Bricktown Beach

[gman11695]

Saw this on Twitter this morning! It's a beach themed food truck park slated to go in Bricktown! Jill Brown DeLozier posted it and said it should open in two weeks. Does anyone know about this or know where it's going?? Seems pretty cool!

[baralheia]

Based on clues in the satellite photo used in that picture, that appears to be at the corner of Mickey Mantle and Flaming Lips Alley, directly in front of the OKC Dodgers office on the northwest corner of the ballpark. I know nothing else about it, though.

[Pete]

^

Yes, that's where it will go.

I believe it is a temporary summertime thing on the plaza in front of the ballpark.

[David]

Isn't there some sort of ordinance preventing food trucks from setting up in Bricktown? Or is that being dealt with in conjunction with this temporary development?

[OKC Talker]

Wonder who's going to pay for the street sweeping for 123 tons of sand...

http://kfor.com/2016/06/01/bricktown...oklahoma-city/

[Easy180]

Wonder who's going to pay for the street sweeping for 123 tons of sand...

http://kfor.com/2016/06/01/bricktown...oklahoma-city/

Oklahoma winds will do it for free lol

[icecold]

Isn't there some sort of ordinance preventing food trucks from setting up in Bricktown? Or is that being dealt with in conjunction with this temporary development?

Yes. There is an ordinance preventing food trucks from setting up unless it is a metered parking spot. I have a friend with a food truck and he struck a deal with a property owner in bricktown to setup his truck but the city said no because the site was not zoned for an outdoor seller's permit. I guess you just have to know the right people.

[gopokes88]

Speaking of beaches, is there any plans to ever build one along the river?

[dankrutka]

Speaking of beaches, is there any plans to ever build one along the river?

A beach that extended from the river back to volleyball courts would be neat. Maybe near Wheeler?

[OkieNate]

Hopefully not if people are still pooping in it.

[OKCRT]

Hopefully not if people are still pooping in it.

Now who would do that? Are there people living on the river banks in tents?

[Martin]

i think it's a reference from a few years back where a number of triathletes fell ill from swimming in the river. however, i thought that the culprit was determined to be runoff from the stockyards. -M

[dankrutka]

i think it's a reference from a few years back where a number of triathletes fell ill from swimming in the river. however, i thought that the culprit was determined to be runoff from the stockyards. -M

It still seems like no one ever sticks their feet in the river or anything. Either it's still unsafe or everyone still believes that. If not, then it would be great to see OKC create a beach area where people could lounge in shallow water or something...

[Pete]

Yes, they found a lot of bacteria in the water after that triathlon, from both run-off into the river but much more likely seepage from the Stockyards.

I don't think that river will ever be open to swimming.

[dankrutka]

Maybe a beach along the river (with volleyball courts, a lounge area, food trucks, etc.) with a separated water source like the rapids could do well then. You could, for example, row or paddle board over to a dock that bumps right up to the water/beach area...

[HOT ROD]

Lake Hefner is honestly the best place for a sand beach.

[Urbanized]

Lots of people missing the point on this one. This is a placemaking exercise, not an attempt to do a true beach in a literal sense; certainly not a swimming beach. It's basically a beach-themed parklet, a celebration of summer, and was largely inspired by this one in Detroit, which some DOKC staff members fell in love with while attending a National Town Meeting on Main Street: http://www.pps.org/blog/placemakings...es-in-detroit/



The beach in Detroit was partly inspired by one in Paris:



It's just a fun little place for people to hang out, enjoy lunch outside, read a book, talk to friends, put their toes in the sand. Nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes it's OK to enjoy whimsy for the sake of whimsy. Not everything has to be a big permanent statement capital improvement piece.

[dankrutka]

That's exactly the type of beach placemaking I was envisioning actually. Anything like those pictures would be great along the river to bring people out and get some more human activity in the area.

[tfvc.org]

Can palm trees even grow in Oklahoma (except in the botanical gardens)? I guess they can keep them in the gardens in the winter and plop them down in containers in the summer.

[KayneMo]

^ There are several species of palm trees that can survive here.

[Urbanized]

That's exactly the type of beach placemaking I was envisioning actually. Anything like those pictures would be great along the river to bring people out and get some more human activity in the area.

The idea behind this project is not to create a place to draw people to where there is no activity; it is to surprise and delight people where lots of activity already exists.

[dankrutka]

The idea behind this project is not to create a place to draw people to where there is no activity; it is to surprise and delight people where lots of activity already exists.

Right. I get that for Bricktown, but I think it would be great as a draw to the river. Do you think that's a bad idea?

[Urbanized]

Not saying that, but the impression I've gotten from a number of posters is that a beach should have been done elsewhere instead of this one.

[ShadowStrings]

Right. I get that for Bricktown, but I think it would be great as a draw to the river. Do you think that's a bad idea?

Maybe we can use Maps IV to build an indoor beach with retractable roof by the river (or elsewhere).

[gopokes88]

Not saying that, but the impression I've gotten from a number of posters is that a beach should have been done elsewhere instead of this one.

No no no. This project is super cool and will fit like a glove. Similar to how the mini golf has fit in.


It was just a side thought. Like you know what would be really cool in addition to the boathouses, and river rapids is a permanent beach along the river using the finest imported Sahara desert sand.