OG&E Tower

[G.Walker]

Interesting article:

okcBIZ: News: Tower Talk

Sounds like it will end up being 20 stories after all...

[Bellaboo]

I saw the words 'world class building' and 'tenant information' to be announced in November.

I've previously read where it will have a wide footprint, which would make more sense for it to be around 20 stories.

[Plutonic Panda]

Interesting article:

okcBIZ: News: Tower Talk

Sounds like it will end up being 20 stories after all...

That will suck. Steve said it should at least be 27 stories, so that would be better. I am not forming any opinions though until we have an actual press release from the developer with extensive stats and detailed renderings.

[Thundercitizen]

Not bad, if each world-class floor is 25 ft high.

[adaniel]

"an office tower of at least 20 stories"--the actual quote.

Does not mean the tower will be 20 stories. Back off the ledge, people.

[ljbab728]

"an office tower of at least 20 stories"--the actual quote.

Does not mean the tower will be 20 stories. Back off the ledge, people.

Actually the quote in the story is:

“We’re going to stick with something in the neighborhood of 20 stories,” Williams says. “Certainly our goal is to build an absolutely world-class tower that will complement what has already gone on in the area and something Oklahoma City will be proud to have.”

[adaniel]

Not to get hung up on semantics, but "in the neighborhood of 20 stories" =/= 20 stories.

In business school, we learned that it was always best to underpromise and overdeliver. That may not sit well with the spazzes on this forum, but I don't doubt that's what Mr. Rainey is doing. I guess I am irritated how many people seem to be throwing this project under the bus before it has even been revealed (plus this weather is not helping my mood lol).

FWIW I am really happy the building will have a wide footprint. It will add a nice streetwall, even if the tower is not as tall as some hoped.

[Plutonic Panda]

When he says that, does he mean 20 stories strictly or 20-30 stories?

[OKCisOK4me]

Interesting article:

okcBIZ: News: Tower Talk

Sounds like it will end up being 20 stories after all...

Also note that he's posting a story from almost 20 days ago. A lot will change by the time a real story by the developer is released.

[kevinpate]

When he says that, does he mean 20 stories strictly or 20-30 stories?

In the neighborhood of 20 in essence means (just an opinion, please don't rail on for pages about it) 20 stories, give or take a couple, e.g., 17-23 or 18-22, 19-21, pick one, take some aspirin and wait for the final word.

[Jake]

Even if it does end up being 20 stories, I mostly care about it looking good and having good street-level interaction.

[Mississippi Blues]

Even if it does end up being 20 stories, I mostly care about it looking good and having good street-level interaction.

Perty much. 20 stories is way short of the 35-40 stories we heard about months ago, but I'm not gonna bust a cap if it's designed well & interacts with the street & isn't a barrier of sorts due to it's poor design overall.

[catch22]

Honestly a 20 story tower with a wide footprint facing MBG will do wonders for making the MBG enclosed and much more urban. I'd almost rather the wide 20 floors than a relatively narrow 35-40 on that site.

[OKCRT]

Honestly a 20 story tower with a wide footprint facing MBG will do wonders for making the MBG enclosed and much more urban. I'd almost rather the wide 20 floors than a relatively narrow 35-40 on that site.

Needs to be at least 30 stories or sell it to someone that can build a real skyscraper. 20 stories is not going to be very tall any way you look at it. Regency tower tall

[OKCisOK4me]

Perty much. 20 stories is way short of the 35-40 stories we heard about months ago, but I'm not gonna bust a cap if it's designed well & interacts with the street & isn't a barrier of sorts due to it's poor design overall.

There's no like button

[catch22]

Needs to be at least 30 stories or sell it to someone that can build a real skyscraper. 20 stories is not going to be very tall any way you look at it. Regency tower tall

With modern floor heights it would be taller than the regency. Even then, I wouldn't mind a building as tall as the regency butting up next to the park. It would be insignificant on the skyline, but from the park it would still be a good addition.

[warreng88]

What are modern floor heights these days? I know the ground floor with differ than the rest of them but are we talking 17' each on a normal floor?

[Teo9969]

With modern floor heights it would be taller than the regency. Even then, I wouldn't mind a building as tall as the regency butting up next to the park. It would be insignificant on the skyline, but from the park it would still be a good addition.

Nothing over 10 stories will be insignificant to the skyline on that lot. The Colcord would stick out on that lot.

[Bellaboo]

What are modern floor heights these days? I know the ground floor with differ than the rest of them but are we talking 17' each on a normal floor?

Devon's average is right at 17 ft.

[warreng88]

Devon's average is right at 17 ft.

So, if it were even and each floor was 17' and it was 20 stories, it would be 340' tall. That would be 20' taller than the Valliance Tower on Expressway and 30' taller than the BOK Plaza. Both of those and pretty good size and the infill at a wider foot print would be good.

[Praedura]

If it does turn out to be only 20 stories high, then yes, that would definitely be a disappointment.

It doesn't mean it still wouldn't bring lots of positives to the CBD. It would look great from the Myriad Gardens and could have great street level interaction if done properly. Nevertheless, a 350 ft building on that prime location downtown is a let down and far from ideal. I mean, if this city is going to put up tall buldings then that's exactly where they should go -- you're not going to have 600 ft towers in Midtown or Deep Deuce.

I'm hoping that Rainey Williams is playing a game of under-promise and over-deliver.

[OKCisOK4me]

Let us just get half the height of Devon...MINIMUM...that's 422 ft.

[Spartan]

I'm not sure that we need to lose the Stage Center for a small tower...

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm not sure that we need to lose the Stage Center for a small tower...

Agreed. But I'd still rather lose the Stage Center...

[kevinpate]

I'm not sure that we need to lose the Stage Center for a small tower...

Wait. You'd rather have a closed down, non functional, dead to the world inside with no viable hope for recovery building/ One that even when enthusiastic folks were trying to drum up financing to save it, they failed. One that even after the failure, no one with any sense of its place as an admitted well known and held in esteem structure would step forward to do more than let it sit and rot? that's the better plan? Please understand, I liked the building enough that if I had been blessed to be some mega mega million lotto winner, I woulda ticked many folks off and salvaged the building just because I wouldn't really miss the money at that point. But absent some white knight, it is no longer a tribute but is instead an obstacle to moving forward.

Declare the block off limits unless and until there is a 30,40,60 story complex to be built there and one all but assures it becomes the next urban camper hilton since the others are being torn down.

I'll miss it. I regret there was not interest in restoring it. But there wasn't, and it is time to accept that, at least in my opinion. I'd feel different if it was going to become the biggest cafe de cocoa hade hole drive through in the state, but for a good complex, yeah, I'm over it. I hope others will be soon enough.