New $3.5 million building permit issued today for a 2-story, 65,000 square foot office building for the GSA (General Services Administration).

This becoming quite a development, with this being the third decent-sized building. It's shown in pink on the two graphics:

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

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/marketcenter2.jpg



This is the Schlumberger building that is already constructed in that development:

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

I have always wondered about these buildings.. They seem so lonely! I had no idea it was going to become an office park! Kewl.

The other large structure is the Indian Health Services Building:

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

does anyone up in that area not use the same basic showbox with an entrance in the middle????

It's the result of the latest iteration of inexpensive pre-fab concrete construction.

These things are getting built for only about $50 per square foot.

does anyone up in that area not use the same basic showbox with an entrance in the middle????

I'm also not enamored with the design but I see no problem with a central entrance.

It's just that they look as much like a Penny's or Kohl's as anything else. Heck, look at the Sprit Center in Bixby....it's an arena with the same front door!!!

Preftakes clearly has a good formula for working with government and gov-aligned businesses, with his Lincoln Plaza renovation, all the work he's done for Boeing near Tinker and now for Social Security.





From OKC.biz:

Social Security Administration plans OKC move

http://okc.biz/oklahoma/imgs/media.images/2122/ssa+rendering-site+plan-elevation-web+top+view+1.jpg


As strong Oklahoma winds whipped across the grassy prairie, real estate developer Nick Preftakes took to a lectern anchored by a chunk of metal so that it wouldn’t blow over and prepared to break ground on a 23,000-square-foot building that will be leased to the United States Social Security Administration.

It will be constructed at Market Center, an 88-acre development at Broadway Extension and N.W. 122nd. Precor Ruffin, which includes Preftakes and Mark Ruffin, is the developer for the project. So far, there are five buildings on the site – one under construction – and work on the SSA building will begin immediately, with completion planned for January. Bockus Payne Associates designed the building, and Clyde Riggs Construction is the contractor.

The deal came about when Precor Ruffin responded to a request for proposal from the General Services Administration to find a new home for the SSA. For the last 10 years, it has been housed at Shepherd Mall.

"We are excited to announce the addition of the Social Security Administration to the Market Center Development,” Ruffin said. “The facility being provided for the SSA will complement the existing development while affording greater access to its customers. We look forward to working with the SSA to give them the best possible place to work and serve their clients."

Kinda sucks for Shepherd Mall, but maybe that's just as well. Might be time to really Kervorkian that mall.

Preftakes clearly has a good formula for working with government and gov-aligned businesses, with his Lincoln Plaza renovation, all the work he's done for Boeing near Tinker and now for Social Security.

Lincoln and Boeing offices are Gardner/Tannenbaum projects, not Precor Ruffin


Kinda sucks for Shepherd Mall, but maybe that's just as well. Might be time to really Kervorkian that mall.

And do what with it? It does still serve a purpose you know. Its not like you can turn it back into a mall, that location isnt very attractive to many retailers.

Just going by the full parking lot when I drive by during the week, I would have to agree that it is serving a purpose. may not be the purpose we want, but it is there.

There was some interesting conversation about re-purposing old indoor malls and suburban neighborhoods at the Placemaking conference in Norman last week.

Lincoln and Boeing offices are Gardner/Tannenbaum projects, not Precor Ruffin

Right!

Got confused there for a moment.

The agency has actually been housed at Shepherd Mall "temporarily" since 1995 after the Murrah bombing.

Just learned the IRS is moving from downtown to this complex; there will be a new building built for them.

They were pretty much forced out of the Robinson Plaza building after it was purchased by a shadowy LLC that tracks back to Roy Oliver (and likely Mark Beffort) in 2003. Beffort & Oliver own Leadership Square, City Place, Oklahoma and Corporate Towers.

Devon has been taking extra space in Robinson Plaza (and Oklahoma and Corporate Towers) and I suspect they will occupy some or all of the old IRS space when they move.