Office Buildings
North



no



Address: 9000 Broadway Extension (http://g.co/maps/yab3w)
Status:
Owner: Oklahoma Publishing Company
Finish Date: 1991
Height in Feet / Floors: 12 (Tower); 5 (parking); 3 (plant)
Sq. Feet: 282,971 (Tower); 269,706 (parking); 279,440 (plant); 10,164 (day care); 842,281 total
Acreage: 20.66 (Tower & parking); 15.74 (plant); 21.5 (day care); 49 vacant; 41 vacant II; 138 total
Other:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/opubcotower1.jpg


Information & Latest News
9/15/11: Billionaire Philip Anschutz buys OPUCO (http://newsok.com/opubco-to-be-sold/article/3604380)

5/1/12: There are strong rumors the OPUBCO building has been sold to new local owners who intend to occupy it for their purposes, at least eventually. OPUBCO is no longer using a good deal of that space but even if this sale happens, they will likely stay a while. It seems the availability of this building caught the interest of both MidFirst and American Fidelity and one of them may be buying it. Since both have been rumored to be interested in a new downtown HQ, this latest development may have had an impact.
Links
County Assessor Tower & Parking (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R134604510)
County Assessor Plant (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R134604500)
County Assessor Day Care (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R134485500)
County Assessor Vacant Land (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R134605000)
County Assessor Vacant Land II (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R100156000)
Gallery

I don't see American Fidelity moving there, but Midfirst could be likely to move there. Hopefully it is a different company. It would be awesome if Chaparral moved in there. They are growing pretty fast and are right next door.

There are rumors the OPUBCO building has been sold to new local owners who intend to occupy it for their purposes, at least eventually. OPUBCO is no longer using a good deal of that space but even if this sale happens, they will likely stay a while.

I believe the availability of this building caught the interest of both MidFirst and American Fidelity and one of them may be buying it.

Since both have been rumored to be interested in a new downtown HQ, this latest development may have had an impact.

I am hearing AF outbid MF. Just the fact that MF was interested tells me that Chesapeake must've made them a great offer on their buildings. I wonder if CHK's recent troubles have affected that offer.

I am hearing AF outbid MF. Just the fact that MF was interested tells me that Chesapeake must've made them a great offer on their buildings. I wonder if CHK's recent troubles have affected that offer.

If true, it's very ironic because about 10 years ago civic leaders made a big effort to keep American Fidelity closer in after they bought property out on Broadway Extension and started to make noise about moving.

The still own 55.6 undeveloped acres on the SE corner of Wilshire & Santa Fe.

How does the Broadway Extension become a more attractive relocation prospect than downtown? Whatever company is doing this, there must be a pretty Edmond-centric culture, rather than a downtown-centric one.

Any guesses where Anschutz will be moving the company formerly known as OPUBCO? That will be a huge shame if we can no longer call them the Dark Tower..

Apparently American Fidelity has bought the OPUBCO building and will announce it soon. The move will begin almost immediately, I was told, at least for some employees. I'm not sure what the plan is for OPUBCO. I think it will stay there for a while -- maybe five years -- and then move. Not sure about those details.

Apparently American Fidelity has bought the OPUBCO building and will announce it soon. The move will begin almost immediately, I was told, at least for some employees. I'm not sure what the plan is for OPUBCO. I think it will stay there for a while -- maybe five years -- and then move. Not sure about those details.

Yuck

The Benham Group was the A/E firm on this project, it was designed built during my first stint at TBG (88-91). We did a tour while it was still under construction, I think it was completed in 1990.

The information about American Fidelity buying the OPUBCO Tower & Parking (perhaps more as well) is starting to firm up.

Not sure what is going to happen to the American Fidelity Campus or the land AF already owns at Santa Fe & Wilshire (shaded green in second image below).

