This is my fantasy of what Oklahoma City will look like in the future:

http://i52.tinypic.com/2n8vmtc.jpg
Looking northwest.

http://i51.tinypic.com/1zqwzk6.jpg
Looking southeast.

http://i53.tinypic.com/191d1f.jpg
Looking south.

http://i55.tinypic.com/263aveh.jpg
Looking northeast.

Remember! It's only a fantasy. :wink:

That's really cool. One day...

Those pictures look so much better than driving by on I-40.

I dont see why not in 20-30 years!

So long as they build the roads and infrastructure to support the growth, why not? :kewlpic:

Somebody loves Sketchup!

Did you download the existing buildings from somewhere?

Haha, I sure do!
I made the existing buildings myself. :) The only buildings I downloaded are City Hall, the library, OKC Arena, the Museum of Art, and Crystal Bridge. Architect5311 provided me Devon Energy Center, but I re-did the whole tower except for the base.

Wow, looks great! I have done a few towns in Oklahoma in Sketchup, but not OKC.

I like your downtown, but I see it sprawling a bit more......

Maybe some skyscrapers along the river and some taller ones in the Med District or a few in midtown...

This is my fantasy of what Oklahoma City will look like in the future:

http://i52.tinypic.com/2n8vmtc.jpg
Looking northwest.

http://i51.tinypic.com/1zqwzk6.jpg
Looking southeast.

http://i53.tinypic.com/191d1f.jpg
Looking south.

http://i55.tinypic.com/263aveh.jpg
Looking northeast.

Remember! It's only a fantasy. :wink:

I think it looks freaking awesome, I hope that our skyline can be like that in the future.

Wow, looks great! I have done a few towns in Oklahoma in Sketchup, but not OKC.

I like your downtown, but I see it sprawling a bit more......

Maybe some skyscrapers along the river and some taller ones in the Med District or a few in midtown...

I can also see the Northwest Business District getting more and taller highrises.

I think it looks freaking awesome, I hope that our skyline can be like that in the future.

Thanks! Hopefully within a few years, right? Lol.

Yeah, I am hoping our downtown highrises explode kind of like Austin and Charlotte.

Thanks! Hopefully within a few years, right? Lol.

Yeah I hope so too, hopefully before I turn 50 years old. LOL.

My vision is based as if the Cox were demolished and the new convention center was built adjacent to the Skirvin, which I favor.

Very nice - I wonder what the metro OKC population would be to support that kind of building explosion?

^^I'm guessing OKC's metro population might have to double!

I would guess around 4-5 million.
The rest of the state would have to move to the metro, and then some, lol!

^^If only half or even a third of your fantasy skyline came true within the next 10-20 years,I would be more than happy!

^^I'm guessing OKC's metro population might have to double!

Actually it would only take a few thousand more people working downtown to fill that many buildings. That doesn't require a huge population increase, just the right companies either wanting to expand or relocate.

Actually it would only take a few thousand more people working downtown to fill that many buildings. That doesn't require a huge population increase, just the right companies either wanting to expand or relocate.

A few more thousand people to fill 10+ new skyscrapers/highrises? at least in this pic!http://i52.tinypic.com/2n8vmtc.jpg

using Devon as an example, 2000 people. none of your buildings are as tall or big.

but even if you used 2000 as the baseline for 10 buildings, that's only 20000 people.

using Devon as an example, 2000 people. none of your buildings are as tall or big.

but even if you used 2000 as the baseline for 10 buildings, that's only 20000 people.

So what year would this be possible in?I know it's only 20,000 people but that is a HUGE dt workforce gain and residence gain,and it would take decades to achieve,unless OKC had some type of Austin or Cahrlotte type boom!

I definitely think a Austin or Charlotte type of boom is very realistic for OKC in the coming years as the city gets more national attentionand job growth.

Here's how we get there:


American Fidelity builds 40-story corporate HQ
MidFirst builds 50-story corporate HQ plus spec space for other tenants
Devon helps build 40-story luxury condos
Hotel operator builds 35-story convention hotel
Developer builds 40-story office tower for smaller companies that what to be part of new, thriving downtown
More spec condos, hotels and office towers follow, ala Charlotte and Austin

Here's how we get there:


American Fidelity builds 40-story corporate HQ
MidFirst builds 50-story corporate HQ plus spec space for other tenants
Devon helps build 40-story luxury condos
Hotel operator builds 35-story convention hotel
Developer builds 40-story office tower for smaller companies that what to be part of new, thriving downtown
More spec condos, hotels and office towers follow, ala Charlotte and Austin

Didn't MidFirst announce they were building a new headquarters elsewhere in north OKC?

