I saw a tweet that was teasing an article in the Oklahoman about a seven story headquarters on the SE corner (I think). Any body know anything about this or who the company is?

^ Was going to post the exact same thing! Really curious about this.

Tweets for reference: https://twitter.com/stevelackmeyer/status/980142107259260928

https://twitter.com/slackscom/status/980085558646067200

Yes, 7-story Rand Elliott building on the old Sanridge lot that is on the SE corner of Broadway & 6th, directly south of the Broadway Condos (now to be offices) and directly west of what will be the TownPlace Suites.

I'd bet Nick preftakes heard about this a couple weeks ago...

I'd bet Nick preftakes heard about this a couple weeks ago...

If he did, I am not sure why he would convert to offices from condos. Seems a hotel would have been better, since, at least according to the teases above, this building has a tenant lined up.

Sweet! One less parking lot along Broadway. Lots more in that picture that can be swallowed up in coming years. It's a rather odd looking design though. I don't think I've seen a building with that design before. At least it will be unique looking and of decent height for that part of Downtown. Any word on who would occupy it?

If he did, I am not sure why he would convert to offices from condos. Seems a hotel would have been better, since, at least according to the teases above, this building has a tenant lined up.

I think Ross may be referring to the fact that the Broadway Condos would immediately have their view of downtown blocked by a larger building, haha

Personally I don’t think it matters much. Never thought Auto Alley had that great a view anyway since most of the cool buildings are obscured by that god-awful AT&T building.

Since this is a Rand Elliott design and it falls within DDRC, how will that work? Will he recuse himself? Will they bring on another architect?

Looks like Andy and David Burnett are the developers, Rand Elliott the architect with Stan Lingo as the contractor.

http://newsok.com/new-corporate-headquarters-being-eyed-for-automobile-alley/article/5589074

Since this is a Rand Elliott design and it falls within DDRC, how will that work? Will he recuse himself? Will they bring on another architect?

Rand isn't on the DDRC, he's on the unofficial Auto Alley design review board.

Rand isn't on the DDRC, he's on the unofficial Auto Alley design review board.

Ah, my bad. Since this still falls within AADR, same question...

Ah, my bad. Since this still falls within AADR, same question...

That's an unofficial body and he's been the only one that has been very outspoken, so I'm sure not much will be said on behalf of that group.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/burnett1.jpg


Renderings:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway2.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway3.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway4.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway5.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway7.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway8.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/600broadway6.jpg

This prospect is very exciting. I'm so glad that these huge wasteland parking lots are getting built on. My concern/thought: why in the world would they design a plaza on the corner of 6th and Broadway?? It's a huge lot for sure but why not split up the block if they couldn't fill it on both corners? Was this a design choice or value engineering? Why would the more (IMO) important corner be set back from the street?

Not a fan of the huge walls around the courtyard

Any guesses as to which company this might be for?

Any guesses as to which company this might be for?

Paper article says they won't say until its official.

Yeah I’m wondering about the courtyard wall and what that would look like once built. Rand does great work so I don’t think we would be too disappointed.

Paper article says they won't say until its official.
I read that - was just hoping someone here might have some insight.

I read that - was just hoping someone here might have some insight.

For months, in conjunction with teasing this story, Steve has been cryptically referring to a major employer who is moving their operations out of the suburbs and into downtowns/urban areas across the nation. I know State Farm has been doing that, so perhaps it's them. Anyone else know of major businesses doing this?

Anybody remember what was there before it was a parking lot???

This prospect is very exciting. I'm so glad that these huge wasteland parking lots are getting built on. My concern/thought: why in the world would they design a plaza on the corner of 6th and Broadway?? It's a huge lot for sure but why not split up the block if they couldn't fill it on both corners? Was this a design choice or value engineering? Why would the more (IMO) important corner be set back from the street?

I agree, do they own that corner? Maybe they don't.

Where the plaza is to be was the old Hale Photo Building, which was demolished a few years back.

That property along with the large parking lot along Broadway (former Kerr McGee / Sandridge parking) is owned by Land Run (Gold Dome / The Rise).

