What great timing for the like function to return.

If this isn't CNP/Enogex, then it's got to be MidFirst...don't see anyone else local that could do this.

Yowzers!

So it's actually, really, honestly, and for true about to happen???

WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/3091iF3489389B94D9A7C/image-size/large/is-moderation-mode/true?v=mpbl-1&px=600

More solid information this morning...

Yes, the tower will be the second tallest in OKC. "Not as tall as Devon, but close."

We've heard all along that 40 stories were likely and that seems to be the case. Preliminary plans call for retail on the first couple of levels.



Even though Chase is 36 stories, new buildings -- like Devon -- tend to feature significantly higher floors due to cabling and modern open office configurations.

So, if close to the 17 feet per floor average of Devon, that would place this building near 700 feet, significantly taller than Chase's 500' but not quite the 850' of Devon Tower.

Still, this would be a massive addition to the skyline both in height and expansion to the west.


Still trying to find out more about the second tower. I know it's not quite as far along but things do sound very promising.

For whatever reason, I'm unable to like this post. But that's okay, because I love it!

If this isn't CNP/Enogex, then it's got to be MidFirst...don't see anyone else local that could do this.

I don't know enough about MidFirst's staffing levels. Do they have that amount of people?

Pete, where are you thinking this second tower might go?

Since it is a fair amount of retail on the bottom (2 floors), does this mean the developer is not the primary tenant? Is there an anchor tenant and other leasable space?

I believe one of the issues to be resolved with this project is the future of the food tents at the Arts Festival.

If the California easement is vacated, the tents would have to move elsewhere and they require plumbing and electricity. In order for the Myriad Gardens and streets to accommodate these changes, some infrastructure would be required.

I'm sure there are a million complexities involving this deal, but it seems this is one of them and I'm also sure they don't want to make any public announcements until they have everything pretty well sorted out.

OK, we need our resident modelers to put something together with a 650-700 foot structure on the southwest corner of Walker and Sheridan. What will the skyline look like?

I don't know enough about MidFirst's staffing levels. Do they have that amount of people?

Pete, where are you thinking this second tower might go?

They are completely full at their home office on Grand and Western. They are also occupying most if not all of the building on the NW corner of Hefner and Rockwell. They are basically busting at the seams, but instead of building something new, I could see them buying one of CHK's buildings like One or Two Grand for expansion. I would bet this is someone besides Midfirst, but I don't know.

I believe one of the issues to be resolved with this project is the future of the food tents at the Arts Festival.

If the California easement is vacated, the tents would have to move elsewhere and they require plumbing and electricity. In order for the Myriad Gardens and streets to accommodate these changes, some infrastructure would be required.

I'm sure there are a million complexities involving this deal, but it seems this is one of them and I'm also sure they don't want to make any public announcements until they have everything pretty well sorted out.

I bet your right Pete. The Community Foundation (owners) are probably working closely with the Arts Council to decide where the future of the Arts Festival is going to grow. They were already a little tight for space. This was definitely not something they considered when the renovated the Myriad Gardens.

OK, we need our resident modelers to put something together with a 650-700 foot structure on the southwest corner of Walker and Sheridan. What will the skyline look like?

Go ahead and throw in a 15 story convention center hotel butting up against Robinson while you are at it :D

So you haven't gotten any kind of timeline for an announcement, correct?

It could come almost any time.

However, by all indications the deal is done and they are just trying to iron out some details before going public.


I'm sure they want all their ducks in a row before announcing a plan that will involve demolishing Stage Center, because there will be a lot of opposition to that.

I bet your right Pete. The Community Foundation (owners) are probably working closely with the Arts Council to decide where the future of the Arts Festival is going to grow. They were already a little tight for space. This was definitely not something they considered when the renovated the Myriad Gardens.

A temp fix would be placing them on the future convention center site, but what about long term? In five years, the myriad gardens will be surrounded by a new tower to the west, DT school to the SW and convention center and hotel to the south. What is the long term fix? Move it to the new park? This makes the redevelopment of the CCC site more important.

And more information...


