BOK Park Plaza

[jonny d]

As long as the garage does its damn job, I couldn't give 2 craps what it looks like, and neither do people who matter. The only people who care are message board "everything about OKC sucks" people. Literally, I have not heard 1 person complain about how a parking garage looks in this city (and I travel to clients all over the city area). Don't let great be the enemy of good!

[chuck5815]

As long as the garage does its damn job, I couldn't give 2 craps what it looks like, and neither do people who matter. The only people who care are message board "everything about OKC sucks" people. Literally, I have not heard 1 person complain about how a parking garage looks in this city (and I travel to clients all over the city area). Don't let great be the enemy of good!

lol, this is exactly what Devon and BOK want you to think. God forbid that we hold our fortune 500 companies to a higher standard.

[Urbanized]

For what it's worth, I know a lot of people who matter - quite a bit, actually - who aren't too crazy about those garages. And I'm not talking about message board posters.

[mugofbeer]

Its simply an issue of people who want downtown OKC to have a certain look and urban feel to it and others who don't recognize or understand the walkability concept. There are plenty of parking garages here in Denver that are similar to the ones i question. Where Den er is quite walkable downtown, these garages do often present quite a different atmosphere as you walk by.

[dankrutka]

As long as the garage does its damn job, I couldn't give 2 craps what it looks like, and neither do people who matter.

Which are the people who matter and which ones are the ones that don't?

Lol. How boring would these threads be if we had 119 pages of praise for a parking garage? And, good developments get tons of love. Go check out the 21C, Jones Assembly, Stonecloud building refurbishing, Ambassador remodel, and many other threads of well executed projects... surprise, surprise, you'll find an overflow of positive comments.

[Plutonic Panda]

I absolutely hate this project. This building could have been much taller if they'd build the parking and offices in one structure. As someone who loves tall buildings, this building is a boring glass box. Then they could have renovated the existing structures and activated the street life. The old buildings could have been lofts and a hotel with a restaurant at the bus station. Instead this area is even worse now due to another failed project right across the street.

There is so much surface parking around but they had to build this where the few historic buildings were left standing were. I will always view this project as a huge step back and the sort of people like the poster who said "I don't care what it looks like" as the reasons OKC is like it is. This could have been so much more. Damn shame.

[zefferoni]

I don't have an issue with parking garages going up, but I wish more of them were like the Arts District garage with ground level retail - something to engage the ground level besides a blank wall.

[Anonymous.]

As long as the garage does its damn job, I couldn't give 2 craps what it looks like, and neither do people who matter. The only people who care are message board "everything about OKC sucks" people. Literally, I have not heard 1 person complain about how a parking garage looks in this city (and I travel to clients all over the city area). Don't let great be the enemy of good!

Have you ever seen the Santa Fe Garage? That monstrosity is not only taking up a huge amount of valuable land, but it is the main eye-draw for pretty much any vantage point east of the railroad in upper Bricktown and Deep Deuce.

Think of how awesome these photos would be if the Santa Fe Garage was either 1) not there or 2) didn't look like complete trash.

[shadfar]

Have you ever seen the Santa Fe Garage? That monstrosity is not only taking up a huge amount of valuable land, but it is the main eye-draw for pretty much any vantage point east of the railroad in upper Bricktown and Deep Deuce.

Think of how awesome these photos would be if the Santa Fe Garage was either 1) not there or 2) didn't look like complete trash.

i'm probably in the minority here, but i actually like the Sante Fe Garage..specifically at night when it's all lit up.

Great Pic!

[shawnw]

except when you want to get to the other side of it and it's a monstrous barrier....

in the grand scheme, small touches like a pedestrian thoroughfare, bike racks, public art panels on the facade... go a long way toward better stewardship of those spaces for not much more cost (when building/designing new), even if you don't go full urbanist with ground floor retail and such (which would be ideal of course).

[jccouger]

Have you ever seen the Santa Fe Garage? That monstrosity is not only taking up a huge amount of valuable land, but it is the main eye-draw for pretty much any vantage point east of the railroad in upper Bricktown and Deep Deuce.

Think of how awesome these photos would be if the Santa Fe Garage was either 1) not there or 2) didn't look like complete trash.

I honestly looked at the picture before I read what you wrote & never noticed the garage. I think it looks a lot worse while you are walking close by to it or driving by it. It kind of just acts like the cox block where it creates such a walkable barrier that its more of a hindrance then it is ugly, and it is REALLY ugly.

[riflesforwatie]

except when you want to get to the other side of it and it's a monstrous barrier....

Or walk alongside it, between it and a six-lane speedway.

[Plutonic Panda]

Or walk alongside it, between it and a six-lane speedway.

A speedway? lol I rarely see people go above 30 on that road and 30 is pushing it.

[bradh]

A speedway? lol I rarely see people go above 30 on that road and 30 is pushing it.

Well now you don't, been torn up too long

[OKC_on_mines]

Good grief. Damn near everything that is done in OKC gets nitpicked and criticized to death. Is anyone ever happy with anything that happens here? Sheeeesh.

Was going to say the same thing lol. I love my city and although I want to see things done right im also pulling for and encouraging continued growth. They are using materials from the old greyhound station in these garages. So when you look at these at least we can share with a friend that interesting tidbit. IMHO they look much better at night when the lights shine through them.

[OKC_on_mines]

I don't have an issue with parking garages going up, but I wish more of them were like the Arts District garage with ground level retail - something to engage the ground level besides a blank wall.

I absolutely LOVE the arts district garage and the landscaping surrounding it. This project isn't finished yet so we wont know which restaurants are going in or what the landscape looks like yet but I don't mind this project at all at this point. If they come through with retail on the first floor for both of these buildings then im more than satisfied with them.

Besides, we (me included) keep clamoring for retail but I am under the impression that there seems to be a reluctance to invest/plan for retail in physical locations due to the wave of online shopping for this generation. We millenials are to blame for that I guess Lol


Womp womp womp ������

[Patchy Proot]

Can you guess where this was taken from?

[Pete]

Can you guess where this was taken from?

Will Rogers Tennis Center?

[Patchy Proot]

One of the best views you will find. Atop the parking garage at Integris Baptist hospital.

[soonerguru]

Was going to say the same thing lol. I love my city and although I want to see things done right im also pulling for and encouraging continued growth. They are using materials from the old greyhound station in these garages. So when you look at these at least we can share with a friend that interesting tidbit. IMHO they look much better at night when the lights shine through them.

Sorry, but that has the value of a bucket of warm spit.

[OKC_on_mines]

That's your opinion soonerguru. I disagree. Now don't get me wrong I think ed shadid made a good point concerning the renovation and restoration of the old greyhound station and some of the concepts drawn up in how to keep it and build on top of it. But I'm still very satisfied with this and retail below.

My concern is actually in another arena; it seems brick and mortar retail is taking a hit from online shopping. Hopefully it forces retailers to innovate and streamline processes and ideas to revamp the retail industry.

But using materials from the old station ? Great idea imho. But we're both entitled to OUr opinions and that doesn't make either of us wrong

[Pete]

Tried to capture the store fronts on the Main Street garage as well as the lobby build-out for BOK.

You can see bits of tile from the old building that was demolished above the glass.

[Pete]

Here is all the retail space:

[shawnw]

Not bad if they can make them work, size wise, I remember that being a complaint

[Ross MacLochness]

Nice! I hope they get all the spaces filled up!