Oklahoma City Developments, Real Estates and Updates

[Laramie]

Surf OKC

Latest Addition to the Oklahoma City Boathouse District



Oklahoma City Boathouse foundation has undergone a name change; it's now known as the Riversport Foundation.




The Oklahoma City surf flowrider machine  will be similar to the FlowRider at Melbourne Sports Hub shown below.

     Flowrider is a stationary, machine produced wave which can be used for boogie boarding or surfing. Users are required to watch an instructional video and sign
     a permission form. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Looks like fun!   I can just imagine all the bones I would break on that thing!

[Laramie]

Looks like fun!   I can just imagine all the bones I would break on that thing!

My bones ached just looking at it.  My grandson wanted to know where that splash surf pad was located; thank God he pointed to the one in Melbourne, Australia. 

Amazing how computer savvy the children are today;  anytime I run into a problem with my computer, tablet or cellphone, these children can fix or reset it.  Puts me to shame.

[ComeOnBenjals]

Glad to see you still posting, I always enjoy reading about OKC's development .

[Laramie]

                                        Update on BancFirst Tower:

Pic courtesy OKCTalk.com

The reskin of this tower has changed.  Instead of installing replacement glass up to the 14th floor which started on the north side of the tower, the project will see the full north side completed up to the top floor beneath the crown which will be adjusted later. 

We have several projects that have experienced a slight delay because of the Pandemic and developers appear to be in no hurry to complete them until our Covid-19 numbers show improvement.  Don't anticipate it will get any better since the Robinson Street rebuild aligning the new convention center complex has started with equipment arrivals.  This had thrown a wrench into the flow of downtown traffic.

[Laramie]

Update on Bricktown Marriott:

[Laramie]

Scissortail Park's One-year Anniversary Grand Opening

Press release:

***********

John Fullbright at Scissortail Park September 26

WHAT: To celebrate the upcoming one-year anniversary of Scissortail Park's grand opening, a special Live from the Lawn concert is scheduled on Saturday, September 26. The free, live show features Oklahoma's own, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, John Fullbright with a special guest.
Live from the Lawn presented by Oklahoma Natural Gas and Richard and Glenna Tanenbaum is also supported by Spark Creative, Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership and Cory's Audio Visual.

Additional details for the anniversary celebration are coming soon.


WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2020
8pm Opening Act
9pm John Fullbright

WHERE: Love's Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn at Scissortail Park
On the 4.4-acre great lawn providing ample space to enjoy a free outdoor concert while practicing responsible social distancing.

[Laramie]

OKC Convention Complex is ready for finishing touches.


Above pic, you see where the weight of construction has damaged Robinson Avenue, the street intersects with southwest 3rd.

Work to put the finishing touches on the 500,000 square foot $288 million MAPS 3 convention center and the $241 million Omni Hotel & convention center resort in Downtown Oklahoma City are underway.

The new convention center will include a 200,000 sq. ft., exhibit hall, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom and 45,000 square feet of additional meeting space across the street from the new Scissortail Park, south of Chesapeake Energy Arena.

A decade ago, Oklahoma City voters approved the MAPS 3 convention center and the OKC council approved $85.7 million in subsidy funds to build the support hotel that will be operated by Omni Hotel & Resort.

The construction crews have worked since June 2019 and now with about a year left to finish, the city indicated they still have $20 million left over to allocated toward the Union Station renovation and other items that will tie Scissortail Park, Convention Center and the Omni Hotel together.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I keep saying we need canals here in town - and OKC has people on paddle boats on theirs!   That and North Pole City are two big things OKC has over Tulsa...!  Lol...

[Laramie]

I keep saying we need canals here in town - and OKC has people on paddle boats on theirs!   That and North Pole City are two big things OKC has over Tulsa...!  Lol...

Really think a canal type riverwalk in or near the downtown Tulsa area would go over much better than it has in OKC.  Our downtown underground Metro concourse killed our street life, the most vibrant piece of showcasing a city.

