Wait, are you saying it fell through??? There's no more deal for a tower, you say????


NOTHING TO SEE HERE FOLKS... MOVE ALONG...






:p

NO! I am absolutely NOT saying that.... Adaniel is right. Now go outside and enjoy some sunshine!

Steve,

I think he was just teasing.

I think it's a true concensus that most of us want something great to happen to that site, and were being taught a little lesson in patience.

Yes, but Catch 22 wasn't....

What I hope doesn't happen is it get derailed due to Stage Center preservationists, and then absolutely nothing cool is done with the Stage Center.

lol.

With the abundance of available property downtown, including a bunch that has NOTHING on it, not moving a company or not building a building just because that ONE site wasn't available would be ludicrous. In fact, I bet we could find a way for the city to GIVE them some land if they're going to drop hundreds of millions of dollars on a development.

Seriously, it's a nice corner, but it's not like it's in Manhattan or on the Chicago river. If it becomes unavailable for redevelopment, there's plenty of other options for anyone who wants to be in OKC or anyone who needs to expand. In fact, at face value, it actually seems like a pretty big bonehead move to insist on tearing something down to build here, especially something that people are attached to.

...Now go outside and enjoy some sunshine!

yes, but when I go outside I see the Devon Tower on the horizon and it makes me think of the Mystery Tower...
:wink:

Yes, but Catch 22 wasn't....

I was most definitely teasing, but I posted it in jest because I KNEW some jackwagon on this board would interpret it that way and be serious about it. lol

I equate it to how the fairer sex has an uncanny ability to "build bridges" when there isn't really one there...

Man: Wow, our gas mileage on this trip is quite a bit lower than it was when I made the trip by myself last time.
Woman: Are you calling me fat?!?!

bridge building... lol

My guess is that a purchase is made within the next two or three weeks, and then nothing is announced for a while. "Stage Center sold to Comstar National Incorporated Holdings" or some other generic sounding company name. Then in July a new tower is announced and we find out it was really Shell or Conoco or someone like that. In the end we get something in the 600-700 ft range, with its design intended to stand apart from Devon. Something about the architecture will be "wow cool" because if it's just a regular mirrored surface it'll just look like a smaller, less impressive Devon building, and you don't move to a new city and build a new tower just for that.

Wichita, forgive me for not highlighting Catch instead of you ... quite honestly, I'm pretty worn out right now...

Wichita, forgive me for not highlighting Catch instead of you ... quite honestly, I'm pretty worn out right now...

I hope you're worn out for working hard at the grindstone on the Mystery Tower story !!! LOL

Steve,

I think he was just teasing.

I think it's a true concensus that most of us want something great to happen to that site, and were being taught a little lesson in patience.

http://cdn1.iconfinder.com/data/icons/CrystalClear/128x128/apps/clean.png

We all appreciate the hard work you have done on this project and the many others you cover for us. You are one of the last few real journalists in this state or even region, your hard work does not go unnoticed and perhaps we don't always give you enough thanks for your work.

Don't take it too seriously. :)

Thanks Catch. Not meaning to pick on you either. I've now worked more than two weeks straight without a break. ... I think I'll go to sleep now. Oh wait ... can't ... working on yet another CHK package ....

So what's the over/under on floor count?

So what's the over/under on floor count?

If it's not drastically changed, the low end is 30 floors. My guess will be 38 - 42.

If it's not drastically changed, the low end is 30 floors. My guess will be 38 - 42.

In that case I'll take the under, though I want the over.

I'll take the over on anything taller than 36 stories cause any new tower has to beat the floor count of Cotter. Until we can fill that gap between the two, only after will I take the under.

Like I said I WANT the over. But I think it might be ambitious to expect this new tower to be 40. So, if I were betting, I'd bet on the under.

That's why I'm gonna roll with 37...

Lets build Turbinomics Tower. Now that would be OKCs unique draw like St Louis arch.
Elliott would be so proud!

Lets build Turbinomics Tower. Now that would be OKCs unique draw like St Louis arch.
Elliott would be so proud!

Something like this?
Preview of World's First Rotating Skyscraper - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq-QUkE1DGM)

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2492/rollsroycem.jpg

Rolls Royce parked outside Stage Center with a chauffeur. Gotta mean something, right?

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2492/rollsroycem.jpg

Rolls Royce parked outside Stage Center with a chauffeur. Gotta mean something, right?

If we can run the tag number we can find out who it is. he he!

