Downtown Revitalization: Oklahoma City

[Metro Jacksonville]

Downtown Revitalization: Oklahoma City



Metro Jacksonville visits a city Jacksonville's size and scale that has been recently recognized as the most "recession proof city in America": Oklahoma City

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-oct-downtown-revitalization-oklahoma-city

[simms3]

Amazing city...in Oklahoma.  Geography wise from a quality of life perspective it would seem there is nothing going for the city, but they have managed to make it an attractive, progressive place...and it still retains its conservative roots.

[vicupstate]

I was throughly impressed with OKC during my visit last summer.  Portland and Austin use to be just cities you knew the name of, but now you hear great things about them all the time. OKC will be the same way very soon.  A little more time to let the word get out, is all it will take.

I would have never thought that anywhere in Oklahoma would be somewhere I would want to live, but I would have no problem living in OKC. It has a lot to offer and is surprisingly tolerant compared to my preconceived notions.

To those that think consolidation is Jacksonville's drawback, pay close attention to the land area and population figures listed in this article.  OKC is not consolidated, it spreads across 2 or 3 counties I believe. But it is a large sprawled out city with low density, just like Jax.  YET, all the MAPS votes were passed, when very few people even lived downtown when the votes were taken.

That is one excuse Jax just needs to drop.   

[thelakelander]

I've always looked at the initial MAPS and Delaney's BJP as similar initiatives.  Both resulted in massive public projects in our downtown areas.  However, the basics of simple pedestrian scale design and integration directly led to OKC's projects having a greater impact.  Many of their projects were clustered together within a compact setting, creating significant change virtually overnight (ie. Bricktown area) while we spread our investments out too thin, in a downtown we treat as being over two miles in length.  That simple difference can create momentum for additional quality-of-life enhancements or stall the original push.

[Jason]

And despite all the negatives we harp on about Jax, the only difference between our potential and OKC's is the creative investment in the core.   Jax still has much more to offer.

[I-10east]

Oklahoma City is probably the closest US city comparable city to Jax that I can think of; Especially when you consider that both have a lot of square mileage, similar city population, and one pro sports team in town. Our main shortfall here in Jax is lack of DT residential, which is basically synonymous, and will lead to more DT attractions.   

[thelakelander]

^I don't think having 2,500 DT residents is the shortfall we treat it as.  OKC didn't have anyone downtown when the initial MAPS passed.  Plus, we have twice as many residents downtown today than we had in the late 1970s when downtown still had May-Cohens, Sears, Ivey's, Furchgott's, JCPenney, and Levy's still in operation. We can immediately get passed the downtown population issue through the use of providing better connectivity with the 100,000 urban core residents surrounding it.  I believe we have the potential to do just about anything we want if we put our heads to it.

[fsquid]

that looks like a fun place to be.

[fsujax]

Another city that has turned a ditch into an attraction. I bet you will not see dolphins jumping and playing in that water. Nice pics though.

[Ocklawaha]

Another city that has turned a ditch into an attraction. I bet you will not see dolphins jumping and playing in that water. Nice pics though.

True, but then there are no alligators or bull sharks in them either!

[Captain Zissou]

I think the Deep Deuce Grille might want to consider a name change.

[Adam W]

I think the Deep Deuce Grille might want to consider a name change.

Too true!

[civil42806]

Lived there during 97-98 was a great place to live, looks even better now

[Ocklawaha]

I think the Deep Deuce Grille might want to consider a name change.

Too true!

Some things get lost in the translation when we speak of incredibly historic places with names that have been corrupted in modern slang. The "Deep Second" later called "The Deep Deuce," was the largest black neighborhood in Oklahoma City in the 1940's. It was the home of Jazz legends such as Charlie Christian and Jimmy Rushing. Ralph Waldo Ellison, born in Oklahoma City in 1914, wrote of the Deep Deuce in his book Trading Twelves. A lot of the old neighborhood is gone, but unlike LaVilla, Brooklyn and Fairfield locally, the demolitions were spotty and it's still easy to find some of that old fabric that made the place special. If you REALLY want to know more about the Deep Deuce check out 'Doug Dawg's' Blog: http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2006/12/deep-deuce-history.html

[thelakelander]

To be honest, while making the article, looking at the imagery provided and google earth aerials, the first thing that popped into my mind about Deep Deuce was LaVilla.  Save for a few isolated buildings, the black culture of Deep Deuce and LaVilla are both forever gone, in my opinion.