I don't have the research to back it up, but I do remember hearing that the convention center would be phase 1 of 2 and that a hotel would be need to be subsidized after the initial proposals and before the vote actually happened. I voted yes knowing all of those things.

I think you might have heard that here, as speculation. I don't remember that being said officially, prior to the MAPS 3 vote. Looking at the price tag, I knew they were going to be asking for more money eventually. I just figured it would be a MAPS 4 vote, most likely.

He did tweet this today however...

Steve's OKC Central @stevelackmeyer

Good grief... I can't begin to explain how crazy downtown development is right now behind the scenes. Get ready...
10:46 AM - 11 Jun 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gpOzAxngZMI

The tower, I mean ;)

Has nothing to do with the towers. Hotel will still be built. The council just doesn't want to pay 100k on research they could probably have done for way less.

The amount was staggering to me. Especially when you consider they said would deliver their final report "this summer." That's a very fast turnaround for $100,000.00.

Well finally we might get to see the secret chamber document that said we need a 2-phase convention center and large hotel. To echo Shadid's comments in the article, the hotel and second phase were suppressed in the MAPS III discussions. In fact, even the tripling of convention business doesn't happen until phase 2 is done. It was a typical political smoke and mirrors operation where the best possible out-come was pitched but only 1/3 of the cost was revealed. At least the streetcar group was up front that the MAPS III streetcar was only a starter system (while still being fully functional if next phases never materialized).

Our Convention business is bustiung at the seams. It will take care of itself. Just looking at the next 30 days, there are over 20ooo convention room nights booked. I don't think that we can build a new convention center fast enough.

The article made it seem like the building of the hotel is in question. It makes it seem like with the Staybridge Suites, Aloft, etc there won't be enough demand for another full service hotel.

Personally I would love to see an Omni.

Omni, Grand Hyatt, W, Westin -- anything but these second-tier hotels we are saturating downtown with.


The article made it seem like the building of the hotel is in question. It makes it seem like with the Staybridge Suites, Aloft, etc there won't be enough demand for another full service hotel.

Personally I would love to see an Omni.

Omni, Grand Hyatt, W, Westin -- anything but these second-tier hotels we are saturating downtown with.

Agreed. It seems like every second-rate, roadside hotel chain is wanting to get a piece of the pie as of late. It will be great to see another full-service, top tier hotel downtown and hopefully all these garbage hotels don't ruin our chances of it.

I know here in Los Angeles, the Gas Co. has a 52-story downtown tower they built about 15 years ago, and they consolidated employees for other downtown building when it opened.

I had a project in there for a while and it's extremely nice. They also lease some space to outside tenants, and that may happen here as well to help them offset the cost. After all, there seems to be great demand for nice, Class A space.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Los_Angeles_downtown_p1000070.jpg/800px-Los_Angeles_downtown_p1000070.jpg

http://shootingarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ShootingArchitecture_Jul14_12-2942_tm_rev.jpg

... They also lease some space to outside tenants, and that may happen here as well to help them offset the cost...

That's why I wonder if this won't just be for one company and maybe some residential (another reason why no one has responded to the RPF put out for the Main Street Parking garage because there are other parties in the know about this deal being worked on at the SCC) as well as retail presence downtown. Along with the easement issue, there are a lot of contracts that have to be tied down.

Pete

Is the LA Gas Co bldg. the 2nd tall bldg. from the left with the curved glass top or the far right bldg. with the rounded right front corner.

Something along the lines of the 2nd tall bldg. from the left with the curved glass at the top has more character in my humble opinion. And the Stage Center site needs to have a quality looking bldg.

Is the LA Gas Co bldg. the 2nd tall bldg. from the left with the curved glass top or the far right bldg. with the rounded right front corner.

2nd tall building from the left.

It's completely in keeping with the other new, corporate towers in downtown L.A. even though it's owned by a utility company.

Something like the JP Morgan Chase building in Dallas would make me happy. Hopefully this new "mystery" tower has a throwback to the late '80s design so we can fill the gap, both physically and historically.

My guess is that Steve nor any other news source will break this story. This is a pretty big deal, so the company will probably have a major press conference announcing the news to everyone at the same time, with Governor Fallin, Mayor Cornett, and other City officials present, then follow up stories will be written after that.

Since this has been in the works for a couple of years, does anyone think they'll start actual construction by this fall ? Seems like they should be a long ways down the road.

