Yes
Dang it.

I get a little queasy every time I hear "twin towers," so I'm perfectly fine with one big tower and a smaller companion tower.

And potentially lost the enogex HQ to Houston. At least that seems more likely now.


I thought this may be the case all along. Not standing by any longer with baited breath for signficant announcement

I have a friend over at enogex and speculation around the office is that the HQ will be in houston but that they will still have a very large presence in OKC. He said that he thought the only personnel shuffling would send accounting/finance people to houston and operations oriented people from houston to okc. He mentioned that to me a few weeks ago and I brushed it off, but if both entities will be housed in the same tower, that scenario seems a little more likely. Granted, this guy isn't that high up within the company and its all just "watercooler" speculation, but the rumor is out there none the less. The fact that centerpoint is the majority owner also lends some credibility to that, however wasn't there something that said they would have equal shares in the governance of the new entity?

Having said that, it still isn't a bad scenario. Always would prefer the HQ but nothing wrong with a major office. Look at Exxon, the HQ has been in Irving forever but their major offices are in houston(soon to be the woodlands) and ft worth. Kerr mcgee's HQ was here, but for a long time there major office was in Houston. Operationally the bulk of the mlp's pipeline infrastructure is centered around OK and north Texas so could be a similar scenario.

After all this speculation, it appears OKC once again will lose big to Houston. Not quite a major league player yet in the world of corporate relocations.

I guess I don't understand all the speculation on Houston getting the MLP. If OGE/Centerpoint/Enogex are all the buyers on this - why are we assuming this is for OGE and Enogex to share a building and not just the site for the MLP? Those are the three players in the MLP.

after all this speculation, it appears OKC once again will lose big to Houston. Not quite a major league player yet in the world of corporate relocations.

Again, if we don't get the hq we will be losing in title only. The mlp's presence would still be larger than enogex currently and we might get the larger of the two offices. Also, no guarantee yet that we won't get two towers out of this deal. I don't think anyone should jump off the cliff yet or anything.

From what it sounds like we will get one tower and a significant presence of the MLP but not the HQ. That may not be the slam dunk many here had hoped for but it's still a pretty big development. Cities like Memphis, Louisville, Wichita, Little Rock, etc would kill for an announcement like this.

I thought this may be the case all along. Not standing by any longer with baited breath for signficant announcement

If it's a 40 floor major skyscraper would that count as significant ?

I guess I don't understand all the speculation on Houston getting the MLP. If OGE/Centerpoint/Enogex are all the buyers on this - why are we assuming this is for OGE and Enogex to share a building and not just the site for the MLP? Those are the three players in the MLP.

My speculation is because of the speculation of this thread, to Steve not being worried going from near certainty to now nervous hope.

[/B]

If it's a 40 floor major skyscraper would that count as major ?

Not when the opportunity to be dramatic presents itself. You should know that after 2,200 posts.

I think OG&E is just purchasing the site on behalf of the Enogex/Centerpoint MLP, and the Enogex/Centerpoint MLP will build tower on that site. OG&E will build tower behind office on N. Hudson.

This is what i am hoping is correct.

Pretty much the rule when it comes to major economic development is the reality will almost always fall somewhere between the best and worst case scenario. Rarely will the total optimists or total pessimists get it right. This situation appears to be no different.

My speculation is because of the speculation of this thread, to Steve not being worried going from near certainty to now nervous hope.

You don't miss a chance to add some negativity to the conversation do you?

I have a friend over at enogex and speculation around the office is that the HQ will be in houston but that they will still have a very large presence in OKC. He said that he thought the only personnel shuffling would send accounting/finance people to houston and operations oriented people from houston to okc. He mentioned that to me a few weeks ago and I brushed it off, but if both entities will be housed in the same tower, that scenario seems a little more likely. Granted, this guy isn't that high up within the company and its all just "watercooler" speculation, but the rumor is out there none the less. The fact that centerpoint is the majority owner also lends some credibility to that, however wasn't there something that said they would have equal shares in the governance of the new entity?

