OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
Related City Development Efforts In addition to the three MAPS initiatives, Oklahoma City has engaged in other major non-MAPS investments aimed at improving city infrastructure and quality of life for residents. 2007 Bond Program . In 2007, Oklahoma City voters approved a 10-year series of annual bond issues totaling $835.5 million to improve or replace city infrastructure. Projects include the repair of 750 miles of residential and arterial streets, bridge repair, park improvement, drainage system improvement, sidewalk and trail construction, new police and fire stations, bus replacement, and public library updates. The bond program also provided $75 million for an incentive fund for economic development. The bonds replaced an existing expiring bond issue, and all provisions passed with at least 78% of the vote. I-40 Realignment . The relocation of I-40 to replace the old elevated Crosstown Expressway Bridge dramatically altered much of the landscape just south of downtown Oklahoma City. Following the I-40 realignment, the city created the iconic Skydance Pedestrian Bridge spanning a stretch of the new interstate south of downtown. The bridge was intended to break the development barrier presented by the interstate and allow foot traffic to easily move across the busy I-40 corridor between downtown and the river. The bridge also connects the north and south sections of Scissortail Park. Funding for the realignment project was approved in May 2002 and construction was completed in October 2012. The $688 million project opened a considerable stretch of developable land along the path of the original bridge on the south edge of downtown. Core to Shore . The city’s Core-to-Shore project was implemented in 2008 to reconstruct the south entrance to downtown and build a corridor stretching from the city center to the revitalized Oklahoma River to the south. More importantly, Core to Shore is deeply integrated into both the MAPS and MAPS 3 projects as well as the I-40 realignment downtown. River redevelopment was a key component of the initial MAPS projects, but the area remained largely inaccessible directly from downtown. The completion of the Skydance Pedestrian Bridge spanning I-40 provided the key connection stretching from the riverfront and south section of Scissortail Park to the north portion of the Park and the city core. The Core-to-Shore area is also home to the new MAPS 3-funded state-of-the-art convention center and Omni Oklahoma City Hotel. The OKC Streetcar will provide service through two loops that overlap service at the north tip of Scissortail Park. Another important component of the Core-to-Shore plan called for the creation of a new urban corridor using land opened by the I-40 realignment to create a new entrance to the city on the south side of downtown. The Oklahoma City Boulevard is now open and development along the new route is brisk. The plan further called for the strengthening of the existing residential community and the use of multi-use development strategies to improve all phases of urban life in the Core-to-Shore region. Project 180 . In 2009, the city embarked on an eight-phase $176 million project for the redesign of downtown streets, sidewalks, parks and plazas to improve the area’s appearance and make the central core more pedestrian-friendly. The project was a component of the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district tied to the construction of the Devon headquarters building in the Business District. Plans called for the addition of landscaping, public art, bike lanes, decorative street lighting and additional on-street parking.
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