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MAPS 3: At a glance
A breakdown of the projects included in MAPS 3:
New convention center, $280 million
A study by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber found the Cox Convention Center is far too small to serve the city’s convention needs in the coming decades. The new convention center would include 200,000 square feet of exhibition space, more than double the Cox Center’s 84,000 square feet. The new center also would include space for expansion. It also would provide conveniences for exhibitors such as fiber optics, Internet connectivity, electrical wiring and compressed air in the floor. A study commissioned by the chamber estimates the new convention center would triple the economic impact of the Cox Center, bringing nearly $80 million a year and 1,100 jobs to the local economy.
Mass transit initiatives, $130 million
A modern streetcar is the key piece of MAPS 3’s transit component. The city plans to build five to six miles of track for the streetcar, which would be quieter, more comfortable and more efficient than traditional streetcar systems. The project also would include a large public transit hub, which would connect the streetcar with the city’s bus system and current and future rail lines. The transit hub would open the door for the city’s efforts to get federal funding for regional commuter rail and possibly high speed rail linking the city with Dallas, Tulsa and other major cities.
70-acre downtown park, $130 million
The park is modeled after urban parks like Houston’s Discovery Green. It would stretch from the boulevard set to replace the existing Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway south across the new I-40 all the way to the Oklahoma River. The park would be unlike any other park in Oklahoma City. It would include green spaces, walking trails and athletic fields like other parks, but also would have restaurants, amphitheaters with live entertainment and various programs that could include everything from yoga and child fitness classes to writing workshops.
Oklahoma River, $60 million
The river projects are split into two main areas. About $25 million would go toward a whitewater kayaking venue next to the river. The whitewater venue is modeled after a similar project in Charlotte, N.
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