Camelot @ 50!

CAMELOT @ 50!

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma SPRING 2015

The University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities 1

Contents Introduction Project Site Placemaking Residency Schedule History Demographic Change Survey Early Days: Parade of Homes Tour 1965 Community Strengths Community Wish List Existing Issues Design Recommendations Providing Access Suggested Amenities for the Cul-de-sac Public Presentation

2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 16 17 18 19 22 26 28 OU College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall Norman, Oklahoma 73019 iqc.ou.edu

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Introduction The Camelot Neighborhood, also known as Camelot Bel-Air or Camelot Stonegate, is a neighborhood primarily developed between 1965 and 1975. This area includes approximately 391 single family residences, North Park Mall, and North Side Christian Church. There is an active neighborhood association.

The neighborhood is experiencing major demographic changes.

Project Overview For the Spring 2015 Semester, students worked on a “Camelot@50: Suburbia Turns Historic” project. Work addressed a real neighborhood in northwest Oklahoma City that turns 50 years old in 2015.

Recommendations will be focused on the next 50 years as this area ages into a “historic” neighborhood that some consider to be “inner city” due to the expansion of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

There are literally hundreds of suburban neighborhoods in the Oklahoma City area that are aging or actually becoming “historic” as they turn 50 years old. Covenants expire, house maintenance issues appear, demographics change, and “newer, fancier” houses continue to sprout up further out from Oklahoma City’s core. This project will serve as an example of how residents can address similar issues in their neighborhoods.

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Currently, N.W. 119th Street dead ends just past Camelot Place. Through the stockade fence is the parking lot for North Park Mall. And there are 3,000 dying malls in the country.

How can this part of suburbia be retrofitted?

Project Site The boundaries of the Camelot Neighborhood Association are from North May Avenue on the west to Greystone Avenue on the east. The southern boundary is N.W. 115th Place/N.W. 116th Street; the northern, N.W. 122nd Street.

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Placemaking Residency In 2015 the IQC Placemaking Conference was extended by sending three conference speakers on the road in Oklahoma during the week of the conference. The Camelot Neighborhood Association and NorthPark Mall hosted the team on Friday, March 27. The discussion focused primarily on preservation and adaptation of mid-century neighborhoods and plans by students to provide pedestrian connections between the residential neighborhood and NorthPark Mall.

IQC Staff: Ron Frantz Hope Mander Anna Siprikova Students: Jessi Stringer/ Architecture Kyler Hallmark/ Environmental Design Ngoc Bui/ Environmental Design Residency Experts: Chuck Marohn Tripp Muldrow Studio site tour with Community representatives: Bob Davis, President Dot Liles, Vice President Brian Martin, Secretary J.T. Jones, Treasurer Terry Weygandt Ron Frantz Betty O’Conner, Board Member

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Morris Enterprises: Tom Morris Kevyn Colburn Denise Weygandt

Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. David Pettyjohn Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office Allison Archambo

City of Oklahoma City Kim Cooper-Hart Interested Citizens / Former Residents Jeff Struble Photo Credits Mary Frantz

Schedule STOP 1 10:00am

Park in south lot and enter south entry. Everyone meets at the “south� fountain inside the Shoppes at Northpark (NorthPark Mall), North May Avenue and N.W. 122nd Street. Quick introductions and over view of tour.

10:20am

Exterior walk around the mall, stopping to look at the potential pedestrian bridge on the east side of the mall at N.W. 119th Street. Walk to north end of the mall, enter, and walk through the mall going north to south and returning to cars.

10:45am

Driving tour. Leave mall, travel east on N.W.122nd Street. Turn right (south) on Camelot Drive (by North Side Christian Church).

STOP 2 10:55am Turn left onto Camelot Court and simply drive around this elongated cul-de-sac that serves as a public space.

STOP 3 11:00am

Leave Camelot Court, turn left onto Camelot Drive. Turn right onto N.W. 119th Street and head to dead end. Look at the potential pedestrian bridge that could connect to the mall.

STOP 4 11:15am

Head east on N.W. 119th Street. Turn right on Camelot Drive. Go to the North May Avenue entry of Camelot Drive. Look at entry to neighborhood.

11:30am

Turn north on May Avenue and return to the mall. Look at the south parking lot and its relationship with the Camelot Neighborhood.

STOP 5 12:00pm

Lunch with group and presentation by speakers.

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Tripp Muldrow talks about community identity

Chuck Marohn observes NW 119th Street dead end

History The area was developed in the early 1960s under Thomas S. Morris. “A brand new community, planned on a theme of quality, with twelve builders having twelve different ways to reach the same goal… a fine home for you and your family.

That’s an important part of the Camelot Story”. Homes were marketed on their “custom fabrication” and considered “A Special Place to Live”. First homes were built in 1965. Homes were marketed on their location away from the inner city and on the custom manufacturing.

