Plans For Scissortail Park's Lower Park In OKC

Scissortail's upper park is ready to open to the community, but that's only half of the story. A lower park is also in the plans to eventually connect the core of Oklahoma City's downtown to the shore of the Oklahoma River.

"This really will be core-to-shore," said Mary Margaret Jones, a landscape architect for Hargreaves Associates.

Jones is part of the design team that will transform the undeveloped area just south of the Skydance bridge into the lower park.

"South of I-40, the park will change in character to some degree," she said.

Beginning with the concrete steps leading down from the Skydance Bridge. Those will be removed.

"So, it will be a longer, gentler slope through the landscape, through a prairie field, a sort of prairie garden," Jones said.

And then out to natural walking trails.

"We're very excited about this part of the park in that we are able to save some big mature trees that will provide scale and texture and color and shade which is so important," said Jones.

There will be a community garden with a pavilion for education programs for both children and adults and a sloped lawn for smaller performances and festivals near the river.

"It will sort of speak to a more natural environment and a more sort of river's edge connection," she said.

The second part of the lower park will be more active with a sports pavilion surrounded by recreational fields with artificial and natural turf. There will also be restrooms and concessions. Along with the Skydance Bridge, the promenade will connect the upper and lower parks with a lighted, paved trail along Robinson Avenue.

"The promenade will have this consistency of taking elements that lead you like breadcrumbs to the river," she said.

This is where -- if approved under MAPS 4 -- the final phase would be built, a pier out over the river.