The best thing about that court would have been the ability to do large functions up there.

Have no idea why they made the change.

They will still have plenty of spots for large groups.

Huh? Ok... they can certainly do whatever they want inside/with their building, but a strange move.

Sounds as if they are going for LEED points. These are the sort of things that move you up. That would make it not so strange and would be a good pr move for an energy company, particularly in an industry under attack from environmentalists. This would show they have environmental sensitivity, whether it is true or not.

I know they have other areas for functions but being outdoors under the stars with OKC's tallest buildings all around would make for a special setting.


Looking forward to see this start to take shape!

I know they have other areas for functions but being outdoors under the stars with OKC's tallest buildings all around would make for a special setting.


Looking forward to see this start to take shape!

Agree...

Tuck, any new news on your restaurant for this building??

Nothing new...stay tuned!

While a basketball court on the roof would certainly seem cool on paper, I tend to think that its not all that functionable. Extreme heat in summers, probably constantly windy, unsightly fence having to go around the perimeter of the roof... a green roof is a suitable replacement IMO.

Maybe they'll move that court accross the street to the corner.....haha, get a little infill going.

Here are the latest (and I'm assuming final) plans:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr81512a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr81512b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815121.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815122.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815123.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815124.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815125.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815126.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815127.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815128.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr815129.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr8151210.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sr8151211.jpg

While a basketball court on the roof would certainly seem cool on paper, I tend to think that its not all that functionable. Extreme heat in summers, probably constantly windy, unsightly fence having to go around the perimeter of the roof... a green roof is a suitable replacement IMO.

3Lxp8gz_QN0

The 7th level looks accessible to me.

Accessible for maintenence would be my guess (the generator and elevator switch room). The roof is labled "inaccessible green roof." I like having the basketball court indoors better myself.

The plans had always included the indoor court/gym, they just deleted the additional court from the roof.

There was a presentation today at City Council regarding Kerr & Couch parks.

All the same renderings were shown but they said they are only preliminary plans and that there will be an extensive public process to come up with the final design.

The City has some funds to cover this but SandRidge & Chesapeake will put up the rest of whatever is needed.

Just saw in an article in OKC.biz that there will be a medical and dental clinic in the Amenities Building and that it will be open to the public.

Estimated completion date for the building is late 2014.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/8047762675_bb56d747f4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8047762675/) SandRidge Amenities Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8047762675/) by lazio85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/77483833@N04/), on Flickr

On another note check out the new ENOGEX sign on Leadership Square.

Thanks so much Lazio!

That area looks surprisingly small with everything removed.


Really looking forward to what is to come.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8119271082_2fa7faa936_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8119271082/)
SandRidge Amenities Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8119271082/) by lazio85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/77483833@N04/), on Flickr

2782I took this snapshot in 1947 or 48 from in front of 315 N Broadway, which is about where that single concrete wall in the previous photo is located. It's looking to the south, and you can just make out the "Wright Bldg" sign on the old India Temple.

Quite a change in 65 years!

I'm glad the Obelisk is still on site!

We should compare old photos some time. Some people here seem to hate anything history related or think it takes things off topic.

I'm glad the Obelisk is still on site!

I hate being the last post!

I'm glad the Obelisk is still on site!

I'm pretty sure we're planning on monument preservation all across downtown, right?

We should compare old photos some time. Some people here seem to hate anything history related or think it takes things off topic.

I like the history posts. Thanks for posting the great photos.

We should compare old photos some time. Some people here seem to hate anything history related or think it takes things off topic.

Please keep the history photos coming. It is great to look to the past for inspiration.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8348/8288052257_48fc9ae4aa_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8288052257/)
SandRidge Amenities Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8288052257/) by lazio85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/77483833@N04/), on Flickr

They seem to be taking their time, it's going to be while before they start going more verticle.

With all the recent construction, it seems we always forget that the foundations/retaining walls take the longest.

Your right, that always seems to take the longest for every project.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Amen brotha Urbanized

Yep. The 'hole in the ground stage' seems to take the longest. Then it goes upwards really fast. Then the 'it looks done but they are still working on it stage' takes a long time too.

Whoa. Urbanized, your comments are deeper than many might realize...

Whoa. Urbanized, your comments are deeper than many might realize...

Maybe even 50 feet deep

Sandridge, as we know it, is about to be dunzo.

In 2 years they will probably have less employees than they do now.

