Was there for a while this afternoon and came back at night. Shot HD video both times and much higher quality photos with an SLR. Will share when it's done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNdAUfNq9uk

Thanks Will!

I wonder how late at night that screen will be running?

It hadn't occurred to me that that half the Colcord rooms are going to get blasted by it.

Is it just me or doesn't that support structure look like it was designed to hold a screen running all the way to Main St?

Is it just me or doesn't that support structure look like it was designed to hold a screen running all the way to Main St?

There's no doubt that it could and there might have been some thought about that in the design. But the likelihood is that it won't happen.

We came up from the cox parking garage and turned onto Robinson and the screen was flashing THUNDER WINS! I felt like I was in 'Back to the Future II'.

Is it just me or doesn't that support structure look like it was designed to hold a screen running all the way to Main St?

It kinda looks like they were thinking of making a expansion on the building but backed out after construction started.

They have yet to add the mesh material that will cover most of that structure and make it and the building look much different.

Spent some time walking around Century Center last night after the Thunder game and really like what I saw. The paint alone is a HUGE improvement and hopefully Sheraton will follow suit.

Pete should change this thread to The Oklahoman now, probably. Here's recent photos:

December 12 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157649789009151/

Since there are other businesses there I'm not sure that is entirely appropriate. Is there a new name for the building?

Since there are other businesses there I'm not sure that is entirely appropriate. Is there a new name for the building?

The 21st Century Center?

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Since there are other businesses there I'm not sure that is entirely appropriate. Is there a new name for the building?

Right, they are just a tenant.

Right, they are just a tenant.I thought they owned the building?

I thought they owned the building?

They own the building just as much as YMCA, Revolve Pizza, and Mahogany own it.

It's owned by 100 Main LLC, which is ran by Andy Burnett and others.

They own the building just as much as YMCA, Revolve Pizza, and Mahogany own it.

It's owned by 100 Main LLC, which is ran by Andy Burnett and others.Didn't realize that. For some reason I thought the NewsOk actually bought the building and then leased a couple spaces out.

The Oklahoman is the anchor tenant, and we have numerous buildings downtown named for the anchor. I don't think it is inappropriate at all for century center to also be called the D'Oh-k building. (had to get that in there)

An interesting article about the plans for the video board. Please note that in the article the Oklahoman is still calling the building the Century Center.

Sign of the times: The Oklahoman's Big Screen | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/sign-of-the-times-the-oklahomans-big-screen-lights-up-downtown-okc/article/5378015)

As per Steve, Revolve Pizza Kitchen is also coming to the Century Center.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5378055?embargo=1


The newest tenant to sign a lease, Revolve Pizza Kitchen, is set to provide yet more morning-through-evening activity at the corner of Robinson Avenue and Main Street. The deal was brokered by Danny Ojeda with Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort.
The downtown location will open for breakfast and will feature items not available on Memorial Road, Renegar said. He also plans to operate in the evening and on weekends.

As per Steve, Revolve Pizza Kitchen is also coming to the Century Center.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5378055?embargo=1

We reported that more than five weeks ago:

OKCTalk - Revolve Pizza Kitchen coming to downtown's Century Center (http://www.okctalk.com/content/76-revolve-pizza-kitchen-coming-downtown-s-century-center.html)


Also, this is ridiculous. A reminder that TIF dollars (tax money) helped pay for that video screen and at the time it was announced, very little was said about advertising. Now it will be fully half of their programming??


Wayne Snow, director of advertising at The Oklahoman, said programming for the Big Screen will allow for rotation of advertisers in a mix that will be 50 percent advertising and 50 percent news, sports, weather, public announcements and interactive content.

Not to quarrel, but are we certain that the video screen was paid for with public dollars, or are we just assuming this by lumping it into the construction cost of an incentivized project? If it had been installed two years from now on long-completed building instead, would you still take issue with advertising on the basis that taxpayers still had some sort of interest? And even if it was paid for with incentive dollars, how is it different from the Chesapeake Arena board that is heavily populated with Thunder sponsor advertisements?

