Did they pave it? WTF? Or is that gravel?

I don't know if it's worth getting worked up over the construction trailer parking surface. I think it is just going to be gravel while they use it as a construction staging site.

Yeah, I think actually paving it would be worse. That would feel far more permanent.

And parkside construction trailers are sickening? Really? Construction trailers happen everywhere, and I would bet they've been set up in other cities beside other parks an uncountable number of times before now.

Really people. This is not a great situation, but the hyperbole about it is kind of over the top.

^

The issue is the continued deception and general lack of honesty on the part of OG&E, Rainey Williams and everyone else involved in this debacle.

In January, they gave media interviews about how they are going to 'beautify' the property to deflect yet more outcry after making huge promises then completely and indefinitely halting all development. Shortly thereafter, plans are quietly filed to move on 7 construction trailers, gravel parking and tons of vehicles.

This, on top of countless other broken promises amid bait-and-switch tactics on ownership and other matters.


“It’s The Dismal Tide. It’s Not The One Thing.” - No Country for Old Men

Reporters/journalists should really, really, really contact Rainey Williams and OG&E and ask about this, repeatedly until they either say "no comment" (which they most likely will, which means they know they suck horribly for doing this, but won't ever admit it) or an explanation (which will probably never happen)... Call them out publicly on what kind of crap they did.

The most disheartening thing about this entire debacle is that Rainey Williams and OG&E are getting away with it scott-free. Nobody is holding them accountable and it seems like nobody other than a small minority even cares. Why isn't the local media asking tough questions?

From the original concept proposal by Rainey Williams until now, I can't think of any way this could have played out worse than it did.

I can tell you with a reasonable degree of certainty that in January, and before, and maybe even as late as February, JE Dunn was not planning on using the Stage Center site/OGE site for their construction trailers and parking. There was a transaction for a different location for JE Dunn to accommodate their employees parking, equipment staging and most of their construction management operations. They were in negotiations with another property owner to lease a different site a few blocks away. I was in fact on that site for a walk through with some of the folks involved about a month and a half ago. The use of the Stage Center site to my knowledge and belief was a very recent development. In recent I mean in the past few weeks. From what I know, in January or whenever it was OGE said they were going to beautify the site they meant it because JE Dunn was making preparation to do at the other site I reference what they are doing at the Stage Center site. They had an agreement for the other site months ago. Now, what Rainey Williams did and the other stuff...I have no info, but as for the use of the site as staging for JE Dunn...that was not in the plans a month or so ago.

^

That means after OG&E made the promise to beautify in January, they contracted with the construction company to allow this use.

It also means that JE Dunn already had worked out other arrangements for the trailers that would have been satisfactory if OG&E hadn't offered their property.

My point but more succinct. I don't know for certain, but my belief is that after the OG&E deal came off the rails...that JE Dunn may have reached out to OG&E about use of the property. It just makes sense for JE Dunn to use that property for staging and parking as opposed to the original site they had picked.

Reporters/journalists should really, really, really contact Rainey Williams and OG&E and ask about this


Why isn't the local media asking tough questions?

Could this be the development to make Dallas and KC jealous?

What if we've finally found the Mystery Tower?

We could see as many as twelve towers rise from this site.

Could make for a very interesting play.

Maybe we still don't know Rainey Williams...

Is OG&E remodeling their old building?

Is OG&E remodeling their old building?

Yes, there was a building permit to do some work but it wasn't a ton of money.

For what it's worth I talked to one of their engineers yesterday who said they still plan on turning the location into a park until the economy picks back up and will then continue with the new development

Yes, there was a building permit to do some work but it wasn't a ton of money.

No, I thought I read a remodel at 321 N Harvey for $11m. Maybe I'm thinking of a different location.

For what it's worth I talked to one of their engineers yesterday who said they still plan on turning the location into a park until the economy picks back up and will then continue with the new development

This gives me hope.

For what it's worth I talked to one of their engineers yesterday who said they still plan on turning the location into a park until the economy picks back up and will then continue with the new development

It's my understanding and I'm sure it's been discussed here somewhere, but one of the reasons they backed off this site was due to the financial condition of SandRidge. They may be buying the SandRidge offices for pennies on the dollar. ?

