Spending money on Core to Shore
FYI: City Council tomorrow will be considering amending a $480,000 contract with Hargreaves Associates to allow for construction of a model and designs for Central Park, for which construction funding has not been approved by voters.
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Nick, meeting is at 8:30 a.m. at city hall. You can show up in a t-shirt, but you may look a little out of place as many people who are there to speak to the council are at least business casual or in a suit. Also, anyone can address the council during the “Citizens to Be Heard” portion at the end of the meeting. Just fill out a “Request to Be Heard” form outside the Chambers. I’ve been tempted to do this myself since no one really knows how the MAPS planning is progressing, but voting on a design contract tomorrow I guess tells us something.
Actually, Council approved the majority of the contract ($460,000 or so) previously. Tomorrow’s item is for another $76,000 to build a model and design an additional 13 acres.
If it’s a specific item, you can actually sign up to speak directly to that item. Citizens to be heard is for items not on the agenda.
Steve, I could have sworn I saw the same thing as you on the council’s agenda, but now it is just an entry for a fee increase for the park area. Has the agenda been changed or can you point us to the entry on the council’s agenda for the $480,000? And Paul is right as far as addressing the council, you can also (besides the Citizen to Be Heard portion) request in advance to have your own item placed on the agenda to have something discussed, at least a week before the next council meeting if my memory is correct.
It’s still impressive that not much was made of the initial spending amount.
I like the addition of 13 acres, and a model should really help people visualize the proposed improvements.
I don’t really have a problem with spending money on designing a plan, but after reading the proposed contract amendment, it seems that the MAPS proposal is set as far as the park and a convention center near the park. According to the contract Amendment the model is supposed to include, besides the park, a cafe/information building model, an underground 500 space parking garage, the skydance bridge, union station, the 13-acre park expansion which will be south of the relocated I-40 and the Convention Center next to the park as we have previously seen. Looks like there won’t be something along the Millenium Park model of a concert amphitheater or something similar as I imagine the model specifications would include a major building piece such as that. http://okc.gov/AgendaPub/cache/2/ffr1tg55mm2vpt45tvwllmjy/65291608032009091419208.PDF
Yep, you’re right Brent. I wonder if this causes any concern with those who have been promised there is no set site yet for the convention center.
Brent, keep in mind the underground parking was originally going to be 1000 spaces. Personally we are going to spend a TON of money for underground parking. Many are suggesting to build a NICE parking garage directly west of the park, and make the bottom floor or two retail/mixed-use and make it blend in as nice development. It would save MILLIONS of dollars, more than enough to develop the 13 acre park they are proposing south of the new I-40. Personally we should scrap the underground parking, save tens of millions and use the savings to aquire more land and make the park even bigger.
Steve, did you get my Downtown OKC 2020 column? I never got an email response from you..hopefully you did.
“That was a boring city council meeting..”
I have yet, in my life, to hear the words “exciting” and “city counsel meeting” used together in the same sentence.
Build something unique that tourists would want to see. Please do not try to copy what has already been done in another city. Every city has parks and buildings. Use mother nature to guide the design of the park. Example: All buildings, restrooms, drinking water fountains, etc. would look like natural rock formations with plants and waterfalls on some of them. You could add buildings in the future which would make the park look even better if they looked like natural rock formations.