Devon Energy Center

[metro]

That Thunder banner on the north side must have taken a beating in the storms last night. Hopefully they can get it fixed up before the Saturday game.

It did take a beating, and it is completely down now.

[OKCisOK4me]

The Devon Tower looked amazing this morning. The clouds were hovering over the other buildings downtown hiding the tops of the buildings, but the Devon tower emerged and could be seen above the clouds! If it wasn't raining and a lot of traffic, I would have taken a picture.

Yeah, I wish I had had a long range telephoto camera with me when I was driving to work around 10:30 this morning. The grayish dark rain curtain behind downtown Oklahoma City and then the little low level scud clouds floating across the downtown skyline, with the Devon Tower coming out above them looked awesome! Definitely a view to capture because it will happen again!

[warreng88]

Just to squash all the CHK rumors, my understanding is that AM has no immediate interest in building a tower DT. The campus on 63rd and Western now employs around 4,000 people. CHK owns everything from 63rd to Grand and Western to the railroad tracks. As you have seen on the Chesapeake campus thread, there are long term plans for the area east of Classen to the railroad tracks. This includes a softball field and a pond and enough buildings/parking garages to employ up to 9,000 people. That is more than twice the size of the company right now. If CHK were to hire 25 people every week, it would take almost four years and that is with no turnover. If they were to announce that 4-5 years from now, that would make a little more sense, but as of right now he wants to keep everything in that area.

[Kerry]

Just to squash all the CHK rumors, my understanding is that AM has no immediate interest in building a tower DT. The campus on 63rd and Western now employs around 4,000 people. CHK owns everything from 63rd to Grand and Western to the railroad tracks. As you have seen on the Chesapeake campus thread, there are long term plans for the area east of Classen to the railroad tracks. This includes a softball field and a pond and enough buildings/parking garages to employ up to 9,000 people. That is more than twice the size of the company right now. If CHK were to hire 25 people every week, it would take almost four years and that is with no turnover. If they were to announce that 4-5 years from now, that would make a little more sense, but as of right now he wants to keep everything in that area.

Or 9,000 students at McClenden University.

[kinggober]

Or 9,000 students at McClenden University.

*McClendon- Looks like you just failed the entrance exam

[MikeOKC]

I stumbled across this quite by accident...many here have probably seen this list at Emporis, but I had no idea that the Devon Tower is the only skyscraper over X number of feet - outside of New York City - currently under construction in the United States. And is among the top 100 in the entire world.
http://www.emporis.com/application/?...ionsites&lng=3

[Dustin]

yay us!

[UnFrSaKn]

Aura in Toronto would make a great Chesapeake tower...

[UnFrSaKn]

I stumbled across this quite by accident...many here have probably seen this list at Emporis, but I had no idea that the Devon Tower is the only skyscraper over X number of feet - outside of New York City - currently under construction in the United States. And is among the top 100 in the entire world.
http://www.emporis.com/application/?...ionsites&lng=3

Someone needs to update the construction photos.

[metro]

And the OKC description.

[soonerwilliam]

Cam view is not showing up! It's a blank picture.

[geterdone]

*McClendon- Looks like you just failed the entrance exam

To Aubrey: Your campus will never be the Devon Tower. FAIL

[Spartan]

Just to squash all the CHK rumors, my understanding is that AM has no immediate interest in building a tower DT. The campus on 63rd and Western now employs around 4,000 people. CHK owns everything from 63rd to Grand and Western to the railroad tracks. As you have seen on the Chesapeake campus thread, there are long term plans for the area east of Classen to the railroad tracks. This includes a softball field and a pond and enough buildings/parking garages to employ up to 9,000 people. That is more than twice the size of the company right now. If CHK were to hire 25 people every week, it would take almost four years and that is with no turnover. If they were to announce that 4-5 years from now, that would make a little more sense, but as of right now he wants to keep everything in that area.

I actually really love what CHK is doing though. I mean, if I were their broker handing their real estate transactions I wouldn't be paying twice what everything is worth, but I understand why they have to do it, and why that slows things down. But I'd rather trade an urban village for a skyscraper any day. However, let's not pretend Devon's plans aren't awesome either. I think it's great that one is doing a skyscraper (with appropriate urban components) while the other is building an uptown area all on its own.

I do think it's obvious that Devon is the more stable company, however. CHK is exciting to watch, but they make me nervous. Aubrey is a high-roller if there were ever one.

[warreng88]

To Aubrey: Your campus will never be the Devon Tower. FAIL

I do not understand why you would make such an ignorant comment. Aubrey isn't trying to be Devon. Two different schools of thought. One, a gorgeous working campus. The other, a magnificent office building. He could have built a tower but chose not to and has improved the area.

[earlywinegareth]

The fact we have two fast-growing Fortune 500 corporations making major investments in this community with zero chance of relocating to TX...what's there to criticize?

[Spartan]

The fact we have two fast-growing Fortune 500 corporations making major investments in this community with zero chance of relocating to TX...what's there to criticize?

*Willingly

[Kerry]

To Aubrey: Your campus will never be the Devon Tower. FAIL

Nice taunt.

[dmoor82]

Nice taunt.

^^ lol,yeah Aubrey you could never build a tower taller than Devons!Do it if you can!!!!

[soonerwilliam]

Cam is down!

[jn1780]

Also from that vid, very cool there will be a little skybridge from Garden Wing to the auditorium.

I assume it will ultimately be enclosed in glass and look really slick.

Looks that way. I'm guessing the bridge itself will be hanging from that large beam going across.

[ljbab728]

I do not understand why you would make such an ignorant comment. Aubrey isn't trying to be Devon. Two different schools of thought. One, a gorgeous working campus. The other, a magnificent office building. He could have built a tower but chose not to and has improved the area.

Here is another example that could have been in a huge tower complex that chose not to. Not every company has the same philosophy.

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/gallery/campus.mspx

[JoninATX]

I wonder if we can bribe the developers to make the official height of Devon tower 1,000 ft...

[oklanole]

Cam is down!

Okay, this thread is 250+ pages. Anyone mind giving me a link to the cam?

[UnFrSaKn]

The link isn't working lately.

http://www.tnttri.com/okctalk/DevonConstructionCam.jpg

[Lauri101]

I think another good site for a tower would be those two parking garages that surround OG&E Headquarters. Maybe two towers? One replacing each of the parking garages. That would extend the skyline visually to the west and northwest just a tad.

I also agree with you two, Architect2010 and Unfrsakn, for highrises in place of Century Center and the Cox.

Have mercy on those of us who work daily in CBD! With the loss of the Galleria parking, it's been tough enough to find a monthly parking spot when you have to pay for it yourself. Century Center and Cox are the main two places with monthly or daily parking still available for self-payers.
And poor taxpayers getting audited by IRS not only have to schlep their records downtown, but have to pay a premium price to park 2-3 blocks away? Esthetics aside - parking is still needed.