Those construction trailers are going to be there quite a while.

Would this change anything?

Oil analyst: Why crude could double in 2016 (http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/11/oil-analyst-why-crude-could-double-in-2016.html)

Would this change anything?

Oil analyst: Why crude could double in 2016 (http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/11/oil-analyst-why-crude-could-double-in-2016.html)

Well yeah, if it actually happens. It raise the chances of something substantial happening on this site from zero to slim.

Some trees have been added. Sod must be coming soon.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oge041116.jpg

Ohh my god... Haha.

Its like putting lipstick on a pig.

Ohh my god... Haha.

Its like putting lipstick on a pig.

After its been slaughtered.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Hopefully they are going to take down the black fencing once they have the sod down so that it can be used for open space.

Oil is back up to $50/barrel today. It was at $31 in January.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/05/25/oil-prices-inventories-may-2016/84898156/

Some trees have been added. Sod must be coming soon.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oge041116.jpg

This is MUCH better than a unique piece of architecture.......... #sarcasm

I don't understand why the Stage Center had to be demolished immediately.. :(

will they take down the fence then

They've put down sod and sprinklers:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oge053016.jpg

well at least that's better then the mudfest that would eventually overflow on to the street.

I still can't believe the Stage Center was torn down for this. I can't and won't let that go. Thank you DDRC.

I still can't believe the Stage Center was torn down for this. I can't and won't let that go. Thank you DDRC.

We will have to live with OG&E Springs for now...

When will Randy Williams apologize for misleading the city?

When will Randy Williams apologize for misleading the city?

'Randy' never will.....

This is MUCH better than a unique piece of architecture.......... #sarcasm

I don't understand why the Stage Center had to be demolished immediately.. :(


Why, to make room for the construction trailers of course. Not like those could have gone anywhere else.
</snark>

Good news for OK economy. Oil ends day at 11 month high. $51

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-march-past-50-amid-signs-of-us-inventory-falls-2016-06-08

Good news for OK economy. Oil ends day at 11 month high. $51

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-march-past-50-amid-signs-of-us-inventory-falls-2016-06-08

There's a thread for this.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oge062616a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oge062616b.jpg

Does that mean the fence is down now?

Does that mean the fence is down now?

Not yet.

I think they are still protecting the sod.

Sorry, don't mean to make people think there's an update here. But I was looking through the renderings for BOK Park Plaza and it's extremely saddening to see what was being planned with just one or two of these planned towers.
Downtown OKC was on the verge of really taking off, skyline speaking, with these along with BOK Park. I know there's always a chance in the future this will come back, and I hope it does, but it obviously won't be any time soon.

Of course I'm no expert nor am I in their field, but I hope they really assess things when the time comes back around. Where there may not be a need for two or four towers, hopefully they can settle with one that can address all of their wants and needs to stay safe but also make it worth the destruction of Stage Center and to help with OKC's stature.

OG&E is likely to acquire the Sandridge building and therefore I think this property will ultimately be sold to a developer.

Already forgot about the Sandridge properties. Thanks for the reminder.

This reminds me I saw that Clayco is now doing another project in the metro...

Building out some small property in Edmond, along Santa Fe or Kelly.

Will this property be named the Stage Center Memorial Gardens in the mean time?

Meanwhile, OG&E is looking to drastically increase access fees:

http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/og-e-s-requests-would-cause-electric-bills-to-skyrocket/article_9801823e-42fd-11e6-903c-3367c3529f62.html

This reminds me I saw that Clayco is now doing another project in the metro...

Building out some small property in Edmond, along Santa Fe or Kelly.

Weokie Credit Union at 2nd & Kelly

(As a sidenote, they've closed the sidewalk during construction, with no alternative besides 'cross the street.' We really need to get the metro cities/planning departments to make protected alt. access mandatory if the sidewalk is closed for any amount of time.)

Weokie Credit Union is a little different that a 4 tall buildings plus retail and parking over a large downtown block.

Clayco was always way out of their depths with this project, and I had been told that from the outset -- just hoped it wasn't true.

