BOK Center ice skating for the holidays

[TurismoDreamin]

From KJRH:

quote:The BOK Center is ushering in the holiday season with a big announcement. This year will be the first for a new annual winter festival, called Winterfest.

Monday morning, city and BOK officials made the big Winterfest announcement.

For an entire month there will be ice skating, caroling, carriage rides, and christmas decorations on the west side of the facility.

Frisco will be closed from Second St. to Third St. to pave the way for the fun.

BOK officials hope this becomes a yearly tradition in downtown Tulsa, and while they think the many events at the BOK center this holiday season will draw big crowds, they also hope people will come down anytime.

"It's really a great place for families to come out, inexpensive, fun entertainment, kind of way to get in the holiday spirit and come downtown," said John Bolton the General Manager of the BOK Center.

The ice rink will be officially open this Friday at 4 PM. It costs $8 to skate, $5 if you bring your own skates and $5 for kids under three.

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=bba752d5-056b-42ff-ba5e-7ccebf6ae970

Sounds like the great beginnings of what could be a new annual holiday tradition. However, I don't see the building on the other side of Frisco being very flattering for the scenery. I personally think they should do this between Frisco and Denver on Third Street if they plan on attracting more people than those who watched the news tonight, because no one drives back there to begin with. Secondly, I hope this doesn't facilitate the formation of potholes.

[Oil Capital]

Oh my gosh.  You are so right about the location.  That is dreadful.

[AngieB]

The only time I've been ice skating was in 1984 at The Williams Center. This sounds fun!

But how do they get/keep it frozen?

[Wilbur]

Did I actually hear in a news piece that someone accidently called that green cone shaped pine tree a Christmas tree?  On City property?

It's a Winterfest tree.

[cannon_fodder]

Too bad our "civic plaza" looks horrible, or it would be a good location for this tradition to take shape.  Actually, it doesn't look horrible.  It looks like a scene from After People, the documentary about Chernobyl.  Everything is just a little run down, the fountains don't have water, the paint is peeling, there are abandon buildings and no people.   [B)]

[Nik]

Yeah, not too thrilled on the location, but the wife and I are looking forward to a little ice skating.

[Oil Capital]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Too bad our "civic plaza" looks horrible, or it would be a good location for this tradition to take shape.  Actually, it doesn't look horrible.  It looks like a scene from After People, the documentary about Chernobyl.  Everything is just a little run down, the fountains don't have water, the paint is peeling, there are abandon buildings and no people.   [B)]

Duplicate post.  Sorry.

[Oil Capital]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Too bad our "civic plaza" looks horrible, or it would be a good location for this tradition to take shape.  Actually, it doesn't look horrible.  It looks like a scene from After People, the documentary about Chernobyl.  Everything is just a little run down, the fountains don't have water, the paint is peeling, there are abandon buildings and no people.   [B)]

Quite right.   (and of course all of that makes it the PERFECT spot to market to a luxury hotel developer...)  ;-)

[Oil Capital]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

The only time I've been ice skating was in 1984 at The Williams Center. This sounds fun!

But how do they get/keep it frozen?

I suppose pretty much the same way they did it in the Williams Center (which, after all, was a heated space).  Other southern cities (e.g. OKC and Houston) have been doing these for quite a few years.

[TheArtist]

I still say we need a Cathedral Square. This would be great in such a place. But, am glad they are doing this. Are they going to put some decorations on that tree, if not, Perhaps we can donate some?

[TurismoDreamin]

I think the way they maintain the ice is that they run supercooled pipes under the ice to keep it frozen. At least that's how I've seen them do it. I think other alternatives for an ice skating site, aside from the old civic plaza, would be bartlett square and that park at the end of Boston (in front of the BOK tower). At least there will be foot traffic there, especially around lunch time. I think "hiding" this ice skating event by having it at Frisco won't help their cause.

...or let's do it at the Centennial Green. There's nothing there anyway aside from a flat expanse of grass. Hell, let's do Tulsa a favor and paint some lines for parking spaces while we're at it.

Okay, back on topic..

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by TurismoDreamin

I think the way they maintain the ice is that they run supercooled pipes under the ice to keep it frozen. At least that's how I've seen them do it. I think other alternatives for an ice skating site, aside from the old civic plaza, would be bartlett square and that park at the end of Boston (in front of the BOK tower). At least there will be foot traffic there, especially around lunch time. I think "hiding" this ice skating event by having it at Frisco won't help their cause.

...or let's do it at the Centennial Green. There's nothing there anyway aside from a flat expanse of grass. Hell, let's do Tulsa a favor and paint some lines for parking spaces while we're at it.

Okay, back on topic..

Imo I dont like the park at the end of Boston. There are so many low trees and hedges etc. in front of it that you never notice if anything is going on back behind there. That whole space desperately needs a serious redesign.

Though perhaps not the best location, the skating rink will will be more noticeable where its at. Wonder how much trouble it would be for Bells or someone to drag out a Merry-Go-Round out there as well? Have some hot snacks, apple cider, holiday crafts, etc. booths. couple bonfires to keep warm around "chestnuts?" the portable stage with some choral music and christmas plays. You could really make a neat deal out of it even in the area its in. Especially when and if a hotel with street level retail/restaurant were to go in nearby.

But hey, ya got to start somewhere. Really glad to see it happen this year and hope they continue it and encourage it to expand.

[Porky]

Glad our city is trying this out. []

[PonderInc]

Great idea.  Terrible location.  Typical decision by well-meaning folks who are out of touch with reality.

Hopefully, this is a tradition that can continue...with a better location next year.

Suggestion for next year: pick a space that is close to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, stores, etc....or at least convenient for downtown workers.  I think they totally missed an opportunity to create synergies with existing establishments/businesses.  Instead, they created another island that is totally disconnected from the rest of downtown. (Except for the BOK Center, of course.)

I would think the goal is to draw people downtown to enjoy what downtown has to offer...dinner and drinks, hot chocolate or coffee, nachos, pizza or a burger for the kids, etc.

40% of downtown is surface parking.  You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to borrow one for a month.

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Great idea.  Terrible location.  Typical decision by well-meaning folks who are out of touch with reality.

I thought the same thing but I'm trying to reserve judgement until I see it for myself.

Maybe the folks that set it up know something about the area we don't and know what will be coming in the next few years...that's my positive spin with some "they know something" paranoia thrown in.