That's actually kind of interesting, because i have a college friend who works at Centerpoint in Houston now, and he says the speculation around their office is that most of them will be moving to OKC. (which he is excited about because he is originally from Moore), so kind of interesting that both offices feel as though the other has won

That's actually kind of interesting, because i have a college friend who works at Centerpoint in Houston now, and he says the speculation around their office is that most of them will be moving to OKC. (which he is excited about because he is originally from Moore), so kind of interesting that both offices feel as though the other has won

Bahahaha!!!

People are funny.

That's actually kind of interesting, because i have a college friend who works at Centerpoint in Houston now, and he says the speculation around their office is that most of them will be moving to OKC. (which he is excited about because he is originally from Moore), so kind of interesting that both offices feel as though the other has wonNormal behavior for a workforce whilst an impending major announcement looms. Uncertainty and fear abounds and speculation becomes a frame of reference for emotional transaction.

Here's my prediction: On either Friday or Monday, we'll know who gets what and what goes where and when it will happen. I'm going out on a limb with that one.

Haha, that is funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf8hhRrOPJI
Found this on Youtube. Would look good I think.

It's been my experience that the employees of an organization -- apart from a handful of very top brass -- are the last ones to know about a merger/sale/relocation.

I say this as a former business executive and management consultant.

I was a Senior VP of a financial institution, in charge of strategic planning and real estate among other things. And I only learned my company had been sold a day before i was announced.

And as a consultant, I've been involved with tons of mergers and reorgs and in all those cases, only a handful of people knew the real story and they never, ever leaked it.


This is why the sources I have found to be most helpful in this process are not employees or directly associated with the companies in question.

More solid information:

1. Houston has definitely not won anything. Doesn't seem the HQ issue has been decided.

2. Renderings are likely with press release.

More solid information:

1. Houston has definitely not won anything. Doesn't seem the HQ issue has been decided.

2. Renderings are likely with press release.

This part kinda confuses me. How can you have a building rendering when you are not 100% how much of a workforce is going to be occupying it? The numbers have to be dependent on if they are HQing here or not.

Eh, either way it sounds like there will be a tower going up about the time I will be moving to OKC. Pretty cool :cool:

OG+E was going to build a new tower long before the Enogex/CenterPoint merger.

They hired a real estate consultant over a year ago to evaluate sites for them and before the MLP news. And even then we heard it would be 30-40 floors.

So, they had/have that need regardless.


We also know the tower won't even be under construction until after there is a decision about the Enogex/CenterPoint HQ. Probably take at least a year to get everything in order before breaking ground and the MLP entity said they wanted to make decisions this year.

So, perhaps the plan is to adjust if need be?

Remember, Devon changed it's plans a couple of times (first saying 37 floors, then 54, then 50) as they stepped through the programming of exactly what departments would be located where and evaluated their future growth. And even then it seems lots of new things happened, like consolidating the Houston office, forming their own MLP and now running out of space much sooner than anticipated.


Things move fast in business these days and at some point you have to stop waiting for things to be resolved and just make some decisions. And perhaps the Stage Center site coming available was good enough incentive to pull the trigger.

This part kinda confuses me. How can you have a building rendering when you are not 100% how much of a workforce is going to be occupying it? The numbers have to be dependent on if they are HQing here or not.

Devon changed multiple times before construction began, so I imagine they can just do the same. I'm sure they have multiple contigencies or maybe they already have enough of an idea to push forward.

Not when the opportunity to be dramatic presents itself. You should know that after 2,200 posts.

I can't believe I have 158 posts in this thread alone...scratch that...159!

I hope the announcement is Friday, that way, I can enjoy my vacation.

Also...

Maybe OG+E wants to lock down this site and knew the window of opportunity was closing.

If the Enogex/CenterPoint entity is HQ'd in OKC and grows rapidly, perhaps THEY will go on the Stage Center site and OG+E can still build elsewhere.

Regardless, OG+E is going to build a tower. So why not lock down the best piece of real estate in all of downtown OKC and leave your options open for acquiring more property if needed?

Also...

Maybe OG+E wants to lock down this site and knew the window of opportunity was closing.

If the Enogex/CenterPoint entity is HQ'd in OKC and grows rapidly, perhaps THEY will go on the Stage Center site and OG+E can still build elsewhere.

