Downtown OKC needs to focus more on civic amenities!

[G.Walker]

With all the hype about the development of retail, condos, parks, and high-rises in the downtown area, city leaders are lacking focus on basic civic development like new fire and police stations, bus stations, schools, and clinics that will attract residents and developers to downtown. These basic civic amenities should be dealt with first before parks etc....

[metro]

You mean like the new police station the built in Bricktown and the new Fire station wrapping up? Project 180, Myriad renovations, the new DT elementary school, entral park, new transit center, streetcar. This is something I'd expect thunder to post.

[G.Walker]

I know of new civic amenities in bricktown, but south and west of downtown are lacking amenities, one elementary school will not do it, you forget about daycare centers, high schools. A downtown city college would be good to...

[MikeOKC]

I think he's talking about how they had to re-tool police headquarters instead of building a new one because of "cost concerns." Do you have any idea how cramped they are? How outdated OKC Police Headquarters really is? It's an embarrassment. And yes, I concede, it does say something about a city's priorities.

[G.Walker]

I would rather see a state of the art downtown city college constructed downtown rather than a high-rise right now...

[MustangGT]

I think he's talking about how they had to re-tool police headquarters instead of building a new one because of "cost concerns." Do you have any idea how cramped they are? How outdated OKC Police Headquarters really is? It's an embarrassment. And yes, I concede, it does say something about a city's priorities.

Fortunately that thought is rapidly changing. A certain city councilman wishes he could have his vote back on that one. He has realized his vote will actually end up costing the city money and has recanted. But there are no do overs so... Now the march is on to figure out how to get the PD a new station. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. When the building engineers looked into the old PD building the came away scratcing their heads whispering to themselves.

[ljbab728]

I would rather see a state of the art downtown city college constructed downtown rather than a high-rise right now...

How would that help more? I don't have a problem with a college but I can't see that as being better at all. There isn't a high school in the downtown core but nearby. It just can't be justified at this time. You have to have students to attend these schools that you want to build. The school district won't build schools based on speculation.

[bombermwc]

OCC and Rose are not far from downtown. Redlands is a bit farther out. What does putting one downtown get you? No one that lives downtown would go there...right now all you have are more upscale places and those folks already got their degree. Same goes for the schools....no one there to use them. Just as jibjab says.

In all actuality, I'd say we need to spend more time focussing on NON-downtown projects. All things MAPs focusses on the core and really forgets the rest of the city. How about a Maps for Roads to repave the craptacular streets? Maps for Infrastructure...the unsexy neccessities of everyone's life. Maps for Timing the Streetlights Properly. Maps for Sidewalks (residential roads and main streets). You know, that sort of thing.

[flintysooner]

OU Health Sciences Center does not count?

[G.Walker]

OCC and Rose are not far from downtown. Redlands is a bit farther out. What does putting one downtown get you? No one that lives downtown would go there...right now all you have are more upscale places and those folks already got their degree. Same goes for the schools....no one there to use them. Just as jibjab says.

In all actuality, I'd say we need to spend more time focussing on NON-downtown projects. All things MAPs focusses on the core and really forgets the rest of the city. How about a Maps for Roads to repave the craptacular streets? Maps for Infrastructure...the unsexy neccessities of everyone's life. Maps for Timing the Streetlights Properly. Maps for Sidewalks (residential roads and main streets). You know, that sort of thing.

For both you and jibjab:

Building a premier college downtown would draw major traffic downtown to support commercial and residential development. For example, students/professors attending the college would be temporary, but would come from all over the world to attend. This would keep condos/apartments full year around, and students living in that are would support local business downtown.

Developers would not have to worry about leasing spaces because there would be constant traffic. Now I am not talking about your regular city college, but more like a tech school, or institute of energy science and research. This would also attract high-tech jobs to that area also, that is the perspective that I am looking at if from.

West of the new 70 acre central park would be a great location, just south of the new boulevard...

[Kerry]

G.Walker - it is called Oklahoma City Polytechnic. I think it will happen someday.


(btw - did you guys forget about OCU)

[G.Walker]

G.Walker - it is called Oklahoma City Polytechnic. I think it will happen someday.


(btw - did you guys forget about OCU)

I am aware of OCU, but thinking more in the core, something exclusive to downtown/core to shore...I have seen great architecture done for downtown city colleges that add great value to downtown...

[CaseyCornett]

Is the ACM@UCO not considered a "downtown college" to you?

[G.Walker]

Is the ACM@UCO not considered a "downtown college" to you?

Yes, that is a downtown college, but I was thinking something more on a grand scale, not a school where you can commute day to day, but something that would establish long term researchers/professors/students, to live,work,eat, shop downtown...I will post examples of what I am talking about shortly...

[Kerry]

I know exactly what you mean G.Walker. Georgia Tech is an urban university but it has more of a traditional campus. However, Georgia State is located right in the midst of the downtown highries.

