Devon Construction Closes Parking Garage

The difficult downtown Oklahoma City parking situation will become even more difficult with the closing of one of the largest parking garages next month.

Tuesday, September 1st 2009, 11:13 pm

By: News 9


By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CTIY -- The difficult downtown Oklahoma City parking situation will become even more difficult with the closing of one of the largest parking garages next month.

Jody Bridges, like many others, has been paying big bucks for the convenience that comes along with using the City Center Parking Garage .

"It's right next to my building. When it rains you don't even hardly have to walk outside to get wet, so it works out pretty good," Bridges said.

But in 30 days Bridges and others who park in the garage will have to find somewhere else to go.

"They don't know what they're going to do with us, so we're having to find someplace else to park," said Terri Celestine, who works downtown.

Devon Energy plans to purchase the west end of the garage and add more levels of parking for its new skyscraper, but to do this company officials said it has no choice but to shut the garage down for at least six months.

City leaders said they're bracing for an all-out public parking battle as fewer spots become available in this area. That's why they're working on a plan with Devon to help ease the impact, but so far nothing has been set in stone.

"It'll be difficult, absolutely," said Michael Scroggins, COPTA spokesperson. "Right now it's still pretty much a blurred picture of what those six months are looking like."

At the nearby Park Harvey Apartments, residents who use the garage said they'll have to park further away now and pay more at other parking facilities.

"We're going to have to. We can't park on the street," said Matt Riley, who lives at the Park Harvey Apartments.

Once Devon completes the project, the city doesn't know if Devon will keep the garage for its employees only or if they'll reopen it for the public to use once again.

The east side of the garage is also available and a local real estate group has expressed interest in buying it.

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