Regardless, OG+E is going to build a tower. So why not lock down the best piece of real estate in all of downtown OKC and leave your options open for acquiring more property if needed?

The city could open up some more prime real estate if they weren't dead set on having the convention center just south of the Myriad Gardens.

Of course, we'd still have the minor problem of finding new tenants to build new towers.

There are several prime spots for new office towers still available:

South of Stage Center
NE corner RS Kerr & Hudson
SE corner EK Gaylord & 4th

There are several prime spots for new office towers still available:

South of Stage Center
NE corner RS Kerr & Hudson
SE corner EK Gaylord & 4th

I'd also like to throw it out there that the SE corner of RS Kerr and Broadway would be a great place for a tower.

Midland, Texas oil capital of America?

Developer: New tower to help show Midland as the ?Oil Capital of America? - Mywesttexas.com: Top Stories (http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_3d45e4f6-9000-11e2-ad2a-0019bb2963f4.html)

You don't miss a chance to add some negativity to the conversation do you?
One man's negativity is another's realism. Potato, patoto

DCsooner is okay, just a pessimist. And if we get something great, I'm coming after him !!! lol

One man's negativity is another's realism. Potato, patoto

Oh this post is the definition of irony.

What the hell is a patoto?

I'd just like to say congratulations and a big thanks to Pete for working hard to track this information down and break the news first. This is all very exciting.

What the hell is a patoto? a quasi-vegetable in the same family as a tamoto.

I thought it was going to be - potato / potatoe

Midland, Texas oil capital of America?

Developer: New tower to help show Midland as the ?Oil Capital of America? - Mywesttexas.com: Top Stories (http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_3d45e4f6-9000-11e2-ad2a-0019bb2963f4.html)

While i only wish the best for them. It is not even the oil capital of Texas. Even Tulsa is looking for new branding from old oil capital of the world slogan and they might still have a better claim than Midland.

I thought this may be the case all along. Not standing by any longer with baited breath for signficant announcement

Bated breath. As in "abated" or shortened. Baited breath means you been eatin' minnows.

Sorry. :)

From what it sounds like we will get one tower and a significant presence of the MLP but not the HQ. That may not be the slam dunk many here had hoped for but it's still a pretty big development. Cities like Memphis, Louisville, Wichita, Little Rock, etc would kill for an announcement like this.

We're not cities like Memphis, Louisville, and especially Wichita or LR.

More solid information:

1. Houston has definitely not won anything. Doesn't seem the HQ issue has been decided.

2. Renderings are likely with press release.

Boo yah, take that Houston. I am loving the excitement of going head to head against a world class city for this major HQ. I remember the Boeing deal when OKC also went a lot further than people expected. We were in the final round of 4-5 cities. Got beat by Chicago, oh well lol. Boeing then learned what a cool city OKC would be for a lot of their ops, and we gained a thousand or so jobs anyway.

There are several prime spots for new office towers still available:

South of Stage Center
NE corner RS Kerr & Hudson
SE corner EK Gaylord & 4th

Pete - any way the south side of this site can be developed into a major mixed use project like KC Live/P&L along with the new tower? Are these sites "too good" for market development?

What the hell is a patoto?Perhaps what Toto leaves behind from time to time...

It's beginning to look like a-new-tooooower... in dooooooown-town OOOOOOOh Kaaay Ceee ... (sung to the tune of "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas")
:)

Eh, either way it sounds like there will be a tower going up about the time I will be moving to OKC. Pretty cool :cool:

Good timing sir!

a quasi-vegetable in the same family as a tamoto.

I thought tamoto was a Japanese motorcycle. :redface:

My family owns a few deep gas wells in western Oklahoma, the midstream operators on the wells are Enogex and Centerpoint Energy. I've looked a time or two lately to see if the name has changed to some combination of the two but it hasn't..yet.

I'm sure it'll take a little time but I thought it was ironic when all this came to be back in March.

I thought tamoto was a Japanese motorcycle. :redface:You're thinking of Quasi Tamoto, the horror film character....but I digress.

