Ground broken for Devon Boathouse in Oklahoma City

The banks of the Oklahoma River used to be so dry that former Mayor Ron Norick recalls that it was part of the city's mowing program.

Not any more. Thanks to a series of low-water dams, water constantly laps against a shoreline that has become lined with docks and rowers who practice and train for their sport on the river.

Norick returned to the river's bank Monday to help break ground for a $10 million boathouse that will be the latest addition to a waterway that has been transformed from a runoff ditch to a prime venue for rowing.

Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy, the nation's largest independent oil and natural gas producer, is funding the 33,000-square-foot Devon Boathouse, which will house Oklahoma City University's rowing program and be a high-performance training center for some of the nation's most elite athletes.

"This is truly the result of vision," said Mike Knopp, a rowing coach at OCU and executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation. The Devon Boathouse, the existing Chesapeake Boathouse that opened in January 2006 and others planned are combining to give the city an international reputation for its support of rowing, Knopp said.

"You don't do that without a committed community," he said.

It did not happen overnight. Norick said he was in disbelief when a proposal to turn the parched riverbed into a rowing venue was pitched to him.

"You've got to be kidding," Norick said to laughter from the group of officials from Devon, OCU and the city who showed up for groundbreaking ceremonies. "We really did mow that river about 10 years ago."

"My reaction was what river?," said Devon Chief Executive Larry Nichols. As he spoke, a crew of Devon employees rowed by as a brisk south wind pushed up ripples in the river around their boat.

"While I'm delighted to see them on the river, it is Monday morning," Nichols said to more laughter. "I hope to see them back at the office shortly."

Glenn Merry, executive director of USRowing, said no city in the nation has a more ambitious plan for the sport of rowing.

"You've created relevancy for your community," Merry said. "There's no place in the country that has such energy and ambition. It's visionary and it's supporting sports in a way that no other city is."

Knopp said the Devon Boathouse will be about twice as large as the existing Chesapeake Boathouse and will include an indoor propulsion rowing tank that will permit rowers to train in any weather in a controlled environment.

Merry said USRowing will provide a permanent coaching staff to concentrate on developing future Olympic rowers aged 23 and under.

In addition to the Devon Boathouse, a boathouse for the University of Oklahoma's fledgling rowing program is planned, and University of Central Oklahoma officials have discussed building another one along the river.

After funding the existing boathouse, Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy, the nation's largest independent natural gas producer, is giving $5 million toward a four-story tower along the river to be named the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower.

The 7,500-square-foot tower will stand 60 feet tall and be built of white architectural grade panels with clear and translucent glass, giving those inside a panoramic view of the race course. It will be designed to meet guidelines established by FISA, the international governing body of rowing.