New Bricktown Fire Station Designs
Something looks familiar here - I wonder if the architects at the Small Group can provide us some guidence.
When we last heard from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, they swore changes were on their way for a station to be built in Bricktown. Say goodbye to the design by Norman-based LWPB that resembled a station recently opened in Mustang. Fire Chief Keith Bryant promised the new Bricktown fire station would be designed to fit into the district as well as the much praised Bricktown Police Substation.
It’s always interesting to then see how designers try to carry out such a promise. Here, in case you’re interested, is the Bricktown Police Substation:
Bricktown Police Substation Designed by The Small Group.
The Bricktown Urban Design Committee is being asked to approve these designs at it’s meeting Wednesday. The group meets at 9 a.m. in the Glass/Confectionary building at 116 E Sheridan in the second floor board room.
The planning department report advises approval even though it acknowledges the setback is suburban.
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Comments
Yup…
I wonder if the grade difference between Lincoln and the back of the site make the setback more reasonable. If you drive by the site, Lincoln looks about 5 to 7 feet above the back of the site – putting the building back probably requires less fill to put the building higher up…
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Unfortunately too late to make arrangements to attend the meeting. The building is much better than first proposed, but not urban enough to get my vote. I totally agree with the parking comments above, why the heck can’t they have street parking? This is still a fairly suburban design and will only devalue Bricktown in the long-term just like Lower Bricktown will if some better in-fill doesn’t come along. I hope the committee has higher standards and if nothing else at least requires some street parking and lose the front parking lot. Let us know how the meeting went today Steve!
Hopefully the design committee shares the opinions of this blog. The design is good enough, the setback and parking lot is not acceptable for urban areas.
This is ridiculous.
I also don’t understand the need for so many parking spaces in the front. Why don’t they just tack them on the back parking lot instead of putting a useless parking strip in front? Better yet, like someone mentioned, put it on the street.
This is old. There are firestations on 66th and Shields and 44th and Western that are closer to the street! -_-
But I guess it is wayyy better than before. Still not acceptable to me. Bricktown isn’t going to go anywhere with these suburban developments on its outskirts.
The design is not that special. I’ve seen a lot of OKC fire stations that are closer to the street than this one.
If you want to see a great downtown fire station, go to Lawton.
i still have not heard a reason why the hell this fire station needs to be in bricktown. there is one at nw 5th and shartel now and one on nw 8th just east of lincoln. why the hell is a fire station going into bricktown?
Johnny, Station 6 will relocate from 8th & Lincoln. Station 4 (SW 4th & Broadway) will move way NE to near Hiwasee & Memorial. The new location is a good middle ground…
Well if they picked this out as middle ground, they better put something that’s acceptable on that ground and caters to the neighborhood; not some crappy box that has a brick facade to “try” to fit it in.
Move it closer to the street. Now. && Why is that back parking lot so large? Do the fire trucks travel through the back parking lot also? If thats the deal, then fine. But that parking lot is to large for the amoun of parking places it has.
Yes, the trucks will drive behind and enter the station from the back. This allows them to not use reverse… unfortunately, fire departments across the country have problems with serious injury and death related to backing up into old stations…
Why can’t this buidling be located closer to the street?
Much like the Lower Bricktown Residence Inn vs. the bricktown Hampton Inn. Closer to the street is a more urban in design.
I agree that is should be closer with maybe some parking on the side, but I am not upset with the layout. Much better than the previous proposal.
LJ, I agree on the Hampton Inn, but the Residence Inn is located at least six car lengths from the street. Here is a link to their photo tour: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/photo-tours.mi?marshaCode=okcbt&pageID=HWHOM&imageID=1
I was stating that the bricktown Residence Inn is a major flaw being located away from Reno Ave., not to mention the overall design of it. The fact that it was ever approved is beyond me.
I was only comparing it to the Hampton Inn as one being urban and the other is sub-urban in design and site placement.
I understand the large parking area in the back, but there is no reason for this station to have a deeper setback than many of the OKC Fire Dept’s suburban fire stations.
Keep in mind that this corner (Sheridan & Lincoln) is one of the main entrances into Bricktown.
Bricktown deserves better.
So, what would be the difference if they eliminated the long front parking row and put in street parking instead, moving the building closer to the street? Why isn’t that an option? The building itself looks great and I understand why they need the secure back parking area… But it’s a shame not to put the building a bit closer to the street when that would so simply enhance the urbanity of the design. It may sound like nitpicking to someone who doesn’t care about urban design, but it will make a huge difference when the area is completely filled in.
Why do we have setback and design regulations if they are constantly broken? Why were we so hard on McDonald’s and why have we lost that strength of enforcement when we got to Candlewood Suites and this fire station?