Century Center

[Rover]

I'll tell you what - I am perfectly willing to wait and see how it turns out for downtown. Where do these 2,000 people eat now? Where will they eat next year?

Legit concern. Hopefully it raises the bar for all downtown restaurants. They will have to compete harder with better quality. Competition is good for the consumer.

[Pete]

Where do these 2,000 people eat now? Where will they eat next year?

Don't forget that Continental is bringing in hundreds of new downtown jobs as is a rapidly growing SandRidge and Enogex is in the process of moving into 130,000 square feet at Leadership Square.

Yes, Devon is adding restaurants but there will still be plenty of business to go around.

[Just the facts]

You're right, back fill will help a lot.

Besides the cafeteria and meeting space, what else, if anything, is planned for the inside. It has a really big footprint.

[Pete]

They have talked about having more restaurants and even some retail on the ground floor.

Not sure about the remainder but you are right, it's a lot of space.

[Rover]

Pete, are you talking about Devon or Century Center? Seems this has become another Devon thread.

[Pete]

My comments were about the Devon Garden Wing.


But you are right, we need to get back on the topic of the Century Center, no matter how depressing that may be.

[Rover]

How about selling the CC to Continental Resources for an activity/meeting center. Devon has one. SR is building one. Chesapeake has one. I believe it is a short tunnel walk from the old Devon tower.

[Pete]

Downtown OKC’s Century Center Mall sold for $2M
By Brianna Bailey
Posted: 06:09 PM Wednesday, May 23, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY – Downtown’s long-underutilized Century Center Mall has been sold for $2 million to an entity with ties to Bob Moore Auto Group CEO Mark Moore. An Oklahoma limited liability company called 100 Main purchased the shopping mall at 100 W. Main on May 15, according to property records.

[Just the facts]

Pete - what did they get for $2 million, just the mall portion or did they get the parking garage as well? Do I recall there is also a basement owned by someone else or did I dream that?

[BoulderSooner]

Pete - what did they get for $2 million, just the mall portion or did they get the parking garage as well? Do I recall there is also a basement owned by someone else or did I dream that?

the city owns some of the parking .. with option to build 40 more feet of parking on top ..

once renderings are public .. i think people will like what the plan is for this space ..

[Pete]

While this is a move forward, there is only so much that can be done with a 2-story square building with parking on top.

Would rather see the whole thing scraped and put to a higher and better use.

[Pete]

BTW, at $2M for 141,000 square feet, that's only about $14 per sf.

That's outrageously cheap.


For comparison, Continental paid $70 per sf for the old Devon building and that was considered quite a bargain.

[Rover]

While this is a move forward, there is only so much that can be done with a 2-story square building with parking on top.

Would rather see the whole thing scraped and put to a higher and better use.

Pete, we shouldn't tear this down. This is a significant example of post-pre modern contemporary concrete minimilist ugly architecture from one of the world's leading kmart designers (Hackney University gang of 84) and needs preserved for our children. Losing this will decrease mass and destroy our urban environment. It is one of the few buildings we have which is built out to the street. Just needs a little love and care.

Sorry.....couldn't resist. :-)

[ChaseDweller]

Pete, we shouldn't tear this down. This is a significant example of post-pre modern contemporary concrete minimilist ugly architecture from one of the world's leading kmart designers (Hackney University gang of 84) and needs preserved for our children. Losing this will decrease mass and destroy our urban environment. It is one of the few buildings we have which is built out to the street. Just needs a little love and care.

Sorry.....couldn't resist. :-)

This +1

[Just the facts]

I know Rover was being funny, however, it isn't built out to the street. It is 30 feet from building to sidewalk. Also, it won an award for Adaptive Reuse for it's portrayal of a Soviet military bunker and hospital in the movie Red Dawn. Most people don't know that.

[Rover]

I know Rover was being funny, however, it isn't built out to the street. It is 30 feet from building to sidewalk.

Close enough. Just need to pave over that pesky green stuff. LOL

[NewUrban5]

I've seen renderings and plans of using this enormous setback, and filling it in with a multistory retail and office surrounding the garage to create a much needed streetwall.

[CuatrodeMayo]

From an architectural and urban standpoint, it's not that hard to fix. Simply turn the building inside out. The setback is not too huge and could be converted into a pedestrian-friendly hardscape. Installing canopies and a more attractive facade to screen the parking levels would go a long way to improving the appearance of the building. If 40' can be added, that is 3 more floors of parking that would help alieviate the CBD parking shortage. Given the small initial investment, if you added the above-mentioned features, it could be very profitable.

[Spartan]

Pete, we shouldn't tear this down. This is a significant example of post-pre modern contemporary concrete minimilist ugly architecture from one of the world's leading kmart designers (Hackney University gang of 84) and needs preserved for our children. Losing this will decrease mass and destroy our urban environment. It is one of the few buildings we have which is built out to the street. Just needs a little love and care.

Sorry.....couldn't resist. :-)

Not going to lie.. I lol'd

[Just the facts]

I've seen renderings and plans of using this enormous setback, and filling it in with a multistory retail and office surrounding the garage to create a much needed streetwall.

I like that idea a lot. I also like the idea of adding awnings and having enterances facing the sidewalk. Hopefully each unit will have its own door to the sidewalk.

[BDP]

I'd be happy if they just turn on the lights at the entrances to the parking garage...

[Pete]

The Century Center and First National are the two remaining large downtown properties that are embarrassing reminders of past failures and a dead downtown.

So, the idea of fixing up and filling up one of them makes me feel better but there is also the realization that once that happens, we are likely stuck with something that will never be close to the highest and best use for that key property.

[Just the facts]

If they fill in the space between the building and sidewalk, and raise the elevation 40' I think it will do wonders for the area. If that lot was vacant today and someone came in with the idea of creating a 100' foot mixed use retail and office complex with an internal parking garge for 1000 cars it would be welcomed with open arms. Like Rover said in another thread, we need more mass at street-level, not skyscrapers.

[kevinpate]

That purchaser, that price .... color me intrigued.

[catcherinthewry]

Steve wrote an article in today's DOK about the new ownership and possible renovation. They talked about removing the concrete walls and replacing them with a glass facade. It looked great. Unfortunately I couldn't fine an online link on newsok.