Ford Center improvements
Did you see the drawings for the new-look Ford Center? Or read the upcoming changes to Oklahoma City’s arena? Those are exactly the kinds of things I was talking about a few years ago when I was less than kind to the Ford Center.
In August 2002, I wrote a column that pointed out all the great things about the new Oklahoma City, how we had gone from “sleepy frontier town to progressive New West city in a decade, with change to spare.” Bricktown and its ballpark. The new downtown library. The Oklahoma City Art Museum. The renovated Civic Center. “They all send the same message. The message we want the world to know: OKC is a first-class city.”
But the Ford Center was different. It was built on the cheap. Forget bells and whistles. There weren’t even doors on the bathrooms. The Ford Center was functional, nothing more.
History has justified the city fathers who produced the Ford Center. The Ford Center’s functionality proved to be cost-effective and proved to be just fine for what we needed. The humdrum Ford Center landed plenty of concerts, the Big 12 Tournament and even the temporary Hornets.
But history also has justified the critics who said OKC deserved something better. The Ford Center renovations — the first phase of which were approved by the city on Tuesday — will turn the now-6-year-old building into a jewel that can stand proudly by the Civic Center and art museum.
The restrooms will be made plush, according to city projects manager Tom Anderson. Future work is planned for the concourses, with new restaurants added. Finally, the exterior will include a grand entrance befitting Oklahoma City.
I’m not saying critics of the Ford Center should take credit for the upgrades. In fact, this is one more sign that our city leaders made superb decisions, then and now. Here’s a quote from then-OKC mayor Kirk Humphreys in 2002: “We spent $90 million for a sports arena and got one of the best deals in America. Could we have had a nicer building? Of course. That becomes a value decision for voters, and I think the majority would agree with the course of action we’ve taken.”
Absolutely true. OKC spent wisely, which means it had the means to spend wisely again, and is doing so.
What the Ford Center brought to OKC initially, the people could be proud of. Now we can be proud of the city itself. The same should be said of the voters and decision-makers, who seem to keep getting it right.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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