Oklahoma City Times / Downtown OKC
MAPS 3 convention center dedication will be a private affair
Oklahoma City will dedicate the MAPS 3 convention center in a private ceremony, in contrast to the public celebration of the...
Featured Links
- Special Coverage:MAPS 4: Tax time
- Blog:OKC Central with Steve Lackmeyer
- Business Reporter:Steve Lackmeyer
- Stocks:Oklahoma Stocks
- Markets:Full Markets Report
Devon Energy seeks buyer for Colcord Hotel in downtown OKC
Devon Energy is selling the Colcord nine years after buying the historic property as the company built its adjoining 50-story...
Two major OKC ad and marketing firms merging
Two advertising and marketing firms, Saxum and VI Marketing, are combining to create the city's largest full service firm with...
Video
Downtown OKC studios could provide big boost to local film biz
Kerry Myers got her start in the Oklahoma City film community but is now living in Albuquerque and recently completed a second...
MAPS 3 senior center in southwest Oklahoma City to feature great room, gym, track
A pool, a gym with room for pickleball and basketball courts, and an upstairs walking track overlooking a fitness center will...
Sushi and more promised at ambitious new concept
Hal Smith Restaurants will open Jimmy B's Culinary + Krafted in mid-November, serving sushi, craft cocktails and a menu...
OKC report on COVID-19: "The averages keep going up"
Situation report: Successive COVID-19 cycles starting from higher base Friday's Oklahoma City Situation Report included this...
Email predicted taxpayers would pay price for panhandling crackdown, and they have
An email to a city councilman five years ago warned a crackdown on panhandling could end up costing Oklahoma City taxpayers a...
Flurry of construction at Classen Curve to fulfill late energy tycoon's vision
A boutique hotel, ritzy townhouses and 326 upscale apartments are being built on the last undeveloped tracts of Classen Curve,...
Opinion: When will we return to the workplace as we knew it?
It was just going to be a short break. In March, employers across the country, including our very own Oklahoma Medical...
5 things to know about OKC's Colcord Hotel (which is for sale)
Devon Energy is seeking a buyer for the historic Colcord Hotel.
OKC approves more funds for small minority businesses hurt by pandemic
A $2.75 million minority small business assistance program is set to start later this month in response to recent pleas for...
Recap: OKC Central Chat with Steve Lackmeyer
Join The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer Friday mornings for a chat about Oklahoma City issues.
Challengers' attorneys entitled to fees in OKC panhandling case, court says; taxpayers will get the bill
The amount will be decided later.
Pandemic, staffing shortage shut down local ICU beds
Intensive care unit beds were not available Tuesday morning in Oklahoma City as COVID-19 cases surged, a central Oklahoma...
Video
Questions about mail-in voting? Here's how to get free help
Voters can get free assistance with mail-in ballots five days a week until the Nov. 3 election at a pair of retail and...
Video
Five plead in street mural case
Five defendants pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge over their involvement in a confrontation with an Oklahoma City...
OKC report: Data shows masks work
COVID-19: They said it "At this afternoon’s governor’s briefing one of the graphs they presented showed the difference in new...
Video
Worried about voter intimidation on Nov. 3?
President Donald Trump's admonitions to supporters to watch the polls "very carefully" have intensified concerns about voter...
Years of delays may lead to developer losing rights to The Hill in Deep Deuce
The Hill, once home to NBA star Kevin Durant and holding a prominent spot in Deep Deuce overlooking the downtown skyline, is...
By land and air, weather researchers track tornadic storms
SALINA, Kan. — For the first time in almost a decade, meteorologists from across the Midwest will track and intercept tornado birthing grounds as part of a large-scale collaborative research project. The TORUS Project, or Targeted Observation...
Exclusively from The Oklahoman 
Core-to-shore within reach with favorable lower park construction bids
Favorable construction bids mean core-to-shore will be a walk in the park. Wynn Construction Co.'s bid to complete the lower...
Core-to-shore within reach with favorable lower park construction bids
City council could authorize construction early next month.
Food hall works its way back from pandemic
Parlor OKC had just welcomed MOB Grill into the fold when the coronavirus shut down businesses across Oklahoma in March. Now...
RECAP: OKC Central Live Chat with Steve Lackmeyer
The chat kicks off at 9:30 a.m. but feel free to submit questions now!
EMSA, contractor dispute reason for delays in answering emergency calls
Ambulance response times for the most serious emergencies are below minimum standards and getting worse in Oklahoma City. That...
