SandRidge Center & Commons

[Pete]

To do some math in terms of future expansion...

SandRidge Tower: 490,000 square feet
Braniff Building: 83,000 square feet (SR said they would use this for expansion if needed)
Total: 573,000 square feet

Square footage needed per employee: 300 (estimate based on various standards)
Capacity of two buildings: 1,910 employees
Current number of employees downtown: 600 (according to Lackmeyer article of 6/13)

[Steve]

warren, we have not been able to get straight answers to how many people SR employs in downtown OKC, how much of the tower is currently occupied... Even how much of it has been renovated.

Steve Lackmeyer said he was hoping to do a story about all this but he's swamped and I don't think the people at SandRidge have been very forthcoming.

My guess is that building is less than half occupied. And don't forget, they are still planning to renovate the old Braniff building.

Pete, your presumption about my situation was/is dead-on. That said, my attention is on SandRidge this week.

[UnFrSaKn]

Have you tried disguising yourself as a SandRidge employee?

[Steve]

Not sure that will be necessary.

[Rover]

Looks a lot better than the building that is there now.

[Pete]

SandRidge has also submitted detailed plans for the Braniff renovation.

The design committee is taking issue with the plan to re-skin the southern and eastern facades of the building.

[Pete]

The design committe has already approved the large metal canopy that you see in some of the renderings between the tower and the Braniff building:

[Rover]

Do you know what it is about the re-skinning they find objectionable?

[UnFrSaKn]

This will look just as ugly as Globe Life in 40-50 years, if it's still there.

[Pete]

The staff recommendation was to deny their request to re-skin those two elevations because being a historic building, the guideline is to preserve as much of the existing facade as possible. This plan would represent completely replacing more than 40% of it with modern-looking materials.

However, this is just a recommendation to the committee; they will consider the project 6/16 (along with the auditorium / gym building and several other items).

[Loftsoffun]

I think this building will be great for downtown and represent a real bright spot for downtown Architecture.

[kevinpate]

The staff recommendation was to deny their request to re-skin those two elevations because being a historic building, the guideline is to preserve as much of the existing facade as possible. This plan would represent completely replacing more than 40% of it with modern-looking materials.

However, this is just a recommendation to the committee; they will consider the project 6/16 (along with the auditorium / gym building and several other items).

Anybody wanna lay odds it goes the way SR prefers it to go? I figure if a company can carry the day on knocking buildings down, in the face of a not very quiet push back, then putting a new skirt and lipstick on the buildings they keep probably won't turn out to be a major obstacle for them.

[Pete]

I like the design, especially since they will be maintaining/restoring the facade on the Robinson side. And making the part that faces the plaza and tower more modern ties them together.

I also really like the design of the auditorium / fitness center. The way the auditorium is cantilevered over the outdoor patio below and the general geometry is pretty striking. It sounds like they are doing everything with a high standard and I trust the architects, Rogers Marvel.

Still not sure about the plaza but will reserve judgment until it's finished.

[Rover]

Certain people will just object to anything SR tries to do. Makes no sense.

I'd say Marvel is very accomplished and not prone to putting their stamp on some schlocky project.

[Pete]

They have also employed a first class landscape architect, Hoerr Schaudt. Like Devon, they sought out a design/build dream team and are spending a lot of time and money on all this.

Those other buildings are gone forever so I'd rather concentrate on getting all this stuff done, as it will add back a great deal to the area.

And has been pointed out before, those buildings, the plaza and even the tower have been dead for a long time -- decades. At least now we'll see lots of new life and energy in that area of downtown. And after seeing how great the Myriad Gardens turned out, I really look forward to seeing how the new SR campus integrates with a revamped Kerr/Couch Park. That whole park area is mostly concrete and straight out of the 70's.

Hoerr Schaudt, working with the city and Elliott, will also renovate Kerr Park across the street with a sloping lawn and more trees. “Our practice is about the overlap between architecture, landscape, and urban design, so it’s kind of an ideal project for us,” Rogers said.

[Steve]

http://www.newsok.com/braniff-buildi...rticle/3576921

[Pete]

Wow, I had no idea that building was red brick... Here is an Oklahoman photo that shows a section with the paint removed on the north facade:

[Doug Loudenback]

As for me, I'm pretty much jaded with the last SandRidge experience and, regardless of the merits/demerits of SandRidge's proposal as concerns the Braniff Building, the larger issues other than resurfacing the south and east side of the Braniff Building have already been lost. I have no passion to get involved in SandRidge Part 2. Whatever happens happens.

[ljbab728]

As for me, I'm pretty much jaded with the last SandRidge experience and, regardless of the merits/demerits of SandRidge's proposal as concerns the Braniff Building, the larger issues other than resurfacing the south and east side of the Braniff Building have already been lost. I have no passion to get involved in SandRidge Part 2. Whatever happens happens.

You're right, Doug. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that they will do something that will be beneficial in the long run.

[Rover]

I am sorry some are still bitter and miffed that they couldn't put SR in its place. The gall of SR to spend >$100 trying to improve their property and area of downtown...to bring life to an otherwise dead part of downtown.

[Pete]

The irony is that they are now trying to renovate a long-vacant historical structure and seem to be putting lots of time and money into restoring the original facade while substantially upgrading and modernizing the remainder.

By far the biggest mistake on their part is the way they've handled this whole thing because they are investing tons of money, adding lots of high-paying jobs and completely regenerating a very big part of the CBD. But they've made lots of enemies and it didn't have to be that way.

If this all comes off and there is a completely renovated and largely full tower (cost of this alone would be about $20 million), the Braniff building is reworked with tenants and ground-floor retail/restaurants along Robinson, a world-class landscape architect reworks the main plaza PLUS Kerr/Couch Park and a fantastic, iconic auditorium/health center gets constructed on the site of that awful old Globe Life building.... Well, that is cause for much celebration and will forever change downtown for the better. That is the best we can hope for now, even without considering the possibility of an additional tower.

[Steve]

I'm going to step out and risk getting tomatoes thrown at me again.
SandRidge, quite frankly, did a terrible job communicating last year. Starting off fresh with some new folks, I'm learning things now that I didn't fully comprehend before. Most importantly, I now believe it's incorrect to say the India Temple building was demolished to make way for permanent plaza. I don't think anything they've got to say diminishes the fight, the disagreement over whether the India Temple building was historic and needing to be preserved. But for urban design advocates, there is clearly the potential for a new building to take the place of the India temple and the surviving parking structure fronting Broadway.

[Doug Loudenback]

That's pretty risky stuff, my main man.

[Pete]

There isn't much parking left in that structure... Just the rooftop and the one level below. I'd guess no more than 150 spaces total.

I believe the rest of that building has day care, a small fitness center, the auditorium and just a few offices. None of that will be needed when they complete the big structure next to Kerr Park.

[ljbab728]

I'm going to step out and risk getting tomatoes thrown at me again.
SandRidge, quite frankly, did a terrible job communicating last year. Starting off fresh with some new folks, I'm learning things now that I didn't fully comprehend before. Most importantly, I now believe it's incorrect to say the India Temple building was demolished to make way for permanent plaza. I don't think anything they've got to say diminishes the fight, the disagreement over whether the India Temple building was historic and needing to be preserved. But for urban design advocates, there is clearly the potential for a new building to take the place of the India temple and the surviving parking structure fronting Broadway.

Steve, you got suckered back in. I remember not too long ago you said you were going to stick to the nostalgia area for posts. LOL