First Steps Toward MAPS 3 Downtown Park Underway

It is a major part of the MAPS 3 project, and the city has taken the first big step forward in the construction of a 70 acre park that will be built south of downtown.

The signs are already going up in the area where the park will be built. The first step though is forming a master plan.

"There's a lot of ideas that have been spread around," said Eric Wenger with the City of Oklahoma City.

Some of the ideas that include open spaces for festivals, a lake, a boardwalk beer garden, sports venues, formal gardens and restaurants.

A citizens' advisory board has chosen a consultant that will take community input into what you want to see in the park and incorporate it into existing plans.

"There's other features like the skydance bridge that needs to be accommodated," said Wenger.  "Be sure that the core to shore plan needs to be implemented.  Obviously one of the goals is to make sure we have a pedestrian-friendly access from downtown Oklahoma City to the Oklahoma River."

Historical buildings in the area will also likely be incorporated into the master plan. And in 6 to 12 months we should know what the downtown park will look like.

The city is nearly done with acquiring property down here for the park.  They expect to be done with that by the end summer so construction on the first phase park can begin next year.

There are three phases of construction of the park. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2014.