Have you ever had to drive through Bricktown for 30 minutes just to find a parking spot? The worst I've ever had to drive around for is maybe 15 minutes, because the $10 spots usually open up before too long, but it's just insane to have to put up with a parking problem like this at all, and it's also insane to pay Ten bucks for a spot to support your community's entertainment district financially.

The parking is not good. It's actually very bad, and for the last few decades the city council has been proposing a change, even promising free parking in the 90s, and a private development proposal in the 60s that included loads of free parking (that buckled in the oil bust).

They feel the right to restrict access to Bricktown for minors past a certain time at night, why don't they feel obligated to alleviate the parking problem? Just food for thought...

And furthermore, entertainment districts in Dallas, Fort Worth, and even Wichita, KS have one thing all in common: they have free parking, which has helped them develop.

If the parking problem was taken care of, then those who don't go to Bricktown b/c they can't stand the parking problem will regularly start to appear in Bricktown, and you can imagine what that will do for development downtown.

A public garage, perhaps? But where would it be built?

What's the feasibility of building a garage with retail or event space at ground level over the Coca Cola Events Center Parking?

They could just buy-up and buil-up more parking lots and garages. They could takeover the garage behind the RedHawks stadium and convert it to brick even.

When compared to other cities $10 really isn't that bad, that is around what you would pay on a weekend around here at a garage near the entertainment district. If it is going to be popular, parking and price will always be an issue. That is a fact of life. People in OKC are just spoiled when it comes to expecting close, free parking. Just par for the course with the surburban minded.

I know, I was one of them until I worked in downtown Dallas and spent time in downtown Chicago. I vacationed one time in Chicago and stayed in the burbs, we spent enough on parking downtown while we were there to stay someplace nice. On our honeymoon we stayed at The Drake and only drove one day. We did the Oak Park FLW visit and a concert at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park in one day. We walked or took the El the rest of the time. I think the cost was about the same.

The city is not going to build anymore, they feel the private sector is more than capable of developing them if the money is there.

At the emergency council meeting to impose the curfew there were hecklers there (that were above 18 supposedly, lol) that were demanding a fix t othe parking problem. And let's face it, if the city did something to cure that parking problem, the district would take off even more. You can't deny it wouldn't be a wise investment, simply because people in metros with less than 5 million won't tolerate a parking problem just because it goes with urban landscape.

I agree it would be a good investment, the city makes good money of the garages they still own. But with the success of the private garage down there, the city isn't going to be putting money into garages. There are too many developer friendly people in city gov't right now that don't want to be competition for someone investing private money in down there.

If they're so developer-friendly then they will do what's good for the district that the developers are cashing in on.

I'm usually against public interferance in development and city districts, but I would wholly be in favor of them doing something to fix the parking problems in Bricktown. I absolutely HATE parking there.

If a developer owns the land, can he make more money off of a parking garage that offers prices people won't complain about, or a typical Bricktown restaurant, club, loft development? The latter is much more fiscally rewarding for the private sector developers. Reasonably priced parking (Less than $5 for most people, I think) will probably have to be provided by the city.

At the very least, parking that is reserved for events could be opened when no events are going on. Again, the Bricktown Events Center comes to mind. The owners of that building could make more money if they opened their lot to parking when no events were going on.

I agree that developers would probably not "waste" the land on parking if they can put up higher rent properties. In the city's mind, one private garage was "successful" so why would they need to build any if one can be built privately.

The policy has not been working that well for them, really. I mean let's all face it, Bricktown is flawed.

I din't say their thinking is correct, just trying to explain their reasoning behind not doing anything about parking.
Remember, logic and politics seems incompatible about 99.99% of the time.

I never have a problem finding parking in Bricktown or a couple of blocks away, west of the tracks. The Santa Fe garage is nearly always all but empty. I don't mind walking a few blocks and taking in the sights along the way. If I'm short on time, like late to a ball game or to meet someone for drinks I'll plunk down the bucks for a nearby lot slot, but usually I drive as close to where I'm going as I can and make a few circles. It's amazing how often a spot at the curb shows up just across the street from my destination.

I'm like you Downtown Guy, but my wife won't even go near Bricktown.

I'm not a big fan of the place myself, but I do like to take in a ball game and some friends will meet up at The Mantle from time to time for dinner or a drink. I like Paseo better for hanging out and there are lots of restaurants that top anything in Bricktown, IMO. I do enjoy the canal for a morning jog, but it's pretty quiet the time of day I'm down there and obviously no need to park either.