The video screen was specifically listed as one of the improvements for which the $1.5 million grant to OPUBCO was to help fund.

Also, when this whole idea was pitched, advertising was only mentioned at the bottom of a long list of public benefits. Now it's fully 50% of what they plan to run? Funny how that's only reported now that the board is up and the advertising is obvious.

No comparison to Chesapeake Arena which is owned and managed by the City.


You can't possibly be arguing that OG&E (or Devon or another private corporation) should be allowed to build a huge video screen with at least some tax payer money and blast advertising into the Myriad Gardens, then pocket the proceeds.

I'm not arguing one point or another. I'm asking questions and seeking clarification. In fact, every sentence in my post ended with a question mark.

That said, I WILL argue that the Chesapeake board is similar, in that I can pretty much guarantee you that advertising/sponsor revenues tied to it go to the Thunder, NOT to the City. Saying there is "no comparison" is inaccurate.

Sorry, should have said "bad comparison" rather than "no comparison".

Yeah, I honestly don't know what I was thinking when they announced these plans because I really didn't think about it very fully.

But to be fair, this was not reported very honestly. This was how it was characterized:


Digital signage outside the building will serve as a “town crier” for the community featuring live video, breaking news, public announcements, activities, advertising and promotions of civic and charitable groups.

OPUBCO eyes downtown move | News OK (http://newsok.com/opubco-eyes-downtown-move/article/3745884)

The phrasing makes it sound like it was to be advertising was for civic and charitable groups, not for sale by OPUBCO to anyone who wanted to blast our beautiful park with their commercials.

Considering this was the Oklahoman's project, they are professional journalists and they are reporting on their own story, this phrasing seems to be intentionally misleading:


Digital signage outside the building will serve as a “town crier” for the community featuring live video, breaking news, public announcements, activities, advertising and promotions of civic and charitable groups.

OPUBCO eyes downtown move | News OK (http://newsok.com/opubco-eyes-downtown-move/article/3745884)

I don't know how you read that and not come away with the conclusion 1) the video screen was to be FOR THE COMMUNITY and 2) the ADVERTISING would be for the civic and charitable groups.

The word 'advertising' is used in a sentence that first declares the screen is for public use, then issues a long list of uses all of which are in that vein. And, it's not at the end or the beginning but surrounded by public service uses.

Now, we hear it's going to be fully HALF straight advertising for OPUBCO to sell?

Why does that little nugget only come out after the screen is installed and operational?

I was at the MBG tonight and saw this for myself. I really like the big screen. It's big enough that it definitely adds to the vibrant feel of the area but its not so large as to be distracting if you are in MBG. I would say its something you really need to see for yourself before forming an opinion on it.

That's an expensive comma for the taxpayers.
Probably left out because they teach you to leave out the Oxford comma in J-school (http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/journalism-education/256443/ap-style-should-adopt-the-oxford-comma/)...

;)

I was at the MBG tonight and saw this for myself. I really like the big screen. It's big enough that it definitely adds to the vibrant feel of the area but its not so large as to be distracting if you are in MBG. I would say its something you really need to see for yourself before forming an opinion on it.
I totally agree and I doubt that you can even see it from most of the MBG. That part is just not an issue for me.

Please note that they are asking for suggestions about what should be on the screen.

http://m.newsok.com/downtown-big-screen-is-worth-seeing-in-person/article/5377534


Tell us what you think should be on the screen — #BigScreenOK.

http://bcove.me/rwq9mr2b

Probably left out because they teach you to leave out the Oxford comma in J-school (http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/journalism-education/256443/ap-style-should-adopt-the-oxford-comma/)...

;)

Well that's just terrible. No wonder journalism is dying out if they refuse to use the Oxford comma.

