Local artists are turning the Underground into a series of public art.
THE CONNCOURSE, OF COURSE
Architect Rand Elliott redesigned OKC's Underground with a color-coded scheme.
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AUGUST 2020
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405MAGAZINE.COM
R AC HEL WAT ERS
Oklahoma City’s other tunnels are better known, and while very little mystery attaches itself to the Conncourse (named for banker Jack Conn), now known as the Underground, the tunnels are still a must-see for locals and tourists. Addison Ball of Downtown OKC Partnership manages the tunnels. He acts as tour guide for groups and as a font of knowledge for curious journalists. “The tunnel from the Skirvin was the first of the tunnels,” Ball says. “It was built in 1931 to connect the hotel to what was then the Skirvin Tower. Tunnels were added over the years to connect downtown businesses, and the Conncourse opened in 1974. The new colorcoded scheme in the renamed Underground was Oklahoma City architect Rand Elliott’s idea, when he redesigned the tunnels.” Yes, most residents know about the tunnels, but that doesn’t make them less interesting. Not only do some of the most fascinating archival photos from OKC’s history adorn the walls, local artists are now working down there, and the light installations are beautiful. Ball even let us into an unfinished tunnel – but there were no underground cities, no giant rats, no urban pirates, alas. Just dust, very stale air and bouncy acoustics. We aren’t allowed to publish the location of that particular tunnel, so at least some mystery remains.