First National Center

[Mr. Cotter]

An Alford plea is a guilty plea, without admitting guilt. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I believe it's an acknowledgement of the state's evidence is likely enough for a conviction. I don't practice criminal law, so I have no experience with these.

[Pete]

Yes, but I never saw anything about an Alford plea or any other special stipulation.

At it's very essence (with a few exceptions), pleading guilty IS an admission of guilt. And in exchange for such an open admission, sentence is usually reduced.

[hoya]

Yeah I don't think he entered a no contest or an Alford plea. Of course I've frequently pled people and then turned around and argued the same type of thing at sentencing. Generally doesn't go well.

[Mr. Cotter]

I was just answering your question. No Alford plea was entered. Pleading guilty is almost always an admission of guilt, as you said, for a reduced sentence.

[Pete]

Understood!


Will be interesting to see what the judge decides here.

[Mr. Cotter]

Interesting indeed. I think a quick resolution, whatever it winds up being, will be best. Continued uncertainty will likely be worse than a known "bad" outcome.

[Mr. Cotter]

Just walked past FNC and noticed an artist has taken up a very sizeable portion of the former department store pad as an "interim studio." I think this is a great temporary use idea to fill in space until a permanent tennant moves in.

Erin Latham

[Urbanized]

Oops, wrong thread.

[Pete]

Just saw a blog reporting that sentencing for Aaaron Yashouafar will take place tomorrow, Jan. 16th in Las Vegas.

[Praedura]

Just had a crazy, random notion....

Looking at the facebook page of Newcrest Image, who are building the Holiday Inn Express in Bricktown, I noticed something interesting.

They recently purchased the Cotton Exchange Hotel in downtown New Orleans (which foreclosed) and are currently renovating it.



Further info here: Cotton Exchange Hotel sold in foreclosure to Dallas-based company for $17.8 million | NOLA.com

What a grand looking old building.


And Newcrest already has experience with this kind of thing as they have just recently finished renovating the Fisk Building in downtown Amarillo.





This (now) hotel has a facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cyamarillo


Now... since they have developed all this skill with renovating historic old downtown buildings into modern hotels, and they are already in OKC at the moment...

Perhaps someone could give them a tour of First National and let them see the wonderful structure just sitting there. Maybe, at some point in the future, they might be interested in tackling another historic downtown renovation?

[UnFrSaKn]

Just had a crazy, random notion....

Looking at the facebook page of Newcrest Image, who are building the Holiday Inn Express in Bricktown, I noticed something interesting.

They recently purchased the Cotton Exchange Hotel in downtown New Orleans (which foreclosed) and are currently renovating it.

That's funny you know.. because I stumbled on the same page, noticed the exact same building and thought the same thing. Great minds think alike huh? I wasn't going to post a photo though to take it off topic but I'm glad you did. I had the brief daydream of wishing our city had done things much differently and how much better downtown would look and feel.

[Praedura]

That's funny you know.. because I stumbled on the same page, noticed the exact same building and thought the same thing. Great minds think alike huh? I wasn't going to post a photo though to take it off topic but I'm glad you did. I had the brief daydream of wishing our city had done things much differently and how much better downtown would look and feel.

Ha! That's very strange. Or... maybe we're onto something here...

It's a crazy thought, really. Not likely these guys will come along to rescue our old lady. But hey, you never know. Just seemed like a notion worth mentioning.

[warreng88]

Sorry to be so stupid when it comes to this sort of thing, but can someone explain to me why people think it would cost $100 million or more to redo FNC? I realize there are issues with the elevators and such, but what else would need to be done? Is it a complete gut job on everything minus the Banking Hall?

[PhiAlpha]

I've been all over that building. If you saw it, you would understand that estimate. Even the Great Banking Hall will need some work. I'm not sure how the price tag is itemized, but I know that each elevator costs over $100,000 to fix, and there are several elevators at least going into the basement/vault that haven't been used in over 20 years. Of course those wouldn't necessarily be needed, but if they're renovating the whole building, that would be part of the cost.

