that would literally put okc on the map!

And people would come and see we are cool.!!!

Ehh, better than just OK.

Murals of iconic structures with LED lighting and mountains in the background.

Don't forget neon. Neon is a must. And if it had a 100+ MPH 8 lane highway in front, it would be totally ICONIC!

How about an Omni, Kimpton and Conrad?

LMAO! I don't know what you guys have been smoking but pass the pipe.

Let's reconstruct

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ4mw3SEkDhsNZwCdvsB3GnHmeG-w56apBLygzNkKatAR_zNbHzhttps://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSDRF_sJOLX6INR4gbkNo8Ij29aNDJa O8yP19p6r3wXaowUcSjjg
Oklahoma City needs a Bates...

Gaaah! You beat me to the joke. I was gonna post that and the Overlook Hotel.

Don't forget neon. Neon is a must. And if it had a 100+ MPH 8 lane highway in front, it would be totally ICONIC!

you left out high speed commuter rail.

While we're dreaming...

10151

10152

you left out high speed commuter rail.

And zero parking?

Are you guys done yet? Or must you try to belittle people some more?

Back to getting on task. Does anyone care to make a prediction on the following? Guess the 1. Brand of Hotel 2. Height of the building and number of floors

I am going to say it will be an Omni (but not shaped like an O) and it will be like the Ft. Worth Omni with great lighting features. I predict it will be 29 floors and 425 feet tall.

I'll go with Omni and 28 floors and 350 feet.

I'm gonna be that guy on the Price is Right and go with 29 floors and 426 feet. :tongue:

I'm gonna be that guy on the Price is Right and go with 29 floors and 426 feet. :tongue:

One dollar. :)

I'm going with Westin. 18 floors with a with a wide footprint. 248 ft.

This is about a year and a half old, but it all is still spot-on. Good article.
Five Hotel Brands to Watch: Meetings & Conventions (http://www.meetings-conventions.com/News/Features/Five-Hotel-Brands-to-Watch/)

I'll go with a 4-star Hilton with possible overflow to benefit the Hilton Skirvin Hotel, Hampton Inn & Hilton Garden Inn.



468 feet (height)
30 floors
650 rooms

RFP with specs for a 500 to 800 room hotel: Most specs will come in at 600-700 rooms.

I recently was in the brand new Four Seasons in Moscow. Absolutely stunning inside. It just opened in October.

http://i.imgur.com/2PodheP.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/QMMI0iL.jpg

Luxury Hotel in Moscow | Moscow Hotel | Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (http://www.fourseasons.com/moscow/)
Check out the accommodations slide show. The rooms are as nice as any I've ever been in.

I recently was in the brand new Four Seasons in Moscow. Absolutely stunning inside. It just opened in October.

http://i.imgur.com/2PodheP.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/QMMI0iL.jpg

Luxury Hotel in Moscow | Moscow Hotel | Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (http://www.fourseasons.com/moscow/)
Check out the accommodations slide show. The rooms are as nice as any I've ever been in.

I'd give PluPan's left nut for that hotel.

I'd give PluPan's left nut for that hotel.Hey! Why me? How am I supposed to be attractive to cougars with only one nut? ;P

That hotel is amazing though. I'd love to have that here.

I'm not giving up mine, it's just a hotel. :D

I recently was in the brand new Four Seasons in Moscow. Absolutely stunning inside. It just opened in October.

http://i.imgur.com/2PodheP.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/QMMI0iL.jpg

Luxury Hotel in Moscow | Moscow Hotel | Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (http://www.fourseasons.com/moscow/)
Check out the accommodations slide show. The rooms are as nice as any I've ever been in.

The inside looks sooooooo much better than the outside. I still want the castle.

I recently was in the brand new Four Seasons in Moscow. Absolutely stunning inside. It just opened in October.

http://i.imgur.com/2PodheP.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/QMMI0iL.jpg

Luxury Hotel in Moscow | Moscow Hotel | Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (http://www.fourseasons.com/moscow/)
Check out the accommodations slide show. The rooms are as nice as any I've ever been in.

While that building is stunning, it unfortunately doesn't fit the architectural and preservation desires of OKC power brokers. I am sure several of OKCTalk's more vocal members will simply dismiss it as fake.

Four Seasons Hotel Moscow - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Seasons_Hotel_Moscow)

While that building is stunning, it unfortunately doesn't fit the architectural and preservation desires of OKC power brokers. I am sure several of OKCTalk's more vocal members will simply dismiss it as fake.

