Gathering Place (Tulsa park)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from )
This article is about the park named Gathering Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For the general concept of a "gathering place", see Gathering place.
Gathering Place
LocationTulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Coordinates36°07′27″N 95°59′05″W / 36.12417°N 95.98472°W / 36.12417; -95.98472Coordinates: 36°07′27″N 95°59′05″W / 36.12417°N 95.98472°W / 36.12417; -95.98472
StatusOperating
OpenedSeptember 8, 2018 (2018-09-08)
OwnerTulsa River Parks Authority
Operating seasonYear round
Area66.5 acres (26.9 ha)
Websitewww.gatheringplace.org

Gathering Place (est. on September 8, 2018) is a 66.5-acre park along the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Created by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), Gathering Place is a natural space with richly diverse programming designed to provide inclusive and engaging experiences for all Tulsans to come together to explore, learn, and play. Designed by world-renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, this nearly 70-acre, one-of-a-kind hybrid park offers unique, free experiences for all ages and abilities. At $465 million, Gathering Place is the largest private gift to a community park in U.S. history. Gathering Place would not exist without the generosity of its many donors, families, and businesses committed to continual growth in Tulsa.

Pre-Opening[]

A vision of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place was designed to be a vibrant and inclusive space, where diverse communities could come together to explore, learn and play. After years of planning, generous donations, and input from the community, Tulsa's dream became reality In 2014, when construction broke ground on Tulsa’s world-class park.

It’s no surprise that with such intricate design and complex architecture, the project took several years to complete. For such a task, there was no construction company better equipped to manage this complicated build than Crossland Construction Company.

Nationally and internationally recognized Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects designed the three major buildings at Gathering Place: Williams Lodge, ONEOK Boathouse and the restroom cabana. Each building embraces the powerful park landscape and in a combination of traditional modernist strategies that incorporates Oklahoma’s rich, natural material palate.

World-renowned landscape architect firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) designed the Park to be a nature-inspired retreat within a bustling city environment. Michael's sustainable work at Gathering Place enhances every day Park experiences and provides an iconic space for social and programmatic opportunities.

Grand Opening[]

Gathering Place opened to the public on September 8, 2018. According to the Tulsa World, Gathering Place officials had planned for the facility to attract a million visitors per year. The actual attendance for the first ten days of operation was 155,000. The two-day grand opening attracted about 55,000 visitors.[1]

Awards[]

Tulsa's Gathering Place was named the "Best New Attraction 2019" through the USA Today Readers’ Choice awards.[2] In 2019, Gathering Place also made Time Magazine's list of The World's 100 Greatest Places of 2019,[3][4] National Geographic's list of 12 Mind-Bending Playgrounds Around the World,[5] and the American Planning Association's list of six great public spaces in America.[6] Gathering Place was named the best city park in the nation in a 2021 USA Today readers’ choice competition.[7]

Attractions[]

Gathering Place offers a wide variety of attractions for guests to explore free of charge, including 5-acre Chapman Adventure Playground, Williams Lodge, ONEOK Boathouse, QuikTrip Great Lawn, Energy Transfer Sports Courts, a BMX Pump Track and Skate Park, Peggy's Pond, as well as numerous gardens, pathways, and trails. There are plenty of activities for kids and adults alike.[8]

Discovery Lab[]

Groundbreaking on the anchor project for phase two, Discovery Lab, occurred in February 2020.[9] The $47 million, 50,000 square foot Discovery Lab main building was designed to be a hands-on museum that would stimulate young childrens' interests in science and technology topics. The new museum replaces a much smaller facility that opened in the Owen Park Recreation Center in May 2013. The Owen Park Discovery Lab closed in 2021. In addition to interactive exhibits, it would contain classrooms, a café, grand plaza and 300-seat amphitheater. A special parking lot was constructed just south of the building as a convenience for visitors.[9] It opened January 24, 2022.[10]

"The Gateway" project[]

City officials announced that they would begin construction of a new pedestrian bridge across the Arkansas River as soon as possible after the Phase I opening. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates won a design contest to implement the project, which will be known as "The Gateway." Tulsa River Parks Authority said that the project has been estimated to be completed three years after construction begins, and cost the city $24.4 million.[11]

The project will replace the 1904 Midland Valley Railroad bridge, which had been acquired by the city seventy years later and turned it into a pedestrian bridge.[12] That bridge was inspected and designated as "structurally deficient".[13][12] Demolition started in June, 2021 and was expected to take five to seven weeks to complete, given that the bridge had being taken down column by column and section by section.[12] In related work, the city is spending approximately $50 million to overhaul the adjacent Zink Dam in a renovation that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.[12]

Effects of 2019 Arkansas River flooding[]

The unusually heavy rains along the Arkansas River caused flooding, especially after it forced major releases from Keystone Dam. This raised the water level downstream above flood stage in many areas and threatened to damage the new Gathering Place, which had opened in the preceding fall, and had to close for a week, until the flood had begun to subside. Gathering Place authorities began to assess the damage and plan repairs.[14]

The east bank of the river experienced relatively light damage, with water covering two of the five sports courts south of 31st street. After hosing off mud and debris, inspectors found no significant damage to the playing surfaces. However, the flood caused some washouts along the East Bank Trail. At 58th Street and Riverside Drive, it washed away a light stanchion. Matt Meyer, Executive Director of the Tulsa River Parks Authority, told the press that the washout showed a need to install cable-concrete type bank reinforcement. He noted that a similar project the city had done two years earlier had cost about $1,000 per linear foot.[14]

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ Morgan, Rhett. "Gathering Place part two: Tulsa Children's Museum Discovery Lab reveals new design." Tulsa World. September 20, 2018. Accessed February 18, 2019.
  2. ^ "Tulsa's Gathering Place named the Best New Attraction in the Nation". USA Today 10Best. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "Time magazine names Gathering Place among 'World's Greatest Places'". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "World's Greatest Places 2019". Time Magazine. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "12 mind-bending playgrounds around the world--From Tulsa to Tokyo, imaginative spaces for all ages". Erica Jackson Curran, National Geographic. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "Gathering Place earns another honor". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, September 25, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Gathering Place named best city park in the country in USA Today poll". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "Attractions". www.gatheringplace.org. Gathering Place. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Work on city's new $47 million children's museum set to begin". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "Discovery Lab opens new space to the public". KJRH.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Youngman, Clayton. "River Parks Authority approves Arkansas River bridge connected to Gathering Place." KTUL. July 19, 2018. Accessed December 13, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d "Watch Now: Demolition of Pedestrian Bridge over Arkansas River begins". Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Ellis, Ashley (15 October 2020). "New pedestrian bridge to link Gathering Place and River West Festival Park". KTUL. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b Canfield, Kevin. "Repairs to Flooding Damage Could Cost Millions." Tulsa World. June 4, 2019.] Accessed November 5, 2119.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""