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=29748

http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/halephoto1.jpg

Interestingly, what is being proposed now is what was generally part of the master plan when SandRidge was blowing and going (building at upper right):

http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1564&d=1337168316

Yeah I’m wondering about the courtyard wall and what that would look like once built. Rand does great work so I don’t think we would be too disappointed.

I hope so. Hope it doesn't turn out like the NE corner of Sheridan and Dewey where the entire corner is just a wall around the backside of the old Holiday Inn.

That building's design is really nice. The modern accents lit up like that look really good.

It’s not Paycom, everyone in Steve’s chats has a fantasy that Paycom is gonna move downtown despite having spent tens of millions on their campus

Paycom taking the Sandridge tower would be really good for downtown. But their employees all live in Edmond and N OKC and would be pissed.

Paycom taking the Sandridge tower would be really good for downtown. But their employees all live in Edmond and N OKC and would be pissed.

Paycom has spent $50,000,000 building out that campus. They aren’t going to just walk away from that because they want to be downtown, which they don’t.

FWIW I heard it’s US Fleet tracking

Yeah I’m wondering about the courtyard wall and what that would look like once built. Rand does great work so I don’t think we would be too disappointed.

Rand has very interesting design, but almost always fails at urban design. He's a form over function type of architect so review will be important here.

FWIW I heard it’s US Fleet tracking

Do they have 100's of office employees?

Rand has very interesting design, but almost always fails at urban design. He's a form over function type of architect so review will be important here.

How does this fit form over function or anti urban critique? It is very clean urban design with a Euro feel....lots of windows for natural light.

I think the design is fine. Actually, I think they almost hit it out of the park with this. It looks great.

I had a little concern about the courtyard wall, but then I went to Google Maps to try and get a better visual for where this is. That courtyard wall is along an alleyway that runs behind the property. The rendering shows a car driving on it, but that's not a regularly used street for traffic. There's virtually zero pedestrian traffic there as it is, and I don't think there are any plans to have storefronts facing that alley. If you're going to put an ugly wall anywhere, that's where you'd do it.

As far as the plaza goes, right now that area is just ugly parking. I can't tell how big the plaza is supposed to be, but you can always add another building there later if the owners decide to. It's an easy fix.

Paycom taking the Sandridge tower would be really good for downtown. But their employees all live in Edmond and N OKC and would be pissed.

Sandridge tower isn't really big enough for Paycom anyway.

Do they have 100's of office employees?

I just read where they have 33 employees -

Sandridge tower isn't really big enough for Paycom anyway.

Just went to their wiki... over 2500 employees!? How many of those are in OKC?

How does this fit form over function or anti urban critique? It is very clean urban design with a Euro feel....lots of windows for natural light.

I don't know what I was looking at. Lol. The urban design is here. Disregard my last comment.

A new entrant in to the market would be more significant. This (US Fleet) would simply shift the deck chairs.

BTW, this design is similar to Chesapeake Building 1 in the middle of that campus, also designed by Rand.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/chk020718.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/chk040218.jpg

I can't tell from the renderings, but I hope there's streetail of some sort along Broadway and 6th.

A new entrant in to the market would be more significant. This (US Fleet) would simply shift the deck chairs.

https://ohmy.disney.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Eeyore_3.jpg

A new entrant in to the market would be more significant. This (US Fleet) would simply shift the deck chairs.

It's an out-of-state company.

It's an out-of-state company.

Great, that would be significant. Thanks

It's an out-of-state company.
You feel good about this actually happening? Steve's article said it could still fall apart, so I'd like to gauge where my optimism should be, lol. Any idea when we'll find out the employer?

^^^^^^^
No idea when the tenant would be made public other than certainly (hopefully) only after the deal is secured. Like you mention, in the original article Andy is very clear that the deal is not done yet. The danger in knowing about this type of thing early in the process is the fact that it can be disappointing if it doesn't come to fruition. Another danger is assigning blame if it doesn't. Sometimes deals just don't come together. It's great when they do, and of course creating designs like this are all a part of due diligence when trying to put them together. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

You feel good about this actually happening? Steve's article said it could still fall apart, so I'd like to gauge where my optimism should be, lol. Any idea when we'll find out the employer?

