Isn't that a prime entrance for emergency vehicles accessing the OU hospital? I can't remember what street the ER is on. But otherwise, I agree.

Not really. They come up Lincoln or exit at 10th. The cloverleaf could easily go.

Not really. They come up Lincoln or exit at 10th. The cloverleaf could easily go.

Thanks I thought I had read something about that. Could I be thinking of St Anthony to avoid 10th when FNBS has the intersection blocked?

Thanks I thought I had read something about that. Could I be thinking of St Anthony to avoid 10th when FNBS has the intersection blocked?

That’s a definite possibility. The cost would be horrendous, but 10th could really benefit from a RR underpass.

Some photoshopping fun I did with this area. Took out 3 of the cloverleaves and extended Walnut Ave and Russell M Perry/Stiles Ave north over/under 235. Also photoshopped in more buildings and houses throughout. :D
https://i.ibb.co/G3hQbK6/okc-i-235-edit.png

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation051122a.jpg

lotta wasted space

Some photoshopping fun I did with this area. Took out 3 of the cloverleaves and extended Walnut Ave and Russell M Perry/Stiles Ave north over/under 235. Also photoshopped in more buildings and houses throughout. :D
https://i.ibb.co/G3hQbK6/okc-i-235-edit.png

Love it!

We need to go back and revisit this: https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=319-Plan-unveiled-to-cap-I-235-bridge-downtown-to-Health-Science-Center

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/link3.jpg

A massive infrastructure bill was just passed and has billions available for this sort of thing

^DITTO^

But unfortunately it's the Oklahoma way to draw up renders and concepts of modern grandeur and finalize plans much more diluted and significantly inferior to what was originally proposed. For example: Oklahoma Boulevard, the downtown OG&E complex, Producers Coop, the OU Medical Tower, this project, the State Fair Arena, the OMNI to some degree (that brutalist concrete facing on the east side), and a number of others. The only reason why I don't share that same attitude with OKANA is that the Chickasaw Nation is pretty firm on putting out what they have drawn out, but the DREAM hotel proposed for the UHaul lot rings out to me quite definitively (I hope I am wrong).

Yep. It’s par for the course. OKC downscales more projects than any city I’ve seen. It’s sad and it sucks.

We need to go back and revisit this: https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=319-Plan-unveiled-to-cap-I-235-bridge-downtown-to-Health-Science-Center

Hear! Hear!

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation051422a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation051422b.jpg

We should visit a plan like this (Before and after Cheonggyecheon removal, Seoul, Korea) :17453

This seems like warp speed since this was first announced in 2020.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation052922a.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation052922b.jpg

Would this go here?

https://www.greateroklahomacity.com/news/2022/06/06/bioscience/recent-eda-visit-a-chance-to-showcase-okc-s-bioscience-cluster-for-potential-grant/

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation060922a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation060922b.jpg

Will be nice to see some cranes going up here soon.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation061822a.jpg

After leaving an OU Health area appointment today, we just drove around to see what's going on. We found a lot of construction in the area of Harrison and Research Parkway. It was near the Contemporary Arts building. What's going on there? Thanks.

After leaving an OU Health area appointment today, we just drove around to see what's going on. We found a lot of construction in the area of Harrison and Research Parkway. It was near the Contemporary Arts building. What's going on there? Thanks.

See the first post in this thread.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence070422a.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence070422b.jpg

Oklahoma City Innovation District Updates

Oklahoma City is a city on the rise, and we want you to stay informed about its major successes, challenges and ways that the business community can stay involved.

The Chamber will continue its successful monthly Chamber Forum series from January through October 2022. The Chamber Forum series brings thought leaders together to discuss major initiatives, programs and current issues that impact Oklahoma City's business climate, economy and community.

Learn more about all the progress happening with Convergence and the OKC Innovation District including the MAPS 4 projects that will increase opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Panelists

Mark Beffort
CEO
Newmark Robinson Park

Katy Boren
President & CEO
Oklahoma City Innovation District

Sandino Thompson
Partner
EightTwenty

Schedule
11 a.m. - Registration / doors open / networking
11:30 a.m. - Program begins

Please inform Chamber staff of any dietary restrictions five business days prior to the event date by emailing A register@okcchamber.com<>.

For more information, email register@okcchamber.com call 405-297-8921.

Special thanks to our Series Presenting Sponsor Cox Business and Series Corporate Sponsor ADG.
Price:
Member Non-Member
$40.00 $50.00
Chamber Forum
Date: 07/20/2022
Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Location:
Vast
333 W. Sheridan Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-5404
Map to Event
Add to My Calendar

Click here to register for this event.

If I lived in OKC, I would totally attend. Hopefully some interesting news is presented.

They have already dug down a good 8 feet and you can see the retaining walls going up.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence072422a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence072422b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence080922a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence080922b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence082822a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence082822b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence082822c.jpg

Is all of that a basement level?

Is all of that a basement level?

Yes.

There will be 2-3 levels of underground parking.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation091622b.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation092522a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation092522b.jpg

OMG they've been busy!

Will be fun to watch this start to go vertical.

Is going to be highly visible from 235.

I know its early Pete but would phase two be built within that parking-lot?

I know its early Pete but would phase two be built within that parking-lot?

Yes, the MAPS 4 Innovation Hall will go in that lot next to the old church (now OK Chamber of Commerce).

