Devon Plans Downtown Skyscraper

[Kerry]

My guess is 720'. This will make it the tallest building between Las Vegas and Atlanta, save a few in Texas.

[HOT ROD]

Chase IS 500 to the roof.

As was already pointed out time and time again, 200 feet above the current tallest isn't going to really dwarf the existing but it will be significantly taller in certain angles.

Chase is respectable, it is NOT short - so don't discount it. Chase can be seen from far out in the metro far reaches, and that's considering chase's ground elevation is actually lower than much of the city (downtown is actually in a depression - go into downtown from the West especially, you go DOWN into downtown).

It's just, OKC needs to have the tallest tower (to match it's size/prominence, check out any skyscraper forum rating OKC and this comment is often made); and Devon will do this.

For comparison sake, Chase is a little more than 100 feet taller than KerrMcGee tower. Yet, Chase does not dwarf KMG.

A 728 Devon wont dwarf Chase, and would make OKC LOOK MORE LIKE A BIG CITY!

[okctvnewsguy]

The bus station? That's not Devon tower-related.

I've been told the site was between main and sheridan, and walker and hudson. Numerous people in the buildings in this site, have been told to be in new offices by August of this year.

[sroberts24]

any ideas of how big the footprint of the building will be?

[Insider]

The site is NOT occupied by other buildings...it is occupied by a parking deck. Thus, no one will be moving offices by August because of the Devon building. The building will be built on the 'flat part' of the parking deck due north of the Myriad Gardens. The back portion of this parking structure (the 5 story parking deck) will be enlarged to 10 decks total (5 new built on top of the original 5).

"The site consists of a substantial portion of the four-block area generally bounded by Sheridan Avenue on the south, Hudson Avenue on the west, Park Avenue on the north, and Robinson Avenue on the east, excluding the existing buildings fronting Park Avenue and Robinson Avenue and the East City Center Parking Garage. Much of the site is what is commonly known as the Galleria parking deck. It includes the West City Center Parking Garage. Standing on the site looking south, the Myriad Gardens will be our front yard."

[Insider]

No one knows 'offically' how big the foot print will be or how tall it will be. Except for the few with inside sources (G...), everyone is just guessing. Devon is making its proposal to the OCURA (Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority) on August 20th where it will unviel its redevelopment plan, including building plans. Thus, all information that everyone is drooling about will be made public then (if not a few days before). We should know on or before August 20th all of the cool information like footprint size, number of floors, final height, even building design. We all just need to hold on to our pants until then.

[BDP]

The building will be built on the 'flat part' of the parking deck due north of the Myriad Gardens. The back portion of this parking structure (the 5 story parking deck) will be enlarged to 10 decks total (5 new built on top of the original 5).

I thought the employee notice said they were adding the 5 stories on the City Center garage. Your statement makes it sound like they will add to the Galleria parking garage, which was just redone in the last couple of years. Am I confused?

[Insider]

The City Center Garage is the one that will be added on to. It just completed expansion in July of 2006. It is located north of the Myriad Gardens, due west of Corporate Tower, and south of Oklahoma Tower. It is currently 5 stories tall and will be expanded to 10 stories. Here is a link to a site that shows pictures of the site as it is now (Untitled Document <- Click "New! City Center" at the top). The plan, as it sounds in the employee notice, is that Devon will purchase this entire structure for use by its employees only.

[craigbanks]

I know you guys have been discussing Chase Tower in relative comparison to the proposed Devon Tower, although Chase is 500,000 sq. ft. with 38 stories. When considering height relative to sq. ft. 2 of the 38 stories in Chase were underground. They consisted of the basement and conncourse. I know because I worked for 9 years in Building Operations there when it was Liberty Tower.

[OKC74]

I have seen a lot of people talking about the footprint of the building...but to me, when I've driven by, it SEEMS like there isn't much ROOM for a large footprint. Am I missing something? The flat part of the parking garage, where the building is to be, just doesn't seem all that big to me. Will it be more spread out...and if so, where? Also, isn't it the general consenus that the footprint will be LARGER than the actual floor sizes that will be built? Or are we thinking similar to Chase, where it seems like it's the same size from the base all the way to the top...which, IMO, is very boxy and unflattering.

[HOT ROD]

oh, the footprint is large.

by comparison, I think the footprint of Oklahoma tower is 17,000 square feet, and the site for Devon is much larger than that.

