My thinking is that it will all come down to long term maintenance. If it needs a new roof and starts leaking 5 to 10 years down the road, I don't see the city wanting to pay for that if the only ones who use it are high schools and some over flow events every now and then.

The Blue (Thunder development team) still plays there.

I just can't see anyone stepping up to develop that parcel anytime soon. Until then, at least it provides parking and other utility.

Or maybe we can tear it down, leave a huge pit for quite a while, then years later install a basketball court.

The Blue (Thunder development team) still plays there.

I just can't see anyone stepping up to develop that parcel anytime soon. Until then, at least it provides parking and other utility.

Or maybe we can tear it down, leave a huge pit for quite a while, then years later install a basketball court.

I think the arena is a good reason to keep it around longer. At least until the new one at the state fair is up and running.

IMO it would be worth doing a land swap between the city and the Bob Howard site. The city then rents the Cox Center back from them to make up for loss of parking revenue, until they're ready to do something amazing on that site (maybe we can have some provisions about that... e.g. no standalone parking garages, no plazas, etc). Then the city can RFP the Bob Howard site to create some continuity between MBG and Scissortail. Apologies if this has been suggested before, probably has, 92 pages and all.

I think the arena is a good reason to keep it around longer. At least until the new one at the state fair is up and running.

i think this will be the tipping point for when the cox use conversation starts

https://journalrecord.com/2020/02/21/opening-date-set-for-new-downtown-okc-omni-hotel/

i think this will be the tipping point for when the cox use conversation starts

True, it will generate conversation; however the City will continue to use the Cox Convention Center as a potential backup and evaluate its future.

IMO it would be worth doing a land swap between the city and the Bob Howard site. The city then rents the Cox Center back from them to make up for loss of parking revenue, until they're ready to do something amazing on that site (maybe we can have some provisions about that... e.g. no standalone parking garages, no plazas, etc). Then the city can RFP the Bob Howard site to create some continuity between MBG and Scissortail. Apologies if this has been suggested before, probably has, 92 pages and all.

I think the players that have the Bob Howard site are strong enough that there's no reason for the city to risk this. The Cox Site is substantially more valuable in the long-run because of it's relationship to the inter modal hub. Neither site needs to develop until OKC obtains a few more major corporations who can help drive the type of development necessary for that site.

The only thing that I would say REHCO could/should definitely go ahead and develop is a hotel facing CHK Arena/Boulevard and readily usable by convention goers (along with them realistically needing a garage). I'd think you'd be able to do a pretty swank hotel there. So I'd think in the 2-3 years after the convention center is online they'll assess how many rooms they should strive for, and develop the hotel and garage in such a a way that they can both create a temporary use for the rest of the land while also having everything oriented such that there would be minimal interruption to the hotel's service when they finally develop the rest of the property.

I'm with Pete though that this is going to be a decade's long process. Unfortunately, Oil and Gas is probably never going to rebound to the point of printing money the way that it used to, so we'll have to capture some other market segments over time in order to bring in the investment dollars necessary to build out the area surrounding MBG the way we need to.

<wrong thread>

Well aware we've veered off topic:

SMG, OKC Chamber of Commerce, State Fair Board Trust & the OKC Convention & Visitors Bureau, does these groups work together or do they have separate functions where one respects the other's territory; also are there any over ruling (1)...

Example: Say for instance ice hockey planned to return to Oklahoma City in the form of an East Coast Hockey League franchise where neighboring Tulsa & Wichita have teams; (2) Thunder objected to an ice plant being used The Peake--how would this get resolved; (3) you think the City would invest in any upgrades (seats, restrooms) to Cox Convention Center to make it more hockey friendly if the team played there...

OFF TOPIC: Directed question to East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Sports Thread.

Nm

Nm

Only one crane left.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni031520a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni031520b.jpg

Only one crane left.

That went by really quick!

