Health Sciences Center

[HOT ROD]

wow, those buildings look great.

The Oklahoma Health Center (OMRF, OU MED, PHC, OSSM, ORC, etc) is coming along nicely into a true top looking employment and research center. .... Perhaps a smaller version of Texas Health Center in Houston is in the works. .....

Now we need a bonafide hotel or two in the center, as well as connection(s) to downtown and Saint Anthony/midtown. We also need housing, but I can see that is developing on the fringe and rebuilding blighted inner city 'hoods such as JFK and Culbertson already.

OKC is really building a nice Health and Medical research facility. I just wish the other Cancer research facilities had gone to OHC, just to keep an urban/cohesive health/research neighbourhood; but I also understand the good in seeding other parts of the city - particularly building up the Mercy Health Center area into a 2ndary center.

[betts]

Wow Doug, those look great. I'm down there every day and the construction usually is what catches my eye. It's all looking good. I hear there's a new dental school in the offing, so perhaps the cranes won't disappear soon.

[Spartan]

For comparison purposes..

[Doug Loudenback]

Yep. In fact, if you look close enough, in the top left corner they've already installed one.

You are correct. Here's a crop of the 1st OMR pic:



An unfortunate part of the OMR building is that it is fairly well masked from a good view south of the building. One has to drive around the north and west side to get good views.

Nick, I don't know if the window configuration is done or not, ala the comparison drawing.

[Dustin]

You are correct. Here's a crop of the 1st OMR pic:

There is actually two in that pic.

[BB37]

Haven't seen this discussed anywhere, but there'll be a wrecking ball swinging soon, too. Sometime late this year, or early next, the old, original Crippled Children's Hospital building (currently known as Bielstein Center) will be razed.

Since Children's Hospital moved into the former University Hospital facility in 2007, and the clinics moved to the new Children's Clinic building last year, the two newer (mid-70s) bookend towers, Nicholson and Garrison, have been and are being renovated for office space, while Bielstein (late 1920s) has been slowly emptied, with just a few offices still in use. Word is, a parking structure will replace the old buildings (Bielstein and Lew Wentz).

[HOT ROD]

are the windmills functional? you know, generate power or pump something?

or are they just decorative?

I ask, because the shaft area seems kind of small for it to connect to a generator or a pump. .... Anybody in the know?

[ljbab728]

are the windmills functional? you know, generate power or pump something?

or are they just decorative?

I ask, because the shaft area seems kind of small for it to connect to a generator or a pump. .... Anybody in the know?

They have always been intended to be fully functional, Hot Rod.

http://omrf.org/2010/06/28/omrf-begi...top-wind-farm/

[Spartan]

Haven't seen this discussed anywhere, but there'll be a wrecking ball swinging soon, too. Sometime late this year, or early next, the old, original Crippled Children's Hospital building (currently known as Bielstein Center) will be razed.

Since Children's Hospital moved into the former University Hospital facility in 2007, and the clinics moved to the new Children's Clinic building last year, the two newer (mid-70s) bookend towers, Nicholson and Garrison, have been and are being renovated for office space, while Bielstein (late 1920s) has been slowly emptied, with just a few offices still in use. Word is, a parking structure will replace the old buildings (Bielstein and Lew Wentz).

Oh boy..

[HOT ROD]

ok, good!

Way to go OHC!!! and OMRF specifically.

[shane453]

Thanks Doug! Everything looks like high-quality, well designed construction. The cancer institute is beautiful and the OMRF tower looks like it could fit right in at SoSA. If we can get some developers to finish the chain of mixed uses between HSC, PHF, and Deep Deuce, it will dramatically change the shape of the "contiguous" urban center. The streetcar connection to the medical district will accomplish that. Really neat to imagine a solid downtown with two connected cores of high-intensity employment.

[Spartan]

Thanks Doug! Everything looks like high-quality, well designed construction. The cancer institute is beautiful and the OMRF tower looks like it could fit right in at SoSA. If we can get some developers to finish the chain of mixed uses between HSC, PHF, and Deep Deuce, it will dramatically change the shape of the "contiguous" urban center. The streetcar connection to the medical district will accomplish that. Really neat to imagine a solid downtown with two connected cores of high-intensity employment.

I don't think the streetcar connection to the medical district is a done deal.. given the argument made by Blair.

[metro]

and for those of you who haven't been to the Childrens Hospital, the site is MASSIVE and those pics don't do the size and scope of the project justice. The curved glass atrium part of the tower alone is massive.Thanks Doug fro taking the pics, I intended to go down this weekend and get pics, but didn't get the chance. Glad you were able to get these.