^^^I only think two on the list is actually realistic, and that is a 30-35 convention hotel, and a American Fidelity skyscraper.

Didn't MidFirst announce they were building a new headquarters elsewhere in north OKC?

No.

After a detailed rendering of a large building near Broadway Extension surfaced a couple of years ago, everyone speculated it must be MidFirst. But that proved just to be rumors.

Jeff Records (CEO) is an investor in the Thunder and used to have his offices downtown. It also sounds pretty definite MidFirst is going to put it's name on the OKC Arena.

And finally, they are the second largest bank in Oklahoma, very well capitalized and growing rapidly. They may choose to build elsewhere but I think it's only a matter of time before they have to do something.

I should have added to my list of possibilities:


SandRidge builts new 50-story tower
Continental out-grows old Devon building and builds 40-story tower
Large company relocates to OKC and builds 40-story tower

No.

After a detailed rendering of a large building near Broadway Extension surfaced a couple of years ago, everyone speculated it must be MidFirst. But that proved just to be rumors.

Jeff Records (CEO) is an investor in the Thunder and used to have his offices downtown. It also sounds pretty definite MidFirst is going to put it's name on the OKC Arena.

And finally, they are the second largest bank in Oklahoma, very well capitalized and growing rapidly. They may choose to build elsewhere but I think it's only a matter of time before they have to do something.

Thanks, Pete. That's what I was thinking of. Good to know they are, therefore, still a realistic contender for a new downtown location.

As a point of comparison, let's look to Charlotte for what can happen after a huge building is added to the skyline.

When the 870 foot BofA Plaza was finished in 1992 (Devon will be 850), Charlotte had five buildings over 30 floors -- exactly the same as OKC before Devon. Previously, their tallest building was 588 feet as opposed to ours (Chase) at 500.

Since BofA Plaza opened Charlotte has added 10 (!) buildings of 25 floors or more including 47, 50 and 54.


Another parallel: in 1990 Charlotte's MSA was about 1.16 million; in 2010 OKC's is about 1.25 million.

As a point of comparison, let's look to Charlotte for what can happen after a huge building is added to the skyline.

When the 870 foot BofA Plaza was finished in 1992 (Devon will be 850), Charlotte had five buildings over 30 floors -- exactly the same as OKC before Devon. Previously, their tallest building was 588 feet as opposed to ours (Chase) at 500.

Since BofA Plaza opened Charlotte has added 10 (!) buildings of 25 floors or more including 47, 50 and 54.


Another parallel: in 1990 Charlotte's MSA was about 1.16 million; in 2010 OKC's is about 1.25 million.

that is a great comp ... if starting in 2012 we add a 25 story building every 2 years for the next 20 everyone will be amazed .. and our downtown will grow by miles

I'd like to get some of what you all are smokin.

So the comps between OKC today and Charlotte 20 years ago are similiar. What did Charlotte do to enable this growth? Did the city actively pursue specific companies? (I know they are a huge banking center) What did they offer in the way of incentives? They aren't that far from Atlanta, the hub of the southeast (similiar to Dallas being a hub of our part of the country). Has our chamber/city government taken a look at what was involved to make that growth happen? It's very intriguing to me, because I have been to Charlotte and, while it's very pleasant, it doesn't seem light-years ahead of OKC.

So the comps between OKC today and Charlotte 20 years ago are similiar. What did Charlotte do to enable this growth? Did the city actively pursue specific companies? (I know they are a huge banking center) What did they offer in the way of incentives? They aren't that far from Atlanta, the hub of the southeast (similiar to Dallas being a hub of our part of the country). Has our chamber/city government taken a look at what was involved to make that growth happen? It's very intriguing to me, because I have been to Charlotte and, while it's very pleasant, it doesn't seem light-years ahead of OKC.

It IS a remarkably beautiful state.

I'd like to get some of what you all are smokin.

^^Ha,some of that fantasy dank!

One huge and obvious difference is that Charlotte is home to Bank of America, the largest financial company in the U.S. and the 4th largest of any type. It's more than 10 times larger than OKC's largest private employers, Devon & CHK. The growth of Charlotte paralleled B of A's growth, as they acquired tons of other companies during the financial melt-down and consolidated most of them to North Carolina. Charlotte has 8 Fortune 500 companies and OKC & Tulsa only have two each.

