From Friday March 19: The setting of the base for the 3rd construction crane(west side of site, along Hudson Avenue) --

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar192010-n.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar192010-o.jpg

http://http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar192010-p.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar192010-q.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar192010-r.jpg

Sorry if this has already been asked, but what are the panels being put up on the west parking garage? Are the top five stories going to match the bottom five?

They appear to just be glass panels. There is a cable barrier inside that they had up. The top half will not match the bottom half as Devon opted to use an out-of-state company for this as opposed to the local company that did the original forms.

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/devon1.jpg

It looks like this is one they are going with.

Few pics from the "big pour"

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac114/kqkoon/IMG_2339.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac114/kqkoon/IMG_2336.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac114/kqkoon/IMG_2335.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac114/kqkoon/IMG_2333.jpg

The panels you can see from the cam (on the east side of the garage) are a metal mesh from what I can tell whenever we stopped by the site last week. Not sure if they will continue that theme on the west side of the garage or go with something more like is pictured above.

Wow. A third stationary construction crane.

I guess the stacked up square tubes apparently made of wood and blue steel sitting in the background of Del's photos are probably concrete forms for the support pillars that will be used as they are poured, then once the concrete is set taken off and moved up a floor for the next pour. Just a guess.

Was this site down? I couldn't access it for about an hour...

Was this site down? I couldn't access it for about an hour...

^^^ me also!

^^^ me also!

And it happened again agter a bit...

About 3 more hours left of the pour... There's been so many people thru today, plus news crews.

I am curious if they used any additives in the mix. Possibly to make it cure faster or anything else. We will see if they are on it working in the morning I guess. Also there are some people on here that seem to have the inside scoop. Do you know when they intend to do the next pour?? Will it be the floor to the garage area?? Or the elevator bases which are already rebarred and ready to go?? How about when they intend to move skyward???

Thanks in advance.

I am curious if they used any additives in the mix. Possibly to make it cure faster or anything else. We will see if they are on it working in the morning I guess. Also there are some people on here that seem to have the inside scoop. Do you know when they intend to do the next pour?? Will it be the floor to the garage area?? Or the elevator bases which are already rebarred and ready to go?? How about when they intend to move skyward???

Thanks in advance.

One of the news reports said they were going to let it sit 1-2 weeks before going up.

"One of the news reports said they were going to let it sit 1-2 weeks before going up."

I am guessing that is 2 fold 1 to let it cure properly and 2 to allow for testing of the Samples that were taken to make sure that the foundation will meet the requirements to hold the tower up.

Here is the devon pour time lapse part 1. I'm working on part 2 right now. The last concrete pumper didn't finish till 3:30am this morning

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Is it me or does the footprint of the building look really small?

The slab they pored is just for the elevator Core/backbone of the building. The foot print will be most of the area around the pore area.

Part 2
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1VGeiTH0MF8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1VGeiTH0MF8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Great pics Cornbear. Thanks for the YouTube kinggober (just subscribed).

Is it me or does the footprint of the building look really small?

You really owe it to yourself to go to the top of the garage and see for yourself. As others and myself have mentioned, you can't respect the size of this thing until you see it in person. Massive contruction site.

Metro is absolutely right.

Is it me or does the footprint of the building look really small?

The towers footprint goes a little bit pass the outer columns.

The towers footprint goes a little bit pass the outer columns.

This is what I was going to say. The 12 foot thick base you see is just the central core. As the floors are poured out to the colums as the project goes up only then will you know how big it is. I haven't been down there myself, just been able to visualize it.

Well forgive my ignorance as I was thinking this initial pour was the whole footprint of the main building and it looked like it was going to be a skinny tall tower. Obviously I am no engineer. :)

Well forgive my ignorance as I was thinking this initial pour was the whole footprint of the main building and it looked like it was going to be a skinny tall tower. Obviously I am no engineer. :)

Nor am I. It's all good dude, no offense should be taken. It's not like anyone on here is trying to put you down. Ignorance is bliss :ohno:

So I am sure its in these many many pages but for the sake of my sanity I will ask again. If I wanted to go down and drive to the top of the parking garage 1. Where is it??? and 2 How much will it cost me to drive to the top deck for 15 minutes?

Thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=architect5311;300333]
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/DEVONTOWER-VIEW3.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/DEVONTOWER-VIEW35.jpg

[QUOTE]

In case you were wondering what the footprint was going to look like...

So I am sure its in these many many pages but for the sake of my sanity I will ask again. If I wanted to go down and drive to the top of the parking garage 1. Where is it??? and 2 How much will it cost me to drive to the top deck for 15 minutes?

Thanks in advance.

Intersection of Park and Harvey, just next door east of the library. I wouldn't pay to park. It's only 5 stories, just take the stairs or elevator. Park on the street for free after 6pm or there is metered parking on the street just a hundred or so feet away.