Now I understand the Stage Center Tower will only occupy the property up to / including the California easement, not the properties south of there.

Oh yeah!!!!!!!

http://24.media.tumblr.com/879db353da22476a3778f75c15010dcb/tumblr_mga4prhLHO1rhvmgeo1_250.gif

And more information...

Now I understand the Stage Center Tower will only occupy the property up to / including the California easement, not the properties south of there.

I am thinking a building with an approximate footprint of the Chase building on the eastern side of the land with a parking garage to the west. That area to the south of this will become prime real estate once work on everything around it starts.

I bet your right Pete. The Community Foundation (owners) are probably working closely with the Arts Council to decide where the future of the Arts Festival is going to grow. They were already a little tight for space. This was definitely not something they considered when the renovated the Myriad Gardens.

Thinking out loud here, but could they put it in the parking lot south of the Myriad Gardens where the car dealership used to be? Lots of space, but still in the general area.

:rock_on:

Moving the Arts Festival should probably be a thread unto itself.

Thinking out loud here, but could they put it in the parking lot south of the Myriad Gardens where the car dealership used to be? Lots of space, but still in the general area.

Again, it would only be a temp fix if the Convention Center would go on that site.

I really think the only local companies capable of building something like this are MidFirst and OG&E and I just can't believe OG&E would go for such expensive, high-profile and controversial property. There is going to be backlash due to the Stage Center demolition and it's hard to imagine a public utilities company putting themselves in the middle of that.

We KNOW MidFirst made a bid on the OPUBCO properties on Broadway Extension and that they are out of space. With Chesapeake no longer being a buyer for their I-44 buildings, we assumed they would look to purchase Grand Park One & Two from Chesapeake for their expansion needs.

That still may happen but the recent quick sale of other CHK office properties shows there is a strong demand in the market, even with Chesapeake now being a seller rather than buyer. So, while they might not get the CHK premium, it shouldn't be hard to market those properties -- or keep them as investments and lease them out.


This is going to be an expensive and elaborate project and I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Records (CEO) saw this property as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something special for his company and for the community as a whole, not unlike Larry Nichols and Devon.

This tower may also be the second tallest in entire the state.
May have to take another video of the completed tower from I-40 with my iPhone 8.

This tower may also be the second tallest in entire the state.

Interesting point!

Bank of Oklahoma Tower in Tulsa is 667' and this new tower should be very close to that.

The only thing I'm have a hard time with is the fact that all of the block to Reno will be bought, but this tower will only be on the SC site plus the easement on California...This tells me maybe OG&E is involved, and that the rest of the block could be for CNP/Enogex to be announced later this year.....I don't know, it's bewildering.

Interesting point!

Bank of Oklahoma Tower in Tulsa is 667' and this new tower should be very close to that.

There is a big cringe going on with a few folks in Tulsa right about now.

It seems the second tower would not be on this same block but elsewhere.

Given that Pete's source is dishing out some concrete details, it sounds like an announcement it quite imminent.

But when?

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesdays are excellent days for announcements like these. So my guess is tomorrow.

Or maybe that's too soon. So my next guess is Friday.

If it isn't announced by Friday, then I'll be a little bummed (but only a little, so long as it's coming)

Interesting point!

Bank of Oklahoma Tower in Tulsa is 667' and this new tower should be very close to that.

Oh, they can't be unaware of that. I think that this guarantees that we're getting at least a 668 foot tower. :)

As soon as this is announced, my friend DCsooner, I'm coming after you !!! LOL Not the bridesmaid, but the Bride this time.

Given that Pete's source is dishing out some concrete details, it sounds like an announcement it quite imminent.

But when?

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesdays are excellent days for announcements like these. So my guess is tomorrow.

Or maybe that's too soon. So my next guess is Friday.

If it isn't announced by Friday, then I'll be a little bummed (but only a little, so long as it's coming)

I don't think things are that imminent.

It could still be a month or more before there is an official announcement.

I don't think things are that imminent.

It could still be a month or more before there is an official announcement.

I don't like this post as much as some of your others from today. :p

I don't think things are that imminent.