In addition to the huge economic impact of BofA, I think Charlotte just emerged as one of the great second-tier up-and-coming American communities, as it was seen as an alternative to places like Atlanta, Miami and other eastern cities.

There has long been the pattern of these next-big-thing communities in the U.S.: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nashville, Salt Lake City... They've all taken a turn in making the jump from third-tier to second-tier and beyond. It's because the population shifts towards warmer, nicer areas that still have a decent cost of living and ease of life but enough size to offer good amenities.

So, what cities are next? Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix and others that were once considered the hot places are now suffering from the same problems that drove so many transplants to them: over-population, terrible traffic, high cost of living, lower quality of life. Who will be the next Charlotte or Austin?

There are some good comeback stories in Pittsburgh and several other rust-belt towns... And places like Indianapolis and Kansas City have done well. But they are not growing as rapidly as all the boom towns mentioned and it's hard to imagine they ever will. The trend has always been southern and western.

Who is a better candidate than Oklahoma City?

Yes, Oklahoma is not the most progressive place and yes, our local legislature is backwards and embarrassing... But, again, Charlotte was seen in generally the same light and in some ways it was worse off, with it's roots in the confederacy and the tobacco industry.

I'm not saying Austin and Charlotte and Dallas aren't going to continue to grow, perhaps at even faster rates. I'm just saying Americans (and large companies and entrepreneurs) are always on the look-out for the next hot town and it's hard to make a better case than OKC -- especially since all of the recent progress has been made without truly explosive population growth. That could be in the immediate future and that's when a massively expanded skyline becomes a real possibility.

Charlotte is a major financial banking centre, a majority of the skyscrapers recently built in Charlotte were either developed or financed by Bank of America, Wachovia, or Wells Fargo

Out of the current top ten tallest skyscrapers in Charlotte, 6 were built by either Bank of America or Wells Fargo

just imagine if OKC would have beaten out Indy way back when!Should a big F500 company relocate to OKC it would do wonders!

If we're piling on the Charlotte comparisons, the Hornets played their first season in Charlotte in '88-'89 in the period leading up to their economic growth. I still remember Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues playing on that team in the early '90s. National visibility resulting from the team may be a small but real factor.

As a point of comparison, let's look to Charlotte for what can happen after a huge building is added to the skyline.

When the 870 foot BofA Plaza was finished in 1992 (Devon will be 850), Charlotte had five buildings over 30 floors -- exactly the same as OKC before Devon. Previously, their tallest building was 588 feet as opposed to ours (Chase) at 500.

Since BofA Plaza opened Charlotte has added 10 (!) buildings of 25 floors or more including 47, 50 and 54.


Another parallel: in 1990 Charlotte's MSA was about 1.16 million; in 2010 OKC's is about 1.25 million.

Those are some awesome parallels! Kind of creepy too.... lol.

One huge and obvious difference is that Charlotte is home to Bank of America, the largest financial company in the U.S. and the 4th largest of any type. It's more than 10 times larger than OKC's largest private employers, Devon & CHK. The growth of Charlotte paralleled B of A's growth, as they acquired tons of other companies during the financial melt-down and consolidated most of them to North Carolina. Charlotte has 8 Fortune 500 companies and OKC & Tulsa only have two each.

In addition to the huge economic impact of BofA, I think Charlotte just emerged as one of the great second-tier up-and-coming American communities, as it was seen as an alternative to places like Atlanta, Miami and other eastern cities.

There has long been the pattern of these next-big-thing communities in the U.S.: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nashville, Salt Lake City... They've all taken a turn in making the jump from third-tier to second-tier and beyond. It's because the population shifts towards warmer, nicer areas that still have a decent cost of living and ease of life but enough size to offer good amenities.

So, what cities are next? Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix and others that were once considered the hot places are now suffering from the same problems that drove so many transplants to them: over-population, terrible traffic, high cost of living, lower quality of life. Who will be the next Charlotte or Austin?

There are some good comeback stories in Pittsburgh and several other rust-belt towns... And places like Indianapolis and Kansas City have done well. But they are not growing as rapidly as all the boom towns mentioned and it's hard to imagine they ever will. The trend has always been southern and western.

Who is a better candidate than Oklahoma City?