Video
Another Oklahoman in the movie business comes home as OKC's Prairie Surf Media makes first hire
The Oklahoma City Council last month unanimously approved an agreement allowing the Cox Convention Center to be marketed by...
First National garage to open next summer
The First National office annex, which is being converted into a 700-space garage, is set to open by next summer as part of...
OKC Streetcar workers press for union
Streetcar workers say the Oklahoma City Streetcar system is plagued by inadequate security, poor safety measures and lax...
"Baby Shark" kid's song used to bully jail inmates, DA says
Two former detention officers and their supervisor were charged Monday after an investigation found inmates at the Oklahoma...
ICE will stay in Oklahoma County jail, detainers will be honored
Oklahoma County commissioners ended a weeks-long debate Monday by voting 2-1 to require county jail officials to fully...
Safety, security, health shortcomings plague Oklahoma City Streetcar system, union press release says
Five streetcar employees have active COVID-19 infections; unsafe working conditions and retaliation alleged.
OKC Ballet taking dance outside for free show at Scissortail Park
OKC Ballet typically opens its Civic Center season in October, but this year, the company canceled its fall show and pushed the...
Willa Johnson rec center construction to begin in November
Construction bids that were opened Wednesday for the Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center beat the estimate by a wide margin....
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Councilwoman targeted by FOP opposes police panhandling enforcement
Oklahoma City Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon says asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Oklahoma City's controversial panhandling...
'Her Flag' short documentary chronicling OKC artist Marilyn Artus' 19th Amendment anniversary project premiering tonight
Artus will appear at a free socially distanced event from 6:30 to 9:30 tonight at Scissortail Park. The event will include...
Somebody's Bricktown paradise will take out a parking lot
This is new: A parking lot, destined to be developed into something else, is tugging on my sappy, ol' heartstrings — a parking...
EMSA contractor threatens to terminate contract
A company that contracts to provide paramedics for Oklahoma City's public ambulance service said Thursday it had served notice...
Second new grocery planned for OKC's east side
Homeland is doubling up on its effort to bring groceries to the east side and is joining RestoreOKC in opening a market that...
Cornett: MAPS is a journey
Neighbors will always have suggestions in the grocery aisle or on the front porch for making MAPS 4 better. Avoid the impulse...
'We have been left behind,' eastside OKC business owners say
A group of Black business owners say they are struggling with qualifying for a city assistance program created to soften the...
Pedestrian bridge over Northwest Expressway soon to be a reality
Construction is set to start this winter on a $3 million pedestrian bridge that will create a safe passage at Northwest...
What we know, and what we still don't, about the Devon Energy, WPX Energy merger
On Monday, Tulsa-based WPX Energy and Oklahoma City-headquartered Devon Energy announced a plan to merge in an all-stock deal...
OKC mask giveaways continue throughout October, 144,000 already handed out
October giveaways will be Thursdays at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
OKC Civic Life for Monday, Sept. 28, 2020
OKCFD COVID-19 alert rises The Oklahoma City Fire Department's COVID-19 alert level rose over the weekend to yellow, the...
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Alert Level Yellow declared at Oklahoma City Fire Department
Most of those off work are in quarantine and are not infected.
Video
Street by convention center to be named for Cornett
A street adjacent to the new Oklahoma City Convention Center is to be named Mick Cornett Drive after the former mayor. The city...
Downtown OKC's Scissortail Park celebrating first anniversary today with John Fullbright concert, afternoon activities
Festivities will begin at 2 p.m. on the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn and include live mural painting, a birthday...
Tribes spend pandemic aid on projects, jobs, services
Tribes across Oklahoma are pumping millions back into the economy with CARES Act allocations being used to build emergency...
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Artist collective Factory Obscura lights up downtown OKC with mobile attraction Downtown Starlight
Since debuting its latest artistic creation last month at the Scissortail Park Night Market, Factory Obscura has been using the...
Theater review: Lyric Theatre puts on entertaining outdoor shows with 'Lyric Kids’ Clubhouse Cabaret' and 'Lyric’s Moonlight Cabaret' at downtown OKC's...
Among the first professional theaters in the country to resume live performances, Lyric is strictly limiting capacity,...
Marijuana sales tax revenues multiply in Oklahoma City
Collections are up 38% with three months left in the year.
Food in a desert: new grocer set to ease east side grocery woes
East Oklahoma City will see a supermarket return to the community as construction begins next month on a new Homeland. A...
