The Underground

[shawnw]

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Information & Latest News

Links

Wikipedia
List of Buildings Connected to The Underground
Gallery

[Snowman]

Since their have been major renovations and an expansion in the last decade it is possible but I have not seen any proposals for it, it is really depend on what is going to happen at the Cox Center site if it even could tie into the existing network. If the building is kept then a connection(s) to the Hub, Arena, CC, CC hotel & Courtyard hotel at least could be fairly strait forward (if desired and funding identified), however if it is replaced it may not be wanted by the whoever builds their.

[Larry OKC]

I was in the Underground when I went in for Jury Duty a while back and was really disappointed with it. Had heard there were all of these shops and restaurants and I only found one restaurant (that was only open for lunch). Walked for a ways (but not the full length of it, as I didn't see anything to encourage it. There needs to be a map or something showing what is down there (if anything). The only items of interest were the couple of historical photo displays. Its main purpose just seemed to be a way to get from some DT buildings to another without having to go into the elements.

[Pete]

I'm pretty sure there are no plans to extend the Underground -- that hasn't happened for decades. For example, the OKC Arena was not connected to the system even though they could have tapped into the Myriad section pretty easily.

I know Devon said they want to connect but I'm still not sure how that is going to happen. May just build an enclosed, elevated walkway to connect to the existing skywalks at Oklahoma and Corporate Towers.


When the Underground was most recently renovated, there were quite of few downtown advocates the didn't support it's extension or adding more access points at street level. Originally, the plans called for a new entrance in the plaza of Chase Tower, but the owners rejected it.

The general idea was that downtown needed more foot traffic and diverting it underground contributed to the dead atmosphere.

[Steve]

Pete is right; though there was a significant effort during the renovation to see whether the city should complete a tunnel under Hudson to the art museum. The tunnel is there - I've been in it. It would need an entrance on the Art Museum side, ventilation, lighting, finish-out inside. Gary Marrs was very interested in making it happen. But the art museum under the late Carolyn Hill was less enthused, and the overall leadership of downtown OKC seemed content with letting it go.
Devon sealed off a never opened tunnel under Sheridan Avenue between the gardens and their new headquarters. Another segment is sealed on both ends under Hudson between Stage Center and the gardens. Yet another tunnel between the convention center and the arena was converted into a causeway of sorts for piping related to the two facilities' heating and cooling operation.
So yes, the system was originally built to accommodate the very sort of expansion inquired about in this thread. But Pete is right -downtown leadership is not interested in creating more opportunities to kill off street life.

[Steve]

Wow. I think I said "pete is right" at least a dozen times in that comment....

[Pete]

Steve, great information as always.

Do you know how Devon plans to connect to the system? Larry Nichols was quoted as saying it was a priority.

[Steve]

Steve, great information as always.

Do you know how Devon plans to connect to the system? Larry Nichols was quoted as saying it was a priority.

Pete, I think they connect through the skywalks at Oklahoma Tower somehow, but that's pretty much it.

[Snowman]

I'm pretty sure there are no plans to extend the Underground -- that hasn't happened for decades.

The connection between the Santa Fe parking garage, Renascence hotel and the Cox Center was built in 2002. I don't remember who it was that said it but a while back it was stated elevated skywalks were favored over tunnels if new extensions were done.

[Pete]

Yes, I should have said the Underground itself has not been expanded in decades but there have been a few skywalks added.

The Leadership Square / Oklahoma Tower / Corporate Tower / FNC skybridges were added in the mid-80's.

[Snowman]

While 'The Concourse' was not exactly the most catchy name, renaming all of it five years ago 'The Underground' is a misnomer when almost half is skywalks or hallways of the buildings it connects.

[Larry OKC]

Snowman, it was actually spelled "Conncourse". Don't know if I agree with all of it but this from Wiki:

Originally named the Conncourse, in honor of Oklahoma City banker Jack Conn[2], it was renamed the Underground after an extensive facelift conducted by architect Rand Elliott.[3] With the 2006 facelift, Rand Elliott has turned what had become a somewhat dated appearance of the old tunnels into a "walk-in work of art".[4]

[ljbab728]

I prefer to see escalators installed and the underground used for parking lots. Sure it is an expensive and ambitious plan, but after P180 is done, I hope we all will agree (including city officials) that we want all that wonderful new urban space to be along businesses, and not parking lots. The underground is unique and could be a great segue into such a program.

