Devon Energy Center

[Kerry]

I like the bridges as they are now but once the west garage is made taller they won't look good. However, aesthetics is not the main problem. At the end of the day you would have a private garage attached to a public garage. You would have to find a way to keep the public out of the Devon garage and Devon employees out of the public garage. The easiest way to do that is to have one controlled access point, not three.

[Urbanized]

I'd have to look down Harvey from Park to the finished tower and see how it relates to the garages before rendering personal opinion as to whether the aesthetics are better or worse with or without the bridges. I think there is a lot of hand-wringing going on over something that is very difficult to visualize at this point.

I personally really like the bridges as they relate to the current, twin, five story structures with an empty parking lot and the Crystal Bridge in the distance. But I suspect a 925' tall tower and the attached podium, plus five more stories on the west garage, will change that view greatly. Perhaps the bridges would actually detract from the overall appearance at that point.

If it were important to have visual elements spanning those two garages, I suspect they would add non-functional bridge elements, just for aesthetics. Based on what we have seen so far, I doubt they are making an architectural decision based only on security, and nothing is being done in a shoddy or halfway manner. Plus, the entire project seems to be done with an eye to the future. I'm sure they have considered the possibility of needing to make use of the east garage at some point. I am willing to trust the architects -- and Devon -- to do the right thing, architecturally and otherwise. They haven't done anything other than that to date.

[architect5311]

The very first page confirms the 2 levels of underground parking that I mentioned and nobody seems to believe.

? Sounds like an egotistical personal problem too me............


Anyways, the schematic design drawings appear far along and well developed.

[bombermwc]

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

[hoya]

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

It doesn't really matter to me. I think the bridges look pretty cool, but I can't visualize how they'll look once they enlarge the one side. I don't know how difficult it would be to add on 5 more floors and keep the bridges, either.

But basically, my thought is, if Devon wants them gone, that's their business. When you build a billion dollar building, you get to decide what you want to do with a parking garage footbridge. It's not like they're historic, or a major tourist attraction or anything.

[metro]

The security issue isn't really an issue. It's soooooo easy to put in badge controlled doors. Most lots downtown already have them anyway....beep your card and the gate opens. All you have to do is door-up the entrance to the garage and people can still have access if they are authorized to. If they aren't authorized, they can't get in. You can get nodes that provide power and keep their memory of who can access the door as well as keep it working off the magnetic lock when the power goes out.....for hours. So I just don't see the complaint on the security side. It would cost Devon a lot less to add a couple doors than demo and fill in a hole on both garages.

I don't anyone would say Devon would hold up the project because of the two bridges. We're not going to ever see them again once the tower is there either. It's just a functional item that could help them for unforseen future issues. It would be a shame to lose it.

At the risk of starting to sound like an OnTrac person though, let me counter my own argument. If Devon wants them gone, tear those sons of guns out.....build me that tower! I don't want to sound like Tom on Union Station afterall.

It's also soooooo easy to walk in behind someone that swipes their card to open the door too. Again, you're not thinking 4th dimensionally. We live in a world that is becoming more "secure" in relation to these measures by the day. Especially with predictions of terrorism rising by the year. By 2013, iris scan or fingerprint scan readers will be more commonplace, especially in a large corporate HQ as this. Heck, even RFID might be.Cards or badges are so old school even today, just not in OKC yet. Keep in mind other things could happen in the tunnel/bridge if someone was really wanting to do something. A "security badge" isn't going to stop someone from doing something bad. Eliminating access will make it alot harder. Get rid of the skywalk bridges and it makes it instantly harder to access the secured parking garage. I'm not so sure why you're mad about them removing them, are you the designer or builder of these? I like them now, but I could care less compared to what we're getting for the exchange.

[jbrown84]

I disagree with Bomber, but in his defense, he did concede that it's not worth fighting over, a la OnTrac.

? Sounds like an egotistical personal problem too me............

I'm sorry if it came across that way. There were several people that kept insisting there was no underground parking even though I had seen the plans and explained that there is.

[edcrunk]

i work in the COLCORD at SOLEIL and the XO LOUNGE... so i'm super stoked that i have a front row seat as the tower goes up.

WOO HOO!

i'd also like to mention that since DEVON bought us, we now have a new menu as well as a new chef. i'd be thrilled if some of you fine folks decided to swing thru and check us out sometime.

cheers,
o0 edwardicuss 0o

[lasomeday]

I liked the old menu. What changed on it?

