OKC Breaks Ground On Scissortail Park

<p>With a few shovels of dirt by some of some OKC’s youngest residents, the new MAPS 3 park is officially under construction.</p>

Thursday, June 29th 2017, 6:08 pm

By: News 9

Scissortail Park – that’s the new name of the MAPS 3 park in downtown Oklahoma City. City leaders revealed the new name during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning.

“It's one of those days we’ll never forget,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

With a few shovels of dirt by some of some OKC’s youngest residents, the new MAPS 3 park is officially under construction.

“There are a lot of great ideas that don't get funded. This one got funded by the voters of Oklahoma City,” said Mayor Cornett. “We're going to be able to build a grand place, a large community gathering space.”

The 70-acre space just south of the Myriad Gardens will offer playgrounds, biking and walking trails and a great lawn for concerts and festivals.

“We're about to have a three-and-a-half-acre lake that you'll be able to rent paddle boats and view this magnificent changing skyline of downtown Oklahoma City,” said OKC Councilwoman Meg Salyer.

The park is divided into two sections, an upper park and a lower park. The 40-acre upper park will extend from the future Oklahoma City Boulevard south to Interstate 40. The 30-acre lower section of the park will extend down to the north shore of the Oklahoma River. The Skydance Bridge will connect the two sections.

“My wife works downtown, I work close to downtown so we spend plenty of time down here already,” said Luke Hadsall, an OKC resident. “It will be a good place for our kids to run around blow off some steam.”

Hadsall’s son was part of a YMCA day camp from nearby John Rex Elementary School. The kids helped announce the park’s new name by lining up, each wearing a letter to spell out ‘Scissortail Park.’

“They'll be able to walk over here during school time but also during the summer during day camp so it's going to be fantastic for them to learn and grow over here at this beautiful park that's going to be here,” said Rachel Klein with the YMCA of Greater OKC.

The park is paid for by MAPS 3, a penny sales tax.

“This park is really perhaps the crowning jewel of MAPS 3. It's an opportunity to create fabulous outdoor space for our entire city,” said Councilwoman Salyer.

The upper section of the park is expected to be completed in the spring of 2019 and the lower part in 2021.