Celebrating KOCO 5's 70th anniversary: Looking back at OKC's growing landscape
Over the past seven decades, KOCO 5 has documented these changes every step of the way.
Over the past seven decades, KOCO 5 has documented these changes every step of the way.
Over the past seven decades, KOCO 5 has documented these changes every step of the way.
Oklahoma City has more than tripled in size since KOCO 5 first went on the air 70 years ago.
Over the past seven decades, KOCO 5 has documented these changes every step of the way.
In the 1950s, you could see the start of what would be what we know today in Oklahoma City. Fast-forward a decade, an urban renewal plan aimed to make Oklahoma City a "city of the future."
The Pei Plan ended with significant buildings and demolished vacant lots and controversy. The Biltmore Hotel was torn in the 1970s to make way for the Myriad Botanical Gardens. The plan brought other new projects, including the Myriad Convention Center in 1972, which later became the Cox Convention Center and then Prairie Surf Media.
Oklahoma City went underground in 1974 with a new pedestrian concourse and tunnels below street level that connected businesses. Many years later, the community rallied to save them.
The city's major revitalization started in the 1990s with the approval of the first MAPS project. Voters passed MAPS 1, a penny sales tax to fund everything from the now Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark to the Bricktown Canal.
Another major MAPS project, the Ford Center, didn't come without pushback. City leaders designed an $84 million sports facility that would be the state-of-the-art home for an NHL team.
The Continental Baking Co. Building was leveled, making room for what's known today as the Paycom Center. The arena never became the home to an NHL franchise, but it's now the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Downtown Oklahoma City transformed into the 2000s, healing from the scars left behind by the bombing of April 19, 1995. A memorial and museum were built to honor the victims, survivors, and those forever were changed by the city's darkest day.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial was dedicated as a symbol of resilience and rebirth in 2000.
Two years later, thousands packed the State Capitol Complex lawn to celebrate a long-awaited dome atop the Capitol building.
Nothing has enhanced Oklahoma City's skyline like the Devon Tower, which changed the definition of Oklahoma City.
The recognizable building went from a model in 2008 to a 50-story skyscraper that started towering over downtown in 2012. For now, the Devon Tower stands as the tallest building in Oklahoma.
As new areas went up, the old Interstate 40 Crosstown came down after decades of work. The interstate divided downtown Oklahoma City until it was completely dismantled in 2012 and construction tarted on the new Oklahoma City Boulevard. The project relocated I-40 south five blocks and brought the Skydance Bridge that connected parts of the city.
The Skydance Bridge, which was inspired by the state bird, opened in 2012.
Well on its way to becoming a "big league city," Oklahoma City voters passed the MAPS 3 initiative. It's responsible for the new Oklahoma City Convention Center downtown and, just across the street, Scissortail Park, as well as the Oklahoma City streetcars connecting downtown to Bricktown, Midtown and Automobile Alley.
Keeping that momentum, Mayor David Holt announced the MAPS 4 project that voters approved in 2019. MAPS 4 once again would update the city's landscape and lifestyle, bringing a new animal shelter, fairgrounds coliseum and, soon, a multipurpose stadium to Oklahoma City.
As we look to the future, we'll see a new downtown Oklahoma City arena for the Thunder. The arena is set to open in about five years. There's also the possibility of the country's tallest building in the heart of Bricktown.
All of this has been snapshots in time of an ever-changing and ever-growing city. But what will Oklahoma City, which is currently America's 20th largest city, look like in 70 more years? We'll capture it through the KOCO 5 lens.