[BB37]

and for those of you who haven't been to the Childrens Hospital, the site is MASSIVE and those pics don't do the size and scope of the project justice. The curved glass atrium part of the tower alone is massive.Thanks Doug fro taking the pics, I intended to go down this weekend and get pics, but didn't get the chance. Glad you were able to get these.

The kids all think the atrium is gonna be giant slide

[Doug Loudenback]

The kids all think the atrium is gonna be giant slide

I figured that it might be a place to toss small children out the window when they were being particularly obnoxious and unruly.

[jdcf]

Doug, thank you for the pictures and for the thread. Although we seem to live at OU Physicians and Presby buildings, I do not necessarily take the time to look at all of this construction.

I hope that the name Bielstein continues on in some manner. Dr. Bielstein has quite a legacy in this community and undoubtedly treated many of us older bloggers when we were little.

[BB37]

I figured that it might be a place to toss small children out the window when they were being particularly obnoxious and unruly.

Not kids. Doctors.

[adaniel]

Thanks Doug! Everything looks like high-quality, well designed construction. The cancer institute is beautiful and the OMRF tower looks like it could fit right in at SoSA. If we can get some developers to finish the chain of mixed uses between HSC, PHF, and Deep Deuce, it will dramatically change the shape of the "contiguous" urban center. The streetcar connection to the medical district will accomplish that. Really neat to imagine a solid downtown with two connected cores of high-intensity employment.

On a related note, how many daytime workers are there between Downtown/Bricktown, Midtown, The State Capitol Complex, and The HSC? My guess would be close to 80,000 but I'm not sure. Anyone care to guess? Its by far the largest concentration of daytime workers in the state.

[HOT ROD]

oh Im sure it is bigger than that.

I think I heard the CBD was in the 40,000 range in 2000 and that was with huge vacancies. It's gotta be higher than that now, probably at least 50,000. Add in the other downtown districts, OHC, and the Capitol campus - and it must be well over 120,000.

I agree central OKC should be the largest and most dense concentration of workers in the state.

[Doug Loudenback]

I'll only add this uninformed comment to the above mini-discussion. I have no idea of the numbers of those who work in the health sciences area, not in terms of comparison to the CBD or to the area itself. But, I will say this:

The vibrancy of development of the Health Sciences Area far surpasses that which has occurred in the CBD (Devon Tower excepted). If one wants to see a heap of modern architecturally designed buildings for an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon (less traffic and more time to gawk), drive to NE 15th & Lincoln and transverse the streets there down to the south end of the Health Sciences area ... and below that, if one is game, check out the area that is ripe for residential development south of that.

In my judgment, this area rivals, if it doesn't exceed, the Bricktown area for the foremost development of any single area of the city ... certainly of the city core part. Obviously, the areas are not the same ... one (Health Sciences) is a beauty created pretty much from scratch (yes, some antiquities are present there and are honored) while the other (Bricktown) is almost if not altogether based on antiquities.

The almost door-to-door comparison of the Bricktown and the Health Sciences areas, one almost wholly modern and one almost wholly vintage, really presents a delightful and satisfying contrast and is one of the best charms of the city. Both areas have grown by their own unrelated processes and both areas are a delight to behold.

[okclee]

I don't think the streetcar connection to the medical district is a done deal.. given the argument made by Blair.

I think that the Health Science area along with the State Capitol could very well develop their own streetcar system. That area could use a streetcar just to get around from building to building with no need to travel into Bricktown, Midtown, or CBD.

Many people that I know work in the medical buildings don't have time to visit Bricktown or midtown even for lunch, they are on the go all day and are moving from building to building is their biggest concern.

Also I agree with Doug, the progress that is ongoing at the HSC is amazing and unknown to many that live in Okc. Great pics Doug.

[metro]

Downtown OKC Inc. via ACOG pegs it at:

Downtown Employees 52,400
(Based on data from Association of Central OK Governments and US Census Oklahoma data)

This is the number I've heard used repeatedly, approx 50,000 downtown and 80,000 in the DT/OUHSC/Capitol area.

[Doug Loudenback]

Okclee, I agree. Locals would just be amazed if they would spend an hour or so driving through the Health Sciences area. Here's one I took yesterday, looking through the glass at the Cancer Institute ... pretty fancy stuff.

Click here for a very high resolution image ... click the pic below for a 1024px wide resolution image ...

[BB37]

FWIW, one of the two cranes in front of Children's came down this week. The north crane, in front of the Children's Physicians' Building was dismantled Wednesday night and Thursday.

[Spartan]

Downtown OKC Inc. via ACOG pegs it at:



This is the number I've heard used repeatedly, approx 50,000 downtown and 80,000 in the DT/OUHSC/Capitol area.

This is false information.