PERKING UP PARKS
Downtown pocket parks undergoing makeovers
Hightower Park and Pioneer Park are likely a mystery to most Oklahoma City residents, but that could change with improvements underway at the two largely unused gathering spots as well as downtown’s Kerr Park.
A few dozen people gathered Thursday at Hightower Park, 208 Patience Latting Circle, to celebrate the addition of “Nurture,” a collection of colorful chairs and benches created by artist Beatriz Mayorca.
Using a mix of concrete, colorful metal and bands of mosaic tile, Mayorca took a grassy pocket park surrounded by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the downtown library and City Hall, and turned it into a place she hopes will be used throughout the year.
The Venezuelan-born artist was chosen through an artist invitation hosted by Downtown Initiatives, a public art program run by Downtown OKC Partnership. Mayora said she saw the park as an opportunity to provide seating in shaded spaces and to use colors inspired by her Latin American heritage.
The pieces include a long bench that can seat several people and four single seats.
“The multi-faced bench for me is the centerpiece,” Mayorca said. “I made four different chair types with metal, concrete and mosaic . ... I wanted to make very colorful pieces. I pray people who pass check out these seats.”
Other park makeovers
More downtown pocket park revamps are set to be completed later this year with Downtown Oklahoma City set to build shaded spaces and to add park furniture
and planters at Kerr Park, 102 Robert S. Kerr Ave., across from the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.
While the Hightower Park project was funded through money raised by the annual Dean A. McGee Awards, the Kerr Park makeover started with a $200,000 grant from Southwest Airlines in coordination with the Project for Public Spaces, with matching funds provided by Downtown OKC Partnership and neighboring SandRidge Energy.
Jill DeLozier, vice president of Downtown OKC Partnership, said picnic benches, seating and planters have been purchased and will be arriving soon. Construction of a lit, colorful shade structure designed by Asa Highsmith with Common Works Architects is set to be built by Lingo Construction and open by late June.
“We had workshops in August, 2017, and those who joined us said they wanted to see more shade, more seating, games for people and events,” DeLozier said. “It will be super functional where on an everyday basis we can use that not just for shade, but also to host concerts, events and movie nights — things we haven’t seen happen at Kerr Park in a really long time.”
Pioneer Park, meanwhile, is a triangle-shaped space across from the Pioneer Building at Broadway and Dean A. McGee that has gone largely unused for at least the past quarter century. The park at 400 N Broadway was created as part of the 1970s-era I.M. Pei Plan which guided rerouting of streets in the area as part of implementation of an urban renewal program.
Renderings show the
circular brick seating in the park will be torn out and replaced with new individual seats, lighting, landscaping and a sculpture garden. The project is being funded by Mark Beffort and Andy Burnett who are redeveloping the 100-year-old Pioneer Building.
“Work is going to start right away,” Burnett said. “We think this improves the value of the buildings. It’s good for city, neighborhood and our building.”
DeLozier said she expects more such projects with varying sources of funding will continue to occur with the goal of making each green space a functional gathering spot for the community.
“Private property owners are taking a real interest in making these spaces more beautiful for economic impact and create a sense of pride for downtown and Oklahoma City,” DeLozier said. “We want to return these precious areas in an urban core to a usable space for all kinds of people throughout the day.”