Oklahoma's State Capital Building is Crumbling

[heironymouspasparagus]

The CC was over 40 years old however when the construction on the new center began.  It had a maximum capacity of less than 10,000.  The Mabee Center was larger by comparison.

I know the CC and the new building quite well, as a hockey season ticket holder since the late nineties.  Nights pieces of the ceiling would fall to the ice.  It was dated.  I liked it, don't get me wrong.  We just needed newer to move forward.

While the BOK Center takes some getting used to, compared to every other venue I've been to, it's a gem.  I've been to the AA Center in Dallas, ScottTrade in St. Louis.  These are comparable sized buildings with one major flaw.  The concourses are TINY.  It's like the Mabee Center on graduation night for Union.  The BOK Center has the most spacious concourses of any building I've ever been to.  Makes it comfortable to move about.

We also needed to fix the CC - way before anything was ever done!!

Much like our roads - this state, county, city entities put stuff off horribly.  We have just now gotten I-44 updated to traffic capacity that was actually needed around 1995.  So we are only 20 years behind or so....   Just like the 45 year old (or so) CC that should have been worked on WAY before.

[Hoss]

We also needed to fix the CC - way before anything was ever done!!

Much like our roads - this state, county, city entities put stuff off horribly.  We have just now gotten I-44 updated to traffic capacity that was actually needed around 1995.  So we are only 20 years behind or so....   Just like the 45 year old (or so) CC that should have been worked on WAY before.

I agree, but a new facility was needed in order to compete.  I got sick of traveling to Dallas or KC or even Little Rock when I wanted to see a decent concert.  A 9500 seat building won't draw a lot of A-list acts.

We outgrew the CC, plain and simple.  What it functions as now is perfect.

[Conan71]

True, it has.

But we should have still taken care of CC, independently of the whole CrashShip discussion.  Just shows how unimaginative the powers that be are to have to use the decay of CC as part of rationalization....



On a separate note - after hearing about the condition of the Capital, the Satanic statue, and watching Colbert talking about that statue and Oklahoma, and other of the stupid stuff that Failin' and Company are all about - I got this comment from an emigrant from Oklahoma - "And Oklahoma continuing into the downward spiral of awkwardness and weirdness. Is there ever any good news out of Ok?!"

Renovation of the Maxwell house WAS part of the plan with the BOK Center.  It did get renovated.  It really made no sense to renovate it before creating a larger arena. 

At least it was renovated and not plowed under.

[Townsend]

3 Named to Oklahoma Capitol Repair Committee

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/3-named-oklahoma-capitol-repair-committee

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin has appointed three people to a committee that will oversee spending on repairs to Oklahoma's nearly century-old state Capitol.

Fallin said Friday she had named David Thompson, Phil Kennedy and Steve Mason to the State Capitol Repair Expenditure Oversight Committee. They will join a group of state lawmakers named by House Speaker Jeff Hickman and Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman.

Thompson, of Edmond, will serve as chairman. He's the president and chief executive officer of InvesTrust, a financial planning company. Kennedy, of Lawton, is the owner and chief executive officer of Comanche Home Center, a retail building material supplier. Mason, of Oklahoma City, is president of Bluebird Consulting, an engineering firm.

Legislation signed by Fallin authorized a $120 million bond issue for Capitol repairs.

Palm, meet grease.  Grease, meet palm...

[heironymouspasparagus]

3 Named to Oklahoma Capitol Repair Committee

Palm, meet grease.  Grease, meet palm...

SOP!   FUBAR!  

Standard Operating Procedure.  Ask Grandpa about the second....with one small caveat... starts with Fallin'ed Up....

[Townsend]

Anyone call this?

Attorney Challenges Capitol Overhaul Bond Plan

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/attorney-challenges-capitol-overhaul-bond-plan

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma City attorney is challenging the Legislature's plan for a $120 million bond issue to pay for improvements to the state Capitol.

Attorney Jerry Fent filed a notice Tuesday with the governor and attorney general indicating his opposition to the plan. Fent claims the bill authorizing the bond issue was an unconstitutional special law because it addressed only one state building.

Fent's formal opposition to the plan is expected to delay the issuing of the bonds to pay for the renovations to the nearly 100-year-old building.

Oklahoma Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger, whose office is overseeing the project, says Fent's objection has no merit and will be a "temporary inconvenience" to the restoration project.

[carltonplace]

holy smokes, let's spend some money people.

Fix the capital building, build the OK POP museum, repair a bridge or two and educate some kids.

What in the world is wrong with this state.

[saintnicster]

holy smokes, let's spend some money people.

Fix the capital building, build the OK POP museum, repair a bridge or two and educate some kids.

What in the world is wrong with this state.

REAL ID support, too, while we're at it -.-

[Hoss]

REAL ID support, too, while we're at it -.-

But, but, but....soshulism!

[heironymouspasparagus]

holy smokes, let's spend some money people.

Fix the capital building, build the OK POP museum, repair a bridge or two and educate some kids.

What in the world is wrong with this state.

What's wrong is the "Failin'" attitude that is all too pervasive in OK.  Hey, we got our income tax cuts, didn't we!!??   For the top 1%....


Rant on roads;

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13740.msg289990#msg289990

[Townsend]

Bond Issue Goes to Supreme Court

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/bond-issue-goes-supreme-court

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A panel led by Gov. Mary Fallin that is responsible for overseeing a bond issue of up to $120 million for improvements to the Capitol is asking Oklahoma's highest court to determine if the bond issue is constitutional.

The Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority voted unanimously to ask the state Supreme Court to determine if a bill approved by the Legislature last year is constitutional.

Attorney Jerry Fent filed a lawsuit against the bond issue last week.

[carltonplace]

Well of course a bond issue approved by the legislature is constitional. I agree with Gov Fallin on this one: fix the darn capital building.

What a waste of time and money.

[Conan71]

Well of course a bond issue approved by the legislature is constitional. I agree with Gov Fallin on this one: fix the darn capital building.

What a waste of time and money.

I'm a traditionalist and believe we should have a "traditional" capitol building but somewhat agree with Artist's point though, for $160M, you could renovate or erect a pretty nice office building to hold the capitol offices and chambers which would be a good deal more efficient than the POS they are in now.

[carltonplace]

Sooooo...move out and sell the current capital to a casino?

[Conan71]

Sooooo...move out and sell the current capital to a casino?

BINGO!