Especially when the article was published on April Fools day. (Not saying this is an elaborate joke, just that it's bad omens and we don't know Rainey Williams)

^^^^^^^
No idea when the tenant would be made public other than certainly (hopefully) only after the deal is secured. Like you mention, in the original article Andy is very clear that the deal is not done yet. The danger in knowing about this type of thing early in the process is the fact that it can be disappointing if it doesn't come to fruition. Another danger is assigning blame if it doesn't. Sometimes deals just don't come together. It's great when they do, and of course creating designs like this are all a part of due diligence when trying to put them together. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

For why was this story leaked to press? This was obviously a "press-release" type situation, not some cold-case that Steve cracked on his own. So for what end was this story put to the public? Any guesses?

^^^^^^^
No idea when the tenant would be made public other than certainly (hopefully) only after the deal is secured. Like you mention, in the original article Andy is very clear that the deal is not done yet. The danger in knowing about this type of thing early in the process is the fact that it can be disappointing if it doesn't come to fruition. Another danger is assigning blame if it doesn't. Sometimes deals just don't come together. It's great when they do, and of course creating designs like this are all a part of due diligence when trying to put them together. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

+1

And when this kind of thing doesn't pan out it inevitably spurs a whole new round of feelings of inadequacy, complaints about the political and economic status quo, etc. I honestly prefer it when we don't know about projects until they're basically already moving dirt.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the Quality Jobs program application.

"Here, look at this pretty building we are going to build. On a side note, we would like some corporate welfare please."

I honestly think this is legit because a cruel April fools joke would be if the headline/story read more like "company X plans to build 60-storey skyscraper on the former Stage Center site".

Obviously that would make headlines and most of us on here would LOVE such a headline. But I think OKC is past the 7-floor HQ being that significant for it to be a joke on April 1. I hope I am right, and I'd love to be proven wrong regarding the 60-floor tower planned for Stage Center (in other words, I'd love it if this was true, lol).

I really hope this one ends up happening. Small issues aside, the overall design is really nice and modern and should fill that huge void quite nicely. Looks like it will really have a nice impact at night as well.

Am I understanding right that there will be an open plaza on the corner of 6/Broadway, with the building massing at 5/Broadway?

Am I understanding right that there will be an open plaza on the corner of 6/Broadway, with the building massing at 5/Broadway?

yes

Just went to their wiki... over 2500 employees!? How many of those are in OKC?

That number is out of date by probably close to 20%. Around 20 new hires a week.

There are well over 2,000 in OKC.

As far as OKC is concerned, not nearly enough is made of the company. Market Cap over $6B at this point and has plenty of room to grow in its market.

I have so many friends that work there. It's really amazing how rapidly they have grown.

They were #4 on Forbes Fast Tech 25 list of 2017. That's the fastest growing public tech companies. They were behind Grubhub, Facebook, and Arista Networks.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2017/05/23/fastest-growing-public-tech-companies-in-2017/#795dfe091ea7

That number is out of date by probably close to 20%. Around 20 new hires a week.

There are well over 2,000 in OKC.

As far as OKC is concerned, not nearly enough is made of the company. Market Cap over $6B at this point and has plenty of room to grow in its market.

That whole diversification thing everyone pushes for Paycom is rapidly helping with that. Another 2-3 years and they’ll be over a billion in revenue

That whole diversification thing everyone pushes for Paycom is rapidly helping with that. Another 2-3 years and they’ll be over a billion in revenue

Considering that very little of that revenue is actually generated in OK using OK resources - is huge for this city.

Considering that very little of that revenue is actually generated in OK using OK resources - is huge for this city.

Paycoms model essentially acts as a funnel to okc for jobs. All the support system infrastructure is in okc with small sales offices around the country.

Although they will be beefing up Dallas in the near future. They’re having trouble filling positions here. (Mostly because their standards are crazy high too pass and beefing up Dallas won’t make it easier.)