The Oklahoma City Underground is a series of
pedestrian tunnels
An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of th ...
and
skyways connecting skyscrapers, hotels and venues in sections of Downtown
Oklahoma City's central business district.
History
The original tunnel was dug in the early 1930s because
William Balser Skirvin William Balser Skirvin (November 10, 1860 – March 25, 1944) was an American real estate developer and oil millionaire. He is best known for his establishment of the Skirvin Hotel, an Oklahoma City landmark now listed on the National Register of ...
wanted to have an underground passage from his
"Skirvin Hotel" on one side of Broadway to his new hotel, The
Skirvin Towers, on the other side of Broadway. The rest of the tunnel was a result of the urban renewal of the late 1960s and early 1970s as designed by
I. M. Pei, with major construction between 1972 and 1974. The tunnels were a vibrant part of the OKC landscape, including several shops and restaurants, but lost much of its popularity with the end of the last oil boom.
Originally named the Conncourse, in honor of Oklahoma City banker Jack Conn, it was renamed the Underground after an extensive facelift conducted by architect Rand Elliott. With the 2006 facelift, Rand Elliott has turned what had become a somewhat dated appearance of the old tunnels into a "walk-in work of art".
References
External links
Map of the tunnel and skyway systemThird quarter 2005 report by the OKC Chamber of Commerce
Buildings and structures in Oklahoma City
Skyways
Underground cities
Pedways in the United States
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