DEQ Parking Garage

[Tyson]

New video showing renderings. Looks like it’s going in the same spot. Really cool look IMO!

https://x.com/oklahomadeq/status/181...082831777?s=46

Heck yeah. Nice improvement.

[Pete]

[sethsrott]

Next project is to spruce up the DEQ building - the dated architecture will be even more noticeable with this addition!

[jn1780]

Next project is to spruce up the DEQ building - the dated architecture will be even more noticeable with this addition!

The parking garage will look better than the actual building.

[yukong]

The new parking garage may look better than the office building, but the building is owned by the state and debt-free. I have been inside on a few occasions, and it is quite nice and up-to-date in most areas. Is it fancy? No. I have been in federal buildings that were built in the last 20 years, and they were in much worse condition inside and out. I'm happy to see a nice, modern parking garage in place of that ugly old thing.

[Anonymous.]

Guessing the old garage is structurally [soon to be] compromised.

Looks a lot better in that rendering.

[yukong]

It is more than structurally compromised. My understanding is that over half the garage is closed off due to serious issues.

[Urbanized]

30+ years ago when I worked for the Journal-Record (in the building that now houses the OKC National Memorial) we parked in this garage, and one of the best features was the full-service garage and fueling station inside. Get your oil changed, tires rotated, fuel up, etc., all without leaving the garage. It was truly from another time. It was also one of only two gas stations downtown at the time.

[sethsrott]

The new parking garage may look better than the office building, but the building is owned by the state and debt-free. I have been inside on a few occasions, and it is quite nice and up-to-date in most areas. Is it fancy? No. I have been in federal buildings that were built in the last 20 years, and they were in much worse condition inside and out. I'm happy to see a nice, modern parking garage in place of that ugly old thing.

100%! That is what makes the building so attractive. I would love to see the windows/doors updated - hence my comment that it could use some sprucing - the building is fine, just a bit dated.

[Oski]

This design looks much cooler (more dangerous :-)).

[Pete]

It's interesting they've decided to rebuild the new garage on the site of the old one; the original plan was to construct a new one on the north side of the building.

[HFAA Alum]

While I enjoy the Art Deco style and would've probably leaned into it a little more. I actually like the style of the building. Now if they would've paid homage to the AD accents of the old by applying some of the figures to the glass, that would've been pretty fire too. The lights in between sections I'm sure are going to be color-change LEDs, so it will make it feel modern, and the height gives the area a bit more of midtown presence.

Thought to sidetrack a bit, Pete, do you think they'll look to update the DEQ's exterior to modernize in the future, probably to match with the garage a bit more so it doesn't look as outdated? I feel like they would probably have that in the back page somewhere, they're probably putting all of their coins in QoL for the interior and the garage (which judging from the Twitter post, appearing to be structurally deficient and in immediate need of a replacement).

[bombermwc]

I mean i do think it's a really ugly building....very 1950's governmental style. But it's not in bad condition. In fact, I would say that the facade appears to be in great condition for it being 60-70 years old. It's not like the county courthouse and it's office building that are complete and utter crap and shouldn't be used under any circumstance, but are.

Here's the tricky part with structures like this. Is it old enough to count as an example of that era's architecture to be preserved? Is it enough of an example to serve as an example? Most of you may not have ever seen the Admin builing on the FAA MMAC campus. I would argue that it is much more of an example of the era and would deserve more effort for preservation (if we want to). It has similiarly had some updates inside although I dont know that I would go so far as to say it was "nice". It's typical government cubes with old school halls/doors/etc.



But I always caution when people say "re-facade the thing". It's a very urban renewal thing to say. On one hand the intent is to try to make older buildings look newer. But we do lose that history that we're too close to today. So many buildings had facades put on them in the 50s' and 60's to look "modern" because the turn of the century and even art deco looked "old" then. Man are we happy when we rip things off and find the jewels underneath (like the downtown Uhaul that we'll probably never get to see again).

International style was purposely more brutalist than the previous deco and ornate eras. So on one hand, i'm not sure that we'll ever look back at International and think "man I wish we had saved some of those bland boxes". But maybe in 50 years when all the architects have gone crazy with the influence of Gaudi (im making this up), the clean lines will be appealing? We just don't know.

[Pete]

They have submitted plans to Downtown Design Review and they have changed slightly:

[yukong]

F YI - The DDRC approved the project. Demo is scheduled to start in January.

[yukong]

Pete, do you think they'll look to update the DEQ's exterior to modernize in the future, probably to match with the garage a bit more so it doesn't look as outdated? I feel like they would probably have that in the back page somewhere, they're probably putting all of their coins in QoL for the interior and the garage (which judging from the Twitter post, appearing to be structurally deficient and in immediate need of a replacement).

There are no such plans and no likelihood that there will be such plans. In the next few years, there are plans to repair mortar issues in the brick, but nothing more.

[yukong]

It's interesting they've decided to rebuild the new garage on the site of the old one; the original plan was to construct a new one on the north side of the building.

There was too much opposition from the “powers that be” to building on Robinson. So they pivoted back to the current garage sight. It should be noted that the legislature passed house bill 1023 in 2023 that is now codified at 27A O.S. Section 2-1-111 - Authorization to Remove or Dismantle Appurtenances - Report
Cite as: 27A O.S. § 2-1-111 (OSCN 2024), Article I - Short Title and General Definitions

A. The Department of Environmental Quality is hereby authorized to remove or dismantle any appurtenances connected to the Department's headquarters at 707 N. Robinson in downtown Oklahoma City. Once the appurtenance is removed, the site may be used for a parking lot for employees of the Department of Environmental Quality.

B. The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality shall submit a report to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate within ninety (90) days of this act's effective date, detailing the timeline and cost for dismantling the appurtenance, along with the number of expected parking spaces to be constructed compared to the number of spaces the Department needs. The Executive Director shall also submit reports to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate once construction begins and upon completion of the project detailing any changes from the initial report and the final outcome of the construction project.