OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
commercial catering kitchen, and improvements to parking and other infrastructure at State Fair Park. The building is located on the former site of the Travel and Transportation building. Downtown Streetcar . The new modern downtown streetcar serves as an urban circulator and connector linking Midtown, the Business District, Scissortail Park and Bricktown. Regular service commenced in December 2018. The streetcar provides a link between all major MAPS venues and easy access to most major government, business, recreation, and entertainment destinations downtown. A later section of the report provides a detailed overview of the system, including shifts underway in economic and demographic characteristics of the blocks surrounding the streetcar path. All remaining MAPS 3 projects are underway and at various stages of completion as follows: Scissortail Park . Scissortail Park is part of the city’s Core-to-Shore initiative to develop the area south of downtown to the Oklahoma River. The urban park is approximately 70 acres and links downtown and the Oklahoma River by way of Skydance Bridge over I-40. Planned components of the park include a cafe, lake, gardens, fountains, performance venues and a grand lawn. The north portion of Scissortail Park opened in September 2019 while the south section is slated for a 2021 opening. The park will provide a major urban amenity to downtown residents and visitors alike. Downtown Convention Center . A new convention center is seen as vital to attracting larger conventions and increased tourism to Oklahoma City. The convention center is the largest of the MAPS 3 projects and will be located adjacent to both Scissortail Park and the newly announced Omni conference hotel. Construction is underway, and completion is expected in 2020 with the hotel opening in early 2021. Sidewalks . MAPS 3 also called for the construction of 70 miles of new and improved sidewalks in areas with a high demand for pedestrian amenities. The original budget of $9.2 million was increased to $18 million due to cost estimates that exceeded original projections. The majority of the MAPS 3-funded sidewalks will be complete by the end of 2019. Trails . An additional outdoor amenity within MAPS 3 is the construction of 50 miles of paved trails linking downtown and the Oklahoma River with Lake Overholser, Lake Hefner, and Lake Draper. The West River Trail (Overholser) was completed in 2015; the Will Rogers Trail (Hefner) was completed in 2018; and the Lake Draper Trail began construction in March 2018. Senior Health and Wellness Centers . Current plans call for the construction of four new state-of-the-art wellness centers providing exercise equipment and programs, including aquatics, to seniors in a social and recreational setting. The N. Rockwell Avenue center opened in 2017. The second center at S. Walker Avenue opened in 2018. The third and fourth MAPS 3 Senior Health and Wellness Centers will be in northeast and far southwest Oklahoma City, with Langston University and the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City as operating partners, respectively. The third and fourth centers are currently being planned.
All currently active MAPS 3 projects are scheduled for completion by 2021.
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