The "this has nothing to do with Tulsa" mega-post

[Laramie]

Agreement to modernized water and sewer systems at TAFB authorized by OKC council.



(AKA the mile building.)

A proposal to have Oklahoma City take over water service is designed to strengthen the well established relationship between the city and Tinker AFB with expansion plans for the next five to seven years.

Over the next 16 years, a $130 million investment will be needed to meet Tinker's needs in coming decades.  A transition with more than a dozen benchmarks to meet requirements is expected to take about one year.

Lake Overholser Dam

North Canadian River

Oklahoma City would provide basic utility services which includes engineering, emergency repairs and leak detection which serves about 1.4 million people in the region with surface water stored in six reservoirs (North Canadian River, Canton, Overholser and Hefner lakes in OKC and water from Oklahoma's McGee Creek and Atoka reservoirs is pumped 100 miles via the Atoka pipeline to Stanley Draper Lake in southeast Oklahoma City.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT)

Plans to widen I-40, six lanes from Oklahoma City to Shawnee.

The first phase of the $77 million, 7.5-mile project is expected to begin in 2022; plans call for the middle 2.2 miles of the project to be built first, followed by the west 2.5 miles, which is to begin in 2023, and the east 2.7 miles of the project, which is to begin in 2026--toward Shawnee.

Grand Casino & Hotel Resort, Shawnee

Construction will take several years as the I-40 corridor should be six lanes all the way from I-240 on the east edge of Oklahoma City to U.S. 177 in Shawnee.  Design plans call for a roundabout to be built on each side of interstate, where the I-40 on and off ramps intersect with McLoud Road.  The third and final roundabout would be built on the north side of the interstate where plans call for a two-way frontage road to be built from McLoud Road east 2 miles to the south leg of State Highway 102, which travels through the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort property which offers 262 rooms on 14 floors with layouts including Kings, Double Queens, Suites, and VIP Floor.

​.

[Laramie]

USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex Renovations https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/USA-Softball-Hall-of-Fame-Complex/OGE-Energy-Field-Renovations

Construction crews have completed the new media center and press box, adding suites and a 4,800-seat expansion as a part of the overall addition to the stadium. The upper deck will provide more shelter against rain covering the expanded concourse below. Total expansion & renovation costs totaled $28 million of which $21 million was paid for thru OKC 2017 bonds; the rest thru donations.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's Blue Zoo Aquarian  at Quail Springs Mall

Now open...

The OKC Blue Zoo Aquarian will occupy 22,800 square feet on two levels, connected by a staircase and elevator.  

Blue Zoo, an interactive aquarium, is opening in Oklahoma City in July! Boasting such aquatic life as sharks, eels, jellyfish, seahorses and an octopus, Blue Zoo has over 200 species of marine life. Looking for fun things to do in Oklahoma City? Blue Zoo guests will be able to touch and feed stingrays, birds and reptiles and offers family fun with a Water Cycle Play Table, STEM Water Play Table and a Pirate Play Ship! Wanting even more fun? Check out the Pirate, Mermaid and Dive Shows and Shark Feedings! With an emphasis on education, Blue Zoo will combine fun, interactive experiences, with an opportunity to learn about animals from all over the world. Field trips are a great way for kids to get up close and personal with aquatic life and birthday parties provide fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. Located at Quail Springs Mall, the aquarium is taking over 8 spaces and 2 floors for fun, all year long!

 

Blue Zoo, guests will be able to touch and feed stingrays, birds and reptiles, see sharks, clownfish, seahorses, jellyfish, an octopus and touch starfish and urchins, among others. Additionally, there will be water play tables and a large pirate play structure as well as Pirate and Mermaid shows.

Blue Zoo recently announced that Annual Passes are on Sale with Early Bird Pricing that is 30% off regular prices. Wes shares that he created annual passes for an unlimited number of visits for families that are looking for fun things to do in Oklahoma City, all year long.

Annual Pass Holders also receive 10% off Birthday Parties and entrance into the Aquarium two days before the general public when they open this Summer. For more information, visit Blue Zoo at www.bluezoo.us and use promo code BZSITE to receive a 30% discount!