It could still be a month or more before there is an official announcement.

More than a month? Egads, I hope that's not the case. Well, I'll have to hold tight and attempt something resembling patience in the interim regardless.

But my gut instinct tells me it won't be that long. It just feel that your source wouldn't be leaking such info if he didn't think the official announcement was quite close. Call it Praedura's intuition. :)

This has been in the works for quite some time, it's just that a lot of this info is new to us.

The wheels have been grinding on this for several months and it's only coincidence I am just now hearing some of the specifics.


We could hear something very soon, but it also wouldn't surprise me if it took another month or two. These things take time.

However, it IS going to happen and there is work being done now to move things forward.

To back up the MidFirst probabilities, a couple of years ago, some design firm had produced renderings for a client near Broadway extension and 63rd st. IIRC, it was a 29 story, curved and tiered building, very nice looking....it's somewhere on OKCTALK.

...but it also wouldn't surprise me if it took another month or two.

Don't say that! Do you want to see a grown man cry? :(

But hey, if it does take that long, then the least your source could do is leak a rendering or two, so that at least we have something to look at and drool over in the mean time!

Just kidding (sort of)
:)

Well soon we will have a Central Park surrounded by nothing but corporations and convention centers and a downtown elementary school surrounded by nothing but corporations and parking garages.

I wonder what's missing...

This is true. It seems our newer high rise developments are aiming more for the typical financial centers of 40-50 years ago with large complexes gathered in sterile environments that have little life to them outside of the 8-5 work day, as opposed to the more mixed use / mixed services type of developments that are more common now. In this case, there's not much there anyway and what little life was there has been sucked out of it with Stage Center dying and everything north of it going empty.

Either way, at least Deep Deuce and MidTown are still coming along to create a nice urban environment downtown that's worth visiting / living in. Hopefully, the new park will be developed with more of a neighborhood feel that will be cool to BOTH live and work in. Certainly this could be too, but it doesn't seem to headed that way.

This is true. It seems our newer high rise developments are aiming more for the typical financial centers of 40-50 years ago with large complexes gathered in sterile environments that have little life to them outside of the 8-5 work day, as opposed to the more mixed use / mixed services type of developments that are more common now. In this case, there's not much there anyway and what little life was there has been sucked out of it with Stage Center dying and everything north of it going empty.

Either way, at least Deep Deuce and MidTown are still coming along to create a nice urban environment downtown that's worth visiting / living in. Hopefully, the new park will be developed with more of a neighborhood feel that will be cool to BOTH live and work in. Certainly this could be too, but it doesn't seem to headed that way.

Not too sure we know enough about it to make much judgement. Pete did say that the first 2 floors were possibly some type of mixed use retail.

I'm trying to read the other threads on this board today, but it's a feeble attempt. My heart is only in one thread.

How many times can I keep hitting refresh, hoping that Pete tosses out another morsel?

(answer: many, many times)

There is lots of room for residential infill to the west of the Stage Center property, and I bet we start to see that before long.

I'll be glad when all these silly, thoughtless towers are thrown up in the middle of our DT.
Perhaps we can then enjoy another era of reasonable land use and downtown development vision.

:)
j/k

I'm trying to read the other threads on this board today, but it's a feeble attempt. My heart is only in one thread.

How many times can I keep hitting refresh, hoping that Pete tosses out another morsel?

(answer: many, many times)

About time to back away from the keyboard....lol take a deep breath and walk around the block, get your bearings.

Either you all over estimate the amount of corporate headquarters to be built in OKC or totally underestimate the amount of space there is to build life centers. Bricktown, Midtown, CTS, Film Row, SOSA would all be considered core in many many cities. This crowd gets too myopic and hates businesses way to much. Even in NYC every block isn't mixed use. There are many, many areas that are predominately business and others predominantly residential. We have the opportunity to provide 1-2000 more jobs downtown in this project alone, which means we can support thousands more who might want to walk or ride the ungastly 2-10 blocks to a home in btown, dd, mt, sosa. OMG.

