What do you think about the Dell site?

[Patrick]

I have read several negative comments about OKC's proposed Dell site on several other message boards. Many people that I've read posts from on other boards feel that the city is making a mistake by not offering land in or near the growing downtown district or even the Memorial Road area.

Well, in a way, I can agree, but in other ways I don't think the land the city is offering is too bad.

The land the city is offering has several benefits. It has great highway access being right off I-44 and I-40, it's very close to the airport, it's right on the river, and it's a lot of land. From the way it sounds, in the future Dell is really wanting to expand their campus. With a smaller downtown site, Dell might not have that opportunity. One poster suggested that Dell should've been located where Bass Pro is now. Well, I have to completely disagree with that.....Bricktown is an entertainment district, not a series of office parks. I think Bass Pro fits better into the Bricktown area than Dell would. Also, the Bass Pro site would not have allowed enough space for Dell to expand in the future.
Other sites are available along the river, but not many of them are owned by the city. The land the city is proposing, is probably one of the largest blocks of land that the city owns on the Oklahoma River.

The drawbacks to the area are that it's a ways from the growing downtown area, and the housing project to the south is full of crime. But, I fully believe that a first class campus like Dell would build might go a long ways to improving an area that is in desparate need of a breath of life.

Some posters on other boards have already declared victory for Norman as a result of our city's site selection. I wouldn't be so quick to make that call. I think what the city is offering Dell has a lot more plusses than minusses. Norman lacks several key features that OKC offers...namely close proximity to the airport, close proximity to downtown, good access to several interstates, and a central location that is close to all of the Oklahoma City metro area. By locating the facility in Norman, Dell would have a harder time attracting employees from Edmond, Midwest City/Del City, and Yukon/Mustang. It's quite a drive from the other suburbs to Norman.

I've also heard some suggest that Dell locate in First National. Although I think that would be wonderful, it would cost Dell a ton of money to refurbish that building to bring it up to speed for a fast paced high technology computer firm.

I think Dell is wanting more of a modern office park type location. Something similar to what you see at the Memorial Road and Lake Hefner Parkway area.

Someone suggested Memorial as a possible site for Dell.....only problem with that is that the city doesn't own any land up there.

I personally think Oklahoma City probably picked the best from what they had to pick from. I know the area around the OKC site is a drawback, but all in all, I think it's still the better of the two proposals on the table, for the reasons I already mentioned.

What's your opinion?

[mranderson]

It uses undeveloped land that will probably go undeveloped for several more years.

The negative side is that it is too close to the highest crime area on the Southwest side.

Other positives. Yes. Close to freeway traffic and the Oklahoma River. Dell could have small watercraft to transport both cargo and passangers. And close to Will Rogers World Airport.

[floater]

I know I mentioned that this location would be convenient to the airport, but why should that matter? As far as I know, the employees at the facility are mostly local phone employees; why would anybody need quick access to the airport? After all, we have call centers on NW Expressway, NW 23rd, and Moore.

I can only imagine that perhaps Dell envisions a wider use of the facility and acreage -- if things work well and they do hire up to 3,000. A site close to the interstate lends an appealing brand name for motorists to see, and provides excellent commuter access for employees no matter where they live in the metro.

Ultimately, it's what's in Dell's interest that matters, not OKC's. I firmly believe that if they had wanted a spot on the river close to downtown, they would have negotiated for it. I wanted a downtown location as much as anybody, but maybe a downtown location isn't what Dell is looking for. Even its headquarters is located in Round Rock, a suburb, not in the pulsating scene of Austin's inner city.

In this location we have 1) a large employer to complement the service and hospitality of Meridian 2) a great brand name on the river and facing the two interstates 3) an employer of at least 250 in the central city -- they could be in Norman, after all.

The problem is that Dell's site close to the highway limits the potential for spin-off development. With it, you don't have as much impetus for residential construction as we would a site opposite downtown on the south riverfront; employees can live anywhere. I think the plan presented by City Manager Couch at the Mayor's Roundtable indicates office use for that area; maybe interested developers can use Dell's presence as a theme to rejigger their current proposals.

[Patrick]

Dell probably chose the suburb Round Rock, because they had lots ofopen land to develop on. Fortunately, with the newly developed Oklahoma River, we have lots of open inner city land to offer to corporations and developers. So I say let's try to land these companies in inner city areas. The site the city chose might have been to accomadate Dell's plans to expand in the near future. So the city might be thinking ahead!

As far as I'm concerned, we should accomodate Dell in whatever way we can. If that site accomodates their needs best, then more power to them! I really doubt OKC would offer a site that Dell wouldn't be interested though......I think our city leaders know more than a lot of them probably are letting on.

[swake]

It's a call center........Not a headquarters.

Who cares where they locate? Call centers locate on cheap land, period. They may still be open in 5 years, they may move back to India before then. Call centers come and go and not too much faith should be placed in them. That is Tulsa's experience with 20+ major call centers, most of them in technical areas.

[HOT ROD]

I honestly think the call centre is just the tip of the iceberg. Why would you need some 60 acres for a call centre. Even if it employed 3000. That is just way too much space for that.

I think Dell may eventually expand and bring more to OKC than just a call centre (or customer service centre as they call it). With that much land, maybe they may bring mfg jobs as well, in the future (maybe even the near future)?

But I agree, it may be better if it is just a call centre, to send it downtown to the first national centre; after all, it has MORE than enough space for 3000 customer service reps and the cost of renovating the First National would be much cheaper and in the better interest of the city than allowing Dell to build at a prime site along the OK river.

Whatever the case, I can not wait until I come to OKC and drive from there to downtown and see the Dell logo on a multi-storey building at the I-40/I-44 junction! Will it be on the East side or the West side of I-44?

(I hope it will be on the East, so people will look toward downtown when they look at the Dell campus, and not away from downtown).

[Patrick]

Hey Hot Rod, unfortunately, the proposed site is on the west side of I-44, just north of Kerr Village. Not too great of an area, but off to major interstate highways nonetheless....and right there close to the UPS center.

I'm with you Hot Rod.....seems like if Dell's long term plans were just to build a call center for 3,000 employees, they wouldn't need almost 70 acres. That's a lot of land for just a call center. I'm thinking Dell has future plans. They've kind of hinted at that in their discussions with city leaders. If they didn't have future expansion plans, they might as well just stay at the Hertz Financial Center on NW Expressway, as the building is practically empty at the current moment....that is until Dell moves their temporary call center into that space.

If Dell's only plans are for a call center....I'm with Hot Rod......let's move them into First National and fill up some vacant Class C space downtown!!!! That building is like 68% vacant....that should be enough for the call center! Attach the Dell symbol the the spire on top of the building!!!