Over the years...

• • •

•

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Tornado hit the neighborhood May 1, 1970.

Creation of NorthPark Mall (Previously a Safeway) in 1972.

In 1972, the “Finger Plan” went into effect for the OKC Public School District. This changed the outline of the school district, thus causing people to move out of the OKC school district.

Oil bust and economic decline attributed to the decline of Camelot through the 80’s and 90’s.

2008 recession which led to the collapse of the housing market.

Camelot Now...

• • • • • • •

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“We care a lot in Camelot”.

Pride being restored back into the community.

Addition of new landscaping and signage at entry points of neighborhoods.

Neighborhood events – BBQ, Ice Cream Social, Christmas Parties, etc.

Comprised of 391 Homes.

New businesses in NorthPark Mall.

Becoming a more diverse and mixed-use neighborhood.

Demographic Change

59%

33%

White

48%

Black

32%

Latino Two or more races Asian American Indian

2000

Census Tract Boundaries: Hefner to N.W. 122nd ; N. May to Pennsylvenia.

2013

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Survey What originally intrigued you to move to the Camelot neighborhood?

Safety 5% Attractive housing 28%

It has potential 9% Affordability

38%

Location

29% 10

In your opinion, is Camelot a good neighborhood to raise a family?

I don’t know

18%

Yes, it is a great location!

73%

Early Days: Parade of Homes Tour 1965 “2262 sq. ft. Rustic Colonial luxury with 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath, 2 covered patios plus 43 ft. covered front porch. Extra wide fireplace with fourteen foot hearth dominates the cathedral ceiling family room. Unusually attractive wall coverings will catch eyes throughout this exceptionally beautiful traditional home.”

2800 Camelot Drive C.B. Cowles

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“Exquisite Spanish Colonial with beautiful landscaped, walled courtyard. 2.5 luxurious baths, 3 bedrooms, formal living room and dining room, spacious family room with huge brick fireplace, complete electric kitchen featuring snack bar & small desk, Spanish décor throughout.”

2808 Camelot Drive C.C. Acton & Son

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“From the large bay windows in the dining-living room to the huge covered patios, this gracious Early American home will charm you, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 27 ft. family room…with warm, dark fruitwood on all trim and paneling. Built-ins are everywhere, it’s luxury living at its finest.”

2816 Camelot Drive Harold E. McGraw

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2821 Camelot Drive D.E. Roberts Construction Co.

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2825 Camelot Drive Thomas E. Young

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Community Strengths

LANDSCAPING LEADERSHIP

HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD

PEOPLE

ATMOSPHERE PRIDE

SAFETY

LOCATION

COMMUNITY UPKEEPVALUE AESTHETICS

NEWSLETTER

QUIETNESS AFFORDABILITY

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STYLISH DIVERSE FRIENDLY LIVELY LOCAL

UNIQUE

SAFE PROUD BEAUTIFUL LOCATION PEOPLE PASSIONATE

MODERN

HISTORIC

Community Wish List ability Better walk ewalks, – more sid tc. bicycling, e

Better ca neglect re of ed and are homes as through ou neighbo t rhood

Car sho w Nor thP in ark Mall parking lot

More neighborhood get-togethers

f fence Removal o Nor th at 119th & Park Mall

ing a Establish y vision communit ing and work to together n that improve o

Cul-de-sac

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Existing Issues ACCESS A dead end road leads to a falling wooden fence. Aesthetically it is an eyesore and it is uninviting especially to residents in surrounding homes. The fence forces those who wish to visit the mall or surrounding shops to travel only by vehicle or walk a long distance out of their way.

UNDERUTILIZED CUL-DE-SAC There is nothing to bring people outside for outdoor activities like sports, outdoor cooking, and gathering. The community lacks a common area for interaction.

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Design Recommendations PROVIDE ACCESS Open 20 foot span between Camelot Neighborhood and the mall. Remove 15 mall parking spaces to create a space for lounging, eating, and social gatherings. Level landscape between neighborhood and mall through the use of a stair/ramp system (retaining wall). Celebrate Medieval theme through material and physical elements such as a drawbridge. Add a ”floating” awning outside Shogun’s for optional outdoor dining. Leave 25 foot space between land plot and awning for fire truck access. New landscape and dense medieval materials give a sense of high occupancy, which deters crime.

REDESIGN THE CUL-DE-SAC Bring people out for outdoor activities like sports, outdoor cooking, various gatherings by providing simple infrastructure. Provide shade and seating areas to encourage people to be outside. Provide easy programming to have more community events at this space to bring the community closer.

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Providing Access

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Suggested Amenities for the Cul-de-sac

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Public Presentation