There is still tons of construction happening all over town and there is plenty more getting ready to start independent of any new tower announcement: SandRidge Amenities building, Convention Center, Downtown Elementary School, Central Park, Bricktown Hotels, Convention Hotel, the Boulevard, demolition of the old crosstown, scores of projects in Midtown and AA, lots of road projects and of course tons of stuff in the suburbs. Project 180 still has several big packages to put out and there are several other parts of MAPS3 that haven't even commenced.

I'd be curious to know how many of those working on the Devon project were/are from OKC. Some of the specialists (like the crane operators) probably move around but I bet most the others don't.

Okay,

Got some info from a reliable source. The old lumber yard site just south of the U-haul building, has received an unsolicited offer of $29.00 per sq foot......7 + acres. Very hush about any intentions from the buyer....could this be another site to add to the list ?

Interesting! I doubt that site would be for an office tower... But it will front on the new boulevard.

The County Assessor shows that parcel at 5.9 acres. $29 per square foot would be $1.2 million an acre which is less than Chesapeake has been routinely paying in the 63rd & Western area.

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

It's a pretty large site for it to be single use.

It's a pretty large site for it to be single use.


Big enough to easily hold two projects the size of, say for example, the Centennial Lofts and its assorted retail and the Sonic HQ bldg, with surface parking for both. Be interesting to see what ends up there.

I thought this site may not be for a large tower, then I saw a city proposal for one of the high rise parking garages just north of the old lumber yard site. We will find out in due time.

Here's some buildings I found interesting in Tokyo - I'd be happy with any of these here.

(some were taken with a disposable camera)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/217_33655490618_757005618_1589252_2289_n.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/13937_225137675618_757005618_4679368_2028091_n.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/217_33655485618_757005618_1589251_1790_n.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/13937_225137695618_757005618_4679370_6685223_n.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/2254_66263730618_757005618_2531268_1778_n.jpg

there's an album with more pics here
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=33655490618&l=0ea292c7fc

I thought this site may not be for a large tower, then I saw a city proposal for one of the high rise parking garages just north of the old lumber yard site. We will find out in due time.

Yeah, I think the parking garage is a coincidence. If it was for the tower it would be on the same side of the massive boulevard.

Maybe this is a mixed use development or the city realizes that the Lumber Yard is the best spot for the Convention Center realizing the limitations of the spot they forced down our throats.

^

I bet the SandRidge building will end up similar.

Okay,

Got some info from a reliable source. The old lumber yard site just south of the U-haul building, has received an unsolicited offer of $29.00 per sq foot......7 + acres. Very hush about any intentions from the buyer....could this be another site to add to the list ?

Great friends with the owner of this site and his family. This is 100% not true.

Nice pics edcrunk. I like the 2nd one.

Great friends with the owner of this site and his family. This is 100% not true.

Heard this from a man in the wholesale lumber industry that is also good friends with the owner, who he said is where his info came from......FWIW, he had some other info that made sense too, but will not repeat in confidence.

I think some mid-rise structures with a solid mixed-use podium would be excellent in that location.

http://urbantoronto.ca/sites/default/files/imagecache/display-default/images/articles/2012/02/5014/urbantoronto-5014-15330.jpg

Would be a great asset to the boulevard the the streetcar. This site is certainly close enough that TOD design should be considered, if not proactively zoned and enforced.

Ooooh Toronto projects

The middle one looks like a modern version of SandRidge Center.

Nice pics edcrunk. I like the 2nd one.

appreciate it! just found a couple more

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/edcrunk/tokyo4.jpg

The middle one looks like a modern version of SandRidge Center.

Sure does, minus the I am legend forest

Nah, not at all. I love Toronto, but come on, that project just screams TORONTO!! Or really what it screams is "Canadian skyscrapers," being yet another set of "twin" towers against a backdrop of...hundreds of twin towers.

Could it be Trans Canada coming to OKC?
http://newsok.com/pipeline-from-cushing-to-gulf-coast-will-proceed-transcanada-says/article/3652745

Suddenly this thread reminds me of...

o_8y6NRoDfg

I love that movie!

This thread has grown too quiet. Someone knows something by now and is holding out...

Yea, what Pete said...

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/dOWNTOWN-1.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/dOWNTOWN-2.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/dOWNTOWN-3.jpg

Asian, Highrise, Energy...???

^^nice mock-up!