Here are some aerials that provide a bigger picture; click the ARTICLE tab at the top of this page for more information and photos:


http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697&d=1337526508

http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1696&d=1337526507

We had heard some time ago that both American Fidelity and MidFirst were looking to move downtown.

I wouldn't be surprised if they first started talking to the City then OPUBCO about the land they own shown below (labeled #1); the triangular property that had been slated for a new Chamber of Commerce HQ. Once engaged with OPUBCO, they probably floated the idea of selling their existing HQ on Broadway Extension, as we heard both companies toured the facilities there and made offers.

In yellow is everything OPUBCO owns downtown, about four acres total. The empty area around tract #1 is owned by the City of OKC:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/opubcodowntown.jpg



Tract #
Acres


1
1.8343


2
.3214


3
.16


4
.16


5
.16


6
.4017


7
.9115



Total:
3.9489

Pete - your proactively moving all of this to a new thread indicates how strongly you believe these reports. Are you thinking an announcement on Monday?

I already tweeted this news, as I'm pretty confident in it.

I first heard this was a possibility about a month ago, with MF touring the OPUBCO Tower. It didn't make sense at the time, so I didn't think much of it.

But then I heard that AF bought the tower or is in the process of doing so from three separate, reputable sources.

It could fall through, but I'm quite certain there is a deal in the works and it may have already closed. The IT people at AF have been notified and some of their employees may move in next month.

Remember, OPUBCO is only using about half that building right now.


Don't know when they'll make an announcement but the fact we are talking about this openly may cause them to say something sooner rather than later.

BTW, here's an interesting fact: American Fidelity currently has more square footage at its campus on Classen than there is in the entire OPUBCO Tower.

The numbers are close, but AF's current buildings have slightly over 300,000 sf and OPUBCO is slightly under that number.


Of course, at that Broadway Extension property there is plenty of room to grow just on the land that is associated with the Tower, let alone all the vacant land to the south.

An announcement as to where OPUBCO will move or to AF moving there?

I don't think OPUBCO is going anywhere any time soon.

They just built a pretty elaborate studio in that building a couple of years ago when they severed ties with Channel 9 and started producing their own video segments.

I would expect them to stay a few years then find another home. I'm sure they'll keep the printing facility, but their general offices don't need to be adjacent.


But why they are looking to sell this building is a bit mystifying. We know Philip Anschutz bought them last fall and he's a multi-billionaire with tons of real estate holdings.

It may be that AF is willing to buy all the adjoining property too, and OPUBCO certainly has no need for 135 acres.

The biggest question that remains, and I have a lot of questions about this deal, but for now - is just how much of a hit this represents to downtown's new headquarters outlook.

We know American Fidelity was looking downtown, so this is a bit of a bummer IMO.

If this plays out, it represents a double bummer really because this will be a real blow to 23rd & Classen without helping downtown.

American Fidelity will still own that property. Thing is, if anything softens the blow of this, American Fidelity was a LOT more speculative than MidFirst who I felt a lot more confident would move downtown.

I think there are areas within the printing plant that could be converted to office use, it was a satellite facility with the main offices downtown until the OPUBCO tower was built. With modernization of printing equipment in the past 25 or so years they may be using less area to print than they did in the past, maybe enough space with the reduced staffing they have now.

We had heard some time ago that both American Fidelity and MidFirst were looking to move downtown.

I wouldn't be surprised if they first started talking to the City then OPUBCO about the land they own shown below (labeled #1); the triangular property that had been slated for a new Chamber of Commerce HQ. Once engaged with OPUBCO, they probably floated the idea of selling their existing HQ on Broadway Extension, as we heard both companies toured the facilities there and made offers.

In yellow is everything OPUBCO owns downtown, about four acres total. The empty area around tract #1 is owned by the City of OKC:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/opubcodowntown.jpg



Tract #
Acres


1
1.8343


2
.3214


3
.16


4
.16


5
.16


6
.4017


7
.9115



Total:
3.9489



There is a construction fence around plot 2 I believe.