Well finally we might get to see the secret chamber document that said we need a 2-phase convention center and large hotel. To echo Shadid's comments in the article, the hotel and second phase were suppressed in the MAPS III discussions. In fact, even the tripling of convention business doesn't happen until phase 2 is done. It was a typical political smoke and mirrors operation where the best possible out-come was pitched but only 1/3 of the cost was revealed. At least the streetcar group was up front that the MAPS III streetcar was only a starter system (while still being fully functional if next phases never materialized).

I don't know you and I'm a relatively new poster here, but I think you're in for a let down. My wife worked for the Chamber for 5 years and that document has been seen by the media already, and has been reported on, so if there was earth shattering corrupt data you'd know about it already. The hotel was not part of the MAPS discussions but was/in not intended to be paid for with MAPS funds.

I know most of us for the most part view OKC as a place we live, but in reality the city does compete with other cities, just like we all do in our own jobs with other companies, and like the Thunder compete against other teams, for convention business, corporate relocations and expansions, etc. The release of that document in full could have jeopardized OKC's competitive advantages over other cities.

Again, not to ruffle any feathers, just tossing that out there. We were transplants here 5 years ago due to my job and we love it here. We've seen much more cooperation in local government here over any other place we've lived, and the results speak for themselves.

Since this has been in the works for a couple of years, does anyone think they'll start actual construction by this fall ? Seems like they should be a long ways down the road.

Devon Energy made their announcement in March of 2008 and construction officially started October 1st, 2009. Being that that was just over 1 1/2 years it's probably going to be a wait and see game.

Since this has been in the works for a couple of years, does anyone think they'll start actual construction by this fall ? Seems like they should be a long ways down the road.

I am guessing the majority of the work is already done behind the scenes. With that being said, demolition and site prep would only take a few months. If announced next month, we should start seeing cranes in early Spring of 2014.

Devon Energy made their announcement in March of 2008 and construction officially started October 1st, 2009. Being that that was just over 1 1/2 years it's probably going to be a wait and see game.

There will obviously be a little more demolition involved with this project. Wouldn't surprise me to see that phase start by late fall or early next year.

I don't know you and I'm a relatively new poster here, but I think you're in for a let down. My wife worked for the Chamber for 5 years and that document has been seen by the media already, and has been reported on, so if there was earth shattering corrupt data you'd know about it already. The hotel was not part of the MAPS discussions but was/in not intended to be paid for with MAPS funds.


Well, here is the thing, the MAPS III sales pitch was that the new convention center would triple the convention business, and that may very well be, BUT, and this is a big big BUT, it was never publicized that to get the triple business a second phase and hotel had to be built. While the second phase and hotel might not have been targets for MAPS funding the reality is that voting for phase 1 obligated the people of OKC to also fund phase 2 and a portion of the hotel - or else funding phase 1 via MAPS would be a waste of money.

Now having said that, I am all for a new convention center but not because I believe some pie in the sky economic boom prediction, but because the real value in a new convention center is in freeing up the land the Cox currently sits on.

It would be nice if all this convention center & hotel conversation would find its way back to the Convention Center & Hotel thread.

It would be nice if all this convention center & hotel conversation would find its way back to the Convention Center & Hotel thread.

Pete will move it. Pete always moves it...eventually.

With regard to the StageCenterSite, I'd be more than happy if a year and a half didn't go by before we started to see demo.

12:07
Comment From Lackmeyer Fan
What is this mystery tower everyone is referencing?

12:07
Steve Lackmeyer: It's a cell phone tower.

12:08
Steve Lackmeyer: Maybe.


Cell phone company? Just kidding.

Steve did say in his chat that he might have a big story for us in this Sunday's Oklahoman, and that it would be a surprise, not sure it will be regarding a tower, but I am anxious to know what it could be.

10:45 a.m. You referenced on twitter earlier this week how crazy things have been behind the scenes in downtown okc, and I don't want to sound greedy, but is there more development in "the pipeline" for downtown okc than what you reported on this week? If so, any hits as to what or where these projects may be?


Steve Lackmeyer - 10:48 a.m. Well, on my blog yesterday I reported that Jeannette Smith is stepping down as director of the Bricktown Association. I've also reported the House of Bedlam project in Bricktown is going to be bigger than first planned. I've shown how extensive the east Bricktown project will be. We've seen a major potential split begin on whether to build a large conference hotel. We now know a Hyatt Place may be in the works for the east Bricktown project. Is there more coming? You bet. I might have a surprise in tomorrow's Oklahoman.

Jane - 12:04 p.m. Are you going to have a big story in Sunday's Oklahoman?



Steve Lackmeyer - 12:04 p.m. No.


Steve Lackmeyer - 12:04 p.m. Yes.

