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?

I think you mean Oneok, and Oneok was always a lot more than just a utility. The Utility portion of Oneok was spun off as One Gas a few years ago and while Oneok remains a Fortune 500 company, One Gas is not.

http://i.imgur.com/TiA80b6.jpg

$100 bucks this site ends up as a parking garage!

$100 bucks this site ends up as a parking garage!

A worthy addition to the adjacent Parking Garage District.

Even when it was going to be four towers it was going to have a significant parking garage

In January of 2016, OG&E was quoted by the Oklahoman as saying that fence would be coming down soon in aide of public green space.

That was a year and a half ago:

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

The construction trailers have been removed from the old Stage Center site.

A representative from the Myriad Gardens said when the fences come down, they will be managing and programming the space but wouldn't share any more details quite yet.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/bok121617.jpg

Booooooooooooo.

The DDRC should have to take a walk of shame across the site before every meeting.

The lot is also a great place to really take in the majesty of the historic garage district as well.

The DDRC should have to take a walk of shame across the site before every meeting.

The lot is also a great place to really take in the majesty of the historic garage district as well.

At least six garages are visible!!

Off topic, I know. But can someone shed some light on that quirky little six-story building in the bottom right of the corner of that picture? I'm always curious about it when I see it, yet I don't know its history, purpose, or who the tenant is.

^^^^^^^^
That was a training tower for the Oklahoma City Fire Department. That type of training is now done at OSU-OKC, I believe. Not sure when training was last done at this location, but it would predate the move of the arts festival to this plaza in the eighties. There is essentially nothing to it inside other than a stairwell. I believe when the arts festival was in this location that OCPD utilized it as an observation tower, at least in the earlier years there.

Ahh. Thanks, Urbanized.

At least six garages are visible!!

I count 7.

Wish OG&E would proceed with plans for this site, oil & gas has recovered & stabilized, so what is their excuse now?

If not, sell it to someone who will...smh...

For many reasons, OGE = Trash.

Wish OG&E would proceed with plans for this site, oil & gas has recovered & stabilized, so what is their excuse now?

If not, sell it to someone who will...smh...

Do you know if anyone is willing to buy it and put up a suitable development? Seems like we have a very large amount of developable land around the gardens with more to come on-line when the CC is completed and the Cox torn down. I just don't hear of anyone clamoring to do development there at this time.

Pete, are there people sniffing? Anything in motion for the Howard site?

Midtown Renaissance owns the property south of the gardens and all their development plans throughout OKC are on hold for some reason.

OG&E is not looking to sell that property nor develop it any time soon.

I think we all love our city and think highly of it. Unfortunately, the real economics of demand and costs don't create the desire to develop some think it should. We have a large amount of development to do downtown with many different developments and no shortage of space. These spaces could sit for awhile with no real incentive to commit major money to.

We could use a land use tax around these here parts.

We could use a land use tax around these here parts.

Or at least a demolition tax if you don't build what you promised.

^^^^^^^^
Or a performance bond.

^^^^^^^^
Or a performance bond.

Right.

Although the unplanned happens all the time, at least this would encourage developers to not destroy something until they were pretty darn sure they were going to be able to replace it with a design-approved project.

But we still have the problem of people buying buildings and letting them rot, then getting approval for demo because they are no longer 'savable'.

:cool: Highest since Dec 2014. Project was announced July 2014.

https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=%40CL.1

:cool: Highest since Dec 2014. Project was announced July 2014.

https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=%40CL.1

Yeah, 'oil prices' become the catch-all excuse for everything in Oklahoma.

Yet, I've heard nothing whatsoever about this project even having a pulse at this point.

Whether people like it or not, higher oil prices are good for Oklahoma. Until other industries come in mass.

Yeah, 'oil prices' become the catch-all excuse for everything in Oklahoma.

Yet, I've heard nothing whatsoever about this project even having a pulse at this point.

This project is dead, but a good friend in OGE told me OGE is still very interested in the longer term.

They want to line all the sides with retail, put a garage and a ~600 foot tower in the middle of the lot.

What’s unknown is whether it would be purely office or a mixed use tower. IE office and condo. It’s a ways out, like mid 2020s out. But they are still kicking ideas around. He said everyone involved is keeping an eye out on oil prices, how well the condos on broadway sell, bok tower, first national, the macro okc economic picture, etc.