[Laramie]

Update on Oklahoma City's First National Center


Owner and Developer Gary Brooks, who is also installing a 13 floor parking garage has taken on the challenge to bring this temple back to grandeur as the lobby for a boutique hotel and upscale apartments.

First National Center's $275 million renovation is on schedule to be completed in the fall of 2021; it is the single largest private renovation development ever attempted in our city.

It will house 193 apartments and 146 hotel rooms as a Marriott Autograph property.  The original vault in the bank's 25,000 lb., doors will be an entry into one of the hotel's restaurants.

Once known as The Great Banking Hall with its 14 marble and stone columns leading up to an ornate ceiling with a glass skylight remain unchanged after all these years--it alone will cost $3.5 million and will take a year to complete.

[Laramie]

Old Oklahoma City


Deep Deuce Street (left) and Main Street in Downtown Oklahoma City (right).

Recall my youth years, my mother giving me $500 dollars cash and a few checks to pay bills (Natural Gas, Electric, Water & Garbage and Department store accounts).  Had to get on the bus on N. E. 6th Street north of Page-Woodson School (formerly, Douglass High School); the route went through N. E. 4th Street and onto OKC's Deep Deuce (2nd Street) then known as Black Business District.  Second & 4th streets were called 'deuce and a quarter streets' known for black businesses, mortuaries, theaters, diners and restaurants.

All city buses met up on main street and aligned north & south sides where they loaded and went on their respective routes.   One trip we unloaded on Main Street,  recall a bully (twice my size and age) asking me if I had some change I could give him, relied no, he said will you stand for a search, I pulled out my mother's straight razor (She was a barber) and replied, 'you're not going to search me.'   He backed off quickly.  Man, what a relief; definitely didn't want any conflict--didn't want to gut this guy and by the looks in his eyes when he saw the razor, he knew searching me wasn't with it.

There were always your Illicit characters in downtown 'known for game,' you couldn't ever let you guard down or show any signs of being afraid because the drifter types would pick up on it.   Trick or treat nights weren't safe either, my mother required us to periodically check in with candy where she would inspect it--she threw out a lot of home made treats; like today, you couldn't trust anything given away other than wrapped candy and treats.

Our parents constantly reminded us not to get it cars with strangers.  Some were legit, wanted to pay you for mowing the lawn or helping to clean out the garage.   Yes,  there were others like the pedophile guys driving around in nice vehicles luring children of color into their cars paying for some sex action.  A 14 year old neighbor of ours (known as the donkey, at our local park pool) frequently took advantage of being sexually victimized by these predators; he always had a 'tons' of cash on him.  He occasionally boasted about being picked up and paid...     ...let's not go into the boy talk he use to share with us.

Anyway, just wanted to share some human experiences with you about growing up in Old Oklahoma City, probably wasn't any different in Tulsa; major deterrent now is cellphones, today's technology has helped derail a lot of activity that often occurred right on the streets.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Favorite Skyline Pics

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Growing Pains


BancFirst Tower

First National Center (Across from BancFirst)

Oklahoma City Convention Center

In the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, projects have slowed;
this has resulted in a downtown traffic nightmare.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Lincoln Plaza Restoration

Developer Dick Tanenbaum and Gardner Tanenbaum acquired the 316-room hotel which sits on a 24-acres and 69,402-square-foot convention center near the Oklahoma Capitol from Durant-based First United Bank for $2.6M in 2011. 

Originally built in 1967, the Lincoln Plaza complex at 4345 N. Lincoln Boulevard includes a three-story hotel, seven-story convention center and a single-story restaurant.

Gardner Tanenbaum had submitted plans to use the old hotel rooms for student housing for the nearby University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and convert some of the convention center rooms into additional housing units.

Developer Dick Tanenbaum and Gardner Tanenbaum obtained a $12,000,000 building permit for this site issued to the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority; 113 luxury apartments are planned for the former hotel space.

It will be renamed 'The Forum at Lincoln Plaza.'