The city council of Catoosa, Oklahoma, earlier this month approved a conceptual development plan for the iconic Blue Whale site, but not without hearing concerns from residents and officials from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.
According to a report by the association, several people during the public comments portion of the meeting spoke up about the preservation of the long-closed ARK and Nature’s Acres on the 23.5-acre site.
Residents also voiced opposition to the Airbnb proposal and a possible miniature golf course.
Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, gave a statement about the Blue Whale. He said he understood the city’s desire to bring in more revenue to maintain the historic site and agreed the bathrooms need to be updated.
Martin added this:
But it’s vital that the experience of the Whale itself and the grounds surrounding it remain as close to the original vision as possible. The Whale would not exist today were it not for the Davis’s love of nature and their desire to share it with a larger audience. When Nature’s Acres opened in the late 1960s, years before construction of the whale began, it was a celebration of their life-long appreciation for the natural world. People traveling Route 66 could pull off and see the alligator farm and the snake pit, as well as the specimens within. The ARK, which stands for Animal-Reptile Kingdom, was a community gathering spot for birthdays and other parties. Guests were led on a personal tour of the nature trail and its variety of creatures in their natural habitats.
In a July 1968 article for the Tulsa World, Mr. Davis stated, “I feel that there is a need for the children in this generation, especially the ones in the city, to get the chance to associate with nature. Television has done an excellent job of informing children about nature, but they should get a chance to find out some things for themselves.”
That legacy does continue today. Families come and fish at the pond. People walk the trail and observe the flora and fauna. They sit down and enjoy a moment of serenity next to this giant concrete whale while the turtles swim lazily in the pond.
One Catoosa city councilor said she wanted the Oklahoma Route 66 Association to be included in discussions about the project.
Tulsa-based Hampton Creative, which came up with the development plan for the Blue Whale, said it was merely conceptual and hasn’t been finalized. Among the additions are a new visitors center, an RV park, a giant Route 66 shield, a retro-looking neon sign, an ice cream bar and coffee shop, catch-and-release fishing and walking trails.
“Hampton Creative reassured the public that saving the ARK is something they had discussed and is very much something that could be done,” the association’s report stated.
More of Hampton Creative’s ideas for the Blue Whale can be found here.
The city announced in October it wanted $6 million in upgrades to the site. The Oklahoma Route 66 Commission, which the city has cited as a major possible funding source, is due to open its grant application cycle in early 2024.
—