Cover: Northeast renewal
An often-neglected part of Oklahoma City is seeing reinvestments in the community.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, News, community news, development news, northeast Oklahoma City, NEOKC, northeast OKC, northeast, Gary Royal, Freedom Center, Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, MAPS, MAPS 3, MAPS 4, EastPoint, Pivot Project, Jonathan Dodson, Sandino Thompson, Jabee Williams, Lincoln Boulevard, office, retail, parks, trails, hotel, housing, hotel villas, brewery, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Liichokoshkomo’, Oklahoma City Council, Tinseltown, Remington Park, Remington Town Center, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Galapagos tortoise, Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, Women’s College World Series, Langston University, COOP Ale Works, 23rd Street Armory, developers, Lincoln Terrace, Oklahoma State Capitol, OU Medical Center, University of Oklahoma, OU Health Sciences Center, OU med, Innovation District, Lincoln Square, Page Woodson, The Douglass, Douglass High School, The Seven, Dunbar Commons, Douglass Recreation Center, Oklahoma City Urban Renewal, Ground House Burger, Intentional Fitness, Walcourt, OUHSC, Booker T. Washington Park, Northeast Community Center, Henrietta B. Foster Center for Northeast Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Innovation Hall, NE 23rd Street, NE 23rd
Park money
Oklahoma City voters could decide whether to pass a new excise tax to fund the city’s Parks & Recreation department.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, Ed Shadid, Eric Groves, MAPS, 1/8th cent tax, excise tax, initiative petition, city parks, Doug Kupper, Parks & Recreation, parks, trails, recreation, programming, Love’s Travel Stops, Scissortail Park, Myriad Botanical Gardens, SoonerPoll, neighborhood parks, special election, public transit
Public input
OKC residents favor voting for individual MAPS projects and allocating part of the penny tax for operations and maintenance.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, MAPS 4, SoonerPool, Ward 2, Ward 6, Ward 1, James Cooper, JoBeth Hamon, James Greiner, Oklahoma City Council, city council, mayor, MAPS, Ed Shadid
Road MAPS
Presentations and discussions on proposed MAPS 4 projects are set to begin this summer with a finalized package expected in early September.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, David Holt, Oklahoma City Council, City council, mayor, MAPS, MAPS 1, MAPS 3, MAPS 4, SoonerPoll, Ed Shadid, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce
Polling projects
A third-party poll gauges Oklahoma City residents’ opinions on some MAPS 4 ideas.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, MAPS 4, Oklahoma City Council, David Holt, Ed Shadid, SoonerPoll, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, soccer stadium, State Fair coliseum, Chesapeake Energy Arena, parks, homelessness, public transit, State of the City
Action item
Four councilmen want to reverse a decision taken by Historic Preservation Commission to protect First Christian Church.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, First Christian Church, historic preservation, Historic Preservation Commission, Oklahoma City Council, Crossings Community Church, James Cooper, Ward 2, James Greiner, Todd Stone, David Greenwell, Mark Stonecipher, Ed Shadid
Comet city
Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Pathway to Greatness plan is expanding Classen School of Advanced Studies to the Northeast Academy building.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Education, Classen, Classen School of Advanced Studies, CSAS, Classen SAS, Northeast Academy, NEA, Northeast High School, Northeast, Scot McAdoo, Chris Thomas, Sean McDaniel, Comets, Comet, board of education, Ruth Veales, city council, Nikki Nice
Shoulders of giants
Oklahoma City Council’s two outgoing members are encouraged by the next generation of city leaders who will take their seats next week.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, Ward 2, Ward 6, Ed Shadid, James Cooper, Meg Salyer, JoBeth Hamon, Ward 7, Nikki Nice, Oklahoma City Council, city council, city hall, city government
Building history
Oklahoma City Council is making decisions on the historic and cultural significance of two properties with long histories.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, Nikki Nice, Stacy McNeiland, Jackie Gates, Sandra Finney, Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Center, CARE Center, Brockway Center, National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, Ed Shadid, First christian Church, egg church, Okie Mod Squad, Crown Heights-Edgemere Heights Neighborhood Association, Preservation Oklahoma, John Malget, David Box, Pam Holt, Mark Stonecipher, Meg Salyer, David Greenwell, OK City Council, City Council, Oklahoma City Council, Historic Preservation Commission, James Cooper, JoBeth Hamon, Jewel Box Theatre
Church of yesterday
If First Christian Church is not declared a historic landmark, the building could face demolition upon sale.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, First Christian Church, Lynne Rostochil, Church of Tomorrow, Ed Shadid, National Register of Historic Places, Katie McLaughlin Friddle, Crown Heights, Edgemere Park, David Holt, James Greiner
Suite perks
A member of the city council says using its Oklahoma City Thunder suite at Chesapeake Energy Arena for free is against the law.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, City Council, mayor, David Holt, Larry McAtee, John Pettis Jr., Meg Salyer, James Greiner, Mark Stonecipher, Pete White, Ed Shadid, Todd Stone, Lee Cooper Jr., David Greenwell, Nikki Nice, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Thunder games, Thunder suite, OKC Thunder, Thunder, William Burkett, ethics commission, Civic Center Music Hall, Mick Cornett, Thunder tickets
Taking a seat
With Ward 2 councilman Ed Shadid deciding not to run for reelection, five candidates aim to fill his seat on the city council.
By Miguel Rios
Tags: Metro, Suzanne Broadbent, James Cooper, Marilyn Davidson, Mike Dover, Tracey Halley-Terrell, ward 2, city council, city council election, ed shadid, Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission, MAPS 3, MAPS 4, Putnam heights, Jefferson Middle School, Oklahoma City University, Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, COTPA, transit, sidewalks, public transportation, buses, streets, infrastructure, safety, education, MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board, OKC Bond Advisory Committee, bus shelters, bail bondsman, Oklahoma Bondsman Association, neighborhoods, Oklahoma City Council
Election penalty
Soon after her victory, Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice lost her job with Perry Publishing.
By Nazarene Harris
Tags: Government, Oklahoma City Council, Nikki Nice, Ward 7, Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Company, Frances Kersey, Larry McAtee, James Greiner, Ed Shadid, Todd Stone, David Greenwell, Meg Salyer, Mark Stonecipher, Mick Cornett
Help wanted
Oklahoma City begins its search to replace retiring city manager Jim Couch.
By Nazarene Harris
Tags: Metro, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Manger, Jim Couch, Oklahoma City City Council, City Manager, Ed Shadid, Dianna Berry, James Greiner, Lee E. Cooper, Meg Slayer