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni032220a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni032220b.jpg

I know that ship has sailed but I still think they made a mistake by not having a skyway connection to the Convention Center. I know why they did what they did but when it's 40 degrees with our typical 20-30 mph winds, people are going to really complain.

I know that ship has sailed but I still think they made a mistake by not having a skyway connection to the Convention Center. I know why they did what they did but when it's 40 degrees with our typical 20-30 mph winds, people are going to really complain.

I go to tons of conferences with short walks between buildings and I can't remember ever hearing someone really complain. They complained about the weather, but the building. I really don't think it'll be a problem.

I go to tons of conferences with short walks between buildings and I can't remember ever hearing someone really complain. They complained about the weather, but the building. I really don't think it'll be a problem.

My wife asked me why there wasn't a skywalk from the CC to the hotel. i said, "Cause it's 50 feet..."

It is a mistake they didn’t connect the skywalk. Some might not see it as a big deal and other cities do and have these amenities offered.

It is a mistake they didn’t connect the skywalk. Some might not see it as a big deal and other cities do and have these amenities offered.

Meh, I can guarantee you that no convention worth anything to OKC will not pick OKC because of it.

Meh, I can guarantee you that no convention worth anything to OKC will not pick OKC because of it.

what about the International Convention of Skywalk Enthusiasts?

what about the International Convention of Skywalk Enthusiasts?

They can come to OKC to protest the grotesque conditions.

They can come to OKC to protest the grotesque conditions.

They'll have to stay somewhere else than the Omni, though.

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

What's weird to me about the Omni requesting no skywalk is I'm only familiar with the brand because of the CC & Omni pairing down in Dallas, and it absolutely has a skywalk.

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

Many places will have a coat-umbrella check where they give you a storage number so you can pick up your belongings. Understand that most people feel more secure with keeping up with their own apparatus.

I've been to conventions where a small outside walk was required and depending on the time of year, IT SUCKS and people definitely talk about it.

It sucks having to leave your hotel room with a coat/umbrella and then carry it around a convention for the next 8 hours, which of course you could just suck it up in the minute or 2 walk but it makes for a very unpleasant walk. Most work conventions start early in the morning and you can have temps in the single digits.

Hold on. Maybe I've misunderstood, but aren't we talking about the equivalent of crossing the street? Most of it will be covered, right? If that's right (and maybe I'm wrong), you seem to be talking about walking a block or two outside (which is common at many big conferences).

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni032820a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni032820b.jpg

Pete....when is the Omni projected to open? Hopefully they do some locals specials. I really like the presence and stance of this building

Pete....when is the Omni projected to open? Hopefully they do some locals specials. I really like the presence and stance of this building

January but I just read that they have pulled their workers off the project for now.

Probably because they are mainly now working indoors in enclosed spaces.

Meh, I can guarantee you that no convention worth anything to OKC will not pick OKC because of it.
You are probably right but the same could be said with doing away with any number of amenities currently being built

We all are anxious and excited about the opening of the roughly $575 million Oklahoma City convention center complex.

There is no way anyone can predict when this exciting new venue will be available for opening ceremonies with the Covid-19 pandemic upon us today.

I had been told the Omni had pulled their construction crew, but I was just by there and they had a ton of people out there working away.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article241344321.html

It looks like the Forth Worth Omni is expanding.

omg, OKC needs to take lessons from FTW on how to guide development using incentives.

FTW wont pay a dime until its complete, must be a certain room count (additional rooms btw), front a dead street to activate it, 20+ floors, and so on. ..... And the grant is paid not by TIF but by the room taxes the hotel will generate. OMG .

see you don't need to give away the city and settle for second best just to get quality development. use incentives to guide development and demand quality, features you want/need not just let any developer lock out all of downtown to get a lowly tower only 2 floors higher than what we already have. ..

No way OKC should pay double, upfront, with additional landmark incentives yet only get a 600 room hotel that isnt even 20 floors. ... think about that.

