Galleria nearing completion

[Patrick]

If you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet, the 1st phase of the Galleria parking garage expansion is near completion. The 2nd phase will start later, and be built just west of the 1st phase. It doesn't look too shabby.

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"Galleria nearly complete


By Bryan Dean
The Oklahoman

Work continues on two parking garages a block away from one another in downtown Oklahoma City.
When both are finished, 2,000 new spaces will be available. Oklahoma County expects its 1,050-space garage at Hudson and Dean A. McGee avenues will be open April 15.

Oklahoma City is nearing completion on the first phase of a $23 million expansion and renovation of the Galleria Garage at Sheridan and Hudson avenues that will provide 1,000 new spaces.

The $10 million county garage, being built by Flintco Inc., is just north of the county's existing parking garage.

"Flintco has done a wonderful job keeping us on schedule in spite of the weather," District 1 Commissioner Jim Roth said. "They have worked evenings and weekends towards our completion date."

Commissioners are counting on the revenue from the new garage beginning in April to start paying off the revenue bonds used to finance the project.

Construction could close Hudson next week, county Engineer Ray Reeves said. He said one lane of Hudson will be kept open if possible, and at least one lane will definitely be open on New Year's Eve to prevent traffic backing up during Opening Night festivities.

If Hudson is closed, it would be for no more than two weeks, Reeves said.

District 2 Commissioner Jack Cornett said the new garage is an idea that has been on the drawing board since he was elected four years ago.

"I could see several hundred people wanting a spot in the garage and we didn't have any spaces," Cornett said. "The idea was there for years, but it was just dormant."

The first phase of the Galleria Garage will open in January, city transit spokeswoman Amy Ford said. The completed portion of the garage will not create any more spaces, but will give Galleria customers a place to park during construction of the second phase of the project.

The completed first phase will show off the architecture of the project and will include new offices, lighting and other features.

"The parkers will enjoy the amenities of the new facility," Ford said. "They won't have to endure as much construction, but we will still have the demolition which will cause some dust in February."

The second phase of the project is scheduled to open in January 2006. "

[Luke]

I still don't see why this thing is getting as much press as it is. Something fishy about it. Who knows, maybe in other big cities when a new garage is built, the state paper gives updates on its progress as well.

Wierd...

[Patrick]

This is Oklahoma.....what do you expect? lol! It's kind of like when you go to a small town.....everytime a new cow or horse is born, it makes the news! lol! We're that that small, but I'm just making a point. Simply, there's nothing else in the news right now.

[HOT ROD]

The garage is more of an image thing, the continuing of OKC's renaissance!

You guys maybe did not understand what the vote for "naming the garage" was about. It was to stimulate civic pride and keep people interested in downtown.

After Maps was complete, people could eventually drop off and not go downtown anymore - you know how it is, most city residents become complacent with what they have and dont really support it anymore.

well, I think downtown OKC is really making good points of "having something NEW for poeple to come see." That way, the rush of people interested in downtown does not subside - but infact, grows!

Its kind-of like Patrick said, Downtown OKC is like a small town - the centre of a major metropolitan area that has generated a ton of interest due to MAPS and the downtown renaissance. When something new comes in, it makes the paper.

I dont see anything wrong with that, especially since the Galleria Garage is being upgraded using taxpayer dollars. Why not make it sort of a bragging icon?

Dont sell yourself short, other cities report on seemingly more mundane things in their downtowns, at least ours is progressive.

[Patrick]

I guess it's good that downtown OKC is getting this kind of recognition. Before MAPS, downtown just didn't get a lot of press!

[floater]

I remember living in a Mississippi Delta Arkansas city of 30K, and they celebrated the engineering of the city's first left-turn signal lane!!! Wow!

I think the coverage is meant to show that things are happening downtown, but when you devote coverage to reports that "It's almost finished!!" it kind of dampens the celebration of when it is done.

But you also have to appreciate that is isn't just any garage. Its design is aesthetically pleasing, which you can't say about many other garages, in OKC or around the country. I didn't know garages could look so cool until I saw some in Columbus. One of them features sides that look like they're some kind of massive abstract public art installation. I also think the design of the garage will influence the look of what is eventually built on the Galleria site (and there WILL be something there!). As the library and garage show contemporary applications of Art Deco, so will any Galleria development. I think. And as Hot Rod said, with the naming of the garage, the city is engaging a sense of ownership with its residents in downtown.

[Luke]

I wonder if that garage is ccapable of being built on top of. That would be cool.

[Patrick]

Yeah, at least the new Galleria Garage isn't just your typical plain concrete wall structure. Sure, it's made of pre-fab concrete, but it at least has some character to it. I'm glad to see we're putting a little more pride in this project. That's one thing I really give Tulsa a lot of credit on....they don't settle for anything. I think their arena design clearly demonstrates that. We need to take a page out of their play book when we develop projects in the future. Maybe the Galleria Garage is a start. Now if we only could've gotten the owners of the Bricktown garage to brick the exterior of their garage! They said it would've been too expensive, but heck, Integris Baptist bricked most of their garages.