Oklahoma City - The Way we Live

Grand entryway to cap renovations at Ford Center April 25, 2010 The Ford Center will not be shut down this summer as originally planned. Because plans have not been finalized for the final phase of renovation, excavation for a new grand entryway on the southwest corner of the Ford Center will not begin until September. The new entryway to be built near Robinson and Interstate 40... Read More

Ford Center continues improvements April 25, 2010 Anyone who has attended a concert or Thunder game the past six months has noticed changes in the Ford Center. Additional renovations will be constructed during the next 18 months. Voters approved a 15-month, 1-cent sales tax in March 2008 that would be used only if an NBA team relocated to Oklahoma City. When team... Read More

Thunder finds ‘boomtown’ in city April 25, 2010 The national economy cratered in September 2008. Oklahoma City’s passion for the NBA did not. Despite unfortunate financial timing — the recession hit America two months after the Seattle franchise relocated to Oklahoma City — and fears from some precincts that the market was too small, the Thunder... Read More

Outdoor shows remain popular after more than three decades April 25, 2010 The more things change, the more things stay the same. Outdoor shows have been around for more than 30 years in Oklahoma City, but their purpose remains the same today as three decades ago: to get consumers to spend money. One of the longest-running and most-attended outdoor shows, the Oklahoma Tackle Show, has not... Read More

Artist’s bright glass spawns vivid stories April 25, 2010 Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch DriveNear the exit of the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, I find a small room, nothing more than a pair of displays facing each other across a 6-foot hallway. The room is dim, the walls gray. Chihuly’s glistening glass creations are sparkling... Read More

State Fair Park updates allow for more events April 25, 2010 It wasn’t too long ago that people were worried about the future of State Fair Park. In fact, President and General Manager Tim O’Toole remembers back in 2004 the whispers and conversations among customers. Those days are over. As O’Toole said,"the State Fair Park has entered the 21st... Read More

Triple-A hockey to come to city April 25, 2010 When the puck is dropped in October for the opening of Oklahoma City’s first American Hockey League season, the city will have a brand of hockey it has not had in more than 25 years. Oklahoma City’s new hockey club is the equivalent of the Oklahoma City RedHawks in baseball – a Triple-A franchise... Read More

Merger won’t put Dawgz outdoors April 25, 2010 With the problems the Arena Football League was having, Oklahoma City fans were wondering what the fate of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the arena football2 league was going to be. Despite the AFL’s issues, the af2 was owned separately and was never in danger. And when the AFL and af2 decided to merge to... Read More

Citizens board to help guide MAPS 3 projects April 25, 2010 A MAPS 3 citizens advisory board will provide insight and advice as city leaders begin work on the $777 million plan. The board includes one Oklahoma City Council member and 10 others appointed by the council and mayor. City Manager Jim Couch said the design of the board borrows elements from the original MAPS... Read More

A look at the projects April 25, 2010 A LOOK AT THE PROJECTS Read More

History of the MAPS projects TIMELINE timeline April 25, 2010 LATE 1980s "Downtown is dead and we helped kill it” – Former City Councilman I.G. PurserFollowing a major downturn in Oklahoma City’s economy, companies began abandoning downtown in favor of office space elsewhere in the city. Downtown was a sleepy, empty place once workers headed home for the... Read More

What will convention center bring? April 25, 2010 The wish list for college sporting events coming to Oklahoma City changed when voters agreed to renovations on the Ford Center. Now, the list may be changing again. The passage of MAPS 3 means a new convention center, and that means additional space for fan fests and temporary exhibitions and all the other side... Read More

Regattas, rowing keep river busy April 25, 2010 Once just a dream on paper, the Oklahoma River is beginning to look a lot like community leaders had hoped it would when the Chesapeake Boathouse was completed. The new Devon Boathouse is nearing completion and work on the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower is underway. Boathouses for the University of Oklahoma and the... Read More

DO YOU KNOW YOUR CITY? April 25, 2010 Test your knowledge of Oklahoma City’s present and past then check your answers to see how you did: 1 What was the first downtown project completed under the city’s Urban Renewal program? 2 This son of a leading Oklahoma City banker renovated the Colcord building and started Bricktown. Read More

Trends explode in dining scene April 25, 2010 In Oklahoma, the food scene is growing thanks to a trend toward local, sustainable food sources and an expansion of fast-casual dining. Perhaps because of Oklahoma’s rich, rural history, the movement toward local foods is intense. Chef Kurt Fleischfresser of the Coach House and Western Concepts wonders why it... Read More