AF moving that far out will go down as one of the biggest blunders in OKC corporate relocation history. This is what happens when decisions are made by executives who don't pump their own gas or make a car payment. How are their employees going to get to work when gas goes north of $5/gal?

Kerry, I assume that depends on where their employees live. If they have a lot of employees in North OKC or Edmond it won't impact much in that regard.

AF moving that far out will go down as one of the biggest blunders in OKC corporate relocation history. This is what happens when decisions are made by executives who don't pump their own gas or make a car payment. How are their employees going to get to work when gas goes north of $5/gal?

i wanted them to build/move downtown as much as anyone ... but they are not moving "that far out" ...

i wanted them to build/move downtown as much as anyone ... but they are not moving "that far out" ...

Compared to their current location they are. Using downtown as the center of the metro area they go from 1.6 miles away to 7 miles away. In the coming transportation crisis the closer major employers are together the better because employees can change jobs without having to relocate or increase their driving distance. Sprawl, whether it be bedrooms or boardrooms, is bad for everyone.

Compared to their current location they are. Using downtown as the center of the metro area they go from 1.6 miles away to 7 miles away. In the coming transportation crisis the closer major employers are together the better because employees can change jobs without having to relocate or increase their driving distance. Sprawl, whether it be bedrooms or boardrooms, is bad for everyone.

Or, depending on where their workforce primarily resides, they are moving several miles closer to the majority of workers, a most kind gesture should transportation expenses rise dramatically. Indeed, it might tip the scale to some staying with them rather than seeking out other north side empoyers.

There is that possibility of acting in a way that benefits their actual workforce and not a hypothetical one. I've no idea if that's accurate or not, but then, I suspect that may be true of both of us.
:wink:

Compared to their current location they are. Using downtown as the center of the metro area they go from 1.6 miles away to 7 miles away. In the coming transportation crisis the closer major employers are together the better because employees can change jobs without having to relocate or increase their driving distance. Sprawl, whether it be bedrooms or boardrooms, is bad for everyone.

i would bet that moving to OUpubco moves AF closer to their employees ....

AF moving that far out will go down as one of the biggest blunders in OKC corporate relocation history. This is what happens when decisions are made by executives who don't pump their own gas or make a car payment. How are their employees going to get to work when gas goes north of $5/gal?

For the sake of argument, assuming it is a blunder, how would it be worse than the original move of OPUBCO corporate headquarters which moved there from downtown?

AF moving that far out will go down as one of the biggest blunders in OKC corporate relocation history. This is what happens when decisions are made by executives who don't pump their own gas or make a car payment. How are their employees going to get to work when gas goes north of $5/gal?

Until there are mass trans options, this is probably MORE sensitive to the employees travel time and expenses. I am sure more of their employees are north than in downtown. I know you hate companies and people who run companies, and free choice and enterprise in general, but companies have to be responsible to the owners and employees. This would seem to make sense for the company and current employees, but does nothing to promote the downtown agenda. That part is disappointing.

For the sake of argument, assuming it is a blunder, how would it be worse than the original move of OPUBCO corporate headquarters which moved there from downtown?

in OUPUBCO's case they moved to be next to their printing operation .. so they really consolidated ..

If this plays out, it represents a double bummer really because this will be a real blow to 23rd & Classen without helping downtown.

Yep. This would have nothing but negative community effect. It's interesting what little impact OPUBCO's presence ever had on its surroundings and I can't imagine AF would be any different. On the flip side, AF has had a great impact on its current community and moving will only have a net negative effect on the city's redevelopment efforts. Hopefully, the AF complex won't be empty for too long and the effect of their move will be mitigated in the long run. At least then, we'd be back where we started, even if nothing gets a boost out of the deal.

That AF space on Classen is relatively nice and the office market is tight, so hopefully it will fill back up.

