The Bricktown Canal opened July 2, 1999 and was an instant hit with Oklahoma City residents even though, quite frankly, it was truly a ride to nowhere. The canal was seen as the most frivilous of the nine Metropolitan Area Projects when the initiative was passed by voters in 1993. And when it opened the canal was primarilly surrounded by empty old warehouses north of Reno Avenue, and just dirt south of Reno.
A decade later the area is dramatically different. Most of the warehouses have been renovated and the waterway is lined with a hotel, theater, shops, a bowling alley, restaurants, clubs and offices. The above video was shot on the day the waterway opened. Coming soon – a rare video of the original Bricktown developer Neal Horton.