Yes, Oklahoma is not the most progressive place and yes, our local legislature is backwards and embarrassing... But, again, Charlotte was seen in generally the same light and in some ways it was worse off, with it's roots in the confederacy and the tobacco industry.

I'm not saying Austin and Charlotte and Dallas aren't going to continue to grow, perhaps at even faster rates. I'm just saying Americans (and large companies and entrepreneurs) are always on the look-out for the next hot town and it's hard to make a better case than OKC -- especially since all of the recent progress has been made without truly explosive population growth. That could be in the immediate future and that's when a massively expanded skyline becomes a real possibility.


Well put, Pete. I completely agree about population moving this way. Its a fact that the population is trending more southwest and theres a much bigger desire to live in the southern U.S.

The up and coming generation is larger than the baby boomers who contributed to the booming economy and population growth we have seen in past years. People are for sure going to get tired of the traffic, cost of living, etc. in some of these boom cities we are seeing now. Dallas has had extreme growth, but once people realize it is out of hand I think OKC will be a front runner for roughly the same quality of life without all the troubles. It should be very interesting to watch.

Times might be tough now (and might even get worse) but I really believe such a large up and coming generation is going to drive the economy to levels we are all used to. OKC will be poised to benefit from all this excitement. The construction industry is down and out, but now might be the time to dive into it and get all your ducks in a line before things really take off.

well said benman,

First To Market! Capitalizes.

I am in love with Pete's and BenMan's optimism. Really I am. But I have to admit, at this point, I share GWalker's skepticism. Big projects require big commitments, especially in this economy, and Pete's post about the city's largest employers is most instructive. Only two are in any position to build in the next ten years, and despite rumors and "love of the city," what hard info do we have on American Fidelity or MidFirst? I personally think we might wind up ruing the day if American Fidelity ever leaves 23rd and Classen, because that would leave a terrible hole in a vibrant inner city neighborhood, and MidFirst is even more tenuous, it seems.

I just see a lot of "the world is moving southwest" and "OKC makes a case for a Tier-2 city" and that is really vague. Feels like wishful thinking.

As far as these 40-story condo dreams, don't forget OKC is a town where it's hard to fill a collection of townhomes in Deep Deuce because people think they are too expensive. Who are the 500 heavy hitters who are going to fill a 40-story condo building? Pablum like "people want to be in a thriving downtown" also sounds like wishful thinking.

The best bet for anything beyond a hotel and American Fidelity is to recruit an out-of-state HQ. How many companies of that caliber really up and move their entire HQ? One a year in the whole country? Even fewer in this economy?

Are there really lots of small offices clamoring for some of that space "if only we had more contiguous Class A space?" Or are the small offices building ranch-house buildings on Memorial Road?


As to the B of A comparison re: Charlotte, is our best bet spinoffs in oil and gas? Maybe. Maybe. But I'll believe it when I see it. Hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully there are huge under-the-radar negotiations going on as we speak.

So my post is a little bit of a downer. Let me reiterate once again that I yearn to be proven wrong.

Let me make one other observation. A healthy downtown does not require massive numbers of skyscrapers. The emerging creative cluster at 9th and Broadway is every bit as nice a turn-of-events as a huge skyscraper. Where I do see growth in inner OKC is creative infill of smaller buildings throughout MidTown. I could easily see biotech and medical spinoffs wanting locations between the health center and St. Anthony's. I could see more conversions of old warehouses in Automobile Alley. Hopefully the Mercy site will spur development of four and five story apartment projects throughout that area. With street-level retail. If that whole area became gentrified and built out with projects for smaller users that create thriving, walkable streetscapes, that would actually be healthier for the city than a couple of 50 story behemoths. And that really is doable in this decade.

and MidFirst is even more tenuous, it seems.

Why would you say that? Do you have some inside information about problems with MidFirst?

No. I don't know a thing about MidFirst. I'm only saying that the fact that Jeff Records is an investor in the Thunder and has a growing bank doesn't mean that he's on the verge of going downtown. I'm not saying he's not. It's just kind of a leap to connect "growing bank" with "building downtown." It feels like more wishful thinking. Have they ever stated publicly that they would like to be downtown? Have they made statements about scouting building sites? Pete says "He's got to do something at some point." Do we know this is true? In the 21st century, you can grow your employee numbers through work-at-home arrangements, farming people to existing locations, etc. Again, I don't know any more than anybody. I just think a lot of us (and sometimes myself) jump to conclusions when we don't really know the facts of the matter. Some of us assume that downtown officing is the ultimate goal "if only the right pieces were in place." Building downtown is not the primary motivation for everyone's business decisions. Aubrey builds and builds on Western. He could have made the plunge downtown when Devon did years ago. He didn't. It doesntvmean he doesn't support the city. I have no idea what Jeff Records' motivations are. None of us do. Unless someone knows something they aren't saying.