Hopefully there will be more access between Sheridan and the Boulevard than the above convention center mock-up shows. Talk about a super block - that's a super-duper. There HAS to be a way to walk between the Myriad Gardens and the park. No way a convention center is important enough to ruin that connection.

This thread has grown too quiet. Someone knows something by now and is holding out...

I just think we have speculated every possible scenario, and there is nothing else to speculate about. Moreover, people are probably just tired of talking about it without any official announcement, now we just have to wait.

I just think we have speculated every possible scenario, and there is nothing else to speculate about. Moreover, people are probably just tired of talking about it without any official announcement, now we just have to wait.

Do you feel better that you speculated and are now waiting? You are excited and waiting. Waiting while being excited is hard...that's why I don't like the speculation. It's quiet now.

I was under the impression walker would not be closed for the convention center

Walker definitely won't be closed and they really want to keep Harvey at least somewhat open, too.

Hopefully city planners learn that you can build OVER streets.

Walker definitely won't be closed and they really want to keep Harvey at least somewhat open, too.

So the above rendering is wrong in that regard?

Where did you hear that they what to keep harvey somewhat open?

So the above rendering is wrong in that regard?

Where did you hear that they what to keep harvey somewhat open?

it has been said in CC sub committee and other places .. that they want to keep Harvey as a pedestrian "gateway/path" from MBG to the Park ..

I was just worried if the park was going to be seperated from the gardens. I'm glad

If all the posts in reference to the mystery tower were stacked on top of each other, we would have another fifty story tower!!!

Even if they kept it completely open, it will still feel separated. The convention center itself will serve as a divider for the most part. People are more inclined to walk from point A to point B when there is stuff to see and/or do along the way. There usually isn't much done with convention centers that is attractive to anyone but convention attendees. I mean they could put some retail in it, but that would cut down convention space, so I doubt they will do that. They could surprise us, but all indications is that the city is set on establishing another superblock, which always results in disruption of pedestrian flow and, in this case, a divider between the CBD and future C2S area.

Yes, if you are in the Myriad Gardens all you will see is the massive hulk of the convention center to the south, even if there is a corridor on Harvey.

With the way the CC is planned to be placed, the two parks will be very separate.

I know we've touched on this time and time again and have speculated every possible scenario. But a relative of mine who works at one of the Cameron family companies says one of the executives has a meeting in the middle of March relating to "office relocation". Also a friend of mine who works for First Fidelity Bank in their headquarters in the First Fidelity Bank building has heard lots of rumblings about American Fidelity and the other Cameron family companies moving downtown.

^

This all would make good sense.

I'm convinced that either American/First Fidelity or Midland/Midfirst will be moving downtown very soon.

^

This all would make good sense.

I'm convinced that either American/First Fidelity or Midland/Midfirst will be moving downtown very soon.

both please

I think American Fidelity moving downtown is a given, they have been talking about it for years, and probably now is finally coming to fruition, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I am more anxious to find out about this mystery international company building a headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City.

I know we've touched on this time and time again and have speculated every possible scenario. But a relative of mine who works at one of the Cameron family companies says one of the executives has a meeting in the middle of March relating to "office relocation". Also a friend of mine who works for First Fidelity Bank in their headquarters in the First Fidelity Bank building has heard lots of rumblings about American Fidelity and the other Cameron family companies moving downtown.

Maybe Steve will have an anouncement in the middle of March.....Devon had theirs in the middle of March, Continental had theirs in the middle of March... Can't wait till the middle of March 2013.

I think American Fidelity moving downtown is a given, they have been talking about it for years, and probably now is finally coming to fruition, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I am more anxious to find out about this mystery international company building a headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City.

When the chamber stated they were pursuing an international company to move its North American HQ to DT do you think they had someone specific in mind or do you think that was more or less wishful thinking? As stated before, I really think Transcanada makes sense. The reasons: Keystone pipeline running to Cushing; There has to be connections to John Richels current Devon CEO and former CEO Devon Canada Corp; Continental, Devon, Transcanada are some of the major players in Bakken shale and Canadian oil sands region.

Hopefully city planners learn that you can build OVER streets.

That doesn't work either. I submit the elevated I-40 as exhibit A. It was only 100 feet wide and still created a barrier between downtown and the area south of it.

