Bond proposal focuses on streets

The 2017 general-obligation bond proposal includes $491 million for streets and another $27 million for bridges. The city council will begin its review of the nearly $1 billion plan on Tuesday. Voters will be asked on Sept. 12 to approve the

final product. The package includes investments in streets, drainage, parks, libraries, a police-fire training center, the Chesapeake Energy Arena and Civic Center Music Hall.

Tax rate unchanged: Bonds are financed by property taxes and, under the proposal, the property tax rate levied by the city would remain the same. Projects would be completed over a 10-year period. The original needs list topped $1.8 billion; notable projects in the version under consideration include:

• $47.6 million: Police/fire training center in the vicinity of Interstate 240 and Air Depot Boulevard.

• $60 million: Loans, grants, tax incentives and public investments to promote economic development.

• $14.3 million: New buses, with an additional $4.1 million for bus shelters and transit upgrades.

• $14.2 million: Civic Center Music Hall renovations, and $8.9 million for the downtown arena.

• $8.8 million: New library at SW 59 Street and May Avenue, plus $8.5 million expand and renovate the Belle Isle and Ralph Ellison libraries.

• $10 million: New neighborhood parks in south, southeast, southwest and northwest Oklahoma City.

• $6.6 million: Drainage improvements in the Brock Creek and Twin Creek basins near the Stockyards.

• $5 million: Improvements to SW 29 Street between Rockwell and MacArthur boulevards.

• $18 million: Street repairs and improvements in the area bounded by SW 29 and SW 44 streets, between Pennsylvania and May avenues.