Four Seasons Hotel Moscow - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Seasons_Hotel_Moscow)

I think it might have more to do with the fact that it has only 180 rooms and nightly rates that are a third higher than the Ritz-Carlton

Four Seasons Hotels are in a tier above what a convention hotel usually is. They are more comparable with a Ritz-Carlton. FNC could potentially be a Four Seasons hotel, but I am not sure this market could support a hotel of that stature.

While that building is stunning, it unfortunately doesn't fit the architectural and preservation desires of OKC power brokers. I am sure several of OKCTalk's more vocal members will simply dismiss it as fake.

Four Seasons Hotel Moscow - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Seasons_Hotel_Moscow)

Nice to know you are still such a positive person JTF. I seriously think you could zap the energy of any party or event you have ever attended.

Nice to know you are still such a positive person JTF. I seriously think you could zap the energy of any party or event you have ever attended.

Hold on a sec - I think you misunderstood my post. I would loved for OKC to have something like that as convention hotel. Yes that specific hotel has only 180 rooms but I think they are all suites, so a hotel with regular rooms wouldn't need to be much bigger to reach our target. Now for the second half of my comment - there are few specific people on OKCTalk who have assumed a public role in the upcoming City Council election who in the past have called such architecture fake. They cite things like the columns aren't real columns, the arches over the windows aren't real arches, and the stone work is bolted to a steel skeleton so the stone walls are even fake. If you would like to see something like that all I am saying is that our current crop of convention hotel supporters would never allow it. Expect something with a lot more reflective glass.

Hey! Why me? How am I supposed to be attractive to cougars with only one nut? ;P

I suspect most "traditional" cougars may have already had kids already or don't want them. Nuts may actually be optional. But they'll still want you to have balls.

Charlotte & Nashville:

Charlotte has a convention center hotel with 700 rooms that in 0.1 miles from the convention center:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKAbddEMvErkeoucld4Xd6IB7DGh4Ab BH9N8CmDaeAv94EFS3APA
700 room Charlotte Westin Hotel.

Nashville continues to develop:


The other major change involves the full-service hotel. Turnberry boosted the number of rooms, from 450 to somewhere between 500 and 600. That's important because city officials have said some potential conventions are bypassing Nashville because there aren't enough nearby rooms at full-service hotels.

Could Oklahoma City use something like this develop proposed in Nashville?
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608000076307039204&pid=15.1&P=0
Proposed 35-story luxury 500-600 room J.W. Marriott in Nashville.

Turnberry to build 35-story luxury Marriott hotel, office tower in downtown Nashville - Nashville Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2014/11/turnberry-to-build-35-story-luxury-marriott-hotel.html?page=all)

Let's hope Oklahoma City get away from these simple simon box shaped structures; go with something futuristic like Nashville.

Charlotte & Nashville:

Charlotte has a convention center hotel with 700 rooms that in 0.1 miles from the convention center:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKAbddEMvErkeoucld4Xd6IB7DGh4Ab BH9N8CmDaeAv94EFS3APA
700 room Charlotte Westin Hotel.

Nashville continues to develop:



Could Oklahoma City use something like this develop proposed in Nashville?
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608000076307039204&pid=15.1&P=0
Proposed 35-story luxury 500-600 room J.W. Marriott in Nashville.

Turnberry to build 35-story luxury Marriott hotel, office tower in downtown Nashville - Nashville Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2014/11/turnberry-to-build-35-story-luxury-marriott-hotel.html?page=all)

Let's hope Oklahoma City get away from these simple simon box shaped structures; go with something futuristic like Nashville.

I would love something like that regardless of who decides to put their name on top. Good find, thank you.

Nashville's Omni underestimated convention industry's potential.


Adding 400 rooms to Omni's slate in Nashville would have matched original discussions about a 1,200-room hotel when TRT developed the existing Omni Nashville as the anchor hotel for Nashville's Music City Center.

It also would have helped to meet what Metro officials have cited as a need for an additional 400-plus rooms near that convention hall to meet demand for large blocks of rooms, which could help attract more larger conventions here.

Omni Nashville owner puts plans for 2nd hotel on hold (http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2014/05/13/omni-nashville-owner-puts-plans-nd-hotel-hold/9058369/)

From that article: The feasibility of most hotel projects hinges partly on city incentives to help developers justify building costs. For the existing Omni, Metro provided a package worth $128 million in incentive payments, property tax breaks and reimbursement for land acquisition.