Eastside OKC Homeland deal rivals complexity of Skirvin restoration
The impending construction of a Homeland grocery store on the east side of Oklahoma City is the culmination of a years-long...
Citizens not entitled to receive public records by email, judge rules
A Custer County judge says Oklahoma's Open Records Act needs a legislative fix to account for modern communication styles, i.e....
Marijuana sales tax revenues grow greener in OKC
Marijuana sales tax revenues multiply Marijuana sales tax revenues more than doubled in July from the same month a year earlier...
OKC Central Chat with Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer chats about Oklahoma City issues Friday mornings.
Interviews and images: OKC's Civic Center Music Hall to undergo major renovations
Originally envisioned as part of the original 1993 Metropolitan Area Projects but ultimately left out, the Freede Little...
TAKING THE STAGE: Civic Center's historic Freede Little Theatre to get full remodel
Donald Jordan was directing Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre's 2007 production of "Moonlight and Magnolias" when the ceiling...
Construction set to begin on new apartments adjacent to Omni Hotel, across from Chesapeake Energy Arena
Boulevard Place, a mix of housing and retail, is set for a construction start by next spring as design work proceeds on the...
Oklahoma City Council seeks policing reforms consultant
A consultant will be hired to assist two groups tasked with recommending policing reforms to the Oklahoma City Council....
Oklahoma City Council gives OK to completing MAPS 3 downtown park, core-to-shore connection
Construction bids are due Oct. 7.
Video
OKC City Council approves marketing Cox Convention Center as a film studio
Downtown is set to get tested as a new film production hub after the Oklahoma City Council unanimously approved an agreement...
Oklahoma City reports city manager has tested positive for COVID-19
City Manager Craig Freeman tested positive for COVID-19 and was in quarantine Monday, the city of Oklahoma City said. "The...
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Oklahoma City mask giveaways a success, more planned this weekend
Public health officials gave away almost 50,000 masks over the weekend at events sponsored by the city of Oklahoma City. More...
Oklahoma City reports city manager has tested positive for COVID-19
Craig Freeman began feeling ill over the weekend.
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Oklahoma City mask giveaways a success, more planned this weekend
Seven-day average for new cases is highest in six weeks.
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
OKC Civic Life for Monday, Sept. 14, 2020
Calendar: Voter countdown • For voters who sign up, absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election will be mailed out the first week...
Profit cap no longer a 'side deal' at EMSA
A whistleblower's assessment of past misdeeds could be worth more than $16 million to EMSA, Oklahoma City's public ambulance...
Video
Lights, camera, action? City to consider conversion of Cox Convention Center for movie, TV production
The Cox Convention Center could be converted into a movie and television production studio as part of an agreement being...
Jim Couch, former city manager, named to Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust
Tribal water issues are the topic of a virtual conference next week.
OKC Civic Life Journal: Election deadlines approaching as the calendar counts down to Nov. 3
Absentee and early voting are options.
5 historic OKC buildings once hidden but brought back to life
Like cities across the country, Oklahoma City showed little interest in historic preservation in the 1960s. Hundreds of...
OKC ambulance service dispute spills over into court
Oklahoma City's ambulance service, EMSA, filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking more than $16 million it claims is owed by the...
Spending in OKC stronger than expected, sales tax results show
A better-than-expected economic rebound led Oklahoma City's city manager to lift the city's hiring freeze Tuesday. While sales...
SandRidge closes deal to sell landmark tower, but future office location still in question
SandRidge Energy banked about $35.4 million through the sale of its corporate tower and associated annex to the state of...
'Mask Up OKC' giveaways planned
Look for city-sponsored drive-thru mask giveaways on two upcoming Saturday mornings, Sept. 12 and 19, to encourage COVID-19...
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Lyric Theatre takes shows outdoors at Myriad Gardens with 'Lyric Kids’ Clubhouse Cabaret' and 'Lyric’s Moonlight Cabaret'
The nonprofit theater is taking musical programming for both adults and youngsters to downtown Oklahoma City with the Sept....
OKC's Classen Inn reopens as an interactive, "funky" destination
Since opening on Aug. 14, the reopened 1963 motel has drawn more than three dozen Instagram posts by visitors attracted to the...
Weekly festivals to include closing of NW 16 on Saturdays
Plaza District, a popular arts district west of downtown, will close NW 16 between Indiana and Gatewood avenues each Saturday...
MAPS 4 board members: State Fair Arena's 'Big House' nickname is racist
MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board members said Thursday the nickname of State Fair Arena, the "Big House," is racist and should be...