Why do so many see the worst in everything good. Even when we don't know what it is. (I may have to side with Steve. LOL) For all we know, this is 2 floors of retail, 28 floors of offices and 10 floors of condos. Maybe the south part is for their new hotel. Let's just take a breath and see.

About time to back away from the keyboard....lol take a deep breath and walk around the block, get your bearings.

Yeah but...... while I'm out there walking (and sweating bullets in the heat), Pete could be posting some spiffy, tantalizing, interesting, evocative, and amazing tidbit of info about the new tower.

And I would not be there to read it the nanosecond it arrived on the board. Horrors!
:wink:

There is lots of room for residential infill to the west of the Stage Center property, and I bet we start to see that before long.

I still hope that building private residences atop the CC Hotel similar to Ft Worth Omni is explored. That would be a pretty sweet location.

There is a big cringe going on with a few folks in Tulsa right about now.

As a proud Tulsa native I am very happy for OKC. I've never understood the binary OKC/Tulsa thinking. I hope both are successful.

As a proud Tulsa native I am very happy for OKC. I've never understood the binary OKC/Tulsa thinking. I hope both are successful.

No matter how many towers OKC builds, Tulsa still has the advantage of having so much Art Deco in their skyline. Those are beautiful buildings that just don't get built anymore. This is off topic, but Tulsa already has an outstanding skyline for its size. What it needs is infill. Get rid of the surface lots and build more low-rise, street-level residential.

I find myself spending more and more time staring at Google Maps trying to figure out where the next development will go. I visualize what the city would look like with a tower here, a midrise there, etc. I'm very glad this development is going to stay north of California. Much as I want a tower, we want to keep it from being a completely sprawling development. You could fit several towers along that side of the Myriad Gardens, and while I understand the need for parking, we don't want to take up the entirity of the west side with a big garage.

A 700' tower for what is probably the new MLP would be a huge addition to our skyline. Clearly they have a lot to live up to with the success of the Devon building.

I think Devon has set a new standard that I hope this new tower will aspire to reach for. Devon is a world class (truly - I know it is an overly worn phrase) tower which would fit in any of the leading cities. We can hope that all to follow will use it as motivation. That isn't to say I prefer another glass tower, but rather the quality of the design and execution.

No matter how many towers OKC builds, Tulsa still has the advantage of having so much Art Deco in their skyline. Those are beautiful buildings that just don't get built anymore. This is off topic, but Tulsa already has an outstanding skyline for its size. What it needs is infill. Get rid of the surface lots and build more low-rise, street-level residential.

Tulsa is a beautiful city, but yeah they need infill just as much as we do. I think we'll eventually start seeing midrise condos and apartments filling in our city. That will change the feel of our entire downtown.

Though if I was an eccentric billionaire, I'd build a giant art deco skyscraper. Just because. And I'd take my zeppelin in to work each day.

No matter how many towers OKC builds, Tulsa still has the advantage of having so much Art Deco in their skyline. Those are beautiful buildings that just don't get built anymore. This is off topic, but Tulsa already has an outstanding skyline for its size. What it needs is infill. Get rid of the surface lots and build more low-rise, street-level residential.

I agree but it's not like OKC's skyline is devoid of historic Art Deco buildings. Tulsa has more, but OKC still has a few.

Either you all over estimate the amount of corporate headquarters to be built in OKC or totally underestimate the amount of space there is to build life centers. Bricktown, Midtown, CTS, Film Row, SOSA would all be considered core in many many cities. This crowd gets too myopic and hates businesses way to much. Even in NYC every block isn't mixed use. There are many, many areas that are predominately business and others predominantly residential. We have the opportunity to provide 1-2000 more jobs downtown in this project alone, which means we can support thousands more who might want to walk or ride the ungastly 2-10 blocks to a home in btown, dd, mt, sosa. OMG.

Why do so many see the worst in everything good. Even when we don't know what it is. (I may have to side with Steve. LOL) For all we know, this is 2 floors of retail, 28 floors of offices and 10 floors of condos. Maybe the south part is for their new hotel. Let's just take a breath and see.

