Devon Park (Softball Hall of Fame)

[Urbanized]

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Permanent outfield seating isn't possible due to the fact that the outfield walls are moved in and out as much as 100' depending upon the event. Devon park doesn't just host WCWS and USA Softball. It hosts softball events 30 weekends per year.

[Laramie]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Permanent outfield seating isn't possible due to the fact that the outfield walls are moved in and out as much as 100' depending upon the event. Devon park doesn't just host WCWS and USA Softball. It hosts softball events 30 weekends per year.

Realized the risers wouldn't be permanent--just a better upgrade of moveable seating.

[Bellaboo]

I 100% believe Austin will. They have been spending money at will for UT sports and for NIL. Their coach hates that the WCWS is in Oklahoma City. Austin will no doubt be building one by 2035, IMO. And probably develop the heck out of the surrounding area, so it isn't in a deserted part of the city with no restaurants or bars or hotels.

OKC is more centrally located in the country than any other contender. Since a lot of fans drive to the games, that's a big factor in OKC's favor.

[Pete]

The City is soliciting architecture/engineering services for a new $15 million, 32,000-square-foot indoor practice facility and locker rooms for Devon Park. Don't know the source of funds.

The entire facility would be connected to the stadium through a tunnel.

Will also include a sports medicine room, indoor pitching and batting cages, and a softball infield. It will be located in the existing northwest parking area.


By comparison, the new indoor practice facility at OU is about 10,000 SF + another 20,000 SF in home locker rooms and offices in a separate 2-level building and then another 4,000 SF building for visitor locker rooms. The practice facility, home locker rooms and home dugout are all connected via tunnels, as are the visitor locker room and visitor dugout.

So, the total square footage would be very similar between the two facilities.


Not only will this help immensely with the Olympics, but will be yet another huge addition to the world's best softball complex. Hard to imagine the Women's College World Service ever leaving.

[Jake]

Awesome!!!

[Laramie]

They are obviously getting ready for the future WCWS and an eye cocked on the LA28 Olympics.

[kukblue1]

Will it be used for other things other than WCWS. It can't sit empty for like 10 months out of the year can it?

[unfundedrick]

Will it be used for other things other than WCWS. It can't sit empty for like 10 months out of the year can it?

No softball stadiums are in use all year but Devon Park is busy.

https://www.visitokc.com/listing/devon-park/795/

"Devon Park, formerly known as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, is home to the Softball Capital of the World®. With four fields, including the OGE Energy Field at Devon Park, and other world class amenities, the Complex has played host to the best softball competition in the world, including the World Cup of Softball, the NCAA® Women’s College World Series®, the Big 12 Conference Softball Championships, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Classic.

[Jake]

Don’t know why the narrative that the softball stadium never gets used outside of the WCWS is so prevalent.

[Pete]

Don’t know why the narrative that the softball stadium never gets used outside of the WCWS is so prevalent.

By men too, not just women.

[Snowman]

Don’t know why the narrative that the softball stadium never gets used outside of the WCWS is so prevalent.

Probably anything that is not on the level a team people are interested in and/or aired on TV, is going to go under most people's radar.

[bison34]

Probably anything that is not on the level a team people are interested in and/or aired on TV, is going to go under most people's radar.

Ignorance isn't an excuse. But the stadium is used quite often.

[bamarsha]

It's the home stadium for the OKC Spark. If you haven't attended one of their games, I highly suggest it!

https://www.okcspark.com/

[David]

Right on top of the already limited parking seems a little odd, but they do have that new path over from Remington for overflow parking and they don't have a lot of spare room given the site layout and being fairly boxed in.

[Pete]

^

There is 10x as much parking as they will ever need at Remington as well as the zoo and Science Museum.

[David]

Out of curiosity, is there any financial relationship between Remington and the city for the use of their parking by Devon Park visitors? Seems hardly necessary given how frequently the Remington parking stays empty but there's usually no such thing as a free lunch.

[warreng88]

^

There is 10x as much parking as they will ever need at Remington as well as the zoo and Science Museum.

And when I drove by this summer, there were tents in the Remington park parking lot and shuttles picking people up and taking them there.

Also, I just mapped it and it is a half mile walk from the parking lot to the front of the Ballpark.

[kukblue1]

Don’t know why the narrative that the softball stadium never gets used outside of the WCWS is so prevalent.

Because you never hear about other events that are there. As least I never do. I know there are but couldn't tell you when they are.

[BoulderSooner]

Out of curiosity, is there any financial relationship between Remington and the city for the use of their parking by Devon Park visitors? Seems hardly necessary given how frequently the Remington parking stays empty but there's usually no such thing as a free lunch.

the zoo trust owns all of that land ..

[Pete]

Someone at the City just told me the improvements to Devon Park will be part of a 2025 bond offering.

Looks like we will have a vote coming up soon.

[BoulderSooner]

Someone at the City just told me the improvements to Devon Park will be part of a 2025 bond offering.

Looks like we will have a vote coming up soon.

last one was 2017 so it is due in the next few years ..

[BoulderSooner]

Someone at the City just told me the improvements to Devon Park will be part of a 2025 bond offering.

Looks like we will have a vote coming up soon.

last one was 2017 so it is due in the next few years .. and the last one was just shy on 1 billion .... this one should be over a billion

[bombermwc]

So i see there's a walking path connecting the softball parking lot (at the little turnaround at the corner) and one of the Remington lots. Is there a tram that goes back and forth across that path during the WCWS too or is it just foot traffic? I've never been there during those games, so I'm wondering if that's a close enough path that the Olympics are going to be ok with that, or if they are going to want some sort of more mature transport service. It does seem like it's a pretty good trek and in Oklahoma, in the summer, on asphalt....it's gonna be hot. There are no trees or anything along that path so it's just in the air. Doing some planting of trees at this point won't help for the Olympics (they wont grow enough, fast enough), but it could help for later. If they have people movers, then it's probably fine the way it is, but some of that path looks a little narrow to me to do both tram and foot traffic.

[Pete]

^

It's a wide sidewalk only for pedestrians. The shuttle busses run on the street.

It's an easy walk from the parking to the stadium.

[Laramie]

last one was 2017 so it is due in the next few years .. and the last one was just shy on 1 billion .... this one should be over a billion

Pete mentioned improvements to Devon Park will be part of a 2025 bond offering. . . . a new $15 million, 32,000-square-foot indoor practice facility and locker rooms for Devon Park.

. . . Not only will this help immensely with the Olympics, but will be yet another huge addition to the world's best softball complex. Hard to imagine the Women's College World Service ever leaving.

Pete, you're correct--this is probably the last hurdle needed to clear to keep the WCWS in OKC beyond 2035.

Funds needed:

Improve the Riversports Rapids facility $25 million (Grand Stands . . .)
Devon Park complex--$15 million for 32,000-square-foot indoor practice facility, locker rooms and other issues in preparation for LA28 Olympics in which OKC hosts softball and canoe slalom---$25 million total for the softball complex.

Budget around $50 million (5%) of a $1 billion bond package.

The coverage of the Olympics inside the United States with OKC co-hosting the canoe and softball events;
viewership with the return of softball to the Olympics will put the spotlight on Oklahoma City.

Construction on the $900 million downtown NBA arena will be in the final completion stages and you bet they will be scenes of the Adventure District.





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