When the morning commute consists of a four-floor elevator ride, life is pretty good. Throw in a perky little dog sporting a vest, though, and there's even more to smile about.

“We were always going to live downtown,” said Paula Beck, who shares a fourth-floor loft at the Carnegie Centre with her husband, Don Beck, and the perky little office dog, Leopold. “We've had an office downtown for years, and it's where we spend most of our time. It just made sense.”

The Becks own Beck Design, an architectural firm housed downstairs on the first floor of the Carnegie Centre, 131 Dean A. McGee Ave. The office's glass walls overlook the lobby, which often becomes a gathering place when all the residents are home.

That's another plus, Paula Beck said. “We're empty-nesters, so we were also considering the social thing.”

Their loft will be among the stops on the 2018 Downtown Home Tour from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Downtown OKC Partnership and the Business Improvement District put together the free, self-guided tour of nine properties to offer a glimpse of life in the heart of the city. Shuttles will be available, and guests can join from any stop. For more information, go to www.downtownokc.com/downtown-home-tour.

About 8,500 people now call downtown home, and 89 percent of them rent, according to Downtown OKC Partnership. Upscale for-sale housing fueled the initial growth downtown, but the 2008 economic crash changed the picture: Rental housing is much more likely to be successful downtown.

The crash changed things for developer Judy Hatfield, as well. She bought the old downtown library in 2007 with intentions of turning it into upscale condos. In the wake of the crash, she reconfigured her plans, and the Carnegie Centre emerged as a mix of retail, residential and office space.

The USS Oklahoma City was commissioned in 1988, and since then, it and the sailors inside, have been patrolling and protecting the deep sea.

There are young people doing great things in our country and I don’t think they get enough attention and respect for who they are and what they do,” said Donald Beck, the architect for the project.

Beck along with Retired Navy Commander Tucker McHugh and Retired Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic were behind building the USS Oklahoma Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

About a year ago, the three decided to do something in Oklahoma City based on the city’s namesake submarine that is to be de-commissioned in 2018 or 2019.

"We thought that it would be great to get the sail and build an educational park, patriotic park, informative park down in the boathouse district," said McHugh.

The Navy agreed to give the men the sail, but the hull of the submarine would be recreated to the exact navy specifications as the original: larger than a football field.

"We think that this will be a way to recognize the submarine and be an educational tool for young people who never get to the water, may never get to be on a submarine to actually see what a fast attack Las Angeles class submarine looks like," said Slavonic.

The Riverfront Redevelopment Authority and city council will have to approve on donating the land for the park, then fundraising can begin.

The three men say they need to raise half a million dollars to construct the park.

Cokv Hecvlke Nvkaftetv Cvko (Student Center) is the gathering place for the College of the Muscogee Nation students. The design of the building incorporates impressive graphic displays of Mvskoke history that includes the Creek Treaty of 1832, Maps of Creek Removal and Creek Etvlwv - Tribal Towns. Through these presentations students and visitors may become more knowledgeable of the 1832 Tribal Treaty, the forced removal of Creek people from their homeland to Indian territory and locations of the Creek Etvlwv after Removal. The Maps and Graphics were provided by the MCN Geographic Information System Department, Frank Harjo and David King from the Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Housing. The new 20,000 square foot Student Center is designed with materials and forms that are reflective of the Muscogee Creek Nation Culture. The building houses the Raven’s Nest Bookstore, Core Values Café, a fitness center, flexible multipurpose classrooms, science labs, and library/learning center.