If OG&E is holding out until everything is alined & perfect, they will be waiting forever. Who knows what the economic landscape will be 3-5 years from now? It's not about the money, they have enough money to build a nice tower there 5 times over. But it doesn't have to be nothing too grand, a nice 400-450 ft office tower will be sufficient. Trying to pull off another Devon Energy Center is a longshot for them, that is a once in a generation type project.

So, OKC gets a huge empty field in the middle of the central business district and fronting hundreds of millions of public improvements.

OG&E will never get pressured to do anything by the City because of their heavy influence and involvement through the Chamber.

With all due respect, I don't believe the Myriad Gardens is 100s of millions of dollars of public improvement. Isn't that the only public improvement that lot faces?

I also wonder what the real value is right now.

Seems like no one is pressuring owners of the old Ford dealership to do something. Now, they REALLY do face 100s of Millions of dollars of public improvements.... Skydance, Myriad, streetcar, boulevard. Yet everyone here will give them a pass. Why don't we expect them to quickly do some skyscrapers there since we are making their property so valuable and they refused to cooperate with the city on land for the CC?

Downtown park-front land is valuable, but not in exceptionally high demand. OKC just doesn't have enough investors who have the ability to build skyscraper-level developments. It has some people with that amount of money, but right now it seems all of them are busy with other stuff. There's a very limited pool of potential buyers out there.

There's enough empty land in the downtown area that there's no pressure building to force people to either sell or develop their particular chunk. That's why I'm not longing for the day that we tear down the Cox Center. I don't think adding even more park-front land is going to push people to develop it faster.

With all due respect, I don't believe the Myriad Gardens is 100s of millions of dollars of public improvement. Isn't that the only public improvement that lot faces?

Project 180, streetcar, John Rex school, etc., etc.

I also wonder what the real value is right now.

Seems like no one is pressuring owners of the old Ford dealership to do something. Now, they REALLY do face 100s of Millions of dollars of public improvements.... Skydance, Myriad, streetcar, boulevard. Yet everyone here will give them a pass. Why don't we expect them to quickly do some skyscrapers there since we are making their property so valuable and they refused to cooperate with the city on land for the CC?

You mean no pressure like the City taking them to court in order to obtain that property and build on it themselves?

And who is giving them a pass? Been plenty of concern, especially since I've made the point repeatedly that MidtownR seems to have gone into deep freeze regarding all their undeveloped property, and they own a lot.

Also, unlike OG&E, MidtownR didn't obtain their property under a huge ruse, demolish a landmark property, submit ambitious plans, ask for a huge amount of public assistance, then promise a park and ultimately fence off the property and allow construction trailers.

I feel the need to remind everyone that the Stage Center property sold in 2013 for the paltry sum of $4.3 million. Meanwhile, the city is paying $14 million to OG&E for an equivalent amount of land in order to build a parking garage.

I feel the need to remind everyone that the Stage Center property sold in 2013 for the paltry sum of $4.3 million. Meanwhile, the city is paying $14 million to OG&E for an equivalent amount of land in order to build a parking garage.

Yep, and the City is actually paying more than that because they are giving money to OG&E to relocate.

I feel the need to remind everyone that the Stage Center property sold in 2013 for the paltry sum of $4.3 million. Meanwhile, the city is paying $14 million to OG&E for an equivalent amount of land in order to build a parking garage.

:Smiley130:Smiley130:Smiley130:Smiley130

^^ let me guess, as a new tenant in BOKPP. ....

I feel the need to remind everyone that the Stage Center property sold in 2013 for the paltry sum of $4.3 million. Meanwhile, the city is paying $14 million to OG&E for an equivalent amount of land in order to build a parking garage.

And the beat goes on. OG&E been ripping citizens off for years IMO. I would like to know how much Rainey Williams made off his part of this arms length deal.

And the beat goes on. OG&E been ripping citizens off for years IMO. I would like to know how much Rainey Williams made off his part of this arms length deal.

And yet we have the 3rd lowest average kw rate in the entire US. Way to go ripping off the public.

Oil soars to 3-year high, settling near $69. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/18/us-crude-tops-68-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-three-years.html

nice

nice

Wrong thread but nice

Wrong thread but nice

I think part of the reasoning for mentioning it here is that OG&E blamed the low price of oil for not moving forward on this project.