[Rover]

Bring everything to current standards, either mandated or normally accepted, is a massive task. And, if re-purposed, moving walls, etc. would be extensive. Renovation is usually worth it, but can be expensive and require long term patience for the economics to work. It isn't for someone looking to make it a cash cow.

[Just the facts]

Sorry to be so stupid when it comes to this sort of thing, but can someone explain to me why people think it would cost $100 million or more to redo FNC? I realize there are issues with the elevators and such, but what else would need to be done? Is it a complete gut job on everything minus the Banking Hall?

The 909 Walnut Building in Kansas City is very similar in many ways to FNC (1930's former bank) and it cost $64 million to convert to 159 apartments and 110,000 sq feet of commercial space. That price also included a new 323 space parking garage with 12,000 sq foot rooftop garden.

http://www.909walnut.com/

[Urbanized]

One of the biggest issues for that building is that in the tower the bathrooms are only accessible through landings BETWEEN THE FLOORS. It is an ADA nightmare. They will have to be relocated. Twenty plus floors' worth.

[CuatrodeMayo]

That shouldn't be that big a deal.


Without knowing the specifics of this particular instance, accessibility guidelines do allow some flexibility in regards to an existing building where it is technically infeasible to meet the requirements. In this case, it would likely be acceptable to provide an acessibile, single-user restroom on each floor, and allow the intermediate floor restrooms to serve the rest of the building's occupants.

[UnFrSaKn]

Devon Energy Center Aerials (July 26 2013) - a set on Flickr

[OKCTalker]

One of the biggest issues for that building is that in the tower the bathrooms are only accessible through landings BETWEEN THE FLOORS. It is an ADA nightmare. They will have to be relocated. Twenty plus floors' worth.

Even if the ADA issue could be addressed, it is a tenant convenience issue that many would prefer not to have to deal with. Tenants and their employees have an expectation of certain things, and bathrooms on each floor are among them.

[ljbab728]

Yashouafar in jail for 30 days. (Is that all?)

First National Center owner in Las Vegas jail cell | News OK

David Neale, an attorney who has represented Yashouafar in several bankruptcy cases relating to his real estate interests, asked for leniency in a letter to the Clark County District Court in Las Vegas last year. In the letter, Neale wrote that Yashouafar needed to remain free to help refinance the First National Center. The 1930s-era downtown landmark is in need of repairs and much its 33-story office tower is vacant.

RIGHT!!!! Like that's going to make a difference. LOL

[Platemaker]

One of the biggest issues for that building is that in the tower the bathrooms are only accessible through landings BETWEEN THE FLOORS. It is an ADA nightmare. They will have to be relocated. Twenty plus floors' worth.

The Colcord had one bathroom between floors that alternated men/women. Those spaces are now air conditiong, but I think that was before Coury redeveloped it? I want to say it was around 115 added bathrooms. Unless FNC was a hotel or housing, it wouldn't even need that many.

[bombermwc]

But in order to put a bathroom ON the floor, that means you have to take away from the current square footage on the floors. Those plates are so small in the tower, having the bathrooms could be a pretty big issue. Bathrooms don't take up much space (only need like 2 stalls for each bathroom for the size of the plate), but there just isn't much room to go around....and of course you have to take that space away from tenants. Not to mention the fact that you really need it in the same spot on each floor to maximize the efficiency in the plumbing runs. Once you've got tenants in there, it's SOOO much more difficult. What is a closet on one floor could be in the middle of a conference room on the next.

[Pete]

In the letter, Neale wrote that Yashouafar needed to remain free to help refinance the First National Center. The 1930s-era downtown landmark is in need of repairs and much its 33-story office tower is vacant.

He's owned this complex since 2006 and has done almost nothing, so this is a pretty absurd claim.

[bluedogok]

FNC needs to be a boutique hotel.

This redevelopment is happening right now across the street from the Magnolia Hotel which was an office building into hotel redevelopment.
Denver Post - Renovation of old Colorado National Bank building 30 percent complete
RenewDenver.org - Magnolia Hotel