Rolls Royce parked outside Stage Center with a chauffeur. Gotta mean something, right?

I'd say so!

Quick, somebody get over there and snap a photo of the passenger!

Or he is just looking for somewhere free to park while he waits. lol

I'd say so!

Quick, somebody get over there and snap a photo of the passenger!

Gotcha!

Ok, managed to grab this photo before he stepped back into the car.

http://www.sohh.com/img/donald-trump-300x300.jpg

:wink:

My Prediction:

Floors: 40
Feet: 600' - 650'
Site: Stage Center
Company: Boeing
Announcement: March 31, 2013 on the front page of the Sunday Oklahoman
Start Date: Spring 2014
Developer: Hines
Construction Firm: Flintco
Architect: Pickard Chilton
Price: $400 - $500 million

Gotcha!

Ok, managed to grab this photo before he stepped back into the car.

http://www.sohh.com/img/donald-trump-300x300.jpg

:wink:

Laugh of the day!

dude, did you at least see what STATE the plates were from? My prediction is it's still Continental despite the rumors otherwise, but it could be a Houston firm. I'll check my sources at CR and see if Hamm has a Rolls. Whomever it was, you'd think they'd be smart enough not to roll such high profile for such a secure mission/announcement.

That Rolls is more than likely an executive chauffeur service. I doubt some big wig from out of town would be driven from where ever they are from. They'd show up on a private jet and then get driven around.

If this vehicle is related to the 'Mystery Tower', then my bet it's form out of state and could be from out of the country.

That Rolls is more than likely an executive chauffeur service. I doubt some big wig from out of town would be driven from where ever they are from. They'd show up on a private jet and then get driven around.

Must not be CLR...that would be unlike Hamm. Pretty sure he just has a nice pickup truck.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2492/rollsroycem.jpg

Rolls Royce parked outside Stage Center with a chauffeur. Gotta mean something, right?

We saw the Japanese family get out. They got out and went in Devon tower and up to vast.

This is hilarious. I love you guys.

>See nice car outside Stage Center.
>Stalk.
>Post about it on OKCTalk.

"Hmm... I wonder if there's anything new on the Mystery Tower thread..."

Rolls Royce.

*facepalm*

Ok...so no takers on Rand Elliotts Turbinomics tower, and the Jedi's want to throw IM Pie under the bus...
So, what about a nice Frank Gehry concept. 'What buildings look like in a carnival hall of mirrors' type thing?

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2492/rollsroycem.jpg

Rolls Royce parked outside Stage Center with a chauffeur. Gotta mean something, right?Oh thats just Booker T. He won the lottery a few months back. Now he dresses up like a chauffeur and parks downtown and fills out his racing forms. :Smiley122

Steve just tweeted "White smoke indicating plans for new downtown tower are soon to be released." Thought it might go good on this thread.

Um, no, I never tweeted that (oy).
Keep in mind, a law firm pays to park their cars in that drive....

Um, no, I never tweeted that (oy).
Keep in mind, a law firm pays to park their cars in that drive....

Steve, you're always such a downer. LOL

Um, no, I never tweeted that (oy).
Keep in mind, a law firm pays to park their cars in that drive....

Well crap. I was just duped by an imitation Steve twitter account (yes there is one and it is Leve Stackmeyer) that was retweeted by Brianna Bailey. My mistake. Move along people, nothing to see here.

Well crap. I was just duped by an imitation Steve twitter account (yes there is one and it is Leve Stackmeyer) that was retweeted by Brianna Bailey. My mistake. Move along people, nothing to see here.

You know you've made it in the world when people start creating parody twitter accounts for you. Congrats on being a local celebrity Steve.

So I tossed and turned for 3 hours last night for nothing. That's just great؟

We saw the Japanese family get out. They got out and went in Devon tower and up to vast.

Well Devon is working with a Japanese company called Sumitomo Corp

AMD sold their Austin campus the other day. However they claim they will be leasing it. Doesn't seem like the type of company to move to OKC, but it would be cool to have a tech giant here.

Maybe we can build AMD a crappy call center or warehouse on the river by Dell.............

Maybe we can build AMD a crappy call center or warehouse on the river by Dell.............

Like. haha.

OGE Energy, CenterPoint Energy to combine pipeline assets for master limited partnership | News OK (http://newsok.com/article/3765871)

Anyone care to lay odds on this announcement ultimately solving the mystery?

I think this means Enogex is now headed to Houston.

Interesting.