I wonder how many people would naturally move from park to park even if connected. They seemingly serve two different functions. And, I thought the idea was to create neighborhoods around the park and to the west. Anyway, how would it be any different if a 30 story mixed use went there instead of the cc? Just wondering. Seems like unless we turn those lots into more park, we would still have the same problem with any large structures.

When the chamber stated they were pursuing an international company to move its North American HQ to DT do you think they had someone specific in mind or do you think that was more or less wishful thinking? As stated before, I really think Transcanada makes sense. The reasons: Keystone pipeline running to Cushing; There has to be connections to John Richels current Devon CEO and former CEO Devon Canada Corp; Continental, Devon, Transcanada are some of the major players in Bakken shale and Canadian oil sands region.

With Mark Beffort coming out publicly, I am sure there is a company that will build a headquarters here. However, the term "international company" can put it in a broad scope. A company can be headquartered in U.S. and still can be considered "international". So we don't know if its a U.S., Chinese, or Canadian company. I could care less whether its international or not, as long as its an out of state company. A major out of state company relocating here and building a skyscraper downtown and investing millions will say a lot about Oklahoma City.

When was the last time a major company from out of state relocated and invested millions in downtown Oklahoma City? My point exactly...

I am not too picky on what companies will relocate or what they will build, there are not too many cities out there our size that can even have discussions like this. I think OKC is in a great position to boom.

They seemingly serve two different functions.

If they can manage that, that would be a reason to have flow from one to the other. C2S and the CBD will always be different and they should be, but you want the flow from one to the other so that they both get used by visitors/users of each one. And you certainly want businesses and potential residents of C2S to feel connected to the rest of downtown as a value add. It'll certainly help kick start it if it feels part of everything else that's going on downtown instead of a completely separate entity. Sometimes it's not even about literally moving from one to the other on the same day. C2S will need the CBD and other established downtown districts to establish its own relevance initially. It needs the flow from one to the other for exposure. Ultimately I don't think it's really about connecting the parks, but connecting the districts and as much in perception as in function.

I would be happy if we just got one more major skyscraper downtown, anything after that is simply amazing for a city our size. There are many cities out there that haven't seen a skyscraper/high-rise built in their downtown for decades, so for the possibility of 2-3 coming to fruition in OKC is truly a testament to how far we come, and how we continue to grow as a city.

Allow me to join the soft chorus of posters who believe it's going to be TransCanada.

Allow me to join the soft chorus of posters who believe it's going to be TransCanada.

Doesn't Devon have newly acquired presence in Canada? I remember seeing an article with their new shiny glass building they purchased. I don't think it's necessarily that hard to imagine a Canadian company setting up a headquarters in this country. The company has already expressed that they are going to build the pipeline from Cushing down to the gulf.

Add me to the count.

Doesn't Devon have newly acquired presence in Canada? I remember seeing an article with their new shiny glass building they purchased. I don't think it's necessarily that hard to imagine a Canadian company setting up a headquarters in this country. The company has already expressed that they are going to build the pipeline from Cushing down to the gulf.

Add me to the count.
Devon has had a presence in Canada for some time. The OIL business is GLOBAL, they have interests all over the world.

Devon has had a presence in Canada for some time. The OIL business is GLOBAL, they have interests all over the world.

I think they sold off all their non North American assets didn't they?

I think they sold off all their non North American assets didn't they?

Yes they sold off their offshore and west africa assets if I remember correctly. and it seemed like they sold them for a gizillion $$.

Yes they sold off their offshore and west africa assets if I remember correctly. and it seemed like they sold them for a gizillion $$.

They sold off their Brazilian assets also. I believe they are strictly North American now.

I'm giving it up to King183,

He confirmed a new tower last week or the week before, then pointed us towards AF as the company. Now others are hearing the same whispers.

I believe they are strictly North American now.

Something like that.........

I just was told from a pretty good source that American Fidelity is going to build a tower. I am told that it will probably be on the corner of 5th & Broadway.

I heard it again today from the horses mouth. I am pretty sure this is it.

I heard it again today from the horses mouth. I am pretty sure this is it.Pray tell. What other utterances came forth concerning our beloved mystery tower(s)?

So will it be taller than Chase and shorter than Devon? 5th & Broadway?

putting a new sky scraper at 5th and broadway would be very very hard to get passed

Weird location for a tall tower, but at least would be on the street car route

I would think the remaining deep duce plots would fill in quickly if that kind of development went it.