No. I don't know a thing about MidFirst. I'm only saying that the fact that Jeff Records is an investor in the Thunder and has a growing bank doesn't mean that he's on the verge of going downtown. I'm not saying he's not. It's just kind of a leap to connect "growing bank" with "building downtown." It feels like more wishful thinking. Have they ever stated publicly that they would like to be downtown? Have they made statements about scouting building sites? Pete says "He's got to do something at some point." Do we know this is true? In the 21st century, you can grow your employee numbers through work-at-home arrangements, farming people to existing locations, etc. Again, I don't know any more than anybody. I just think a lot of us (and sometimes myself) jump to conclusions when we don't really know the facts of the matter. Some of us assume that downtown officing is the ultimate goal "if only the right pieces were in place." Building downtown is not the primary motivation for everyone's business decisions. Aubrey builds and builds on Western. He could have made the plunge downtown when Devon did years ago. He didn't. It doesntvmean he doesn't support the city. I have no idea what Jeff Records' motivations are. None of us do. Unless someone knows something they aren't saying.

That may be true but it doesn't justify saying that Midfirst is more tenuous than American Fidelity. Any new tower construction in the downtown area could be classified as tenuous until it happens.

Exactly JibJab. It's all tenuous. That's why I think these threads get way, way, way out in front of reality. But it is fun to dream.

stlokc, the whole point of this thread is to dream and let our imagine run a little wild. My comments aren't a prediction of what I think will happen; just the best-case scenario to reach a vastly expanded downtown.

But they are based somewhat in reality: actual companies, growth patterns, previously stated plans, and assets. Also, I've attempted to point out how many cities have reached a tipping point and gone from growing to exploding. OKC has been humming along at about 12-14% population growth per decade but that seems to be building and when you hit 20%+, big things start to happen.

Oklahoma City is unique because it has the capacity (area for housing, plenty of land everywhere, highway infrastructure, lots of area downtown and nearby) to absorb a tremendous amount of growth. I wouldn't be surprised to see that growth rate pick up dramatically in the next 5-10 years.

Don't forget, the current midfirst location is within the boundaries of the chesapeake empire. CHK already owns almost everything around it, so midfirst likely has a buyer if it wants to move. Defintely wouldnt be much of a surprise to see those buildings painted black with a CHK logo on them in a few years. First fidelity isnt far from CHK either, a little less likely but still possible given that they just bought the atrium towers on Hefner parkway.

One other thing... In just a couple of years downtown will go from being a huge construction zone to vastly improved on many fronts. Here's a quick list of what will come on-line between now and then. The sum total of all this will be extremely compelling to anyone looking for a spot to grow their business or to build a hotel or residences:


Project 180 will be complete as will the new Myriad Gardens. Virtually every street and several parks will have been completely redone and greatly improved and the new cafe and all other features will be done in the park.
Devon Tower, rotunda, park, garden building and auditorium will be finished. Restaurant/banquet facilities at the top of the tower, public space in the rotunda and garden wing, restaurants, retail and beautiful open space.
Colcord Hotel expanded and beautiful new restaurant with outdoor patio facing Myriad Gardens.
Ford Center renovations / expansion including many new amenities.
Old I-40 removed. New boulevard underway.
SandRidge complex complete.
Continental moved in.
Convention center underway or even complete.
Aloft hotel and lots of new apartments in Deep Deuce.
New Pitman hotel in Bricktown.
Lots of new development in Midtown, including Mercy site.
Central Park area cleared with basic landscape.
Skydance Bridge installed.

Stl, I appreciate your points in trying to level-set everyone but I need to point out a few holes in your analysis/thinking

in all fairness, OKC has a diverse economy and if you even think twice about what you wrote, you might consider rewriting it. You said that it appears OKC is depending only upon oil and gas, but American Fidelity is insurance and MidFirst is in Finance. Both are large (and growing) OKC companies that many suspect may like to build downtown and be part of the synergy that's going on. ...

