OG&E Tower

[bchris02]

The more I think about this, the more I am starting to side with those who want to see it saved. There are numerous lots to build a tower but there is only one Stage Center. I am certain this will be a demolition OKC looks back on in 20 or 30 years as another pivotal mistake. Save it, renovate it, and make it into a tourist attraction that can be to OKC what the arch is to St. Louis or the Space Needle is to Seattle.

[s.hoff]

The more I think about this, the more I am starting to side with those who want to see it saved. There are numerous lots to build a tower but there is only one Stage Center. I am certain this will be a demolition OKC looks back on in 20 or 30 years as another pivotal mistake. Save it, renovate it, and make it into a tourist attraction that can be to OKC what the arch is to St. Louis or the Space Needle is to Seattle.

I don't think Stage Center can ever be on the same level as the St. Louis Arch or Seattle's Space Needle. That got me thinking though, it would be awesome to have some kind of uniquely-shaped observation deck structure at the end of the Core to Shore park. People on here have suggested having something at the southern end of the park as a destination. There would be great views of the river, the park, and downtown.

[Rover]

The more I think about this, the more I am starting to side with those who want to see it saved. There are numerous lots to build a tower but there is only one Stage Center. I am certain this will be a demolition OKC looks back on in 20 or 30 years as another pivotal mistake. Save it, renovate it, and make it into a tourist attraction that can be to OKC what the arch is to St. Louis or the Space Needle is to Seattle.

Run an experiment....go to L.A. Show 100 people a picture of SC. See how many recognize it. How many can tell you it is in OKC. Then do the same with the Needle or Arch. Hmmm. Wonder if SC is even in the same neighborhood. LOL.

If SC isn't iconic to OKC now after all these years, then it is doubtful it ever will be.

[hoya]

Stage Center is a weird little building.

It's not very good at staying unflooded, or at producing money, or at keeping a tenant. But it sure is interesting to look at.

Having looked at now hundreds of pictures of old buildings that used to be downtown that we tore down for other projects, I can't say I'm excited to see Stage Center go. It's a weird little building, but I keep thinking about all those great buildings we used to have, and wonder what would have happened had we kept them around? If we don't tear it down, maybe in 20 years Stage Center would find a use and be a unique gem that exists in no other city on Earth. Or maybe in 20 years it will fall in on itself.

That said, it is put up or shut up time. This time next year, Stage Center will be a memory. The people who care about it must do something right now. What it sounds like right now is that people care enough to bitch, but they don't care enough to actually do something. To save it, you're going to need public funds and the city will have to buy it and restore it, because no crazy billionaires look like they are going to swoop in and buy it.

I walk past Stage Center every day on my way to work. I have had the chance to look at it quite a bit over the last few years. I still don't know if I like its big, weird, spaceship design. I don't know if I'm going to miss it. I may miss the idea of it more than I miss the actual building. I won't miss the homeless people who crowd around it like its some great beckoning monolith.

[AP]

Run an experiment....go to L.A. Show 100 people a picture of SC. See how many recognize it. How many can tell you it is in OKC. Then do the same with the Needle or Arch. Hmmm. Wonder if SC is even in the same neighborhood. LOL.

If SC isn't iconic to OKC now after all these years, then it is doubtful it ever will be.

Wouldn't it be great if OKC did have a structure that actually was iconic? Wishful thinking.

[BDP]

Bigger more sophisticated cities have never been jealous of us having this structure.

Having been part of local production efforts and gallery showings in "bigger more sophisticated cities", I can only say that we would have killed for something like stage center. If anything, sc had a problem in that the theater could garner more attention than the production. Most community theaters are blank black rooms with 60 to 100 seats or so located in districts better known for the availability of vice than arts. A blank slate with a modest setting for the director is much more typical than what stage center was. SC was a challenge, no doubt. You had to rethink your typical idea of passive theater. Not easy and a lot to ask of a small market.

Most cities do not have anything like it to offer even well established community theater companies or local galleries. It's most unique feature was the ambition to put it in a place like Oklahoma City, where it isn't art unless a major benefactor sanctions it. It's purpose was to display works that are rarely supported outside of the immediate artist community, even in major markets. Obviously, not a good plan for OKC.

Comparing it to Fred Jones or OKCMOA or even lyric is specious. It was a place for local artists to showcas local art. In that sense it was an amazing facility that would be envied by almost all peer venues even in larger markets. It was special that OKC had it for awhile, but I can tell we agre that this was a bad market and a bad location for that experient.

[soonerguru]

Run an experiment....go to L.A. Show 100 people a picture of SC. See how many recognize it. How many can tell you it is in OKC. Then do the same with the Needle or Arch. Hmmm. Wonder if SC is even in the same neighborhood. LOL.

If SC isn't iconic to OKC now after all these years, then it is doubtful it ever will be.

This is a total red herring.

[PhiAlpha]

Wouldn't it be great if OKC did have a structure that actually was iconic? Wishful thinking.

I believe Tulsa is still planning to erect a giant bronze statue of a Native American, so there's that.

[Rover]

It is response to the supposition that this building is iconic or will be. It is not associated with OKC and not recognizable by those outside of OKC. It is not synonymous with OKC. The poster proposed that it someday could be if refurbed. I am saying I don't believe that to be likely. Which argument is a red herring?

[BDP]

It is response to the supposition that this building is iconic or will be. It is not associated with OKC and not recognizable by those outside of OKC. It is not synonymous with OKC. The poster proposed that it someday could be if refurbed. I am saying I don't believe that to be likely. Which argument is a red herring?

It's a red herring to suggest that something in oklahoma city, especially a community theater, must be internationally iconic to be worth keeping around.

