Optional Bus Tour of OKC Brownfields Projects
2-4:30pm
Wednesday, May 23
Cost: $20
In the last decade, Oklahoma City has entered a renaissance. A key aspect to this is the reinvestment in the urban center, and the redevelopment of a number of strategic Brownfield sites. Join us on a bus tour as we explore the progress that Oklahoma City has already made, and hear about our vision for the city’s future. On this tour, we will visit five iconic Brownfield projects of Oklahoma City; The site of Devon Energy’s new national headquarters, the American Indian Cultural Center, the WestTown Resources Center, the Bricktown Fire Station, and finally, Bricktown itself.
The site of Devon Energy’s new national headquarters includes the previous Galleria Parking Garage owned by Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority. The OKC Brownfields Program performed an environmental assessment of this property as part of Devon’s pre-acquisition Due Diligence. Ultimately, Devon discovered underground tanks and contaminated soils that required remediation through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Nearing completion, the 850 ft. tall Devon Tower will be the tallest structure in Oklahoma. Project partners include the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Devon Energy, and Oklahoma City as a Cooperating Partner.
The American Indian Cultural Center, due to be completed in 2014-2015, is designed by Johnson Fain Architects and Hornbeak, Blatt Architects. The building has given new life to a former oil field, and is an architectural feat that will hold the story of Oklahoma’s unique Native American past.
The WestTown Resources Center, which opened in 2011, now occupies two rehabilitated warehouses in Central Oklahoma City. The Resources Center is a centralized location for support agencies who provide for those in need. The Center provides a home for agencies, such as the Neighborhood Services Organization, Legal Aid, and Healing Hands. Adjacent buildings house the Day Shelter, which provides meals, showers, secure storage, and computer and television access to those in need, in addition to education, employment and outreach services. Operated by a dedicated team of services providers, including faith-based organizations, the Center has turned a site that was once a drain on the local community into a pillar of support.
The Bricktown Fire Station is Oklahoma City’s first publicly funded project built for LEED certification. Designed to fit into its Bricktown setting, it echoes historic, urban brick with red doors, like the fire houses of the past. The foyer museum features Oklahoma City’s first motorized fire engine, which was used in 1910.
Bricktown has become Oklahoma City’s premier entertainment and dining district. As recently as 1995, the district was home to dilapidated buildings and crime problems. Oklahoma City’s reinvestment in the district brought millions of dollars in revenue, and increased property values in the area, and in 2009, earned the City both a Phoenix Award and a Renewal Award for Economic Impact. Bricktown has become Oklahoma City’s crown jewel of Brownfield Redevelopment.
