Convention Center

[Plutonic Panda]

MAPS 3 was just a fig leaf to get a convention center. The public would never have voted for it on its own. Now, there's risk they are going to screw around with projects people actually wanted to only partially fund the project they really wanted. This is beyond maddening. Heads should roll.

Seriously, the public has a big stake in this. We should organize a massive protest at the next convention center subcommittee meeting. These people need to put up or shut up.

Hey I'm in. Just get enough people. It seems like the way we are going it could be along the cost of Nashville CC.

[okcboy]

What happens if transit gets cut like trails and even or the hub gets scrapped?

[CaptDave]

What happens if transit gets cut like trails and even or the hub gets scrapped?

I have a very uneasy feeling that may be coming, but I am also confident the council meetings will be overrun with people demanding the will of the people paying for these projects be given more weight than the desire of a few. I think most people favor building a nice reasonably sized convention center at a logical location, but to do so while defunding the projects that were the reason MAPS3 passed is beyond foolish. I suggest that people who care about this start writing letters to your council representative and the mayor.

[kevinpate]

recruiting and backing council replacements might be far more productive, albeit certainly not as easy as writing a sternly written letter of concern.
At some point though, everyone who held their nose and voted yes and gave their city council the benefit of doubt they'd do the right thing is going to have to decide ... have they, or haven't they. As you can only change so many council seats a cycle, might be best to ask that Q sooner rather than later.

Conversely, if you're happy as a clam at how things are progressing to date, time to get loud and proud on how well things seem to be happening from that perspective.

[Just the facts]

recruiting and backing council replacements might be far more productive, albeit certainly not as easy as writing a sternly written letter of concern.

Kevin, this is by far the best solution and with a little effort some big changes could be made. OKC City Council only has 9 members so just picking up a few seats would make a huge difference. OKC isn't like Nashville that has 29 seats.

BTW - on the Ward map, why is the Stockyard area shown in white? Are they not in the city limits?

http://www.okc.gov/council/wardmap/wardmap.pdf

[kevinpate]

...
BTW - on the Ward map, why is the Stockyard area shown in white? Are they not in the city limits?

http://www.okc.gov/council/wardmap/wardmap.pdf

So far as I am aware, it is simply a commercial district within OKC proper. No clue why they set it as a separate defined area in the same manner they use for communities like Valley Brook, Bethany, etc.

[soonerguru]

Kevin, this is by far the best solution and with a little effort some big changes could be made. OKC City Council only has 9 members so just picking up a few seats would make a huge difference. OKC isn't like Nashville that has 29 seats.

BTW - on the Ward map, why is the Stockyard area shown in white? Are they not in the city limits?

http://www.okc.gov/council/wardmap/wardmap.pdf

Stockyards City is otherworldly. It's like a whole 'nother country down there.

[dankrutka]

So... who is going to run for a seat?

[LakeEffect]

A better question, why isn't there an OKCTalk Party?

Council is non-partisan, that's why.

[Just the facts]

Is the OKCTalk party partisan? I am active on multiple parts of OKCTalk and it is a pretty good cross section of OKC. There sure isn't one political ideology that dominates. If a church, tea party, or the club for economic growth (or whatever they called themselves) can back a candidate I don't see why OKCTalk can't run a candidate.

OKCTalk has a lot of people I would like to see on the City Council.

[LakeEffect]

Is the OKCTalk party partisan? I am active on multiple parts of OKCTalk and it is a pretty good cross section of OKC. There sure isn't one political ideology that dominates. If a church, tea party, or the club for economic growth (or whatever they called themselves) can back a candidate I don't see why OKCTalk can't run a candidate.

OKCTalk has a lot of people I would like to see on the City Council.

Starting new thread in Politics - what should City Council pay?

[Steve]

Stockyards City is otherworldly. It's like a whole 'nother country down there.

Stockyards City is actually unincorporated, separate from OKC.

[LakeEffect]

Stockyards City is actually unincorporated, separate from OKC.

Yep. Used to field calls about tall weeds, etc., and always had to refer them to the County. The commercial district (Agnew, Exchange, etc.) is IN Oklahoma City, however.

[Just the facts]

So only the actual feeder lots are in the county?

[LakeEffect]

So only the actual feeder lots are in the county?

Yes, and open fields to the south all the way to SW 15th Street. Might have been part of the old packing plants.

[Dubya61]

... and there is no city sales tax collected on transactions that take place therein?

[LakeEffect]

... and there is no city sales tax collected on transactions that take place therein?

Correct!

[Kokopelli]

But the only sales happening in the unincorporated area, is the sale of livestock.

[LakeEffect]

But the only sales happening in the unincorporated area, is the sale of livestock.

Only the biggest live cattle sales auction in the US...

[UnFrSaKn]

Architects Release Conceptual Rendering Of OKC Convention Center - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[OKCisOK4me]

"The hotel will go directly next to the new convention center or across the street on the what is now the Cox Convention Center."

I wish reporters would work on their sentence structures before posting stories. What does that mean? As far as I can see in my head, the Cox Convention Center is katty korner to the site, not across from, lol...

[UnFrSaKn]

Looking forward to better photos of the renderings.

[TAlan CB]

Looking forward to better photos of the renderings.

I agree. If the conceptional design indicates placement and size of buildings then there is concern. The size and placement of the hotel will cause problems on the Myriad Gardens, in the Crystal Bridge in particular. I would hope they do some additional research on shadow casting affects on the conservatory and grounds. In particular in the Winter the sun is low on the horizon in the south, this tall tower directly to the south of the conservatory will cast a large shadow over what little sun the CB gets this time of the year. A significant portion of the heating of the CB comes from sunlight, as the Exoite skining of the conservatory is a wonderful thermal insulator. I've seen snow gather on the top and the inside warm to 80 degrees F. There would be a marked decrease in tropical blooms inside the conservatory in the winter - when visitors appreciated it the most. Not to mention what it will do to the playgrounds, dog park, and plantings outside the conservatory that are just off Reno. In the Summer it would be wonderful - except the sun will be much higher and the shadow much closer to the building (what little shadow there will be). I would hope shadow casting studies would be done, perhaps it is not as bad as it seems it will be. But, the city has just spent millions rebuilding the Myriad Gardens, it would be a mistake not to take into consideration the damage this could do to these new popular venues on the south side of the garden. Outside 50 degrees in the shade on a cool Winter day is considerably different than 50 degrees in the sun.

[catch22]

If they placed the tower on the block as far east as possible, by noon, no matter the season, you'd at least have the sun hitting the Crystal Bridge, later thru the day in the winter time you'd have the shadow only on the SE section of the gardens.

[Pete]

Here is the one rendering from that article, although they said there were three concepts:

Architects say every direction of the new convention center will accommodate openness for pedestrians.

The hotel will go directly next to the new convention center or across the street on the what is now the Cox Convention Center.