I'd be a fan of what they said they were going to put on the screen and not fan of advertising, which they didn't say they were going to put on the screen. Can we just go with what was in writing?

But they DID say they were going to put advertising on the screen. In writing. The only thing to legitimately get in a twist about is its prominence in the mix.

Well that's just terrible. No wonder journalism is dying out if they refuse to use the Oxford comma.That's not the only thing the AP Style Book has wrong. Look closely at any story in the paper that refers to Oklahoma County and notice that County is not capitalized, in accordance with yet another silly rule. I'm amazed at their inconsistency when they do capitalize City in referring to their home town!

Drove by the Century Center last night, the screen really makes a huge difference for the entire block. It gives that corridor some landmarks.

I agree that I would rather they reserve it for news and important information, but unfortunately it is what it is. I haven't really watched it for a long period of time, but is it just going to be NewsOK stories, or is there a plan to cover world news as well? I think it would be a nice touch. Either way, I think the screen is a cool addition to the CBD Mix.

That's not the only thing the AP Style Book has wrong. Look closely at any story in the paper that refers to Oklahoma County and notice that County is not capitalized, in accordance with yet another silly rule. I'm amazed at their inconsistency when they do capitalize City in referring to their home town!

I'm certainly no expert in style, but perhaps they get the City right because the actual city name is "Oklahoma City," as in the City of Oklahoma City? Now commas inside or outside quotation marks (like what I just did) is a whole other issue...

It gives that corridor some landmarks.

That's good. Because before this building was redone, it was anything but a landmark. It was the type of building you could drive past every day and not realize it was there.

I'd be a fan of what they said they were going to put on the screen and not fan of advertising, which they didn't say they were going to put on the screen. Can we just go with what was in writing?

I think I prefer advertising to the disembodied head of a member of the esteemed Oklahoman Editorial Board regaling park goers with their latest nugget of wisdom.

Agree, I'd rather see news headlines in the ticker scroller, with ads. The Oklahoman rarely has much of value to say anymore. If they were creative at all, they would be interviewing random downtown business owners every day and posting those videos on there.

I'm certainly no expert in style, but perhaps they get the City right because the actual city name is "Oklahoma City," as in the City of Oklahoma City? Now commas inside or outside quotation marks (like what I just did) is a whole other issue...I'm sure that you're correct; I was simply overstating for emphasis -- although the first "City" in your example would be lower-cased in following AP style.

As for comma inside the quotes, I'm not sure what the AP says about that. The NCL Stylebook that I follow (of which I'm co-author and final arbiter) calls for that usage, as well as the serial comma. However I punctuate my writings much as a musician phrases a melody: full stop, partial stop, pause. Grammarians' rules go out the window at times.

Bright lights, big city: Operators look for advertising balance on downtown OKC sign | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/12/29/bright-lights-big-city-operators-look-for-advertising-balance-on-downtown-sign-general-news/)

The exterior metal mesh started going up Monday. It was more sheer than I expected.

Bright lights, big city: Operators look for advertising balance on downtown OKC sign | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/12/29/bright-lights-big-city-operators-look-for-advertising-balance-on-downtown-sign-general-news/)

Bright lights, big city: Operators look for advertising balance on downtown OKC sign

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record December 29, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Publishing Co. is seeking balance for the luminosity as well as advertising content for its massive digital billboard in the downtown business district, CEO Gary Pierson said.

Although David Morris, director of video at The Oklahoman, has been reported as saying the board at Robinson and Sheridan avenues will create a Times Square experience, Pierson said determining the extent to which that atmosphere is appropriate for the district will be an ongoing experiment.

“It’s all about balance,” Pierson said. “The sign is actually small in proportion to the size of the building. It depends what size board, where, what they’re going to put on it. So I think a hard-and-fast rule for or against (advertising) would be inappropriate. You have to take it on a case-by-case basis.”

