TULSA, Okla. — A public survey will soon close for the community to provide feedback on a preliminary design for the reimagined Center of the Universe Plaza and Boston Avenue Bridge in Downtown Tulsa.
The rendering and survey link are available at recentertheuniverse.com.
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Initial input and feedback expressed that visitors of the space want the plaza to remain open to the public. The City of Tulsa says there are also requests that the design incorporates more trees and landscaping, lighting and public art, flexible seating, passive and active spaces and shade from the sun.
The design team of MKSK Studios, Selser Schaefer Architects and JEA Acoustics have prepared preliminary design concepts based on this feedback.
If you have visited the Center of the Universe, the idea is that you stand in the middle and your voice echoes. The City admits there is no known cause for this echo chamber but none-the-less designers have acknowledged the importance of maintaining the acoustic anomaly. They will collaborate with sound engineers and other experts to try to preserve the phenomenon.
The project is expected to cost $7.64 million, with more than $4 million allocated to critical structural repairs on the 100-year-old Boston Avenue Bridge.
The preliminary design survey will be open through Oct. 28, and engagement opportunities will continue through November.
TIMELINE:
- Community Engagement and Conceptual Plaza Planning — January-June 2022
- Design Scoping and Community Engagement — July-November 2022
- Final Design Unveiling — December 2022
- Expected Construction Start — Spring 2023
The final conceptual design and report will be unveiled in December, with construction expected to begin next spring.
©2022 Imagicomm Tulsa, Inc.