So I am sure its in these many many pages but for the sake of my sanity I will ask again. If I wanted to go down and drive to the top of the parking garage 1. Where is it??? and 2 How much will it cost me to drive to the top deck for 15 minutes?

Thanks in advance.
The entrance to the garage is south of the intersection of Park and Harvey. Immediately east of the downtown library and across the street south from the Park Harvey apartments. I don't know what the rate there is, or how available it is to public parkers currently. It's probably only a few bucks for the time you mentioned, if accessible for public parking.

But a better idea would be to park at any meter close by (there are typically open meters within half a block on Park Avenue. A meter there will cost you a quarter for 15 minutes. After 6 PM or on weekends they are not enforced at all. Get parked, and then walk over to the garage and ride the elevator up to the fifth level. Nobody will hassle you.

So, to answer your second question, 25 cents.

Thank You Guys for the answers. I am planning on getting there Saturday if not sooner. I would love to see some actual work going on when I am there.

I drove by there a couple of days ago and I am fairly certain a sign said monthly parking only.

I drove by there a couple of days ago and I am fairly certain a sign said monthly parking only.

You're right -- it does. Although yesterday (Sunday) the gates were up and anyone could drive in and out without charge. I don't know if that's the case every weekend, or just this past one due to the weather. But during the week, it is for monthly parking.

The best bet is to feed an onstreet meter some quarters and walk to the garage.

But if he's going on Saturday, FREE street meter parking would be best. Especially since it is a monthly only garage currently.

Another thing I'm sure has been covered, but back to the 'structure'... what were the factors that they decided upon to go w/ a 'concrete' vs. 'steel' framework, I'm still having trouble understanding the advantages?

Probably cost. I'm not super informed on Steel prices as I work in the roadway business (Concrete and Asphalt), but I know a few years ago steel prices were skyrocketing because of China's construction boom.

Pictures from lunch yesterday

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/68d09f31.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/1a8b88b3.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/36c2d77a.jpg

First piece of glass being installed in the stairwell on the garage.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/e4b72867.jpg

As my friend and I were sitting looking at the site, he said he didn't think the whole in the mat foundation was for utilities specifically. He threw in the ideas it was probably for the mechanics of a freight elevator. After looking at the plans, it looks like he may be right. The area where that whole is lines right up where the two elevators show up on this area of the plans.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/NewPicture.jpg

I am pretty sure you are correct in your supposition regarding the block out in the matt being for the Freight elevator pit. It would be required in order to have elevator service at that level and that was my thought when the earlier discussion was being had regarding it being for a point of entry for utilities in the building. Most of those will come in laterally through the basement walls. Good call, and thanks for your pictures!

Any chance Devon could give some estimates on progress of the tower over time? (i.e. by August 1, 10 stories; by December 1, 20 stories, etc...)

I am pretty sure you are correct in your supposition regarding the block out in the matt being for the Freight elevator pit. It would be required in order to have elevator service at that level and that was my thought when the earlier discussion was being had regarding it being for a point of entry for utilities in the building. Most of those will come in laterally through the basement walls. Good call, and thanks for your pictures!
Hey, I said at the time that it was only a guess! And nobody else piped up at the time with any other ideas. But after looking at the drawing compared to the site, and thinking about the logistics (the only elevator access needed to the basement would probably be freight), I think you guys are right.

In my own defense, they'll still need at the very least a floor drain in the elevator shaft. So at least one piece of the building's mechanicals MUST be stubbed out in that hole in the slab. :wink:

I would like to see a day-to-day list of how much this project costs.

In my own defense, they'll still need at the very least a floor drain in the elevator shaft. So at least one piece of the building's mechanicals MUST be stubbed out in that hole in the slab.


Actually where I used to work the Frieght elevators had sump pumps at the bottom but no drain to the outside. Could be either.

Actually where I used to work the Frieght elevators had sump pumps at the bottom but no drain to the outside. Could be either.

It is required by code in most if not all juridstictions to have a sump pump to prevent any liquid from entering the drainage system. The sump will go to a drum that can be emptied. often in an adjacent mechanical room.

Urbanized, there was no disrespect intended in my comment listed previously. That is not my way of doing things, and never is my intent. There are any number of ways that various aspects of the the facility can be constructed or addressed and so it is often a process of make a guess based on what I have seen before and then see if that is how they are going to do it. Sometime is is and sometimes it isn't. That is part of the fun in seeing how they do it. I can say that it is pretty rare to have the ability to see the process in a play by play manner as the building is constructed like this. How cool is this site! How awesome to see OKC grow!

Any chance Devon could give some estimates on progress of the tower over time? (i.e. by August 1, 10 stories; by December 1, 20 stories, etc...)

A floor approximately every 4-5 days and the vertical should start first or second week in April so........

Anybody have any ideas on how they plan to connect the tower to the Colcord?

And for what the plans are for the space between the two buildings?

