Stockyards City

[Oski]

I've just visited the Fort Worth Stockyards last week, and I was impressed, the place attracts thousands of people, nice restaurants, shops, and hotels, a little something for everyone. I wonder if Stockyards City can be developed into something similar? What should be done to make that happens, in your opinions?

[Sooner.Arch]

real question as well, do the people in the stockyards actually desire redevolopment?

[PhiAlpha]

Urbanized or Pete is about to chime in here. I can feel it.

[Dob Hooligan]

I gotta admit I did not know until last week that a large part of The Stockyards area is not in OKC. Rather, it is part of Oklahoma County, and considered unincorporated. I'm guessing it was done that way over 100 years ago in order to give the livestock industry some freedom from government regulation.

[dankrutka]

I've just visited the Fort Worth Stockyards last week, and I was impressed, the place attracts thousands of people, nice restaurants, shops, and hotels, a little something for everyone. I wonder if Stockyards City can be developed into something similar? What should be done to make that happens, in your opinions?

I just was in the Fort Worth Stockyards today and probably 1,000 people came out to watch 10 longhorns walk a block through the area. I guess they do it twice a day. I thought it was pretty cool because the animals are impressive, but most people thought it was anti-climatic. Regardless, the Fort Worth Stockyards is killing it. It was absolutely packed.

[W8N2SKI]

I would imagine a significant reason for the lack of development in the OKC Stockyards is the fact that it is still a very active stockyard. The Fort Worth Stockyards have not been active for decades, whereas the OKC one has thousands of heads coming through each week. With the number of big rigs coming through each day, I would say it probably deters tourism and development.

[Canoe]

real question as well, do the people in the stockyards actually desire redevolopment?

Homerule.

[Rover]

I would imagine a significant reason for the lack of development in the OKC Stockyards is the fact that it is still a very active stockyard. The Fort Worth Stockyards have not been active for decades, whereas the OKC one has thousands of heads coming through each week. With the number of big rigs coming through each day, I would say it probably deters tourism and development.

Not to mention the odors.

[Jersey Boss]

Homerule.

What? No home rule here.

[Dob Hooligan]

Not to mention the odors.

I think the odors have been dramatically reduced over the last 20-30 years due to the reduction of slaughter operations in the Stockyards area. My location of the last 40 years being the NW 10th & May area, the South breeze from the Stockyards a couple miles away could be brutal in the spring and summer when the processing operations were in high gear in the 1980s-90s. Rarely notice it nowadays.

I think the Stockyards is almost exclusively a sale hub now.

[Bill Robertson]

I think the odors have been dramatically reduced over the last 20-30 years due to the reduction of slaughter operations in the Stockyards area. My location of the last 40 years being the NW 10th & May area, the South breeze from the Stockyards a couple miles away could be brutal in the spring and summer when the processing operations were in high gear in the 1980s-90s. Rarely notice it nowadays.

I think the Stockyards is almost exclusively a sale hub now.

On the river if you're just north of there with a south breeze it can be pretty stout.

[Dob Hooligan]

On the river if you're just north of there with a south breeze it can be pretty stout.

Ibet that is true, with the low lying area of the water collecting the heavy air off the holding pens when it is humid and has a low breeze.

Reminds me. I recall Pete made a comment last year about how the river has a concentration of Stockyards wash off from the animal storage areas that makes the water unsuitable for people to go into. and that is why some canoeing and kayaking events aren't held on the river?

[TheTravellers]

Ibet that is true, with the low lying area of the water collecting the heavy air off the holding pens when it is humid and has a low breeze.

Reminds me. I recall Pete made a comment last year about how the river has a concentration of Stockyards wash off from the animal storage areas that makes the water unsuitable for people to go into. and that is why some canoeing and kayaking events aren't held on the river?

Yes, true. There have been stories written about rowers (I believe) getting sick after ingesting some of the water somehow, googling it should bring the actual stories up.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^
Triathletes. Meaning people who swam in the river. There is no issue with rowing, as far as water quality concerned. Rowing limitations mostly revolve around bridge piers that intrude into rowing lanes.

[citywokchinesefood]

When I worked downtown in the hospitality industry I had people all the time asking if they could go see a cattle sale. If they put a little effort into it, I believe they would make it into a pretty strong tourist draw.

[Rover]

When I worked downtown in the hospitality industry I had people all the time asking if they could go see a cattle sale. If they put a little effort into it, I believe they would make it into a pretty strong tourist draw.

I don’t know how the sales there operate, but if they are traditional like what I attended when I grew up, having tourists in the bidding arena a would be immensely disruptive. There would have to be a viewing area where actions couldn’t be interpreted as bids.

Most people would be immensely bored imho.

[PhiAlpha]

I don’t know how the sales there operate, but if they are traditional like what I attended when I grew up, having tourists in the bidding arena a would be immensely disruptive. There would have to be a viewing area where actions couldn’t be interpreted as bids.

Most people would be immensely bored imho.

People here who understand how it works might be bored for sure but it might be really interesting for people who have never been around that industry before. I agree that the viewing area would need to be separate and I don’t think it could be a stand alone tourist draw but if you had that as part of a bigger cattle/cowboy museum and interactive experience in the stockyards area, I think it could be really cool. Could even tie in that horse riding deal someone was working on down there (maybe they finished it, I haven’t kept up).