I imagine, since the tower will be iconic and all - it probably wont be a box, but will use angles of some sort like trapezoidal and perhaps also some setbacks in the upper levels, and perhaps a modern decorative spire.

By comparison, Chase's highrise footprint (which is smaller than it's base/lobby) is 100ft by 150 ft = 15000 sq ft per floor. Chase's base is 150X150.

Devon said they wanted a tower with a floorprint between 22,000-24,000 sq ft, 150X150 is 22,500 sq ft (which is Chase's podium).

So really, look at Chase's podium/base and imagine it going up 52+ storeys (but instead of a square skew it into a trapezoid) - then you have a good idea of what Devon would look like, floorprint wise.

[metro]

The City Center Garage is the one that will be added on to. It just completed expansion in July of 2006. It is located north of the Myriad Gardens, due west of Corporate Tower, and south of Oklahoma Tower. It is currently 5 stories tall and will be expanded to 10 stories. Here is a link to a site that shows pictures of the site as it is now (Untitled Document <- Click "New! City Center" at the top). The plan, as it sounds in the employee notice, is that Devon will purchase this entire structure for use by its employees only.

I'm pretty sure construction wrapped up on this project last year, not 2006 although the website says 2006. It's a Metro Transit website afterall.

[OKC74]

Thanks for the info Hot Rod...wow...the anticipation builds...!! Can't wait to have concrete information and sketches of what it's going to look like!

[jbrown84]

I've been told the site was between main and sheridan, and walker and hudson. Numerous people in the buildings in this site, have been told to be in new offices by August of this year.

As someone said, you are mistaken. It's the block east of that. If people have been told that, then maybe Nick Preftakes (who bought that block recently) has something planned. Residential perhaps? (hopefully)

I thought the employee notice said they were adding the 5 stories on the City Center garage. Your statement makes it sound like they will add to the Galleria parking garage, which was just redone in the last couple of years. Am I confused?

I believe they are one in the same.

[BDP]

I believe they are one in the same.

Yeah, I was confused. I thought this was the lot by the Sheraton, but what you guys are saying makes more sense location wise.

That's going to be a lot of parking in one place. I need to open a doughnut shop there. We might even have a traffic problem in the mornings at Walker and Main/Park. Is Walker going two-way in the near future? I certainly hope not.

[OU Adonis]

That's going to be a lot of parking in one place. I need to open a doughnut shop there.

Are they putting a police substation there?

[NewSpin360]

Hello,

This image is not an actual depiction of the design, heigth or done in conjunction with Devon...it is to show our companies ability to insert future plans in to the real world and supplied as a public interest peice. I look forward to your comments. I think you will love this!

Again...this is not to be taken out of context just a visual possabilty of whats to possible come.

I am very excited to find out exactly how tall and what the new building will look like we keep it just a little taller then everything else....

Virtual Tour from NewSpin360.com with insertied tower in OKC SKYLINE

Thank you, Mike Windham Pres. NewSpin360.com

[BDP]

Are they putting a police substation there?

ba-dump-bump

[Luke]

Surely that helicopter thing casts a shadow somewhere...

I've tried to find it in a couple photos and just can't!

For some reason that bugs me... I want to see the shadow.

[Pete]

Very cool, Mike! Really shows how a new tower will round-out the skyline.

Your product is very impressive.

[metro]

Yeah, I was confused. I thought this was the lot by the Sheraton, but what you guys are saying makes more sense location wise.

That's going to be a lot of parking in one place. I need to open a doughnut shop there. We might even have a traffic problem in the mornings at Walker and Main/Park. Is Walker going two-way in the near future? I certainly hope not.

Walker is already two way from NW 6th north.

[jstanthrnme]

I think its great that it will get some level of LEED certification. Very respectable for an energy company.

Also, I'm not very familiar with the names of the buildings downtown. does anyone have a link, preferably visual, to building names downtown?

[Kerry]

jstanthrnme - try Commercial Real Estate Information and Construction Data / Emporis.com

[sgt. pepper]

does anyone have a link, preferably visual, to building names downtown?

Downtown Oklahoma City

[CuatrodeMayo]

Very cool, Mike! Really shows how a new tower will round-out the skyline.

Your product is very impressive.

But with all due respect...that is one ugly tower.