Scissortail Park

[Paseofreak]

As I understand the C2S plan, the vast majority of adjacent buildings will be razed, and we know what those that will remain look like. If the park and city government do their job, the park will set the tone and quality do the entire area. If the park is built correctly, new construction will have to address the park in it's entirety rather than relate to a big row of trees.

We can build this faddish park that appears to me to have been designed for how it looks on paper rather than how it will function and serve the desires of the community for the ages as the park Hoyasooner described as to his liking might. I have absolutely no problem with the overall budget for the park, but for $15 million in design fees, I see nothing special, innovative or particularly place making and suspect that we may have to redo this park three times before it works well. But then, that's what happened with MBG too. I think we're being taken to the cleaners by the designers and the city government is just turning a blind eyes. Only my opinion and everybody is welcome to refute it.

[HOT ROD]

does Tulsa have an equivalent to MGB?

[kevinpate]

does Tulsa have an equivalent to MGB?

Woodward park comes to mind, though I wouldn't consider MGB as its equal. Each has aspects the other does not.
Woodward Park (Tulsa) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Rover]

Woodward park comes to mind, though I wouldn't consider MGB as its equal. Each has aspects the other does not.
Woodward Park (Tulsa) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apples and oranges. Woodward and MG totally different.

[Laramie]

We should want both cities to do well. The stronger they are, the better for the state.

That should be one of the goals for the state; unfortunately the 'pork barrel' has diminished as a result of the state income tax possibly being in benchmark stages to be phased out--rural community legislators don't give a 'rats ass' about either city. Tulsa and Oklahoma City's proximity should benefit success for both communities.

I hope Tulsa does well. I just wish Tulsa would get over its butthurt about OKC.

Lately, both cities experience new private development construction.

It would be nice if the OKC-TUL I-44 corridor (example: high speed rapid transit link) could maximize its potential for the benefit of both cities.

Your 'wish' statement is not likely to happen anytime soon. Like OKC, Tulsa became stagnant over a period of time. Oklahoma City's development is more robust & attractive now than it ever has been. She's feeling her oats: dropping handkerchiefs, got heads turning, old men are drooling and OKC's competition is turning green with envy...

Agree, we shouldn't take our eyes off Tulsa. We have the future to develop the central park; Tulsa's park won't be the 'x-factor' that sways business decisions that affects both cities. The I-35, I-40/I-44 corridors interchange plays more to OKC (I-35: Oklahoma City-Dallas-Fort Worth-Austin) than Tulsa's proposed beautiful park.

Note that Tulsa built a viable arena & ballpark after OKC built the Bricktown Ballpark & Chesapeake Energy Arena.

We (OKC) have some good 'quality of life' momentum factors which make us attractive that we didn't have when United Airlines chose Indianapolis over us in the maintenance center debacle.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[bchris02]

Apples and oranges. Woodward and MG totally different.

I agree. Myriad Gardens is a city gathering place and Woodward Park is a neighborhood park. Woodward is very beautiful though and reminds me a lot of the urban parks back East. I think with some improvements Edgemere Park could be a great candidate for an OKC version of Woodward.

[BG918]

does Tulsa have an equivalent to MGB?

Guthrie Green

[lasomeday]

I can't speak for how the planning process for this went, so I'l defer it to other people.

But the beauty of MAPS projects has been fundamentally different than anything Tulsa has done. We have built projects that are of decent quality but basic enough to a) afford to pay cash for it and more importantly b) can serve as a catalyst point for activity and businesses while being easily "improveable" should the demand warrant it.

Think about it. OKC builds a baisc canal through Bricktown and lets the surrounding neighborhood form around it. We dam up a river and make improvements and over time the Boathouse district forms through little city help besides the initial river improvements. We build a basic arena and let events and teams use it more over time until we land a permanent NBA franchise and make the needed upgrades. The canal, arena, and river were nothing special but they were built to be magnents that eventually drew in private businesses and individuals to shape them into what the community really wanted.

This is not to suggest that what Tulsa is doing is better or worse. The park looks fantastic, and they can do that because a millionaire just opened his checkbook and gave them $300 million. I gotta be honest I think Tulsa will get a great park out of this but they may regret the funding mechanisms in the long run. This sets a pretty slippery precedent that should the city continually vote down muncipal projects some rich guy will just step up and foot the bill. Particulary in a town that has a legacy of being vehemently anti-tax.

