OG&E Energy Center

[Urbanized]

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

[G.Walker]

https://newsok.com/article/5609168/s...rlyAccess=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."

[jonny d]

https://newsok.com/article/5609168/s...rlyAccess=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.

[Pete]

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.

[Pete]

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.

[SagerMichael]

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.

[Pete]

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

[G.Walker]

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

[bchris02]

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.

[Quicker]

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/s...rlyAccess=true

[Pete]

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.

And they just call up the Oklahoman who runs a big front-of-the-business-page PR story and we're supposed to be happy they tore down an architectural (albeit controversial) icon, conducted a big ruse about their ownership (also facilitated by the Oklahoman), dangled a bunch of far-fetched renderings in order to gloss over what was happening (another Oklahoman exclusive), sat on the property for years, made a promise over 2 years ago to at least take down the fences (guess where that story was put forward with zero follow-up), have zero current plans to do anything with it, but are finally adding a couple of sports courts.

This is how things work in this town -- especially when one of the big Chamber / Energy companies are involved -- and why most people think things are going great because that is what they are constantly told by the Oklahoman and the local power brokers.

THIS is why we need an outsider as a City Manager, not another hand-picked puppet by a small amount of powerful people.

Remember that when all these supposed unpardonable sins were being perpetrated by former city leadership, people then thought things were great too.


Each small event doesn't seem like a big deal, especially when they are spread out over more than half a decade. Then suddenly you realize the public has been lied to repeatedly and years later, we are getting a basketball court on one of the most valuable pieces of property in all of downtown, surrouned by litterally billions of taxpayer improvements.

[jonny d]

Well what can us Plebians do about this?

[Pete]

Well what can us Plebians do about this?

Hold your city council rep accountable. Vote them out if they are not. Do not vote for council candidates who are puppets and yes-people for the powerful.

[catch22]

How and why on earth did the sale agreement not include a clawback provision where if they didn’t develop it as awarded within so many years that the property is automatically reverted back to OCURA?

[Pete]

How and why on earth did the sale agreement not include a clawback provision where if they didn’t develop it as awarded within so many years that the property is automatically reverted back to OCURA?

OCURA was never involved... But they absolutely should have been.

The Oklahoman (sorry to keep going on about this, but they are a massive part of the problem) actually said 'they didn't have the money' to take it on, yet they did (at the time they had more in cash equivalents than OG&E paid) and of course they always seem to find millions when something is a priority.

So, we get this completely fake process with lies and deception all around, but the big news is a glossy rendering of a freaking basketball court. (Never mind there is already a court one block to the south).


And what an amazing coincidence that there was another complete ruse about the historic Hotel Black and bus station, purposely defelcting who is truly behind the demolition of an entire historic block, etc. At least something was built there but it also includes two monolithic parking garages, making 5 in a very small area in the heart of the CBD.


Another recent, similar push-through with the help of the Oklahoman was the scandal involving the SF Garage and the Karchmer property sale. BancFirst was put forth as some sort of sole savior where there were multiple qualified potential buyers bidding for that property. There were lots of ways to see that building renovated without being held hostage by one company and then completely rolling over.

And lets not forget, it wasn't that long ago that SandRidge completely demolished two historic buildings and made some vague promise about later filling in the blank spots for their expansion... Complete with a letter of support from Larry Nichols who runs OCURA, the Alliance (basically was behind its formation) and the convention center + more. Now, SandRidge barely occupies a third of the tower, and we have tons of empty green space directly across from another park that just had to be fixed due to their insistence that it be reworked.


This is exactly the type of crap that went on back in the 60's and 70's, the names have just changed.

[G.Walker]

They are trying to say it will be an extension of Myriad Gardens. We don't need another park. OG&E just simply made a big mistake. We need more mixed-use developments that will bring permanent bodies that will interact with the downtown area.

How does one go from a 4 tower grand development to a basketball court, wow.

[Laramie]

Disappointment for a corporation that planned 4 towers on primed DT real estate development to end up with '0.' Hope they can get something done within the next five years. Their current headquarters doesn't make the grade.

[jonny d]

Disappointment for a corporation that planned 4 towers on primed DT real estate development to end up with '0.' Hope they can get something done within the next five years. Their current headquarters doesn't make the grade.

What grade? The architecture grade? They are out to make money, not pretty buildings. It's a joke this situation occurred, but they don't care what the building looks like.

[TheTravellers]

OCURA was never involved... But they absolutely should have been.

The Oklahoman (sorry to keep going on about this, but they are a massive part of the problem) actually said 'they didn't have the money' to take it on, yet they did (at the time they had more in cash equivalents than OG&E paid) and of course they always seem to find millions when something is a priority.

So, we get this completely fake process with lies and deception all around, but the big news is a glossy rendering of a freaking basketball court. (Never mind there is already a court one block to the south).


And what an amazing coincidence that there was another complete ruse about the historic Hotel Black and bus station, purposely defelcting who is truly behind the demolition of an entire historic block, etc. At least something was built there but it also includes two monolithic parking garages, making 5 in a very small area in the heart of the CBD.


Another recent, similar push-through with the help of the Oklahoman was the scandal involving the SF Garage and the Karchmer property sale. BancFirst was put forth as some sort of sole savior where there were multiple qualified potential buyers bidding for that property. There were lots of ways to see that building renovated without being held hostage by one company and then completely rolling over.

And lets not forget, it wasn't that long ago that SandRidge completely demolished two historic buildings and made some vague promise about later filling in the blank spots for their expansion... Complete with a letter of support from Larry Nichols who runs OCURA, the Alliance (basically was behind its formation) and the convention center + more. Now, SandRidge barely occupies a third of the tower, and we have tons of empty green space directly across from another park that just had to be fixed due to their insistence that it be reworked.


This is exactly the type of crap that went on back in the 60's and 70's, the names have just changed.

Seems like this would be a perfect cover story for the Gazette.

[Pete]

Reminder that the new owners were all hell-bent to tear down Stage Center and here we are years later and not only is there nothing but a fenced-off grass field, but now it seems like they have given up all prospects of building anything there at all... At least in the foreseeable future. And this with oil at a strong price and the local economy raging.

If the recreation space was so important (which we know it isn't because they wouldn't even let people walk on the property for well over 2 years) a hoops court could have been placed on the site without touching any part of the structure.

[Swake]

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.

Are you the Michael Sager from Tulsa?

[SagerMichael]

Nope. Sager is my first name and Michael is my middle name. Long story short, I’m a 19 year old from Conyers, Georgia that fell in love with OKC and decided to move there.

[G.Walker]

Who owns the land south of the Stage Center site? I know Milhaus proposed a 20 story mixed-used tower 4 years ago. This site is prime also, don't tell me OG&E owns that to.

[Pete]

Who owns the land south of the Stage Center site? I know Milhaus proposed a 20 story mixed-used tower 4 years ago. This site is prime also, don't tell me OG&E owns that to.

The city owns that property still.

[gopokes88]

I’m kinda surprised you guys are shocked nothing is going in, I thought we figured that out like 3 years ago.

The basketball courts and soccer field is better than what is currently there. So baby steps I guess