Here some of the dorms at Geogia State (2,000 beds)





Here is their Science Center

[G.Walker]

Exactly Kerry, something like this would be great to, I could see something like this anchoring the new central park to the west, or even south of new convention center, below is a pic of Yale's campus in downtown New Haven:

[G.Walker]

My reasoning is that this would provide constant traffic of people, that will stimulate the economy of downtown OKC, when the NBA season is over, and not relying on Bricktown to draw people...

[Kerry]

My reasoning is that this would provide constant traffic of people, that will stimulate the economy of downtown OKC, when the NBA season is over, and not relying on Bricktown to draw people...

I agree G.Walker. A high tech university downtown with 3,000 to 5,000 students would keep downtown alive 24/7, provide steady customers for some much needed retail, and be an attraction for high profile employers.

[onthestrip]

I would rather see a state of the art downtown city college constructed downtown rather than a high-rise right now...

Say what? Is this post a joke or something? So you would rather see a downtown college serving a couple thousand students than a private investment of over $700,000,000 that also gave us $180,000,000to basically rebuild every DT street...? Im not sure you realize what you are saying. Plus, college students arent the ones with a lot of disposable income. They wont be buying or renting these expensive condos/apartments that are downtown. And besides, who is going to start this college?

[G.Walker]

Say what? Is this post a joke or something? So you would rather see a downtown college serving a couple thousand students than a private investment of over $700,000,000 that also gave us $180,000,000to basically rebuild every DT street...? Im not sure you realize what you are saying. Plus, college students arent the ones with a lot of disposable income. They wont be buying or renting these expensive condos/apartments that are downtown. And besides, who is going to start this college?

What Devon is doing is great, but we can only eat on that for so long, we need something more to retain downtown residents and traffic, most people who currently work for Devon, don't live downtown. Like Kerry and I stated, dorms/condos/apartments designed for students downtown will draw traffic 24/7....OU, Devon, Chesapeake could joint venture and do it...they have the money and resources, and all would benefit...it could also be private...

[Kerry]

And besides, who is going to start this college?

That is an intesting question and while there was not much info on it, several Captains of Commerce encouraged the inclusion of a downtown university in MAPS III. Who started Harvard, Stanford, Rice? Answer, private individuals who wanted to create a legacy. I'm pretty sure there are people like this in OKC.

[OKCMallen]

That is an intesting question and while there was not much info on it, several Captains of Commerce encouraged the inclusion of a downtown university in MAPS III. Who started Harvard, Stanford, Rice? Answer, private individuals who wanted to create a legacy. I'm pretty sure there are people like this in OKC.

And Duke is the same way.

It's a shame the OCU law school didn't make downtown happen. I wish they'd find a way to make it work.

[semisimple]

That is an intesting question and while there was not much info on it, several Captains of Commerce encouraged the inclusion of a downtown university in MAPS III. Who started Harvard, Stanford, Rice? Answer, private individuals who wanted to create a legacy. I'm pretty sure there are people like this in OKC.

Are you insinuating that this new university will be of the caliber of those schools? It would take many decades before an entirely new university (assuming it has tremendous financial backing) could even compare to the likes of Rice, and Oklahoma will simply never have a Harvard or Stanford.

On the other hand, a downtown OU campus would be great. It could be STEM education-focused (and maybe have business/MBA programs) and utilize the existing infrastructure, personnel, and services of OU. I could envision a much smaller, more urban version of something like UT Dallas being a possibility after a couple of decades of significant investment.

Even if this campus was built downtown, I suspect it would be a commuter school. Since the campus would be downtown, many undergrads would live off-campus away from downtown where it is cheaper--and grad students would seek the cheapest housing in the entire city--especially since commuting in OKC is a breeze. Even if a successful university was built downtown, it does not mean that a 24/7 thriving environment will automatically be created.

[Swake2]

Are you insinuating that this new university will be of the caliber of those schools? It would take many decades before an entirely new university (assuming it has tremendous financial backing) could even compare to the likes of Rice, and Oklahoma will simply never have a Harvard or Stanford.

On the other hand, a downtown OU campus would be great. It could be STEM education-focused (and maybe have business/MBA programs) and utilize the existing infrastructure, personnel, and services of OU. I could envision a much smaller, more urban version of something like UT Dallas being a possibility after a couple of decades of significant investment.

Even if this campus was built downtown, I suspect it would be a commuter school. Since the campus would be downtown, many undergrads would live off-campus away from downtown where it is cheaper--and grad students would seek the cheapest housing in the entire city--especially since commuting in OKC is a breeze. Even if a successful university was built downtown, it does not mean that a 24/7 thriving environment will automatically be created.

You only need to look at TCC-Metro and OSU Tulsa both in downtown Tulsa to know this is true.

[Kerry]

Are you insinuating that this new university will be of the caliber of those schools? It would take many decades before an entirely new university (assuming it has tremendous financial backing) could even compare to the likes of Rice, and Oklahoma will simply never have a Harvard or Stanford.

I just used those as examples, but there are hundreds I could have used. I went to a commuter junior college in California and after 4PM it was a ghost town. This is why it would have to be its own University and not a branch.