Like I said I can't speak for the planning process but I am a bit disappointed in how many people have ripped this project when in esssence its development is really no different than any other wildly successful MAPS project. I have to wonder if Tulsa would even be doing AGP if MAPS 3 did not include a central park. I for one am really looking foward to the construction and development of this area.

Adaniel... The problem we have is the designers designed a blank slate park that could go anywhere. Nothing about it says Okc or even oklahoma. They are destroying structurally sound historic buildings that should easily be reused in the park. They didn't incorporate anything from the public meetings and basically are doing this for their portfolio. Nobody on the committee said no to any of their ideas. The maps park committee just rubber stamped everything they did.

Ok I am done with talking about it. This park wasted so much of my time for nothing!

[warreng88]

Expert says MAPS 3 park contamination 'not that bad' | News OK

[Bullbear]

So they don't think the Lake is going to tap into that ground water at all?.. or is the ground water problem on the south side of I40 I couldn't tell.

[Rover]

Adaniel... The problem we have is the designers designed a blank slate park that could go anywhere. Nothing about it says Okc or even oklahoma. They are destroying structurally sound historic buildings that should easily be reused in the park. They didn't incorporate anything from the public meetings and basically are doing this for their portfolio. Nobody on the committee said no to any of their ideas. The maps park committee just rubber stamped everything they did.

Ok I am done with talking about it. This park wasted so much of my time for nothing!

Why would they want it for their portfolio if it is so crappy and everyone will be unhappy with it? Those are the things you keep out of your portfolio.

[Snowman]

So they don't think the Lake is going to tap into that ground water at all?.. or is the ground water problem on the south side of I40 I couldn't tell.

The study zone did not go south of i40. If I remember correctly the lakes main source of water is to be rain runoff, part of it's intent was to help recharge the groundwater so it probably sits above the water table.

[Spartan]

Apples and oranges. Woodward and MG totally different.

I think Woodward Park, while beautiful, is more comparable to Will Rogers Park. Just in a better neighborhood (Terwilliger Heights > I-44/36th area, while not bad certainly not HI) I promise a lot of you would be surprised at what all there is at Will Rogers Park, particularly the OKC Rose Garden and the OKC Tennis Center.

As BG918 said the Guthrie Green is more the Myriad Gardens equivalent (albeit much lesser), although I'm more partial to the Center of the Universe which is kinda cool.

It's worth noting that the Riverparks are clearly Tulsa's defining public space, and not so much one park.

[HangryHippo]

Why do they have to do the portion south of I40?

[betts]

Why do they have to do the portion south of I40?

It makes for a bigger park and (sort of) connects downtown to the river.

[Pete]

Here are the pretty much the final plans by Hargreaves.

This first group is big picture and the cafe along Reno:

[warreng88]

Well, at least they are accurate with their Boulevard renderings...

Couple of questions about the park that someone might be able to answer:

1. Does the city plan on redoing Robinson from the Boulevard to I-40?
2. Is there a plan to drop the speed limit around the park to make it safer?
3. Is Hudson going to dead end at SW 7th so you have to turn west if coming south? If not, I guess it will dead end at I-40?

[Pete]

The Oval:

[skanaly]

I noticed the great lawn has changed a bit..and to be honest I liked it the way it was. More open space encourages bigger crowds to come play football, frisbee, have picnics, and what not. And the more trees there are discourages big crowds in one area. I can just picture showing up with some friends ready to toss the football a bit and saying "oh, no room, oh well". Trust me I love parks that are packed with trees. With the skyline changing in the next ten years it'll be cool to go to a place to get away from it. I would just like to see trees placed in the right areas. It's probably to far along for them to change it again, but that's just my opinion.

[bradh]

Can anyone tell from the drawings if there is some kind of path that was specifically thought about for a running trail?

doesn't appear that way, just using the promenade down to the river and back it appears

[Pete]

I've got tons more images to upload but here is the Promenade; the columns to the left are illuminated at night:

[Pete]

This is the area along Robinson. The artwork / sculpture would be on the corner of Robinson and the Boulevard.

That curved area in the forefront of the playground is actually restrooms; note how they slope up to form a ramp that leads to climbing structures.

Now that the details are coming out, I really like what I see. Lots more to the park than was revealed in the more conceptual plans.

[Pete]

More:

[Pete]

More:

[jccouger]

Totally impressed. Just hope there is enough money to maintain the park, but I see quite a few ways for this park to make money (Cafe, boat rentals, event rentals in Union Station, concerts)