There's a whole lotta things I'd rather spend that money on. How about the people of OKC vote on it?

From that article: The feasibility of most hotel projects hinges partly on city incentives to help developers justify building costs. For the existing Omni, Metro provided a package worth $128 million in incentive payments, property tax breaks and reimbursement for land acquisition.


There's a whole lotta things I'd rather spend that money on. How about the people of OKC vote on it?

Eh. Having the people vote on it isn't always the best solution. We elect our city council members to make decisions on how to run the city, including significant capital expenditures. Negotiating some sort of public subsidy for the convention hotel is clearly within their authority.

"Let the people vote on it" is the cry of the person who realizes that a thing they don't like is about to get funded. They do that with the hopes that it will fail a vote of the people. It's like Ed Shadid wanting to vote again on certain aspects of MAPS3. He's got nothing to lose, even if the thing passes again, he's in the exact same position as he was before.

We'll hope they aren't going to blow anywhere near $128 million in concessions on this hotel, but for the sake of argument to address what you just said, just because it's within their power doesn't mean they should.

We both know $128 million and probably much less even it would likely go down in flames on a public vote, so yeah, let's not talk about doing what the people might want, invoke Shadid's name to rile the troops and flash other smoke and mirrors instead.

Eh. Having the people vote on it isn't always the best solution. We elect our city council members to make decisions on how to run the city, including significant capital expenditures. Negotiating some sort of public subsidy for the convention hotel is clearly within their authority.

"Let the people vote on it" is the cry of the person who realizes that a thing they don't like is about to get funded. They do that with the hopes that it will fail a vote of the people. It's like Ed Shadid wanting to vote again on certain aspects of MAPS3. He's got nothing to lose, even if the thing passes again, he's in the exact same position as he was before.+1

We'll hope they aren't going to blow anywhere near $128 million in concessions on this hotel, but for the sake of argument to address what you just said, just because it's within their power doesn't mean they should.

We both know $128 million and probably much less even it would likely go down in flames on a public vote, so yeah, let's not talk about doing what the people might want, invoke Shadid's name to rile the troops and flash other other smoke and mirrors instead.

Hey, you use Shadid tactics and you get lumped in with him.

It probably wouldn't pass a public vote, that's true. It doesn't mean it may not be needed. We haven't seen the price tag for this thing yet, so saying it would need $128 million subsidy is dishonest. This thing may be a good investment for the city and it may not. But its likelihood to pass on an individual ballot has nothing to do with whether it's a good idea or not.

There are probably a lot of things that the city council votes for that wouldn't pass a public vote. Should the public vote on every TIF award? Every capital expenditure? Isn't that why we have a city council? Isn't it important to get certain things done even if they might not be popular?

Hey, you use Shadid tactics and you get lumped in with him.

Act like a rodeo clown, get lumped in with rodeo clowns.




It probably wouldn't pass a public vote, that's true. It doesn't mean it may not be needed. We haven't seen the price tag for this thing yet, so saying it would need $128 million subsidy is dishonest. This thing may be a good investment for the city and it may not. But its likelihood to pass on an individual ballot has nothing to do with whether it's a good idea or not.

There are probably a lot of things that the city council votes for that wouldn't pass a public vote. Should the public vote on every TIF award? Every capital expenditure? Isn't that why we have a city council? Isn't it important to get certain things done even if they might not be popular?

Considering how critical some people claim it is to the MAPs project we were asked to vote on and the monumental oversight of talking about it when we did vote on it, yes, we should.

Eh. Having the people vote on it isn't always the best solution. We elect our city council members to make decisions on how to run the city, including significant capital expenditures. Negotiating some sort of public subsidy for the convention hotel is clearly within their authority.

"Let the people vote on it" is the cry of the person who realizes that a thing they don't like is about to get funded. They do that with the hopes that it will fail a vote of the people. It's like Ed Shadid wanting to vote again on certain aspects of MAPS3. He's got nothing to lose, even if the thing passes again, he's in the exact same position as he was before.

Amen.

Any chance we get to see the RFPs in a couple of weeks? I'm excited at the possibilities of this project.

Any chance we get to see the RFPs in a couple of weeks? I'm excited at the possibilities of this project.

Yes, the RFP responses will be public.

Very interested to see what is submitted.

