News 9 Story – April 12th, 2010

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We want to extend a special thanks to Rusty Surette with KWTV for doing a great report on the I.M. Pei project. The I.M. Pei plan is easily misunderstood and understandably less than popular with those who hated to see so many historic buildings destroyed at the urging of this internationally famous architect. Rusty took the time to research the I.M. Pei plan, the model, and produced a report that neither praises or condemns the Pei Plan. Instead, Rusty delved into the historic significance of this project – aptly described as a “time capsule” by coordinator Rachel Mosman – and also noted some odd coincidences involving the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Mark your Calendar!

Thanks for stopping in! This is a really exciting project for Oklahoma City. The scheduled date for unveiling is May 3rd, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the northeast lobby of the Cox Convention Center. Speakers will include Mayor Mick Cornett and state historian Dr. Bob Blackburn. In addition to the model, the display will include new information panels about the history of downtown and the urban renewal era, and original paintings that were produced almost 40 years ago in conjunction with the introduction of the Pei Plan.

History

Renowned international architect I.M. Pei was contracted in 1964 by the Urban Action Foundation, a non-profit formed to help launch an urban renewal program for downtown Oklahoma City. His work included a creating a 10- by 12-foot model showing how downtown might look in 1989 after the program's completion. The model was part of an ambitious public relations effort aimed at gaining support for tearing down hundreds of old buildings...
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