[bombermwc]

Metro, I disagree with the statment about walking behind someone. We have the same situation with my office, we just make sure every employee understands very clearly that they are responsible for the door closing. You see someone coming up to the door with you, you ask to see their badge before you open the door for them. Whether you recognize the person or not, you still ask....people can be fired one day and come back the next to do stuff, so you ALWAYS ask.

[edcrunk]

I liked the old menu. What changed on it?

it wasn't a complete overhaul... just think of it as a redesign of your favorite car. we lost some of the items that didn't sell well, the buenos aires chicken and clam chowder, and have new desserts as well. many of the dishes were simply modernized and brought into the 21st century. there are some great new apps too. i mostly run the room service and do stuff at XO... so i haven't kept up with all the changes that just took place on the menu, but i did try many of the new dishes.

[DavidGlover]

Devon Tax District Public meeting: December 2, 8:30 a.m. City Hall Council Chambers, 200 N Walker. For anyone wanting to learn more the Gazette has an article this week How Tifs work http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/account...tif_basics.cfm

[jbrown84]

the Gazette has an article this week

That's called an editorial.

[ssandedoc]

As much as I want it built, I'm starting to join the mumblings that this thing might fall flat on its face.

[okcpulse]

What goes down, must come back up. We have less oil on our planet than we did yesterday, and we consume millions of barrels each day. Investors are finicky yokels. They panic at every corner. And when short supplies return, so to will the prices, and Obama's cheesy windfall tax that is a horrible, horrible idea. Thankfully he backed off for now.

I noticed pushes of alternative energy have subsided. Funny how people talk the talk. Now they will be burning oil like there is no tomorrow, over-topping their gas tanks, going back to petty trips and trucks and SUVs.

[OKC74]

ssandedoc...What mumblings about the tower project falling flat are you referring to? I know that there was some worry in the past when the economy initially started going down, but since then we have seen a continual stream of things coming out about the tower...further plans have been made...the TIF issues...Larry Nichols even said himself that he has no intention of cancelling the project. I'm just wondering where you heard this, or if it's just a concern that you have...?

[jbrown84]

As much as I want it built, I'm starting to join the mumblings that this thing might fall flat on its face.

Anyway...

Anyone know why Devon Tower is not listed at Emporis.com?

[okcpulse]

Don't know but it is on Skyscraper Page. These sites are privately informed sites... that is, little contribution is made from engineering firms or the companies themselves.

In a nutshell, it doesn't matter why Emporis doesn't list it yet. Your concern should be Pickard Chilton's website. The minute they take Devon's link down, that would be when I'd be concerned.

Go after the source, people, not word of mouth. Word of mouth is what got our country in trouble to begin with.

[jbrown84]

I wasn't asking for that reason. I just wondered.

[ssandedoc]

I don't think they are ready for the economic recession and huge dip in price of oil. The project will be scaled back or not be built.

[lasomeday]

You don't know what you are talking about. You don't know anything about Devon. They are a great company with plenty of money in their pockets to do whatever they want. NOTHING WILL GET SCALED DOWN! IT WON"T BE DELAYED! IT WILL HAPPEN! GET USED TO IT!

[shane453]

OKCBusiness - Oklahoma City Business News

Nov. 5, Oklahoma City’s Devon Energy Corporation reported 2008 third-quarter results. For the quarter that ended Sept. 30, the energy company’s net earnings totaled $2.6 billion or $5.92 per common share ($5.87 per diluted share), a 256-percent increase versus the 2007 third quarter.

Compared to the 2006 third-quarter, Devon’s 2007 third-quarter net earnings increased $30 million from $705 million to $735 million and their common share jumped from $1.59 to $1.65 ($1.57 to $1.63 per common diluted share). The increase from $735 million to $2.6 billion ($1.65 to $5.92 per common share) is the company’s highest ever quarterly earnings, officials said.

$2.6 billion in NET earnings in a three month period earlier this year. Do you think Devon can afford to pay for a measly billion-dollar building over the next four years? Yes.

[Kerry]

[QUOTE=jbrown84;187196.Anyone know why Devon Tower is not listed at Emporis.com?[/QUOTE]

Emporis is undergoing an upgrade and lots of buildings are missing as part of the their database upgrade and data verification efforts. For awhile, all of the buildings in many cities were completely gone.

[SouthsideSooner]

This headquarters will be Larry Nichols legacy. He wants to see it built before he retires.

He has a plan for this building that insures that Devon is locked in to OKC long after he retires.

[Kerry]

Nothing will keep a company in OKC like a billion dollar real estate investment.