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's Bricktown Canal Riverwalk.

"That is probably the best $12 million we've ever spent."— Former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick, remarking on the $12.3 million spent by MAPS to build the Bricktown canal. Norick reviewed the origins of MAPS last week for the MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board, which was having its second meeting. Original drawings showed the canal on Reno Avenue but Norick said he was in Bricktown one day with an engineering consultant looking over E California Avenue and, "I said, let's put it here." They did, digging one story below street level to activate basements of historic buildings lining the canal. Nowadays it is tough "to find the 40% who said no" in that first MAPS vote in 1993, Norick said.--Oklahoman, August 10, 2020

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Convention Center Garage

Finishing touches are being applied to the $23 million, 1,100 space garage that will serve the new Oklahoma City Convention Center, Omni Oklahoma City 605 room hotel and several other area entities.  The garage is on schedule to be finished November 2020.

The Omni Hotel is expected to receive 220 spaces and, at $104.50 per month for each space, the city anticipated collecting $275,880 annually, needed to pay down debt on the garage.  Omni added 230 basement parking spaces to the hotel giving it access to a total of 450 parking spaces.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Bricktown Events Center being repurposed.

Cowboy Ranch



    27,000 SF of Pure Party Space
   Non Smoking Venue with a Smoking Room
   Huge Dance Floor
   Six fully Stocked Bars
   Full Late Night Food Menu
   Live Music Nightly
   Touring Acts 1-2 Times a Month
   Mechanical Bull Riding
   Pool Tables & Games
   The Best Sound System in The State
   Unmatched Lighting, Decor & Astmosphere.

 
              Cowboy Ranch  https://www.facebook.com/%F0%9D%90%82%F0%9D%90%A8%F0%9D%90%B0%F0%9D%90%9B%F0%9D%90%A8%F0%9D%90%B2-%F0%9D%90%91%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%9C%F0%9D%90%A1-105852874547578

[Laramie]

Amazon plans two more facilities in Oklahoma City

Seattle based company will double its presence in OKC.

    OKCTalk.com reported on the 4th Amazon facility last month, a 1 million square foot distribution center just north of the 2.5 million distribution facility they
    opened this past summer.          

Now there are plans for two more delivery facilities:

         A 121,700 square feet facility at SW 44th and MacArthur in the vicinity of the mammoth 2.5 million square foot Amazon Distribution Center and the planned
         1 million foot facility adjacent venue near Lariat Landing at Will Rogers Airport Development.  

    The area is a highly industrialized complex of warehouses and distribution centers in South Oklahoma City.

    A 146,000 operation at 6801 S. Air Depot north of the converted GM Plant (Tinker Aerospace Complex) just west of Tinker Air Force Base.

6801 South Air Depot, Oklahoma City

Amazon's impact on Oklahoma City:

Above graphics via of OKCTalk.com

   

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City focuses on parks improvements & renovations.

Oklahoma City voters recently approved the $978 million MAPS 4 initiative of which $140 million will be dedicated toward improvements of all city parks.   Here is a glimpse of two parks that are proposing renovations:

              Mesta Park

               Manuel Perez Park

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's Santa Fe and Union Station depots

Santa Fe Station Depot
Oklahoma City spent $28.4 million in renovations for the Santa Fe Station art deco on the year-old train station as a key to the metro's intermodal transit hub's future.

Union Station Depot
The Oklahoma City council approved spending $19 million to buy and renovate the station to incorporate it into the city's downtown Scissortail Park Complex along with improvements to
the park's lower 30 acre section and a connection to the Oklahoma River.  Plans include restoring the former waiting areas for formal events, with banquet seating for 300 in one room and for 100 in the other.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's '4th Street Experience.'

Nestled between the new Oklahoma City Convention Center and the new 605 room Omni Hotel (both under construction), the 4th Street Experience will provide a public space leading directly to the newly completed Scissortail Park.  

There is a skybridge that connects the Oklahoma City Convention Center to the 1,100 space Convention Center Garage that has topped out; now with the finishing touches (art decor & facade) being applied to that venue.