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence101622a.jpg

This is so exciting, they are full steam ahead here looks like going vertical is not to far off!

Very cool, not everyday you see subterranean parking built in Oklahoma..

Very cool, not everyday you see subterranean parking built in Oklahoma..

Considering the weather changes and risks, I'm surprised there hasn't been a harder push for that in the downtown area. It would also help cut down on the need for surface lot parking spaces. Just imagine what the city would look like if every building in the district were five stories or higher, stacked on top of parking places or built adjacent. The interaction between building and street would be even greater than having a large surface lot crowding around a high-rise building.

If you want to find visual examples of that travesty, look no further than 1980's Houston.
17700

There is more integrated parking in large OKC buildings than most realize.

All of these sit atop parking: Union Plaza, Valliance Tower, Regency Tower, The Bower, The Centennial, Leadership Square, Arvest Tower, Oklahoma Commons and First National Center just converted a ton of office space to parking over retail. The old Cox Center has more than 1,000 spaces underground. The Omni has a bunch of below-ground parking.

The Century Center has parking above office space.

Chicago is a great example of buildings with parking in the lower floors and office/residential on top. Vancouver is a great example of buildings with underground parking, podium for the first few floors and tower on top.

One of these should be a requirement in the cbd and shoulder areas in OKC for buildings taller than 5 floors with floorplates greater than 10,000 square feet. Should not build any more Devon style garages where the building and garage are separate.

You can see the base of the crane that is getting ready to go up:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation111322a.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovation111322b.jpg

That hole is really deep.

I wonder will it be a luffing crane or a boom tower crane?

The crane is up (from https://www.instagram.com/ulioklahoma/):

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence111922a.jpg

What's going in this hole? one building, two? what is the final design

What's going in this hole? one building, two? what is the final design

I believe mostly underground parking. A few levels. And then buildings on top of the parking.

What's going in this hole? one building, two? what is the final design

see this post https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=46098&p=1181246#post1181246

see this post https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=46098&p=1181246#post1181246

Thank You!

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence112722a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence112722b.jpg

OKC's Convergence development altering plans as construction costs skyrocket

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/12/08/hotel-delayed-city-assistance-increased-as-convergence-development-costs-rise-oklahoma-city/69709236007/

"A hotel planned as part of the $200 million Convergence development east of downtown Oklahoma City might be put on hold following construction and interest cost increases topping $45 million."

"The project, being developed by Mark Beffort and Richard Tanenbaum, will also undergo design changes that include elimination of stairs and ramps connecting the buildings. An architectural fin that would have cost $2 million also was eliminated."

Inflation sucks. Makes cool project lame.

I am just glad they are still able to build any of it. The hotel would be nice, and I still think it will happen. But as an auditor of banks, loans are not going out as frequently for construction as they were a year ago. Just hope the rates can go down sooner rather than later.

I'm pretty sure the fin is this protruding section of the left building where it says Wheeler Labs.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/innovationplaza2.jpg

I personally didn't like the fin. Sometimes OKC can over do it on the designs and try to be too different. This results in not being able to establish an architectural identity. Sometimes less is more, sometimes you just need to keep it simple.

Personally, don't care about the fin one way or another. But the hotel and connectors, those were pretty big. Hopefully, in a few years when the cost of things levels back out, they can pick it backup and complete the plan.

That sardonic side of me won’t let me ignore the part about this development being called “Convergence” but losing connectivity (stairs, ramps) as a cost saving revision. That can easily be added back at a later time, which hopefully won’t be long. I’m still hoping for all of it to be successful moving forward.

Apologies if I missed this, but this recent news story seems to have new renderings that I haven't seen before: https://www.news9.com/story/639a6a78292e7a0724c5c9d8/innovation-hall-hotel-and-more-coming-to-innovation-district-in-2024

It looks quite drab compared to the original plan, to say the least. Still has some nice components that will make an impact, but it's been value engineered to be pretty basic and uninspiring.

Time to dust off this meme again:
17768

Apologies if I missed this, but this recent news story seems to have new renderings that I haven't seen before: https://www.news9.com/story/639a6a78292e7a0724c5c9d8/innovation-hall-hotel-and-more-coming-to-innovation-district-in-2024

It looks quite drab compared to the original plan, to say the least. Still has some nice components that will make an impact, but it's been value engineered to be pretty basic and uninspiring.

Time to dust off this meme again:
17768

Pretty good synopsis, just going to be another boring med district development now.

Apologies if I missed this, but this recent news story seems to have new renderings that I haven't seen before: https://www.news9.com/story/639a6a78292e7a0724c5c9d8/innovation-hall-hotel-and-more-coming-to-innovation-district-in-2024

It looks quite drab compared to the original plan, to say the least. Still has some nice components that will make an impact, but it's been value engineered to be pretty basic and uninspiring.

Time to dust off this meme again:
17768

Wow. That's quite the downgrade and seems a bit more dramatic than the few changes originally mentioned...

From that Channel 9 video:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/convergence121522a.jpg

The "Something Good" graphic is great.

It is still a development that will pay MAJOR dividends for OKC. Wheeler Labs is growing like a weed, and will have many high-paying jobs in these buildings. Just because it may not look pretty (100% blame inflation and interest rate hikes, but I won't post anything political beyond that) doesn't mean it won't have a major impact on OKC's future. Why let great be the enemy of good? It isn't your money they are spending.