think the things that have actually been closed down have been that big a loss. Putting in a 400 foot tall super gyro tower would be pretty cool.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think a taller, better tower would be better along the river. Something with a restaurant and it would be nice if it would rotate like the Reunion Tower in Dallas.

I would support spending some money to renovate the Space Tower.

Again, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the State Fair still can be brought back. We need to rebuild the mono-rail and connect it with the future convention center and I also like the idea of connecting it to the Stockyards.

Building and F1 race track on one of the large parking lots and rebuilding a master grandstand.

Add more beautification to the fair and build a large parking garage.

I would also add a glass restaurant two stories above ground right at the base of the Space Tower and keep it open year round. It would also be nice to see a year round "local" market where local merchants can gather to sell and showcase their products.