Here's the difference, Fort Worth is a city that's more attached to Dallas and is hardly any distance from anywhere. It will always be a travel hub. And being that the city is tied on to Dallas, the negotiations can flow a bit differently because Omni truly wants to be there and they're willing to argue a few terms to get their desired hub.

Sadly, OKC is a new player in an old market. Omni is just striding the waters, plus it's uncertain of how much development they want to invest in because of the yearly weather conditions, I'm sure they wouldn't want an episode similar to the one on the Devon tower. It doesn't have the incentive of boasting a huge population like Dallas. And then it also doesn't have the power of boasting multiple major sport franchises under it's belt. Places that immediately surround OKC is as followed: Moore, Norman, Midwest City, and Edmond. Neither of those locations are exactly booming with businesses that require vertical expansions, they're just suburban developments. Midwest City can easily be compared to Virginia Beach (sans the sea and sand), a low elevated district with an established military presence that requires all buildings to maintain low clearance, so they just commence to sprawling outward. Moore is another suburban development, one that is very susceptible to bad weather. Edmond is no different. And Norman's only real draw is the university. Compare that to Fort Worth and you'd have a city that's bigger than both OKC and Norman COMBINED.

If anything, Omni has no true incentive to bring business away from their much larger location south of I-35. I wish we had the draw to make them consider putting another highrise to fill out the southern "cliff", but we'll have to swallow that one to let them see that the market is viable enough to do so. Personally, I think the money gone to Omni would've been great to upgrade many areas in the NE sector of town, preferably anything above NE 36th.

^

And Fort Worth is very close to DFW which has direct flights to almost everywhere.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni040420a.jpg

^

You can see the blue insulation is starting to be covered with the final metal cladding on the first and second levels.

The only bit of color will be the orangeish square on the north facade at the west end.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni040620a.jpg

Any word yet on what the lighting scheme is going be?

159381593915940

Any word yet on what the lighting scheme is going be?

Disappointing is my prediction.

Disappointing is my prediction.
Beat the crowd...be negative before it’s even finished. 😂

Disappointing is my prediction.

Have you seen a mock up? I have not and am wondering if you have can you link me to it so I can form my opinion? I would love to see it but can’t find anything.

Just curious why you are so disappointed, figured you must be privy to a mock up.

Have you seen a mock up? I have not and am wondering if you have can you link me to it so I can form my opinion? I would love to see it but can’t find anything.

Just curious why you are so disappointed, figured you must be privy to a mock up.
15946

Outside of Dallas it's about par for the course for an Omni. We knew that going in. Why should anyone be disappointed?

https://vimeo.com/396787819/977de954db

Virtual Tour.

Nice!

https://vimeo.com/396787819/977de954db

Virtual Tour.

I love the decor in the bar/restaurants. They're really embracing Oklahoma, but still looks classy. The rooms unsurprisingly look pretty basic.

Really like the variety of spots to eat, drink, have a coffee, etc.

That 2-level sports bar (405 Taproom) should be really cool, with outdoor seating right on the corner and overlooking the park, the arena and the new Thunder Alley:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni040820e.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni040820h.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni040820i.jpg

Looks like they're starting to put up signage on the north side of the building. This project is looking better and better everyday!

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni043020a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni043020b.jpg

Last crane coming down,

Crane pulling it down is equally impressive

Last crane coming down,

Crane pulling it down is equally impressive

Anxious to see the pics Pete posts of an Omni Oklahoma City that continues to inch its way toward completion. Hope the CC Garage is right on schedule for the opening--whenever that will be in early 2021.

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/fetch/c_fill,h_246,q_75,w_400/https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/oklahoma/cc_logo_a8357d85-d959-4c85-bcb9-8fbe858a35a1.png

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni050920a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni050920b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni050920c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni050920d.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/omni050920e.jpg

Man this pool should have been Oklahoma shaped. Such a missed opportunity!

Man this pool should have been Oklahoma shaped. Such a missed opportunity!

The Governor's Mansion has an Oklahoma-shaped pool. It's clearly visible on Google Maps.