If the only basis to prevent demolition of anything in Oklahoma City was its ability to be as recognizable as the St. Louis arch, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Statue of Liberty, then no structure in this town is of any lasting value and this forum should basically shut down.

You could show 100 people in LA 100 pictures of 100 things in Oklahoma City, except maybe the memorial and get the same reaction as you would when including SC in the mix. This idea that SC has to stand up to the nation's most well known icons to have merit is just bizarre.

[progressiveboy]

They say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". With that being said, I personally feel that SC is aesthetically unappealing with it's stained1970's concrete, plywood panels, cheap building materials does nothing to raise the bar for OKC. Face it, the building is no longer functional and is obsolete. It needs to come down. A brand shiny new tower in place is the best and highest use for this prime spot for the CBD.

[UnFrSaKn]

Stage Center before Stage Center | News OK

[SoonerDave]

The more I think about this, the more I am starting to side with those who want to see it saved. There are numerous lots to build a tower but there is only one Stage Center. I am certain this will be a demolition OKC looks back on in 20 or 30 years as another pivotal mistake. Save it, renovate it, and make it into a tourist attraction that can be to OKC what the arch is to St. Louis or the Space Needle is to Seattle.

Please forward your funding plan - the plan owners and developers have been unable to devise for, what is it, 20 years now - to the new owner.

[Richard at Remax]

maybe they can save it in the form of a scale model in the lobby of the new buidling

[Dubya61]

There is a lot of good discussion here, but this discussion wouldn't even be happening, if Stage Center were usable. It'll take, what? $3M to make it usable? Without that $3M, it's expensive art taking up a LOT of real estate.

[Bellaboo]

Okay,

From my inside source, things are ongoing, and the source feels good about everything coming to OKC. I promised I would not elabarate and get anyone in trouble. I will say there are provisions for Enogex folks from Tulsa coming to OKC......What does this tell you.... Sorry.

[PhiAlpha]

Okay,

From my inside source, things are ongoing, and the source feels good about everything coming to OKC. I promised I would not elabarate and get anyone in trouble. I will say there are provisions for Enogex folks from Tulsa coming to OKC......What does this tell you.... Sorry.

How about for Centerpoint employees from Houston coming to OKC?

[hoya]

If this turns out to be a 40 story tower like we had originally heard, I don't think there'll be too many tears shed over the loss of Stage Center. If we get a big tower and a new energy company than I think it is worth it. If it's a disappointing building smaller than Chase then it's probably not worth it.

[PhiAlpha]

If this turns out to be a 40 story tower like we had originally heard, I don't think there'll be too many tears shed over the loss of Stage Center. If we get a big tower and a new energy company than I think it is worth it. If it's a disappointing building smaller than Chase then it's probably not worth it.

I don't know, I think I side with JTF on this one. If the street level interaction is good and it's at least close to the height of chase, I think it's worth it.

[pickles]

There is a lot of good discussion here, but this discussion wouldn't even be happening, if Stage Center were usable. It'll take, what? $3M to make it usable? Without that $3M, it's expensive art taking up a LOT of real estate.

$3M isn't even close.

[Snowman]

There is a lot of good discussion here, but this discussion wouldn't even be happening, if Stage Center were usable. It'll take, what? $3M to make it usable? Without that $3M, it's expensive art taking up a LOT of real estate.

It was like 20 to 30 million a few years ago if it to be rehabbed back to it's same use (need to add around 4.5 to 5 to buy it back as well), probably more if it is used for anything other use than a theater since the vast majority of space right now is stadium seating. Not sure if the last estimates had mold removal but since it has apparently continued to flood there is a decent chance that is going to add more to the cost.

[Bellaboo]

How about for Centerpoint employees from Houston coming to OKC?

Comment was made that the drift was that some of those people (in Houston) were taking other jobs........

[Pete]

The buzz is certainly that Enogex/CenterPoint will be coming to OKC, even among the employees at both companies.

It's not a done deal but it looks good for OKC.

[BDP]

Run an experiment....go to L.A. Show 100 people a picture of SC. See how many recognize it. How many can tell you it is in OKC. Then do the same with the Needle or Arch. Hmmm. Wonder if SC is even in the same neighborhood. LOL.

If SC isn't iconic to OKC now after all these years, then it is doubtful it ever will be.

Another experiment to run... go to LA and show 100 people pictures, without signage, of the outside of Greenway Court, Asylum, Knightsbridge, and even the UCB. See how many recognize them. Then do the same with Stage Center in OKC.

Most people have no idea what the exterior of their local community theaters look like. Stage Center is an anomaly in that way. It is definitely more iconic within Oklahoma City than most community theaters are in most places.

Now if they're doing community theater at the needle or the arch that I was unaware of, then you may have a point.

[Rover]

It's a red herring to suggest that something in oklahoma city, especially a community theater, must be internationally iconic to be worth keeping around.

If the only basis to prevent demolition of anything in Oklahoma City was its ability to be as recognizable as the St. Louis arch, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Statue of Liberty, then no structure in this town is of any lasting value and this forum should basically shut down.

You could show 100 people in LA 100 pictures of 100 things in Oklahoma City, except maybe the memorial and get the same reaction as you would when including SC in the mix. This idea that SC has to stand up to the nation's most well known icons to have merit is just bizarre.

The premise of the posting being referred to by me listed it as potentially iconic with the Space Needle in Seattle and the Arch in St. Louis. I didn't make the original comparison. Nor did I say that it should be torn down if it wasn't. The previous posting was supposing that saving it would create such an image of it and I called BS. You have to follow the chain of remarks and logic. Remarking my comments as being false implies the statement it is based on is false, WHICH IS MY POINT. Don't try to justify the expenditure to save it based on creating an icon. It hasn't been and won't be. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth saving for our own reasons.