But as I noted earlier, the OPUBCO Tower actually has less space than their buildings on Classen and we know OPUBCO won't be leaving right away, so I would expect AF to have a big presence on Classen for the foreseeable future. If and when they do move, it will likely be a gradual process which should help in transitioning their existing properties.

What potential might exist for AF to grow at a pace over the next few years to where they need both the space on Classen and most/all of the OPUBCO location?

I deleted several posts by Rover and Just the Facts because it is yet another argument between them about broad urban/suburban topics.

Go to the General Urban Development thread if you want to discuss such things and please stop bringing this to every development thread. Thanks.

In yellow is everything OPUBCO owns downtown, about four acres total. The empty area around tract #1 is owned by the City of OKC:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/opubcodowntown.jpg



Tract #
Acres


1
1.8343


2
.3214


3
.16


4
.16


5
.16


6
.4017


7
.9115



Total:
3.9489



Isn't tract 1 where a lot of people were speculating for a possible tower in the Mystery Tower forum?

Isn't tract 1 where a lot of people were speculating for a possible tower in the Mystery Tower forum?

Yes, and as we heard both AF and MidFirst were looking to build downtown the reason I showed that graphic was to draw a correlation between OPUBCO's ownership of those parcels and how that may have led to them offering their present HQ as an alternative.

Pete - Does this thread belong in the URBAN development category, or SUBURBAN?

I have it here (urban) because we having built our wiki database in the suburban forum yet.

Any chance that part of this transaction also includes the downtown property?

Any chance that part of this transaction also includes the downtown property?

Interesting thought.

However, the word is that they plan to move employees into the OPUBCO building soon and it's hard to imagine their goal would be to split up their workforce, as they have largely been all together on Classen for decades.

I went by plot 2 today. The fence was gone and there was an available sign out front.

Available for lease or sale?

http://journalrecord.com/2012/05/23/american-fidelity-assurance-to-buy-opubco-headquarters/

Wow, sounds like they are buying all their property up there including the printing plant and the day care center (and acreage) on the north side of Britton.

Another OKCTalk scoop confirmed!

OPUBCO real estate under contract
Published: May 23, 2012

Gary Pierson, President and CEO of The Oklahoma Publishing Company, and Trent Moore, President of American Fidelity Property Company, announced that they have entered into a contract for the sale of OPUBCO’s real estate and office buildings located along the Broadway Extension at Britton Road.

Included are approximately 150 acres, a 12-story office tower, a manufacturing plant, parking garage and day care center. The parties are currently in due diligence and anticipate a closing during the summer months.

After the sale is completed, OPUBCO, including OPUBCO Communications Group, The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com will occupy five floors in the office tower and virtually all of the production facility under separate leases.

After the sale is completed, American Fidelity Assurance Company will begin making plans to gradually relocate their headquarters to the location.
American Fidelity was founded in Oklahoma City in 1960 and The Oklahoma Publishing Company was founded in Oklahoma City in 1903.


Read more: http://newsok.com/opubco-real-estate-under-contract/article/3677989#ixzz1vjDvQXry

You have to know David Thompson was involved in this.

Thompson is the former president of OPBUCO that moved on to American Fidelity right around the time Anschutz came on the scene.

Wow, this is sooooo wack...good job AF for devoting your "renaissance" to downtown OKC, after all that hoopla on how you are considering a downtown location. Just to move further out! Who's at fault OPUBCO or AF?

Wow, this is sooooo wack...good job AF for devoting your "renaissance" to downtown OKC, after all that hoopla on how you are considering a downtown location. Just to move further out! Who's at fault OPUBCO or AF?

Cut and dry: if it doesn't make business sense for them to build a new building downtown (which is what they'd have to do with no contiguous office space on the market in the CBD) or to keep their offices separated, then they found an option that made sense. Maybe someone else offered to buy their campus.

I'm sure this was a very good business decision by American Fidelity.

