OG&E Tower

[Snowman]

So whatever the height, lets not duplicate this Spanish skyscrapers problem

The Intempo skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain ... was designed to be a striking symbol of hope and prosperity, to signal to the rest of the world that the city was escaping the financial crisis. Sadly, the builders forgot to include a working elevator.

The original design obviously included specifications for an elevator big enough for a 20-storey building. In the process of scaling things up, however, nobody thought to redesign the elevator system—and, naturally, a 47-storey building requires more space for its lifts and motor equipment. Sadly, that space doesn't exist.

Full Article: http://gizmodo.com/the-builders-of-t...lev-1065152844

[s.hoff]

Looking at the skyline, I think a 1,000+ footer would be great on the Cox site, which won't be going away for several years until the new convention center is completed.

Maybe we could finally build the X-Seed 4000 - in OKC. X-Seed 4000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Just kidding.

Why not build the Chicago Spire for residential since they aren't going to?

[Just the facts]

I just returned from 9 days in Philly. I would presonally pickaxe Stage Center to the ground just to get a block of their 3 to 5 story buildings.

[Mississippi Blues]

I just returned from 9 days in Philly. I would presonally pickaxe Stage Center to the ground just to get a block of their 3 to 5 story buildings.

We know.

[kevinpate]

I just returned from 9 days in Philly. I would presonally pickaxe Stage Center to the ground just to get a block of their 3 to 5 story buildings.

I'd sell tickets for folks to watch. But don't expect a cut. Sadly, tickets on that block have never sold as well as they should.

</meanstreak>

[coov23]

Weird. I live in Philly. Their DT is awesome and dense. We do have a lot of tall(20+) skyscrapers up here. Those are what makes the downtown look good. Philly is all about height right now because they fill they are behind on the skyscraper arms race with other cities of their size.

[Spartan]

Yeah, Philadelphia is one of the best.

[BDP]

I just returned from 9 days in Philly. I would presonally pickaxe Stage Center to the ground just to get a block of their 3 to 5 story buildings.

You could probably get a half dozen blocks like there here without tearing down a single thing.

[hoya]

Im not intimately familiar with Philly, but as land values go up and downtown activity becomes more popular, I think we will have more low rise buildings constructed. We will probably see a lot of places like the Edge that fill up big empty spaces, and then that will push up values enough so that the smaller spots get developed into cool unique midrises.

[Just the facts]

You could probably get a half dozen blocks like there here without tearing down a single thing.

The problem is that Stage Center with its large setbacks and lack of any economic activity hinders walkability.

[BDP]

The problem is that Stage Center with its large setbacks and lack of any economic activity hinders walkability.

Not as much as the lots with nothing on it.

[Just the facts]

Not as much as the lots with nothing on it.

You can't leap-frog walkability. Make a gap in the urban fabric and pedestrians stop walking. That is why shopping malls put up displays, advertisements, and false walls in vacancy stores instead of just leaving it as is. They know people will stop walking and turn around at the first sign of a vacant store.

[BDP]

Make a gap in the urban fabric and pedestrians stop walking.

Precisely. And an empty lot or surface parking lot creates a much bigger gap than Stage Center. From a walk-ability standpoint, it's completely inefficient for anyone to be getting out their pick axes when you can impact downtown's walk-ability to a much greater degree in several other spots and skip the whole demo step completely, be open for business sooner, and completely avoid controversy altogether.

[Rover]

They know people will stop walking and turn around at the first sign of a vacant store.

Yes, even though they really wanted to go to Macy's, they can't bear to walk past that empty spot so they just turn around and leave. They will come back later when that gap is filled. It is an amazing phenomena which can kill a whole wing of a mall. LOL.

[Rover]

We don't yet know if the new tower base is close to the street and designed properly for pedestrian interaction and interest. It is too early to claim it a failure. What we know is that what is there creates no pedestrian interaction now. Can't be worse.

[OKCisOK4me]

Maybe Pete or mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm can change the name of this thread to 'Stage Center Tower (Hypothetical)' until renderings are actually released because this thread is as bad as the mystery tower thread with no concrete information.

[zookeeper]

I just returned from 9 days in Philly. I would presonally pickaxe Stage Center to the ground just to get a block of their 3 to 5 story buildings.

You can't really compare Philadelphia (founded in 1682) with Oklahoma City (founded 207 years later). Of course those buildings are wonderful and we'd have a ton of them if we were 200+ years older too.

As much as I love Philly, for historical reasons as much as any, I wouldn't live there over OKC. No way. They have so many problems that make us look like paradise.

[SoonerBoy18]

How big would this tower be compared to the Chase tower? I really dont know what 400 ft tower looks like

[KayneMo]

400 feet is just slightly taller than SandRidge Center, which is 393 feet tall. I would love if the design of this tower was something like neo-Gothic or Art Deco. A favorite of mine is the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis, designed by Cesar Pelli as "modern Art Deco."

[Just the facts]

You can't really compare Philadelphia (founded in 1682) with Oklahoma City (founded 207 years later). Of course those buildings are wonderful and we'd have a ton of them if we were 200+ years older too.

As much as I love Philly, for historical reasons as much as any, I wouldn't live there over OKC. No way. They have so many problems that make us look like paradise.

Most of what people would consider 'cool Philadelphia buildings' were built as part of the City Beautiful movement that started in the 1920's - 30 years after OKC was founded. Just saying.

[zookeeper]

Most of what people would consider 'cool Philadelphia buildings' were built as part of the City Beautiful movement that started in the 1920's - 30 years after OKC was founded. Just saying.

But JTF, my point is still valid, those buildings probably wouldn't have been built in the '20s if the city didn't have 100 years of momentum behind them.

[Just the facts]

But JTF, my point is still valid, those buildings probably wouldn't have been built in the '20s if the city didn't have 100 years of momentum behind them.

Well, I'll give you that. The City Beautiful movement was an early response to the dirty industrial city and Philly was certainly a dirty industrial city by 1920. However, OKC had many neo-classical and renaissance inspired building as well by 1930, but we tore many of them down.

If the Stage Center Tower was only 3 stories with good sidewalk interaction and built on the principles of good urbanism I would be more than happy.

[Midtowner]

Wow, lots of strong opinions on how high this tower 'has to' be. I'm just hoping for something which contributes to the local economy and urban core... and that's pretty much anything compared to a non-functional, way-too-small theater.

[catch22]

Wow, lots of strong opinions on how high this tower 'has to' be. I'm just hoping for something which contributes to the local economy and urban core... and that's pretty much anything compared to a non-functional, way-too-small theater.

I agree. Lots of childish posts...

Maybe people are forgetting that we are at least getting a new 20 story building downtown.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Wow, lots of strong opinions on how high this tower 'has to' be. I'm just hoping for something which contributes to the local economy and urban core... and that's pretty much anything compared to a non-functional, way-too-small theater.

I agree. Not to sound too much like Kerry, but the relative "goodness" or "badness" of this project will be how the 1st couple of floors relate to their surrounding urban context and how the inevitable parking structure is handled. I think the overall height relative to the other tall buildings is immaterial.