About the mystery tower

Best location(s) to mount a camera to monitor construction would be:

1 - The Devon Tower
2 - One North Hudson
3 - GOIVM's helicopter
4 - WIll Hider's tripod

While i only wish the best for them. It is not even the oil capital of Texas. Even Tulsa is looking for new branding from old oil capital of the world slogan and they might still have a better claim than Midland.

Oil Capital of the Permian Basin

4 - WIll Hider's tripod

Thanks. I'm feeling another 2-3 year project but even better this time around.

You're thinking of Quasi Tamoto, the horror film character....but I digress.

Yeah, that does kind of ring a bell. :wink:




Best location(s) to mount a camera to monitor construction would be:

1 - The Devon Tower
2 - One North Hudson
3 - GOIVM's helicopter
4 - WIll Hider's tripod

Devon Tower absolutely. And I'm sure many will utilize that. One North Hudson would be a great spot, looking through that top floor glass -- I just hope people will be allowed up there.

Also, the Sheridan Parking garage across the street will be a good location. And I believe that the upper floors of the Oklahoma Tower should also have an excellent vantage point for documenting the construction.

Talked to a reliable source at the chamber at lunch time and it looks like it's going to be Monday at 10AM, although I'm still hoping for Friday. Does anyone know who uses the city garage towards the north of the elementary school site? I wouldn't be surprised if OGE just used that garage, although I haven't asked any sources about it.

Talked to a reliable source at the chamber at lunch time and it looks like it's going to be Monday at 10AM, although I'm still hoping for Friday. Does anyone know who uses the city garage towards the north of the elementary school site? I wouldn't be surprised if OGE just used that garage, although I haven't asked any sources about it.

Good. I'll be on vacation while all y'all are having fun with the new thread...

Does anyone know who uses the city garage towards the north of the elementary school site? I wouldn't be surprised if OGE just used that garage, although I haven't asked any sources about it.

Lots of City workers and the elementary school will use it as well. It's maxed out.

Also...

Maybe OG+E wants to lock down this site and knew the window of opportunity was closing.

If the Enogex/CenterPoint entity is HQ'd in OKC and grows rapidly, perhaps THEY will go on the Stage Center site and OG+E can still build elsewhere.

Regardless, OG+E is going to build a tower. So why not lock down the best piece of real estate in all of downtown OKC and leave your options open for acquiring more property if needed?

I agree with you Pete. One thing that has never made sense in all this discussion is why would a newly formed company spend several hundred million dollars to build a new skyscraper for its headquarters right out of the chute? That is fiscally irresponsible. They're just not going to use 30-40% of their revolving credit line on a skyscraper. They need that credit line for much more important operational needs.

However, it does make sense that OG&E would fund the building of a tower mainly for its own purposes now, and then sell the tower to the MLP down the road. By that time the MLP will be well established and will likely have the cash flows to service a debt note.

I agree with you Pete. One thing that has never made sense in all this discussion is why would a newly formed company spend several hundred million dollars to build a new skyscraper for its headquarters right out of the chute? That is fiscally irresponsible. They're just not going to use 30-40% of their revolving credit line on a skyscraper. They need that credit line for much more important operational needs.

However, it does make sense that OG&E would fund the building of a tower mainly for its own purposes now, and then sell the tower to the MLP down the road. By that time the MLP will be well established and will likely have the cash flows to service a debt note.

I guess I'll be the first to say it. I don't like the idea of a regulated "public utility" to be building a multimillion dollar skyscraper. I want a skyscraper, but I certainly hope it's not OG&E.

I guess I'll be the first to say it. I don't like the idea of a regulated "public utility" to be building a multimillion dollar skyscraper. I want a skyscraper, but I certainly hope it's not OG&E.

To quote myself above, I'll say I'm counting on the MLP. I'll be very disappointed if it's my electric company.

My guess would be a multi-tenant spec building is developed and then leased to the MLP. The MLP will need space one way or another, and given the scarcity of Class A space downtown, the default strategy is build space and then lease.

To quote myself above, I'll say I'm counting on the MLP. I'll be very disappointed if it's my electric company.

Why? They need office space.