They were out of space and this deal was probably too good to refuse. There is 150 of prime real estate out there, in addition to the 50 acres they own just south of OPUBCO.

And if they want to keep their employees together, they are going to have to build out there because the OPUBCO Tower has less square footage than where they are now on Classen, plus OPUBCO is going to lease back five floors.

Uptown and Downtown to AF: OUCH!

I wanted them to stay on Classen or build downtown as much as anybody, but to be fair, I think most of the "hoopla" surrounding a possible new downtown building involved overheated speculation on this website. Not sure the average OKC businessperson even knew about such speculation.

I don't care how you all put it, trying to make this a good thing, this sucks...American Fidelity let downtown down, running further out. The only good I can see coming out of this is Midfirst building downtown.

OPUBCO real estate under contract
Published: May 23, 2012

Gary Pierson, President and CEO of The Oklahoma Publishing Company, and Trent Moore, President of American Fidelity Property Company, announced that they have entered into a contract for the sale of OPUBCO’s real estate and office buildings located along the Broadway Extension at Britton Road.

Included are approximately 150 acres, a 12-story office tower, a manufacturing plant, parking garage and day care center. The parties are currently in due diligence and anticipate a closing during the summer months.

After the sale is completed, OPUBCO, including OPUBCO Communications Group, The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com will occupy five floors in the office tower and virtually all of the production facility under separate leases.

After the sale is completed, American Fidelity Assurance Company will begin making plans to gradually relocate their headquarters to the location.
American Fidelity was founded in Oklahoma City in 1960 and The Oklahoma Publishing Company was founded in Oklahoma City in 1903.


Read more: http://newsok.com/opubco-real-estate-under-contract/article/3677989#ixzz1vjDvQXry

Oh the irony of forcing the Oklahoman's hand by scooping them... on the transaction of their own building. :pink_elep

I wanted them to stay on Classen or build downtown as much as anybody, but to be fair, I think most of the "hoopla" surrounding a possible new downtown building involved overheated speculation on this website. Not sure the average OKC businessperson even knew about such speculation.

Their interest in downtown was very real.

I think that their interest was real, but also overstated. I think their interest in a new HQ period is what was understated, apparently.

Oh the irony of forcing the Oklahoman's hand by scooping them... on the transaction of their own building. :pink_elep

well if they are looking to sell off all of that land... then maybe MidFirst will buy all the stuff they have downtown

They were actively looking downtown and that led directly to this deal. I had heard from more than one source that they were actively looking to build a new tower.

It's very similar to the SandRidge situation, but in reverse. SR needed more space and the Kerr McGee stuff all became available at a bargain price, so they jumped on it.

I'm quite sure this was just too good of a deal and opportunity for AF to pass up.


Remember, MidFirst also took a hard look and reportedly made an offer. That shows OPUBCO was offering a good deal.

I think the most important thing here is they have room to build and grow. The area around the OPUBCO building off Britton is seeing a lot of new construction/expansion. IMO I think it would be great to see them develop some of the area between Wilshire and Britton on Broadway Extension. However, I really think it is important, if there is not someone already interested, that the buildings they are currently in become occupied. The good thing is that the trasistion period will be over the course of years and hopefully by the time they are fully moved another company will have snatched up AF's old space. I think the developement momentum we are seeing, regardless of location is good for the city as a whole.

blah....

What if MidFirst were to become interested in the vacated American Fidelity space and likewise got a deal too good to pass up? Then you have a triangular shuffling around of transactions that prevent either of these companies from building new towers..

I am continually stunned how people always assume every business decision is a carefully calculated, well-crafted, and thought out decision. The truth is many corporate executive are dumbasses.

Kerry, when Pete says the deal could have been really good, it could have been really good. You'll remember that OPUBCO is no longer in local ownership and is owned by a Denver gazillionaire with no ties to OKC, who probably has a strong incentive to just get rid of all that surplus property.