Yes, the RFP responses will be public.

Very interested to see what is submitted.

Something tells me that with the assistance they are going to be getting and the non stop advertisement and exposure it will get on national television, this one is going to be something that will make us all proud. I think that we know that we go for less than what the original demand was thought to be and will perhaps exceed that by a small margin to allow for growth. I think whatever brand puts its name on the top of this hotel is going to make it look spectacular because it is always going to be on TV and you can't put a price on that free advertisement and exposure. So, I am going to go out on record and say that it will be similar to the Omni in Fort Worth or the new Marriott in Nashville and will come in around 35 stories and will become our second tallest building in OKC and be a fixture in our skyline that will achieve what the Sheridan 499 did not. Look forward to Pete's and anyone's prediction.

My prediction is it won't be the second tallest in OKC, probably more like the 8th or 10th. Remember, hotel floors are not as tall as office floors. Plus this will have a long horizontal footprint. Not much height to look forward too.

My prediction is it won't be the second tallest in OKC, probably more like the 8th or 10th. Remember, hotel floors are not as tall as office floors. Plus this will have a long horizontal footprint. Not much height to look forward too.

I'm curious as to how you know it will have a large horizontal footprint? I am not saying that is not true, but if that is indeed factual? I would prefer a smaller and taller footprint with room for another tower or building later on.

I'm curious as to how you know it will have a large horizontal footprint? I am not saying that is not true, but if that is indeed factual? I would prefer a smaller and taller footprint with room for another tower or building later on.

You don't say?

I'm curious as to how you know it will have a large horizontal footprint? I am not saying that is not true, but if that is indeed factual? I would prefer a smaller and taller footprint with room for another tower or building later on.

All I know is from the picture at the top of the page. The conceptual rendering at the top has it about 3 times as tall as the Chesapeake Arena, but the forth coming RFP's is what we can really go by, and they should be here soon.

Act like a rodeo clown, get lumped in with rodeo clowns.



Considering how critical some people claim it is to the MAPs project we were asked to vote on and the monumental oversight of talking about it when we did vote on it, yes, we should.

If it is such a good idea that will benefit the metro economy, the proponents should not be afraid of a public vote.

Yes, the RFP responses will be public.

Very interested to see what is submitted.

Pete, do you know if the RFPs are going to be presented at the March 3rd city council meeting?

My take on the conference hotel is that it will have somewhere between 600-650 rooms, 30 stories, 480 ft., range (4th tallest OKC structure). It will be something that adds to the OKC skyline; by design it will be an eye-catching hotel tower which complements the surrounding structures. Predict that we will need a second conference hotel, maybe a twin structure on that site by 2022. It will be a success. OKC could be the convention industry's best kept secret.


https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRqgJPdsE8Ygq-fcg9JmtJoMamVoXjPJFQqqYwhTdzcI0X2jy6nQ https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQomy5pA3t9DU3e1TtK-ALNnENjMFmHpie883J7ZeTPjebG98Mu
The Sheridan 499's glow & crown will help improve the skyline along with the two to four proposed Clayco (OG&E) structures. The developments planned will only lead to more Class A office space construction downtown. You may probably see something later that rivals the Devon Tower.

750-800 rooms somewhere around 30 stories is my best guess.

My take on the conference hotel is that it will have somewhere between 600-650 rooms, 30 stories, 480 ft., range (4th tallest OKC structure). It will be something that adds to the OKC skyline; by design it will be an eye-catching hotel tower which complements the surrounding structures. Predict that we will need a second conference hotel, maybe a twin structure on that site by 2022. It will be a success. OKC could be the convention industry's best kept secret.


My guess is that we'll get something in the same size range as one of the Clayco towers (I say 650-700 rooms, 380 feet). We'll have probably 6 different 400-ish foot tall towers going up at approximately the same time. That's tremendous for a city of our size. Once all those get built, the market will wait and see what our office vacancy rate looks like. I think it will take 5 years or so before we have a good read on how OKC has absorbed all the new space. Once that happens, if our vacancy rate is still very low, and if the economy and the city's population are both still growing rapidly, then I think you'll see people gear up for another round of towers. But if these towers are being completed in the 2018-2019 range, that puts you to 2024 or 2025 before they start the next big push for more.

Now that doesn't take into account Milhaus' plans, or any other residential towers (Bricktown towers?) that might appear. If the two Clayco towers fill up quickly, you might see more of that. But I don't think anybody knows for sure how that will go.