A general partner will manage the partnership with governance shared by CenterPoint Energy and OGE. The partnership's leadership team will be announced after the deal closes, as will the location of its headquarters.

I will start the bidding at 4/1. I wonder what what the magic 8 ball says?

No it doesn't mean they are moving to Houston.

It does look to fit Steve's timeline though.

No it doesn't mean they are moving to Houston.

Please share more of your expert analysis.

This is huge news. This has gotta be the tower. CenterPoint is a massive company. This new midstream company would be a substantial amount of employees collaborating together.

Here is CenterPoint Energys current tower in Houston:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/48/127294813_e5e873f29d.jpg


If this doesn't mean the new partnership would be in OKC, then it very well could mean losing employees to Houston, but I really doubt it. The timing and everything is too coincidental and perfect.

The only thing that makes me think this is not the Stage Center tower is Steve saying the announcement of a new tower would be around this time. But this partnership could take months to finalize. And the news clearly states that the announcement of the headquarters would be at the close of the deal.

Yep, this has got to be the tower.

Remember Enogex was already in Leadership Square and that building is owned by Mark Beffort who happens to be brokering the Stage Center sale.


And I still think OG&E is going to build a new HQ as well, just not on the Stage Center site.

Couple days ago


Yes, that would be nice. But that's not the way the world works these days. Was I supposed to withhold from everybody that Mark Beffort, the man overseeing negotiations for the sale of Stage Center, was openly forecasting a new tower for downtown? Or that others were saying the same thing? Keep in mind, most of the tower discussion over the past few months has been generated by questions thrown at me and others....
I've said this before, I'll say it again: this is not like buying or building a house. This is a complicated transaction, and there are a lot of variables being thrown into the mix.

Mark, you sly dog, you!


Replace "variables" with companies and this is gold.

I don't think this will result in tower for Stage Center. Remember there was always the notion than more than one tower are in the works. Maybe this is the rumored new OGE tower everybody was referring to, but they didn't have all the facts. I think whatever company is behind tower for Stage Center will be a surprise to most people.

Please share more of your expert analysis.

Not expert analysis by any means, but I would say at least reasonably informed. It isn't the 80/90s, not every energy company is looking to move to Houston. It's a merger of subsidiaries and OKC is central to the core of both companies' pipeline assets, the natural gas industry, and the United States in general. When companies like ConocoPhillips and Kerr McGee moved to Houston, it was at least partially due to the rise of their international and Gulf of Mexico assets and refinery proximity as they were both integrated oil companies. OGE/Enogex and CenterPoint are natural gas transportation and utility companies dealing solely in a domestic asset with OKC being at the center of a heavy natural gas producing state in the middle of several natural gas producing states, and in the middle of the country's pipeline infrastructure. You could even through wind energy in there as OK is a leading generator of that as well. It would be cool if it was a complete relocation of CenterPoint and not just the pipeline spinoff, but I would gladly take it either way.

Key sentence from the article Sid posted:

"CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy will hold 40 percent and 60 percent interests, respectively, in the incentive distribution rights of the general partner."

So the overall MLP interests are 59% centerpoint, but (unless this is a typo), OGE owns 60% of the general partnership (read: controlling management?) interest? Seems pretty favorable to OKC if I'm reading that right.

Hopefully a hardworking OKC reporter or two can focus on clarifying the impact of this provision... In the meantime, I'm taking my odds off the board.

Anyone else plan to listen in with me?


Joint Conference Call and Webcast Detail

CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy will hold a conference call tomorrow, March 15 at 10:30 a.m. Central time/11:30 Eastern. The telephone number is (800) 653-1761, domestic, or (706) 645-9680, outside the U.S. The conference ID number is 19799901 and the leader is Carla Kneipp.

A replay of the call can be accessed approximately two hours after completion of the call and will be available through Friday, March 22, 2013, at 6 p.m. Central time. To access, dial (855) 859-2056, domestic, or (404) 537-3406, outside the U.S. The conference ID number 19799901.

CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy will also provide a live, audio webcast of the conference call, which can be accessed at CenterPointEnergy.com or OGE.com. Click on the Investors tab and the link, “Joint Announcement.” The webcast will be archived on each company’s website for at least one year.

I don't think this will result in tower for Stage Center. Remember there was always the notion than more than one tower are in the works. Maybe this is the rumored new OGE tower everybody was referring to, but they didn't have all the facts. I think whatever company is behind tower for Stage Center will be a surprise to most people.

How is this not a surprise to most people?