Whoa. Urbanized, your comments are deeper than many might realize...

It was so subtle it will go right past many people. In fact, I'm not sure Urbanized said it on purpose (or maybe he did pick that exact quote by design).

Sandridge, as we know it, is about to be dunzo.

In 2 years they will probably have less employees than they do now.

Why's that?

I don't think anyone knows how things will look in two years.

I don't think anyone knows how things will look in two years.

I don't think anyone can take light the gravity of the situations both SR and CHK find themselves in. I really hope they're alright.

The BOD will likely be replaced. If so, the party is over. I'm not the only one who will gladly cast a few votes in favor of that when the letter arrives.

http://www.shareholdersforsandridge.com/home/

Definitely no new tower, but at least we got the Braniff and Amenities bldgs before reality came crashing down for this puffed-up small company. More than I would've expected.

The BOD will likely be replaced. If so, the party is over. I'm not the only one who will gladly cast a few votes in favor of that when the letter arrives.

ENHANCE SHAREHOLDER VALUE AT SANDRIDGE ENERGY (NYSE:SD) | Shareholders For Sandridge (http://www.shareholdersforsandridge.com/home/)

Hopefully not. It seems early to predict Sandridge's demise. However, this is the peril of having large publicly-traded companies employing large quantities of people in our city: they can be moved or swallowed up in a nanosecond, leaving empty towers in their wake. Enjoy the good times while they last, OKC. Meanwhile, we need our economic development people to focus on diversifying our economic base.

Even though SD clearly has it's issues, they seem to be very similar to Chesapeake and probably not quite as severe.

CHK has been doing fine since the board changeover and is probably stronger for it.

Just to clarify; I'm not predicting Sandridge's demise, but the days of lavish spending are probably coming to an end. If so, I imagine the campus plans will be affected.

A couple of recent photos from Metro:



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sandridge11913.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sandridge11913b.jpg

Just to clarify; I'm not predicting Sandridge's demise, but the days of lavish spending are probably coming to an end. If so, I imagine the campus plans will be affected.

Isn't most of the work too far along to make many changes?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8414443593_917554df3c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8414443593/)
SandRidge Amenities Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77483833@N04/8414443593/) by lazio85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/77483833@N04/), on Flickr

Photo from today, courtesy of metro.

Starting to rise above ground:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amenities3813.jpg

Gotta wonder how much of this construction was paid for up front.

Hopefully, all of it. Otherwise it may end up looking a bit like AICCMitis has infected this part of DT

LOL AICCMitis

Here's another from a new angle, from late yesterday. Mods if you can rotate it that would be great.
3501

I assure you that it wasn't paid for up front -- that's not how big construction projects are done.

Ward will be around at least until June and I hope that is enough time for them to make substantial progress, making it harder for this project to be halted.


The new board could very easily see this entire structure as extravagance... A gym, restaurants and auditorium. Certainly not necessities.

They already have a small gym and auditorium in the building to the east that they had planned to tear down for a new tower.

I assure you that it wasn't paid for up front -- that's not how big construction projects are done.

Ward will be around at least until June and I hope that is enough time for them to make substantial progress, making it harder for this project to be halted.


The new board could very easily see this entire structure as extravagance... A gym, restaurants and auditorium. Certainly not necessities.

They already have a small gym and auditorium in the building to the east that they had planned to tear down for a new tower.

I doubt they stop at his point. Just like CHK with all of their new buildings, though they haven't paid up front, they have allocated the money within their budget. Also, in the worst case scenario of a sale , SD still owns the building and it would be a lot more difficult to market with a massive hole taking up half the campus .

But all the CHK buildings were much further along.

I hope you are right but I've managed huge construction projects and they get stopped all the time. I won't rest until this building is substantially complete.

LOL AICCMitis

Here's another from a new angle, from late yesterday. Mods if you can rotate it that would be great.
3501

Given the current circumstances, the orientation on that photo is remarkably apropos.

This is the first rendering I've seen of the interior:

http://www.buildwithlingo.com/sites/lingo/uploads/images/projects/SD_120_Amenities/_thumbs/interior_01-720-430-crop.png

From 5 minutes ago:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amenities31513.jpg

From today:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amenities32913.jpg

The amenities building will still be completed, however the interior will be reconfigured as 100% leasable space. Apparently the new board nixed the amenities/perks.