That was the case when the sign was approved by the Downtown Design Review Committee, said Lisa Chronister, City Hall’s manager for the urban design division. While the Century Center was still under renovation, the company applied for a special exception because the normal maximum surface area for a downtown sign is only about 300 square feet, she said. When that variance was approved by the DDRC, the company had to clarify why it wanted more space, and Chronister said she wasn’t sure to what degree advertising was discussed.

When Pierson was asked about the mix of ads with NewsOK’s news and entertainment content, he said: “It’s going to be roughly 50-50; we’re going to have to live and learn as we go along.”

The sign is positioned to attract the eyes of street traffic and people leaving the Cox Convention Center across the street. The Colcord Hotel is the next closest tenant within line of sight. General Manager Blaine Thompson said he is pleased that the Century Center, which sat vacant for 20 years, will finally have a new tenant when OPUBCO moves in next year, and he appreciates the energy that a new digital billboard brings to downtown.

“The screen itself, while we were a little concerned, it is absolutely wonderful,” he said. “I find myself turning around to look at it. You find people all around town talking about it.”

Thompson said he hasn’t heard any complaints from guests about the lights at night.

Pierson said his company stayed in close contact with officials at the Colcord as well as Devon Energy Corp. headquarters down the street during Century Center development. Thompson confirmed the company installed window-darkening material referred to as blackouts.

“We knew it was coming and were already in the works in making sure we had blackouts in place on that side of the building,” Thompson said. “Soon we will have a nice blackout that covers it completely, and is what we would consider 100-percent blackout. It’s really a minor issue compared with something that brings vibrancy to the area.”

Pierson said the sign’s controls allow for luminosity to be set by degrees ranging from 10 percent to 100 percent, which no one has seen yet.

“It’s a live-and-learn situation,” he said. “After certain hours, we will bring the luminosity of it down. We’re trying to be a good neighbor.”

Chronister said few companies ask for exceptions to the 300-feet standard. The signage rules are complicated, she said, and require the committee’s input to ensure consistency for districts and corridors. As OPUBCO pushes the limits of downtown signage, more companies could ask to do the same.

“It just doesn’t make sense for them to invest in a big, electronic board if it’s not really integral to their business,” Chronister said. “But could they? Possibly.”

She said that if a company started selling ad space on its own building signage, investing in a larger size would make sense.

The mesh is up on the south side of the building but it's barely noticeable:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7bHfVfCYAAYNVB.jpg:large

The mesh screen is so hard to see that I didn't even realize it's on the west side too.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7bHriiCEAAp3ZT.jpg:large

I'm getting a tour next week, I will try and take pictures.

What is even the point of the mesh? To protect the parking garage from weather?

Isn't it to cut some of the direct sunlight off the windows?

The designer apparently didn't vet that item very well...

CuatrodeMayo, does it have a functional purpose?

I think it's mostly architectural, but it does serve to screen the parking garage and reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the glazing...or at least it was supposed to...

What is even the point of the mesh? To protect the parking garage from weather?

Must be worried about RPG's...... I kid, I kid.

Mesh is applied to parking structures mainly to hide the concrete structure itself. It may not seem like much but it does take the eyes off the concrete in the back. It also adds as a weather barrier to keep the exposed concrete and metal from weathering. Some developers will also put up mesh if there are housing developments close to break up the light. This is a lower grade mesh, look up San Jose airport and you'll see some of the better applications of this stuff.

Looks like a backstop. Another project done on the cheap.

January 15 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157649906451228/

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Walking by it at night, it very obviously blasts the side of the colcord.
10010

This is starting to look really good.

Among the pictures at the top of the page, there is a photo of three sculptures to be relocated. Anyone know where they will be placed? I think they will look great downtown.

Among the pictures at the top of the page, there is a photo of three sculptures to be relocated. Anyone know where they will be placed? I think they will look great downtown.

The will go on the corner of Main & Robinson.

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/8603d1405011071-century-center-cclandscape.jpg

I have one question...how many birds is that net going to catch?