New Mixed-Use Tower

[mburlison]

Jbrown, I take your point, but just how many more rooms can we support in our downtown. The Skirvin is opening within the next year, ditto the Colcord and the new (Hampton?) over there by Bass Pro. Once those come online, just how many more beds can downtown keep full on a regular basis? Now if we do end up scoring a NBA team and keep events churning through the Cox Arena and Ford Arena all the time...yes, but I'm not sure it's a 'lack of vision' keeping the investors out. Investors usually do have quite a bit of vision, when they can see the ROI. I guess I was referring to Office highrises earlier, I agree a high-rise hotel would be in order someday, but how many beds downtown would be empty 50 percent of the time? Stillwater, for example, has a microcosm of the same deal, there are a few events that can't happen there presently (NCAA regionals etc...) because they don't have enough hotel beds. On the other hand, for most of the year they'd sit 40 percent empty or worse until you build the constant demand up.

I disagree that "companies" do not have anything to do with it, we sure need some more anchor companies. We've lost Fleming, GM, KMG, did gain Riatta, some teleco centers, and the Dell facility, but there needs to be more companies and high-paying, professional jobs come in with them. Another thing would be to attract some of the financial world to relocate here, we've got a hell of a nice environment to sell, I don't care what anyone else says. Sure, there are many beautiful spots in our country, but OKC is an excellent place to live compared to many of them. We do have some stereotypes to live down, but so do a lot of other people.

[Kerry]

This is a little ff the subject but I don't know why some group from OKC isn't working to raid every city within 600 miles of OKC. A group should constantly be working companies in Wichita, Little Rock, Des Moins, Omaha, Albaquerque, Amarillo, and Shreveport to relocate to OKC.

[JOHNINSOKC]

AMEN!! I would also add Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, St. Louis, Denver, Memphis, New Orleans, Houston and Kansas City to that list. In fact, how about any major city from coast to coast. This city CAN become a corporate magnet. We should approach things no differently than any other popular metro area that is well-known. OKC really CAN become the next Dallas, only better in the long run.

[jbrown84]

I agree Kerry. mburlison, you are right about gaining high profile companies as well as jobs that lure young professionals, you just made it seem that the only way to get a tower was if there was a large corporation that needed an entire 70-story building. As far as hotel rooms, I think we are in pretty good shape as far as continuous events that keep our hotel rooms full most of the time downtown. It's just a matter of whether we want to have the build it and they will come attitude. It worked with the Ford Center. Now we need to do it with hotel rooms so we can draw larger events year-round.

[BDP]

I agree, the Tulsa proposal is good for all. OKC is in a good position, historically, and anything that puts pressure on OKC developers to be creative is a good thing. I think the Tulsa proposal is very ambitious and has a ton of logistical hurdles. I think they can be overcome with the right economy and committed developers.

I want a new tower as much as anyone else, but again next year will be impressive. The Skivin, The Colcord, the Brownstones, the Hill, and the Centennial all amount to a nice improvement in one year. Mid-town is gearing up as well. While maybe not as visible on a postcard as a tower, collectively these projects amount to a large increase in downtown's quality for living and working, more so than any one or two towers would do. If everything coming online in 2007 is even modestly successful, I think we'll see even more ambitious work.

Overall, I like the improvements to our current assets the most. And with all the empty office space downtown, I still think residential/mixed use is the best chance for a tower. That is the one segment in which there is a demand regionally for which we have no supply. Personally, I’d like to see a major overall of the First National building before we build anymore high rise office space. That may be coming soon as well…

Kerry, I think you’re idea can have some merit with some tweaking. But, if 2007 yields good returns for these developers, we may be able to get some tower interest without tax breaks, too. I think we should keep talking about it and maybe by 2008, if needed, talk with Downtown OKC and the council about some high rise tax incentives…

[traxx]

I'll make any comments I choose to make Traxx.

OU football boards...not hardly.

It's obvious a moniker like 'dcsooner' has/had sooner ties, ya think? but I'm not the one w/ DC in my name either. If the fact I assumed that this person now lives in DC and that is wrong, for that I will apologize (my opinion of DC not withstanding), but I stand by every single syllable of the rest of it, precisely because I consider the remarks to have been inflamatory.

Well you're not gonna make many friends here with an attitude like that. You may consider DC's comments inflamatory, but you'd be wrong. You're just a little too sensitive, he was merely trying to point out things we need to look at improving and wasn't saying that DC was better. I consider Oklahoma a great place to live too, but we need to improve. People should feel free to express their ideas on this board without having someone like you come on here and bash them. We're all adults here, let's act like it.

[jdsplaypin]

all adults... i wouldn't be suprised

[dcsooner]

I want to offer apologies to anyone who took offense to comments I made earlier in this string. I am a native Oklahoman, born in Lawton, attended and graduated from Lawton Schools and graduated from OU. I return to the State every year no less than twice often 3 times. I have alot of family in Oklahoma. My comments were only intended to express my intense desire to see MY State improve. I live and work in DC but DC is not my home, Oklahoma is and I will always consider it so.

[mburlison]

Traxx; I will continue express my opinions in the manner I choose. I do not consider your approval necessary and absolutely am not seeking it.

DCSooner; No apology was needed, I was just expressing my opinion and I'm cool with everyone here. We all feel strongly about Oklahoma and only want the best for it. If I misinterpreted your comments by taking them too literally, than likewise I extend apologies.

[writerranger]

Some of this thread has become rather heated and I'm not sure why. In certain instances there truly is a "right" and a "wrong" way to go about things, but this isn't one of them. There are just different ways of going about some of these things.

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[ETL]

Off topic, but I would like to goback to the Gaylords. What is their problem? If they truely havent forgotten where they have can from, then they would fund a huge project on the river. Two words, Gaylord Texan! Where is the Gaylord Oklahoman!!!!!?

[jbrown84]

The Gaylord Resorts are not owned solely by the Gaylord family. The are part of Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment, a publicly traded company that has investors to please. The Gaylords don't really have the power to just tell Gaylord Resorts to build a huge hotel in OKC when it may not be what that company sees as profitable.

[ETL]

Why can't they go off from the company?

[animeGhost]

The are part of Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment, a publicly traded company that has investors to please.

the key word in this is "Gaylord" why is the "Gaylord Entertainment" company based in nashville and not in oklahoma... this is the kinda stuff were talkin bout when we say the gaylords have forgotten where they came from.

[okcpulse]

The Gaylords don't really have the power to just tell Gaylord Resorts to build a huge hotel in OKC when it may not be what that company sees as profitable.

"Sees" is the key word. Too many deep pockets are excessively blind to potential in Oklahoma City.

[jbrown84]

You're right there okcpulse. I was simply clarifying that the Gaylords have shareholders to please, and I don't even think they run the company. On the other hand many of their other properties like the Pike's Peak Railway and the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs are owned strictly by the Gaylord family.

[ETL]

Someone needs to straighten their butts up and teach them where they came from!