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Commission approves City Hall south entrance addition, citing compatibility with historic municipal building
Summary
The Downtown Design Commission approved a design for a new south entrance and ramp at the Oklahoma City Municipal Building that staff says is compatible with the property's National Register status. The commission discussed drainage, tree protection and a rapid project timeline.
The Downtown Design Commission on Jan. 16 approved an application to add a new south entrance and accessible ramp to the Oklahoma City Municipal Building at 200 North Walker Avenue, concluding the design is secondary to and compatible with the historic structure.
Planning staff said the building retains integrity and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; staff recommended approval because the addition’s scale, form, placement and simplified details keep the new work visually subordinate to the 1936–37 municipal building. “While the addition will be fully visible, staff believes it achieves a design that is secondary to, yet compatible with the historic municipal building,” Planning Department staffer Laura Griggs told the commission.
Architect Patrick Schoenfeldt and public-works representatives told commissioners the project will relocate existing bike racks and some landscaping, tie into an ongoing subgrade water-intrusion repair and upsize drainage lines. Schoenfeldt said the design will install a subsurface drainage system tied into the building’s waterproofing repairs and that a new pedestrian-safe inlet will be placed in front of the main entry.
Commissioners asked several times about water accumulation near the entry and the proximity of drainage inlets to door thresholds; Schoenfeldt said the project team will waterproof the perimeter, install subdrainage and coordinate civil and landscape details so water is captured and routed away from the threshold. Commissioners also pressed the team to show specific tree-protection measures for large specimen trees; the applicant said snow-fence protection and contract language for contractors will be used and that Parks Department staffer Scott Copeland has located a contractor to preserve root systems during construction.
The applicant indicated the project will proceed quickly once the commission issues its certificate of authority. The applicant said engineers and the contractor are on standby and that permitting and bidding documents could be ready in a couple of months.
Commission action: A motion to approve the application carried (motion passed; vote tally not specified in the transcript).
