Wiley Post Park to host USS Oklahoma City submarine exhibit

The Oklahoma City Council is being asked to approve $4.75 million in tax-increased financing for the construction of the Wiley Post Park and USS Oklahoma City Memorial project along the North Shore of the Oklahoma River.

The memorial has been in planning since it was first announced in 2017. Wiley Post Park was chosen after the initially announced location along the row of boathouses was determined to be a less desirable location.

Once completed, the park and plaza will feature the sail of the decommissioned submarine USS Oklahoma City, a Navy diving plane and other exhibits commemorating Oklahoma’s naval history.

Parks Director Melinda McMillan-Miller estimated the park and plaza would be completed in 2026, although a replica of the submarine’s sail would be needed due to the time needed to cool the decommissioned ship’s nuclear reactor .

“We found a wonderful place,” McMillan-Miller said during a recent presentation to the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust. “The memorial itself will include not only the USS Oklahoma City and the dive plane, but also other significant items, including plaques honoring members of that ship’s crew.”

The North Shore Park improvements are the third of five phases of work planned at the Wiley Post, named for the famous Oklahoma City aviator who made a solo flight around the world in 1933.

The total project budget is $8,186,490, with $3,645,000 coming from ARPA pandemic recovery funding. The tax increment financing is intended to fill a shortfall that currently stands at $4,541,490.

If funding is approved by the City Council on Oct. 8, construction is expected to begin in January. The monument itself is financed through private donations.

What you need to know about the USS Oklahoma City submarine

The project was first announced in 2017 by retired Navy Commander Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic. Jon “Tucker” McHugh and architect Don Beck, the same group that led the creation of a memorial for the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.

The submarine USS Oklahoma City was decommissioned in 2022 after 34 years of service during which it supported missions including submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike warfare and intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance.

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The memorial will also commemorate the cruiser USS Oklahoma City, which was commissioned in 1944 and converted to a guided-missile cruiser in 1957. The ship played a supporting role in the Okinawa, Western Pacific, and Sea campaigns. from southern China and Vietnam.

The tax increment funding request says the memorial and park will likely attract tourists and serve as a connection between other destinations along the Oklahoma River and nearby Scissortial Park.

The north shore section of Wiley Post Park consists of a lawn and parking connected to the city’s trail system. The improvements are designed with families and veterans in mind.

Improvements to Wiley Post Park include an amphitheater, seating and playgrounds

Improvements are expected to include an amphitheater, covered stage, terraced seating on the lawn and along the shoreline, shade structures, swings, benches and tables, a sculpture garden and playgrounds designed for children aged 2 to 5 and 5 to 12 years old.

McMillan-Miller said the parks department employs two security guards along the river and the city is committed to keeping it in good condition.

“You won’t be able to get on top of the dive plane; it’s very big,” McMillan-Miller said. “But we can’t stop the kids from trying to climb the entire wall of the submarine.”

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