Jane - 12:04 p.m. Are you going to have a big story in Sunday's Oklahoman?



Steve Lackmeyer - 12:04 p.m. No.


Steve Lackmeyer - 12:04 p.m. Yes.

I'll take that as a definitive No/Yes. :noldus:

So does this mean we will see it tonight at 1am?

Given that that's when most news pieces go live unless they're breaking, I'm not sure that's when OG+E wants the announcement to get out.

Further, as to how long Devon took between announcement and ground breaking, we seem to have forgotten the major reason for that was e design phase. It seems like the preliminary design phase may be quite well underway here.

Steve had an interesting response to a question in the NewsOK chat this morning that left me wondering if Mystery Tower is someone other than the new MLP/OG&E.

Bethany Sooner 10:41 a.m. - Steve, you mentioned the area around Robert S Kerr and Hudson as a potential tower location. Is this site still in play regarding a probable future tower?

Steve Lackmeyer 10:44 a.m. - Is it in play? I won't go that far. But consider this: let's say that the Enogex midstream deal does result in a new tower being built in downtown Oklahoma City. What are the possibilities that they would want to build immediately west of the garage currently used by their sister company OG&E and the county and be just a block away from OG&E? The block could easily be redeveloped...

I'm probably reading too much into it, but he's openly talking about that site making sense for the new MLP because it's close to OG&E. Anyway, it left me wondering if someone else is behind Stage Center site.

Steve had an interesting response to a question in the NewsOK chat this morning that left me wondering if Mystery Tower is someone other than the new MLP/OG&E.

Bethany Sooner 10:41 a.m. - Steve, you mentioned the area around Robert S Kerr and Hudson as a potential tower location. Is this site still in play regarding a probable future tower?

Steve Lackmeyer 10:44 a.m. - Is it in play? I won't go that far. But consider this: let's say that the Enogex midstream deal does result in a new tower being built in downtown Oklahoma City. What are the possibilities that they would want to build immediately west of the garage currently used by their sister company OG&E and the county and be just a block away from OG&E? The block could easily be redeveloped...

I'm probably reading too much into it, but he's openly talking about that site making sense for the new MLP because it's close to OG&E. Anyway, it left me wondering if someone else is behind Stage Center site.

That would almost go hand in hand with this comment.

George 11:29 a.m. If a mystery tower were to create a lot of new vacant space downtown, how quickly do you think it could reabsorbed?

Steve Lackmeyer 11:29 a.m. I don't think it will.

But as hot as downtown is refilling a building the size of OG+E's current building would be a problem.

Who else could it be though that's local but that wouldn't create a sizable chunk of vacant space? I really have no idea.

That would almost go hand in hand with this comment.

George 11:29 a.m. If a mystery tower were to create a lot of new vacant space downtown, how quickly do you think it could reabsorbed?

Steve Lackmeyer 11:29 a.m. I don't think it will.

But as hot as downtown is refilling a building the size of OG+E's current building would be a problem.

I'm pretty sure it's roughly the size of Devon's old Mid-Continent Tower?

OG&E's building is only 100,000 sq. ft. and the old Devon building is 323,000.

Yeah that would be easily absorbed but I am not sure if it is Class A space...that may be the difficulty Lackmeyer is alluding to, because downtown nobody wants Class C or lower B space right now. I am confident, just from reading his recent comments and knowing his position combined with the fact he's not blogging about this (despite the big business that mystery tower speculation has become) he is using every opportunity he can to be vague and avoid giving any kind of indication.

I think his "I don't think it will" comment was in regards to creating lots of vacant space, not it's potential for absorption.

OG&E has the 100,000 s.f. plus employees scattered all over the place. So moving them into a new tower would not have a big impact on downtown vacancy.

Just now noticed my typo, I actually meant to say it wouldn't be a problem to fill the space not would be.

Yeah that would be easily absorbed but I am not sure if it is Class A space...that may be the difficulty Lackmeyer is alluding to, because downtown nobody wants Class C or lower B space right now. I am confident, just from reading his recent comments and knowing his position combined with the fact he's not blogging about this (despite the big business that mystery tower speculation has become) he is using every opportunity he can to be vague and avoid giving any kind of indication.

And sometimes his answered could be contradictions of earlier post.

James 10:58 a.m. If you were a betting man, would you put money on GE ending up in okc or norman?

Steve Lackmeyer 10:59 a.m. That's a difficult bet to make. Really, genuinely, I can't call this one. (paraphrased quote)

Then one post later he said this in an reply to a question about the future development of East Bricktown.

