Oklahoma City's ambitious overhaul of downtown

When construction on the Devon Tower was first reported by Oklahoma City news media in October, 2009 many residents of the city waited in anticipation to see what the finished product would look like. The 50-story building, will be the new headquarters of Devon Energy, will be the tallest building in the city and will contain 1.8 million square feet of office space. It is a true substantiation of the city’s status as a commercial power hub.

What many may not have realized at the time was that Devon Tower would also contribute to a total redesign and development of the downtown area, this is because the tower has been built in a sales tax increment financing district and is expected to generate $115 million in tax revenue for the city, which will fund the ambitious Project 180.

Downtown Oklahoma has become aged and out-dated, the roads are no longer suitable for the future of the area that the city council has envisioned. They cannot meet the mixed-use requirements of the future, a future in which it is hoped investment from the private sector will reinvigorate the city center.

This is the intended outcome of the project. In total, around 180 acres of the city will be redeveloped, leading to the name of the Project, which had already begun to cause traffic chaos in the city center.

The project has been split into three phases and will see the redesign of over 9 miles of road in the downtown area. Once completed, this area will have aesthetic landscaping, public art displays, better demarcated bike lanes on most streets, additional on-street parking and modern, chic light fixtures…all of which is intended to bring the city in-line with the 21^st century.

Laura Story, the project enginner, told Oklahoma news media recently that this redevelopment is “one of the most ambitious downtown transformations in the country” and indeed it is. Phase One will see the Myriad Botanical Gardens renovated with the addition of a grand performance lawn, a children’s discovery garden, a dog release area, restaurants and cafes, an ice rink and a new entrance for the Crystal Bridge Conservatory.

In addition, Reno will be closed off in sections as the street is modernized and prepared for its mixed-use future. This closure will last until October and is the most highly-publicized closure as it is a main road in the city, but many more roads will be closed and reopened during the construction of Phase One, which is tentatively slated for completion in 2011.

A number of roads are affected; detours litter the downtown area, according to Oklahoma City news reports. Robinson, Sheridan and Hudson have all seen some sections closed off completely while other areas are down to one or two lanes and the disruption is expected to get worse as construction schedules gain traction.

“Often times there is a price for progress. That comes in the form of congestion,” Andrea French told Oklahoma news media recently, adding in an appeal for patience and understanding. To a large extent his request has been granted, most residents of the city seem pleased with the long-term outcome expected from the project and are willing to suffer the congestion required of a future new and fresh downtown area.

Phase Two, which is expected to begin in 2011, will see the greatest disruption to primary streets such as Sheridan and Hudson, as well as Park Avenue, Broadway and EK Gaylord, all of which will undergo a year of redevelopment before Phase Three starts in 2012.

Phase Three, which is also the last phase, will take a year to two years and will include the re-design of NW 4th Street, Robert S. Kerr, West Main Street, Broadway, Harvey and North Walker. French pointed out to Oklahoma news media that the project had been staggered in such a way as to minimize the traffic disruption for motorists.

“Each phase of construction will bring with it traffic challenges,” he said, adding that the coordinators of Project 180 would strive to communicate all road closures and alternative routes to motorists in advance, in order to give ample warning for those trying to get to work and/or run important errands.

Many of the city’s parks and green spaces are due to be renovated as well, the project includes the improvement of the grand lawn outside City Hall in Phase Two and the renovation of Bicentennial Park in Phase Three.

The project is expected to cost $140 million and the $25 million shortfall after income from the new Devon Tower will be made up through the sale of General Obligation Bonds, which was approved by a bond election in 2007.

All work will be completed by 2014 according to Project 180 promotional material, although the state of Oklahoma in general is expected to see statewide traffic congestion in areas as a massive 8 year $4.3 billion transportation plan is implemented, although the two projects are unrelated.