Pete, do you know if the RFPs are going to be presented at the March 3rd city council meeting?

Since the responses are due that morning, I doubt the subject will be on the agenda for that council meeting.

However, I'll get my hands on them ASAP and post them straight away.

Not sure if this is the best thread to post this but I attached a link. I was in Tulsa over the weekend and was very, very impressed with their DT and how they light their buildings. They did really cool stuff to the crown and accent lights. I wish I had taken some pics because it was impressive and I wish OKC would do much more of this. The following pic is nice but doesn't compare to the views that I saw a couple days ago. Anyway, I hope the CC Hotel and other existing buildings in OKC will step up their game and do more with the buildings and do some better lighting. None are worse that the Cotter Ranch Tower- that is one of our biggest eye sores.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Tulsa+skyline+at+night&oq=tulsa&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l4.1620j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

I am not super impressed by Tulsa's skyline. The one thing I do wish though is that OKC would light up Cotter Ranch Tower like Tulsa lights up BOK Tower. That would make a world of difference in the appearance of OKC's skyline. Other than that I am not seeing anything super impressive or anything that OKC should envy. OKC will have a more balanced skyline once the new towers are built. Even though they aren't super tall, they will mute some of the Devon tower's dominance from the southwest.

Nashville's Omni underestimated convention industry's potential.



Omni Nashville owner puts plans for 2nd hotel on hold (http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2014/05/13/omni-nashville-owner-puts-plans-nd-hotel-hold/9058369/)

I think it should be noted that nashville's center cost almost three times what we're budgeted to spend. I've only walked by it, but from the outside it is very impressive. I think we'll be lucky if ours is half as nice.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Tulsa+skyline+at+night&oq=tulsa&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l4.1620j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

Isn't this the third thread? I'm with bchris. This skyline does nothing for me. It's fine but doesn't make me go wow. Nor will our convention center, I suspect, so I hope the hotel is cool.

I was driving to the airport this morning, heading to Dallas. Since reading about how "dark" our skyline is at night, I had the thought that Leadership Square would be really cool outlined like BoA Plaza in Dallas. Oklahoma Tower is basically nonexistent in the skyline when it is dark. I'm not sure how it could be lit up...maybe like Sandridge? It should at least have some lighting on top like OG&E or Chase/Cotter Ranch.

This is off-topic. Maybe these posts could be moved with the rest of the skyline posts?

I was driving to the airport this morning, heading to Dallas. Since reading about how "dark" our skyline is at night, I had the thought that Leadership Square would be really cool outlined like BoA Plaza in Dallas. Oklahoma Tower is basically nonexistent in the skyline when it is dark. I'm not sure how it could be lit up...maybe like Sandridge? It should at least have some lighting on top like OG&E or Chase/Cotter Ranch.

This is off-topic. Maybe these posts could be moved with the rest of the skyline posts?

I agree with you for sure. Just be very careful as to not post anything that doesn't match up verbatim or the forum police will come and chastise you. I totally agree with you and was comparing how dark our skyline is and how impressed I was with the lighting in Tulsa's, which is much more impressive and it really shocked me. With that said, I hope the new CC Hotel not only has great height but also great lighting that will have a wow factor.

You will probably see more towers lit up as the OKC skyline expands. I remember the Dallas & Fort Worth downtown towers were outlined with lights in the 70s; the owner of Tandy Corporation-Radio Shack, Charles Tandy spear headed that project.

If the Clayco (2) & Hines (1) developments light up their mid size towers, you just might see established towers follow suit with some kind of illumination.

You will probably see more towers lit up as the OKC skyline expands. I remember the Dallas & Fort Worth downtown towers were outlined with lights in the 70s; the owner of Tandy Corporation-Radio Shack, Charles Tandy spear headed that project.

If the Clayco (2) & Hines (1) developments light up their mid size towers, you just might see established towers follow suit with some kind of illumination.

I agree. The biggest offender is the Cotter Ranch Tower. It's for the most part dark and what is lit is done very poorly. The owners also don't seem too pressed to fix it. I think it would do a world of good to restore the lighting scheme that it had back when it was built. I tried to find a picture of it but could not, but the entire thing was lit from the top like the west side corners are today.

I'm wondering what the energy expenditure is for lighting a skyline. It's probably far greener to keep it dark. I'm in favor of green.