Steve Lackmeyer 11:05 a.m. East Bricktown, 2025. I'm taking the new streetcar from the new GE Energy Research Laboratory in the Health Sciences Center to enjoy an afternoon in Bricktown. (just first line of his answer).

Has Love's been mentioned???? I'm not providing any scoop and I don't have any information... Just wondering if Love's has been mentioned at all or even makes sense.

Loves just built a new HQ at Hefner & Penn. And they probably only have a hundred or so in their main office.

I believe Love's is already in the process of building a new building for themselves at the current location.

I thought this was somewhat interesting of a comment -


11:10 a.m. Fair enough on most of your points, but you do know enough to report some high points without a lot of details if you wanted. Such as who the company is. Correct?


Steve Lackmeyer 11:11 a.m. Yes and no. My answer in March would be different than what it is today. The soup isn't done cooking yet. If you want speculation and gossip, there are other sources for that.

Is this out of context, or did he not exactly know in March who is behind the MT ?

I thought this was somewhat interesting of a comment -


11:10 a.m. Fair enough on most of your points, but you do know enough to report some high points without a lot of details if you wanted. Such as who the company is. Correct?


Steve Lackmeyer 11:11 a.m. Yes and no. My answer in March would be different than what it is today. The soup isn't done cooking yet. If you want speculation and gossip, there are other sources for that.

Is this out of context, or did he not exactly know in March who is behind the MT ?

This caught my eye as well. Weird.

Kokopelli made a good point though about contradicting answers sometimes. I think it's partly a result of the way questions are submitted and answered though.

I thought this was somewhat interesting of a comment -


11:10 a.m. Fair enough on most of your points, but you do know enough to report some high points without a lot of details if you wanted. Such as who the company is. Correct?


Steve Lackmeyer 11:11 a.m. Yes and no. My answer in March would be different than what it is today. The soup isn't done cooking yet. If you want speculation and gossip, there are other sources for that.

Is this out of context, or did he not exactly know in March who is behind the MT ?

I noticed this one as well and again I wondered if OKC had indeed been in the race for the new Met-Life headquarters that went to Charlotte. On the other hand it could have been another local company. One thing appears to be for sure, Stage Center is an excellent site. Hopefully the company that ends up with it will do the site justice.

3831

3831

That's one tall elementary school!

School teachers do not drive a RR

School teachers do not drive a RR

If you watch the video on YouTube, Elliott has his building on the block where the school is currently being built.

If you watch the video on YouTube, Elliott has his building on the block where the school is currently being built.I can't find the video >_< would you happen to have a link??

True the school will be there but a mystery tower still remains and the "patented" concept has yet to be built. 1 block east.
This would be an iconic structure that would give OKC tourism a boost and fit in with the "energy hub" north persona OKC has built itself into.
Look i'm not sayin its gonna happen...just speculating and throwing ideas out there. And I would love to see it built.

I can't find the video >_< would you happen to have a link??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TkgtddQalQ

True the school will be there but a mystery tower still remains and the "patented" concept has yet to be built. 1 block east.
This would be an iconic structure that would give OKC tourism a boost and fit in with the "energy hub" north persona OKC has built itself into.
Look i'm not sayin its gonna happen...just speculating and throwing ideas out there. And I would love to see it built.

I'm just glad that it has resurfaced, that video above is awesome and a lot better than the still pic I had seen long ago. Elliott looks like Penn Jillett, so maybe a lil magic is on our future.

That would be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That would be an awesome OKC-unique feature, but would come with some sort of wind-access envelope, similar to a solar envelope. As long as no significant adjacent structures were planned immediately adjacent...no biggie.

That Rand Elliot concept would be like the space needle in Seattle. It would be a great landmark for the city! Instantly recognizable.

If the tower stops spinning, does that mean you're not dreaming?

If the tower stops spinning, does that mean you're not dreaming?

The floors are stationary. It's the carbon fiber cylinders between them that rotate.

If the tower stops spinning, does that mean you're not dreaming?

Depends how deep you have gone. Though with all the parking lots around here, it'll be pretty easy for your wife to find you.

Rand may want to consider moving it south along the river to where wheeler park is or to the new development at the old downtown airstrip to ensure full wind and sun exposure. Although a school on the west side and gardens on the east will get good sun exposure at the Stage center site. Not sure about how towers to the north would affect wind exposure.

School teachers do not drive a RR

Local/pseudo architects do though (as well as porsches)

I thought the consensus here was that it was hated. I think it's really cool.

I thought the consensus here was that it was hated. I think it's really cool.

Would this be a hotel,residential or offices? Build it I say. Maybe the new cc hotel? They would save a ton on the light bill.