[Laramie]

Construction Growth Pains

Robinson Avenue will undergo new construction.

Convention Center Complex

Robinson Avenue has been riddled with the activity of large construction vehicles as it has succumbed to the wear and tear in which Oklahoma City has put up a new $288 million convention center, $241 million, 605 room Omni Hotel & Resort while adding a $25 million 1,100 space Convention Center Garage to accommodate the venues that will support over $650 million in new downtown construction.  Robinson Avenue will begin total reconstruction as many of the venues in the area are over 85% complete in the construction stage.  

The fate of the current Cox Convention Center has yet to be determined.  City leaders have acknowledged that its potential use may be needed as an over flow venue to provide support for the new convention center which will include a 200,000 square foot exhibition hall.  The Cox Center has a 100,000 square foot exhibition hall along with a host of meeting rooms that could be used simultaneously to attract conventions & trade shows to the area.  The Cox Center has 963 underground parking spaces beneath along with 805 at the Sheraton Hotel, Santa Fe Garage (1,518),  Main Street (1,100), Courtyard by Marriott (400) and the 1,100 space parking garage under construction will boasts convention center complex parking to 5,500 spaces within walking distance of the convention center complex.  Hotel rooms in the area will swell to over 3,200 with over 4,500 total hotels in some stage of development & construction in the area.

Note:  The current Covid-19 Pandemic has put on hold or slowed the progress of many area projects.

[Laramie]

EMSA (Emergency Medical Services Authority) will relocate to South Oklahoma City.

   

    Google MAPS:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/6205+S+Sooner+Rd,+Oklahoma+City,+OK+73135/@35.403469,-97.424785,169m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x87b23e17d5214643:0xd317219f8cff8a40!8m2!3d35.4034694!4d-97.4247848?hl=en-US

    EMSA wil be moving into two buildings, 84,000 square feet each, on eight acres that encompass a total of 160,000 sq., ft, of covered space.  The buildings
    include existing offices and warehouse space that can be converted into garage space for the ambulances and mechanical work.

   

   
    The current building across from SSM St. Anthony's Hospital in Midtown only has 19,720 total square feet and the garage which services the ambulances
    is located at 2323 South Walker Avenue (shown below) has only 12,243 total square feet.

   

    EMSA (short for Emergency Medical Services Authority) is a public trust of the City of Tulsa and City of Oklahoma City that provides the two metros and
    several suburbs with ambulance service.  

    The eight acres also allows for future growth, the new site will allow all ambulances to be stored inside out of the elements, and is close to Interstates 35
    and Interstate 40; the new site on Sooner Road will allow mechanics and people working in the garage to work in air conditioned and heated space which
    the current site doesn't provide.

    The new site at 6205 South Sooner Road will provide for EMSA's future growth.
     

[Laramie]

Hope Lodge, Oklahoma City

Construction is set to start this fall on an American Cancer Society Chad Richison Hope Lodge that will provide free lodging to cancer patients traveling to Oklahoma City for treatment.

The Chad Richison Hope Lodge, at 800 NE 7, will have 34 guest rooms, each with a private bathroom and small living area. Free, on-site parking will be available, as well as fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities and common guest lounges and dining room.  

Credit Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison with making the project a reality thanks to a $5 million donation.

Hope Lodge, Oklahoma City will be the only free lodging program available for adult cancer patients and their caregivers.

Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City

The Stephenson Cancer Center received a prestigious designation reserved for the top two percent of cancer centers in the country.

National, state and local leaders joined the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma to celebrate the center's designation as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center. With this award, the Stephenson Cancer Center joins an elite group of 70 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers nationwide.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's Route 66 Landing

The project has started as the Kilpatrick Turnpike is being expanded to the south of I-40 where it will ultimately connect with SH 152 and form a loop from I-35 in NE Oklahoma City and connect with Airport Road and I-44 in SW OKC. The extension is expected to spur more development along the corridor.--OKCTalk.com

Ground has already been broken for the McGee building and the main road has been paved.


All pics courtesy of OKCTalk.com