Sid, I see absolutely no way any part of the underground concourse could ever be used for parking.

[Patrick]

Sid, I see absolutely no way any part of the underground concourse could ever be used for parking.

Yeah, it's simply not large enough. It's just an underground tunnel.

[shawnw]

I could be wrong, but I think what Sid is trying to say is that downtown parking lots should mostly be below ground, and the Underground should be used to access those parking lots.

Regardless, thank you everyone for the quick and very informative answers to my questions.

[Reno and Walker]

I was one of the advocates to close the underground about 3 years ago. It makes downtown look dead, but others saw it as a asset.

[Larry OKC]

Not sure how dead it makes it look. I was done there during the week, daytime (after lunch) and I ran across 1 other person the 30 min or so I was down there. May be an isolated instance and not the norm. Am sure it gets used more in inclement weather (in which case who would be on the streets anyway if they didn't have to be)?

I think it could be an asset if it was what it was even half of what it was hyped as being.

[ljbab728]

Yes, thanks Shawn. I assumed ljbab728's post was in jest and even after Patrick's post I am still not quite sure they are not just being silly. : )

Anyway, yes... the parking should not be in the tunnels but should be in lots built underground and connected to the tunnels. Escalators built within sidewalk ROW should service them.

Sid, no my post was not in jest. Your intent was not obvious from your original statement.

[bombermwc]

Underground projects like this also serve as a barrier to later development....you have to plan around them. Not to mention the fun they can cause for utility work. It's an obstacle (that's struggled it's entire life). It wasn't really ever done properly, otherwise it could have been very successful. It wasn't built out large enough to make it a real viable transport mechanism. They should have taken an example of the MMAC's tunnel out at the airport. That sucker is more than twice as wide and just about that much taller inside as well....you can drive a car in it. So you don't feel so squeezed in. It also serves as a backbone for telecomm and all sorts of things on the campus. It even evolved it's usefulness. Rather than spend several millions on running new networking lines in trenches at street level, they reused the old lamson tubes (bank air tubes) for the entire project. So having the tunnel also saved you millions of tax dollars on infrastructure work...which will also save you millions in another 15 years when it's time to upgrade the lines again....and again....and again.

Oh, and Mr Cotter Ranch's great wisdom on why he didn't want a new entrance at Chase Plaza...."the new design wouldn't match the current building's design". Because we all should stick to 70's ers international style shoe boxes and it's fugly arches. Heaven forbid we have progress in design.

[Pete]

Today, a building permit was issued for $600,000 to create a pedestrian walkway at 100 N. Harvey (address of east Galleria parking garage -- the one not owned by Devon).

I just talked to the architect that is handling this and he said that the walkway will actually be inside that east garage on the 3rd floor. They are taking some parking spaces and creating a link from the Devon complex through the structure and tying it into the skybridge that connects the east garage with Oklahoma Tower (pictured below):

[Pete]

I'm not a big fan of the Underground because it diverts from street life but there are two good things about it: 1) It provides linkage between almost all the major parking facilities and office buildings and 2) it's a place people can go walk when the weather is lousy.

I think it's fine in it's current form and could even see SandRidge wanting to connect it's campus to the lots it owns north of there on Broadway. But that would just serve as a protected walkway to and from parking, not some type of subterranean alternative to shops and restaurants on the street level.

[OSUMom]

I was one of the advocates to close the underground about 3 years ago. It makes downtown look dead, but others saw it as a asset.

Well as someone who works downtown, I would perfer not to be forced to walk the two blocks from my parking garage to my building in the rain just to keep traffic on the street during lousy weather. It is a farther walk to take the tunnels so don't fear. My co-workers and I only use it in wet or icy weather. Plus my building doesn't connect (darn it) so no matter what I have to surface to cross one street.

[Steve]

So do you all think it would be good to extend the underground tunnels?

[Pete]

I think the tunnels are good for linking parking garages to office buildings.

Beyond that, I think they should be minimized.

[Larry OKC]

I think before expanding them, improve the existing ones. I haven't been through all of it but was down there 1 day for a while (think the color of the tunnels changed 2 or 3 times) and only came across 1 business (that was already closed for the day). This was about 3pm. I was expecting from what i had heard that there was all sorts of retail & eating etc. i did enjoy the couple of places with historical photos. I think they could be a great asset/attraction, but from what I saw, they are nothing more than connecting tunnels that can be used during inclement weather.