It does just feel like we’re missing out on a massive tourism opportunity down there, especially with the big time resurgence in popularity of cowboy/western/country culture over the last few years.

[Rover]

People here who understand how it works might be bored for sure but it might be really interesting for people who have never been around that industry before. I agree that the viewing area would need to be separate and I don’t think it could be a stand alone tourist draw but if you had that as part of a bigger cattle/cowboy museum and interactive experience in the stockyards area, I think it could be really cool. Could even tie in that horse riding deal someone was working on down there (maybe they finished it, I haven’t kept up).

It does just feel like we’re missing out on a massive tourism opportunity down there, especially with the big time resurgence in popularity of cowboy/western/country culture over the last few years.

Maybe a regular rodeo or Wild West show, but watching most cattle operations wouldn’t be that interesting. Like watching other people do their regular job.

Rodeo shows are the most exciting parts of cowboy work/skills and adds to it. Maybe Maps 5 includes a full time high experience rodeo/wild West show arena. Build the area up with western style architecture and more cowboy products geared to non cowboys.

[Mississippi Blues]

Maybe a regular rodeo or Wild West show, but watching most cattle operations wouldn’t be that interesting. Like watching other people do their regular job.

Rodeo shows are the most exciting parts of cowboy work/skills and adds to it. Maybe Maps 5 includes a full time high experience rodeo/wild West show arena. Build the area up with western style architecture and more cowboy products geared to non cowboys.

This is an idea I’ve had myself many times when daydreaming about what to do with that area. Between the NHRA, IPRA, Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, First Americans Museum, regular livestock shows at the Fairgrounds, etc. further creating a western identity for Stockyard City would be great to further solidify Oklahoma City in both western/cowboy and American Indian culture.

[josefromtulsa]

On the river if you're just north of there with a south breeze it can be pretty stout.

I think that smell is more from Murphys Soil Yard, which might have cattle droppings mixed in. I actually kinda like the smell near there, smells like life!

[W8N2SKI]

This is sort of a side comment, but I was watching the NYE broadcast on CBS, where it was based in Nashville, and it made me start to wonder why OKC has never tried to bring in some of these country music bars. We have such a large number of country music greats from Oklahoma that already have bars either in Nashville or other towns. Imagine a mini Nashville-type area with bars from Blake Shelton, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Garth Brooks. I know we have a Toby Keith concept, but it is restaurant-based. I feel like this could be a huge draw for country music fans who don't want to spend Nashville prices. Blake has his bar in Ada and Reba has here's in Atoka. Just disappointing that we can't get their concepts in OKC as well.

[therhett17]

This is sort of a side comment, but I was watching the NYE broadcast on CBS, where it was based in Nashville, and it made me start to wonder why OKC has never tried to bring in some of these country music bars. We have such a large number of country music greats from Oklahoma that already have bars either in Nashville or other towns. Imagine a mini Nashville-type area with bars from Blake Shelton, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Garth Brooks. I know we have a Toby Keith concept, but it is restaurant-based. I feel like this could be a huge draw for country music fans who don't want to spend Nashville prices. Blake has his bar in Ada and Reba has here's in Atoka. Just disappointing that we can't get their concepts in OKC as well.

Blake is from Ada but his bar is in Tishomingo, not Ada.

[W8N2SKI]

Blake is from Ada but his bar is in Tishomingo, not Ada.

My bad. Details....Details

[Bill Robertson]

This is sort of a side comment, but I was watching the NYE broadcast on CBS, where it was based in Nashville, and it made me start to wonder why OKC has never tried to bring in some of these country music bars. We have such a large number of country music greats from Oklahoma that already have bars either in Nashville or other towns. Imagine a mini Nashville-type area with bars from Blake Shelton, Reba, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Garth Brooks. I know we have a Toby Keith concept, but it is restaurant-based. I feel like this could be a huge draw for country music fans who don't want to spend Nashville prices. Blake has his bar in Ada and Reba has here's in Atoka. Just disappointing that we can't get their concepts in OKC as well.

I used to have relatives in Nashville that I used to go visit once in a while. Mainly because they were in Nashville. The draw of Nashville country music bars isn't the name\concept. The draw is that they're in the country music capital of the world. "Unknown" bands gigging there have worked their asses off to get to play a Nashville bar in hopes of someone in the business seeing them. So they're already pretty good. OKC can't begin to reproduce that. A bunch of bars in some area with stars names on the signs wouldn't be even close to the Nashville vibe.
If OKC needs a concept bar area it needs to be something unique to OKC.

[PhiAlpha]

I used to have relatives in Nashville that I used to go visit once in a while. Mainly because they were in Nashville. The draw of Nashville country music bars isn't the name\concept. The draw is that they're in the country music capital of the world. "Unknown" bands gigging there have worked their asses off to get to play a Nashville bar in hopes of someone in the business seeing them. So they're already pretty good. OKC can't begin to reproduce that. A bunch of bars in some area with stars names on the signs wouldn't be even close to the Nashville vibe.
If OKC needs a concept bar area it needs to be something unique to OKC.

True and bars like that just tend to work better in the middle of an entertainment district. It would be cool in theory to put them in the stockyards but Bricktown would be the ideal spot for something like that based on Nashville, Scottsdale and other cities with similar bars.