Another point, since you brought up Charlotte and B o A. What were most if not all of the new buildings that went up in Charlotte? Weren't they also in the finance industry, same as BoA? Why would it be bad if more Oil companies wanted to build towers in OKC? even though, so far that isn't the case yet...

Point is, OKC has growing companies that need more space. AF has already said as much, and surely if AF does indeed build a tower downtown like many suspect, you would think there would be a push by OTHER OKC companies to take on that AAA space that AF is leaving behind. You know, OKC has more than just oil companies as there are numerous middle companies that could take on space and may want to be part of the inner city renaissance once/if AF vacates.

MidFirst Financial is being pushed out of Chesapeake City, so it is only 'natural' to think they also might want to move downtown - at least take on the space vacated by Devon and may eventually also want their own tower. ...

I dont think some of these 'dreams' are that far off base, particularly when you consider the points you brought up as evaluation criteria.

Pete, you left out a few things:

must assume continued retail infill in AAlley, midtown, Film Row, Bricktown, Deep Deuce, and the CBD

also, SandRidge and CC likely will not be finished within the next few years, but to your point - downtown as a whole will likely have a new fresh face in the beginning of 2013; and that MUST be a huge attraction for businesses and new residents to locate there - otherwise, why are we doing it?

Back to MidFirst, they are actually split between two buildings, MidFirst Plaza and Three Grand Park.

One and Two Grand Park are owned by Chesapeake and are located between the two MidFirst buildings -- you really can't even walk from one to the other. And MidFirst owns some land just north of MidFirst Plaza that is completely surrounded by CHK properties.

They are are very big operation.... More than $10 billion in assets, one of the 100 largest banks in the U.S. and the 3rd largest privately-owned bank. They don't get a lot of press because they aren't publicly traded. Plus, they are very conservative, which is why they have remained strong throughout the banking crisis.

In 2009, they acquired a couple of Phoenix-area banks and now have over 20 locations in that community.


I could see Chesapeake buying these two buildings plus the land to complete acquiring just about everything west of the RR tracks, north of I-44, south of 63rd and east of Grand. Then the MidFirst/MidLand companies could consolidate to a large building downtown.

The MidFirst properties are in yellow below, CHK in blue:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/midfirst1.jpg

Back to MidFirst, they are actually split between two buildings, MidFirst Plaza and Three Grand Park.

One and Two Grand Park are owned by Chesapeake and are located between the two MidFirst buildings -- you really can't even walk from one to the other. And MidFirst owns some land just north of MidFirst Plaza that is completely surrounded by CHK properties.

They are are very big operation.... More than $10 billion in assets, one of the 100 largest banks in the U.S. and the 3rd largest privately-owned bank. They don't get a lot of press because they aren't publicly traded. Plus, they are very conservative, which is why they have remained strong throughout the banking crisis.

In 2009, they acquired a couple of Phoenix-area banks and now have over 20 locations in that community.


I could see Chesapeake buying these two buildings plus the land to complete acquiring just about everything west of the RR tracks, north of I-44, south of 63rd and east of Grand. Then the MidFirst/MidLand companies could consolidate to a large building downtown.

The MidFirst properties are in yellow below, CHK in blue:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/midfirst1.jpg

It looks like they are taking part of the roof off of the building on the left. Could be to make it look more like Chesapeake's buildings? Those two are definitely the last dominoes to fall. Should be interesting to see how long it takes

BTW, MidFirst CEO Jeff Records heads a group that owns Nichols Hills Tower in the parking lot of NH Plaza. It's common knowledge that CHK wants to acquire that building because the own everything surrounding it and want to completely renovate the whole area.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff and Aubrey don't already have a handshake agreement for all these properties.

But of course, MidFirst would have to build a new home first.

Pete,What odds would you give that there would be another skyscraper proposed in the next 5 or 10 years?I'm more than willing to bet OKC see's another one,probably not Devon size!

Wasnt there a rendering from some company about a year or so ago,saying proposed N.OKC tower?I seem to remember rumors that tenant was to be Mid-First!Here it is http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/misc/44broadway1.jpg

Yes, I found that rendering on the web a couple of years ago and I think MidFirst may have been kicking the idea around (unsubstantiated) but nothing ever materialized.


As far as a new tower downtown in the next 5-10 years, I think there's a 93.7325% chance we'll see at least one building 30 floors or higher and maybe two or three of that size.

As soon as the financial problems settle down nationwide, you'll start to see more construction, even of speculative space.