Humphreys Capital leadership changes announced
Kirk Humphreys, founder of Humphreys Capital, announced Tuesday a leadership transition that promotes his two sons, Blair...
Native artists Jeri Redcorn and Joseph Erb to create large-scale works for OKC's First Americans Museum
First Americans Museum is slated to open in September 2021, celebrating a shared history of America through the lens and...
OKC mask ordinance extended to Oct. 20
The Oklahoma City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to extend the city's mask ordinance, effective immediately, until Oct. 20. Public...
Federal court overturns OKC's panhandling ordinance
A federal court says the record in the challenge to a 2015 Oklahoma City ordinance "reveals troubling evidence of animus...
Oklahoma City panhandling ordinance violates free-speech rights, federal appeals court rules
Originally passed in 2015, the measure was promoted as a traffic-median safety measure.
Oklahoma County's CARES Act funding decision could have lasting ramifications
In early May, Oklahoma County commissioners were debating how to spend their recently acquired $47 million in CARES Act...
OKC Civic Life for Monday, Aug. 31, 2020
Q&A: Charter vote Oklahoma City voters will decide on nine charter amendments Nov. 3. Do I care? Yes, if you think it's...
Millions of dollars in revenue lost in canceled events
Every Oklahoma City Thunder home basketball game at Chesapeake Energy Arena produces an estimated $1.4 million in direct...
Lackmeyer: Union Station would make a good location for a John Rex expansion
The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer visits with readers online about concerns and questions on Oklahoma City-related matters from...
Video
Waveriders of all ages can hit the water at Riversport's new Surf OKC
The Flowrider surfer was built with funds from MAPS 3, a 1-cent sales tax initiative to fund projects that enhance the quality...
Recap: OKC Central Live Chat with Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer chatted with readers this morning. Read the transcript.
Tesla preparing to open service garage along Automobile Alley
Electric car company Tesla is preparing to open a service garage in a former Volvo dealership along Automobile Alley....
Lower park will complete downtown Oklahoma City's "core-to-shore" corridor
Construction bids will be due Oct. 7 for the lower section of Scissortail Park, the MAPS 3 project intended to complete the...
"Core-to-shore" corridor comes into focus with architects' final plans for lower section of MAPS 3 downtown park
Construction estimate to complete park is $20.5 million with $4.5 million in proposed enhancements.
Construction set to begin soon on MAPS 3 senior health and wellness center expansion projects
Expansion projects at the first two MAPS 3 senior health and wellness centers are expected to be completed next year. Both...
Downtown OKC's Scissortail Park to host second Night Market
Vendors will be set up along the Promenade and across the entire Love’s Travel Stops Great Lawn to provide additional space for...
Riversport Rapids puts off new zip line
As one new attraction opens at Riversport Rapids, another addition to the MAPS 3 whitewater park is on hold. Surf OKC...
Brown's Bakery closed for two weeks after Camry crashes into storefront
Brown’s Bakery, a Midtown landmark, is closing for two weeks for repairs after a 2006 Toyota Camry crashed into the front of...
Lackmeyer: EMSA leaving Midtown unlocks array of development possibilities
If only everyone could share the disappointment voiced by Clay Farha last week when he was informed EMSA is going ahead with...
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Peek inside new Oklahoma City Convention Center shows site's advantages, agility
Barbara Beaton had a nervous customer on the phone. The customer, an event planner, was afraid the new Oklahoma City Convention...
Video
First National restoration continues with work on lighting fixtures in Great Banking Hall
Ornate lights not seen up close in almost 90 years are being taken down in the Great Banking Hall at First National Center as...
Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Myriad Gardens cancels Pumpkinville, to offer Great Pumpkin Patch instead
Myriad Gardens' staffers will channel the creativity they usually put into decorating the Children's Garden for Pumpkinville...
OKC Civic Life for Monday, Aug. 24, 2020
Belle Isle Library renovation begins The $5.5 million renovation of the Belle Isle Library, opened in 1963, is expected to be...
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page
Featured Links
- Election 2020:Ongoing coverage
- Life After Death:A look at murder in Oklahoma
- Impact:Telling the stories that matter to you
- Diversity:Help us share your stories
- Coronavirus:Cases in OKC metro area schools
- Coronavirus:New cases, deaths
- Podcast:The Source - weekly in-depth recap
- News tips:Submit a tip to The Oklahoman
- The Oklahoman:E-Edition
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for iOS
- Download:The Oklahoman's app for Android
- Contests:See The Oklahoman's Contests page