Oh God, another over reaction to a speculative post. I said the area doesn't seem to be headed towards a neighborhood type development and then you say I hate businesses and I'm myopic, which is ironic because I am clearly speaking of the possible long term nature of the whole district, not just how cool it will be to have another tall building in the area. Just thinking and, yes, SPECULATING, about the impact of another possible two block long development in a square that is nothing but. And yes, since we don't know what it is, no one's prediction, including yours of thousands of new people wanting to live in downtown because of this, can be considered a judgement on what IS.

It's all blowing smoke right now. I don't know why people take this personally to the point of attacking others.

I think Devon has set a new standard that I hope this new tower will aspire to reach for. Devon is a world class (truly - I know it is an overly worn phrase) tower which would fit in any of the leading cities. We can hope that all to follow will use it as motivation. That isn't to say I prefer another glass tower, but rather the quality of the design and execution.

I'd prefer if the new tower had its own architectural style. While I wouldn't turn down any of the companies who wanted to build one, if 10 years from now the 5 tallest buildings in OKC are all blue reflective glass, it'll look funny.

So we have the potential of:

New MLP (Stage Center)
OG&E (north of art museum)
maybe MidFirst (?)
maybe new Devon or Devon MLP (Preftakes block)
Convention Hotel (south of MG)

with the potential of several midrise residential towers as well. This city could look totally different in 10 years.

Though if I was an eccentric billionaire, I'd build a giant art deco skyscraper. Just because. And I'd take my zeppelin in to work each day.

Buy First National - you could tie your zeppelin up to the mast!

Continental possible also.

Continental possible also.

SandRidge too! Oh wait... : /

With all these rumors of new towers, I think we have to ask how many contractors are capable of this type of construction? I don't think we've had a high-rise boom like this since the 30s. FlintCo built Devon, right? I'd assume they'd work on at least one of the new ones. I really don't know how specialized this kind of construction is. Are we talking about a bunch of people coming in from Texas or elsewhere to build these? Or are we talking about a limited group of companies being kept busy, building one tower after the other?

Oh God, another over reaction to a speculative post. I said the area doesn't seem to be headed towards a neighborhood type development and then you say I hate businesses and I'm myopic, which is ironic because I am clearly speaking of the possible long term nature of the whole district, not just how cool it will be to have another tall building in the area. Just thinking and, yes, SPECULATING, about the impact of another possible two block long development in a square that is nothing but. And yes, since we don't know what it is, no one's prediction, including yours of thousands of new people wanting to live in downtown because of this, can be considered a judgement on what IS.

It's all blowing smoke right now. I don't know why people take this personally to the point of attacking others.

I didn't read it as a personal attack. Obviously I'm a little insensitive...


With all these rumors of new towers, I think we have to ask how many contractors are capable of this type of construction? I don't think we've had a high-rise boom like this since the 30s. FlintCo built Devon, right? I'd assume they'd work on at least one of the new ones. I really don't know how specialized this kind of construction is. Are we talking about a bunch of people coming in from Texas or elsewhere to build these? Or are we talking about a limited group of companies being kept busy, building one tower after the other?

All I know is Dolese should be happy that a future project is in the pipeline again...

There's a huge part of me that hopes that this is the MLP, to the extent that I my hopes be a little let down if this is MidFirst (though I'll still be as giddy as a school girl). A new building is nice, don't get me wrong...but an $11B company headquartered in OKC is far more appealing to me than getting one more tower. Not that these are mutually exclusive, but it would be nice to know that the MLP is locked up.

Should this Stage Center tower happen to be MidFirst, then I really hope for skyline aesthetics that OGE/the new MLP, should we get it, nabs up the NW Block of Hudson/Robert S Kerr and builds a 600+ ft. tower on the SE corner. It would fill the hole in the view from East to West between City Place and Sandridge almost perfectly. And with the new tower on the SC site, the Skyline would become be pretty damn impressive...use your imagination with this photo:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/7996036994_c306c3129b_b.jpg

Someone help me out here...what's MLP? The only thing I could come up with is My Little Pony. And that sounds like a lot of space for a My Little Pony HQ.