Weokie Credit Union is a little different that a 4 tall buildings plus retail and parking over a large downtown block.

Clayco was always way out of their depths with this project, and I had been told that from the outset -- just hoped it wasn't true.

If that's the case then everyone was sold a bill of goods. It appears that Clayco never had serious intentions of building that complex.

I think they and their partners wanted to make it happen but wanted/needed a ridiculous amount of public assistance and after there was push back on that, it all collapsed pretty quickly.

Thank you DDRC and Clayco.

and don't forget Reiney Williams. Just in case you didn't know.

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-aabffc26ae8e500e143410cece30472a.jpg

http://okenergytoday.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/3bf63a9380127f0f617f1c7f2dc6c881.jpg

http://kwtv.images.worldnow.com/images/24241236_BG1.jpg
Double the height of this original structure from 14-to-16 to a 28-32 story tower.

Should OG&E revisit their plans and concentrate on building one structure?

Why is this thread coming back?


Weokie Credit Union is a little different that a 4 tall buildings plus retail and parking over a large downtown block.

Clayco was always way out of their depths with this project, and I had been told that from the outset -- just hoped it wasn't true.

I disagree. They have a 12-story student housing tower rising in Cleveland, with much larger projects in their portfolio. Large scale suburban office park is their bread and butter, and like any institutional developer, what really matters is the interest level of the REIT controlling the purse strings. Someone who's connected to Clayco clearly wants to park some cash in the OKC market.

Also can someone explain why we're blaming the outside developer who didn't get the project? We seem to do this a lot. Local home boy screws up a site he never had the capacity or wherewithal to develop to begin with, and now we're bad mouthing the team that did have the capacity but not the local connections to seal the deal.

Allow me to remind everyone, if you question that Rainey Whatshisface can do this project, then you don't know Rainey Whatshisface.

Sorry, posted an old link. Thought it was this year (one below)

http://m.newsok.com/article/5471968

The project is back to square 1 with no plan, no other tenant other than OG&E, no momentum.

And now that OG&E is no longer hiding behind Rainey Williams they will face a fair bit of public backlash when they try to build lavish new headquarters while also asking for rate increases.

This prop. needs to be sold to someone that wants to build there. If I remember right Milhaus or some other outfit was also bidding on this prop.

Sell property or build the tower or no price increase.

This prop. needs to be sold to someone that wants to build there. If I remember right Milhaus or some other outfit was also bidding on this prop.

Sell property or build the tower or no price increase.

Agree with OKCRT, "OG&E needs to sh & it, or get off the pot."

If OG&E can provide better service & more jobs; to me this will justify a rate increase. OG&E use to be one of Oklahoma's top Fortune 500 companies. Right now, they are barely among the Fortune 1000 companies ranks in the 900s as they continue to slip.

ONE of Tulsa continues to maintain its presence among the Fortune 500 companies. Can someone tell us what in the hell happened to OG&E?

It probably wouldn't be that hard for someone to get someone to come along and buy the plot from OGE if they have plans for it.

This prop. needs to be sold to someone that wants to build there. If I remember right Milhaus or some other outfit was also bidding on this prop.

Sell property or build the tower or no price increase.

You're correct. I believe they wanted to build one single tower, somewhere in the 15-20 floor range. Their proposal wasn't as robust as Milhaus, however, I don't believe theirs required as much TIF, either.

IIRC, Milhaus responded to a RFP for the southern portion of the block that would have been built alongside OG&E's new HQ. Of course Clayco's expanded plans came along as well.

Unfortunately, I believe it's been indicated that Milhaus has, for now, stepped away from OKC after LiFT. Which I still think is a huge bummer.

I wish they'd just sell this as well. Or if the city could attain it, couldn't OCURA issue another RFP at a right time? Am I correct in how that would work?

It appears to me that OGE saw that the area was going to get built up in the future and increase the price of the land. So they went ahead and bought that land at a decent price. If they could get their building built with the TIF they wanted, then okay. If not, then they've still got the land at the price they wanted and could sit on it until they decide what to do. That's the way it looks to me.