I believe the rendering below shows the approach from the Colcord... But I think this was before they decided to physically connect the two:

http://okctalk.com/images/pete/devon/devon9.jpg

If you can find an archive of the planning department meetings, I believe it was presented late last year. I want to say October or November.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, they are building the Colcord a seperate meeting/conference space.

Previous reports said a 3-story addition to the Colcord would be made on the western-most portion; that it would be glass and in similar style to the tower and other new improvements and that it would directly connect the two structures.

I'd just like to see the layout, as I believe there was also supposed to be some landscaped space directly next to the Colcord.

A floor approximately every 4-5 days and the vertical should start first or second week in April so........So somewhere between about Halloween and Black Friday we should see the full height of the structure.
Weather permitting, of course.

...as the building is constructed like this. How cool is this site! How awesome to see OKC grow!

My thoughts exactly.:tiphat:

...Urbanized, there was no disrespect intended in my comment listed previously. That is not my way of doing things, and never is my intent...
Ha! No offense taken, nor was there at the time. It's hard to discern tone in online messages a lot of the time, and I obviously didn't make it clear that I was joking with the exclamation points and such. I was just trying to make heads or tails of the site at the time, and like I said then was only making (somewhat) educated guesses. I have been around plenty of construction in my time, but never anything on this scale for sure. It's just fun to try and figure stuff out as it appears.

Anybody have any ideas on how they plan to connect the tower to the Colcord?

And for what the plans are for the space between the two buildings?

I believe the rendering below shows the approach from the Colcord... But I think this was before they decided to physically connect the two:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon/devon14.jpg

The northern edge of the Colcord lines up about with the northern edge of the tower itself. If anything it's a bit south of that. I would guess in this picture, the connection will be to the left of the sidewalk/plaza pictured.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon/devon9.jpg

The hotel will be actually connected to the tower and you will be able to walk from Hudson to Robinson through the podium into the Colcord. The "bridge" will contain much-needed additional meeting space for the hotel, and the space between the hotel and the tower will be a landscaped courtyard with fountains that will become fire pits in the colder months.

As my friend and I were sitting looking at the site, he said he didn't think the whole in the mat foundation was for utilities specifically. He threw in the ideas it was probably for the mechanics of a freight elevator. After looking at the plans, it looks like he may be right. The area where that whole is lines right up where the two elevators show up on this area of the plans.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/okcmomentum/NewPicture.jpg
I recall watching what was intended to be the new 22 story Penn Square Bank being constructed in 1984 ... of course, events changed that and the building is the Valliance Tower today. My wife-to-be commented to me, "That's going to be a pretty skinny building," or something like that. Well, what we saw were just the portions of the building designed to be weight bearing and relating to the elevator shafts! What a hoot!

New pics from the west side of the construction site ( Mar. 25, 2010):

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar252010-a.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar252010-f.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar252010-c.jpg

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar252010-d.jpg

Thanks Del!

From the looks if the following photo, the fitness center will take up the 3rd and 4th floors of the western most section of the parking garage:

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww242/luckynedpepper/Mar252010-a.jpg

Thanks Del!

From the looks if the following photo, the fitness center will take up the 3rd and 4th floors of the western most section of the parking garage:


You're welcome, Pete. Thanks to you for providing us this site.

Your comment about the fitness center...that's what I understand to be the case. At least the plans submitted to the Downtown Design Review Committee reflected such.

Great Images Delcamino! Thanks for making the day!!!

Took these around 6:30pm tonight. Got new angles that haven't been posted, as well as in the ones with the Dolese concrete pumper, you can tell where they are starting to run utilities. They had some spool (attached to orange machine) spinning wire of some sort (I'm guessing electrical) down the pipe that connects to the "breaker type box."

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5776.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5777.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5778.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5779.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5780.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5781.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5782.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5783.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5784.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5785.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5786.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5787.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5788.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5789.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5790.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5791.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5792.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5793.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5794.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5795.JPG
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/CIMG5796.JPG

These are some great images thank you so much for posting these! It makes all the difference getting to see with more detail and up close. Wow what a huge exercise in coordination. Makes me dizzy and worn out just thinking about all of the simultaneous activity that has to be orchestrated correctly.

Thanks to everyone for posting these photos...means a lot to out-of-towners like me. One question: I see all this massive parking garage construction. In St. Louis, a lot of the downtown garages being built have street-level retail and the parking starts on the second floor. Is that to be the case with any of these new garages? Seems like a good opportunity for some people-oriented development!

Thanks to everyone for posting these photos...means a lot to out-of-towners like me. One question: I see all this massive parking garage construction. In St. Louis, a lot of the downtown garages being built have street-level retail and the parking starts on the second floor. Is that to be the case with any of these new garages? Seems like a good opportunity for some people-oriented development! Agreed....

Regarding parking garage retail storefronts..."if there are shoppers...they will build them."