It doesn't help that right across the street is a brand new building that only has 4 of 27 floors occupied.

But it was to be pretty full when they decided to pull the plug on their project.

If it was anyone else (other than a handful of energy companies) there would be pressure for them to do something with that land. 2 years ago they promised to at least make it 'green open space' and yet it remains completely fenced off.

I think part of the reasoning for mentioning it here is that OG&E blamed the low price of oil for not moving forward on this project.

We have an entire thread dedicated to oil prices, and oil prices were low. That wasn’t blame it was an actual reason.

I would rather OG&E move into & lease out the remaining floors in BOK Park Plaza. Let someone else build on the old Stage Center lot.

I would rather OG&E move into & lease out the remaining floors in BOK Park Plaza. Let someone else build on the old Stage Center lot.
This is my preference as well.

I third the motion about BOK

If you guys are OG&E shareholders then just a few thousand more votes and you’ll have a quorum! ;)

https://newsok.com/article/5609168/soccer-field-basketball-court-planned-for-former-stage-center-site-in-downtown-oklahoma-city?earlyAccess=true

Looks like OG&E won't be building a tower here any time soon. Very disappointed.

"Brian Alford, vice president of communications at OGE Energy, told The Oklahoman that plan is shelved and the company has no plans to proceed with development of the site."

https://newsok.com/article/5609168/soccer-field-basketball-court-planned-for-former-stage-center-site-in-downtown-oklahoma-city?earlyAccess=true

Looks like OG&E won't be building a tower here any time soon. Very disappointed.

"Brian Alford, vice president of communications at OGE Energy, told The Oklahoman that plan is shelved and the company has no plans to proceed with development of the site."

It is disappointing, though the temporary use (basketball courts, soccer fields, etc) is not the worst use until someone comes along and does develop the site.

The much bigger concern is that this property is going to sit there undeveloped for a very long time. If they don't plan to develop it, sell it.

If you recall, the foundation that owned Stage Center went through a selection process when they sold and it was supposed to aid in the prompt and responsible redevelopment of this land. OG&E acquired it through a massive ruse (with the Oklahoman carrying their water and still through all their 'excusive reporting' -- i.e. being played -- has failed to address this) and now here it sits.


Also a reminder that OG&E promised to turn this into a park over 2 years ago and since that time it's been completely fenced off.

This is what Mark Beffort -- the broker hired to help sell Stage Center -- told the Journal Record in 2013:


"We want what's in the interest of the city, but we're making sure whoever buys the site is able to execute their plan."

The purchaser of the property will be named based on three criteria: the price offered, the buyers' capability to execute their plan, and the ultimate use of the structure.

Hopefully the OG&E vision ends up happening. Especially now with the core to shore trucking along faster than ever. This lot, the Bob Howard lot between the parks, and the Cox site will redefine the city and the skyline. I’m glad I’ll be a part of it.

By all indications, OG&E has no intention of developing this property.

Exactly Pete, why sit on it. Can't they sell it to OCURA & then they can take bids from developers?

The much bigger concern is that this property is going to sit there undeveloped for a very long time. If they don't plan to develop it, sell it.

If you recall, the foundation that owned Stage Center went through a selection process when they sold and it was supposed to aid in the prompt and responsible redevelopment of this land. OG&E acquired it through a massive ruse (with the Oklahoman carrying their water and still through all their 'excusive reporting' -- i.e. being played -- has failed to address this) and now here it sits.


Also a reminder that OG&E promised to turn this into a park over 2 years ago and since that time it's been completely fenced off.

The OG&E/Rainey Williams/Stage Center debacle is a textbook example of some of the worst mistakes OKC made during urban renewal. It was the same formula every time with developers coming in with big promises, demolishing the historic building stock, and then just sitting on the land or if they did develop it, they built something significantly scaled down from the original proposal that would have never otherwise been approved. It's infuriating that this kind of stuff is still going on.

The full stories behind a paywall...

“OG&E Energy Corp. is partnering with three foundations to turn the block that was once home to Stage Center into a park equipped with a modified soccer field, basketball court and space for gatherings and events.”

https://newsok.com/article/5609168/soccer-field-basketball-court-planned-for-former-stage-center-site-in-downtown-oklahoma-city?earlyAccess=true