OG&E Tower

[catch22]

I don't know if hip is the word I would describe their development. I like the vibe OKC has more. Omaha's developments aren't quite as diverse as ours. Theirs seem to be less hipster and more commercialized.


I do think that Raney could have had more companies wanting to relocate to his tower if he would have had a design to present. People are visual and need to see things before they make a massive move.

I'm sure he has renderings of different concepts (heights, etc. based on demand) available to potential tenants, especially if they are a large high profile tenant.

[Spartan]

Good for Omaha. That city is booming right now and is also developing somewhat of a hip reputation and is becoming a magnet for young professionals. I haven't been but from the images I've seen its turning into a pretty amazing place.

Lol. Oh yes, Omaha is running circles around us, when will we catch up?

(If you stopped to smell the roses around OKC or on here you'd notice our entire downtown is u/c and the Omaha poster we have often confirms for us that they civically look up to OKC).

That said clearly their tower proposal is more legit than ours.

[Pete]

I really like reading the updates from UN on Omaha and also enjoy getting on some of the other forums where general urban development is documented and discussed.

But it's also very hard to get any point of comparison when you just look at a list of developments with pretty renderings.


I will say this: There are very few metro areas growing as quickly as OKC since the last part of the last decade (real numbers) and similarly, we can stack up a lot of big objective measures when it comes to urban development (recent, u/c, proposed), such as new housing units, hotel rooms, unemployment rates, growth of top employers, restaurants/bars/retail in the core, office space occupancy, total investment, etc., etc.

OKC is not going to stack up well against much bigger cities, but I'd love to compare actual numbers to any Tier 3 city.


Again, really enjoy the posts on Omaha but also want to make sure we keep perspective on well how things are going in OKC.

[bchris02]

Lol. Oh yes, Omaha is running circles around us, when will we catch up?

I never said that.

[adaniel]

I really like reading the updates from UN on Omaha and also enjoy getting on some of the other forums where general urban development is documented and discussed.

But it's also very hard to get any point of comparison when you just look at a list of developments with pretty renderings.


I will say this: There are very few metro areas growing as quickly as OKC since the last part of the last decade (real numbers) and similarly, we can stack up a lot of big objective measures when it comes to urban development (recent, u/c, proposed), such as new housing units, hotel rooms, unemployment rates, growth of top employers, restaurants/bars/retail in the core, office space occupancy, total investment, etc., etc.

OKC is not going to stack up well against much bigger cities, but I'd love to compare actual numbers to any Tier 3 city.


Again, really enjoy the posts on Omaha but also want to make sure we keep perspective on well how things are going in OKC.

I remember a couple of months ago someone posted a proposed building in Dallas. There were a few posts stating the usual "why can't we have this in OKC" blah blah blah. The funny thing is I knew for a fact that project was long dead as our company was looking for long term space in the DFW area for a new office (we have since decided not to) and had actually inquired about said tower before being notified it was off. That didn't stop someone from posting a rendering on this website. I will need to find what building it was, but I have a feeling this is more common on here. Maybe from now on we should start posting pics of projects that are actually under construction?

In any event, this thread is close to going full stupid. No renderings are available to the public so this project must be dead, right?

[bchris02]

In any event, this thread is close to going full stupid. No renderings are available to the public so this project must be dead, right?

I think the project was announced by the Oklahoman too soon. It should have not been announced until it was a done deal and a rendering available.

[dankrutka]

I think the project was announced by the Oklahoman too soon. It should have not been announced until it was a done deal and a rendering available.

Why? So the posters on this board are happier? I'm sure they have reasons for announcing when they did. There's so much we don't know.

[Teo9969]

I think the project was announced by the Oklahoman too soon. It should have not been announced until it was a done deal and a rendering available.

It is a done deal...we just don't have specifics. Why should the Oklahoma wait?

The only problem with how everything happened is that Rainey Williams said something to the effect of "We should have more details for you in 90 days" back in July. If he had just bought the property and not said anything about it, we wouldn't be able to speculate and talk about while 20 stories isn't tall enough, blah blah blah.

[Pete]

Remember, we broke the news the site was under contract...

So, word was getting out and it would have been completely public once the sale closed, due to the County Assessor site.

The story was already out so the purchaser (Rainey Williams) had to say something about his general plans. He kept things relatively vague on purpose because they had not even finalized the anchor tenants, which drives the size, design, etc.


Some people are just too impatient and have a hard time dealing with early, incomplete information that continues to evolve over time.

Not knowing everything all at once is the price you pay for tracking these things from the beginning.

[Teo9969]

Why does the developer have to say anything about his/her general plans? It's not like the sale is going to be revoked if s/he doesn't reveal the information.

[ljbab728]

Why does the developer have to say anything about his/her general plans? It's not like the sale is going to be revoked if s/he doesn't reveal the information.

Because we said so.

[Pete]

Williams had to start greasing the PR skids for demolition permits.

Once he is ready to move forward -- which should be soon -- there are a lot of steps to go through and at least by now everyone has pretty much accepted that that structure is going away.

[Teo9969]

Williams had to start greasing the PR skids for demolition permits.

Once he is ready to move forward -- which should be soon -- there are a lot of steps to go through and at least by now everyone has pretty much accepted that that structure is going away.

It seems like to me that there are less people willing to accept a 20-story tower now than there were when he first announced the idea. People have weighed the exchange of iconic structure vs. 20-story office tower and some have decided 20 stories isn't really enough. If he had said nothing, people can't definitively say anything about the future. May as well wait till you have the flashy rendering before announcing plans/demolition, as it is, he's essentially announced demolition with no real plans given.

[PhiAlpha]

In any event, this thread is close to going full stupid. No renderings are available to the public so this project must be dead, right?

[Praedura]

Remember, we broke the news the site was under contract...

So, word was getting out and it would have been completely public once the sale closed, due to the County Assessor site.

The story was already out so the purchaser (Rainey Williams) had to say something about his general plans. He kept things relatively vague on purpose because they had not even finalized the anchor tenants, which drives the size, design, etc.


Some people are just too impatient and have a hard time dealing with early, incomplete information that continues to evolve over time.

Not knowing everything all at once is the price you pay for tracking these things from the beginning.

Ok Pete, why were you looking straight at me when you wrote that?

It's true that I want to know everything, and by yesterday... if not sooner.

I have nothing that in any way, shape, or form resembles 'patience'. Does that make me a bad guy?

[td25er]

I don't know if hip is the word I would describe their development. I like the vibe OKC has more. Omaha's developments aren't quite as diverse as ours. Theirs seem to be less hipster and more commercialized.


I do think that Raney could have had more companies wanting to relocate to his tower if he would have had a design to present. People are visual and need to see things before they make a massive move.

I definitely don't want OKC to be considered "hipster".

[ryne]

Depending on your definition of the word, Oklahoma City is quite possibly moving towards a variation of "hipster." We have a focus right now on local business rather than national franchises, especially when it comes to restaurants and retail downtown. I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing, because I would rather have a Red or Mickey Mantles downtown than a Texas Roadhouse or any of the other national steakhouses. I think it makes us more unique to have more local retail and dining and it is a large boost for our local economy.

[bchris02]

I definitely don't want OKC to be considered "hipster".

Right now hipster cities are the places people want to live. They are the places on the cutting edge of culture with vibrant arts and music scenes. Think about what makes places like Portland, Seattle, Austin, Denver, and the Twin Cities so attractive. Think about how far along those places are in terms of core gentrification. They are the leaders of the current downtown redevelopment trend. Look at Louisville, a city of similar size and demographics to OKC that has become known as a hipster haven and how far along they are in terms of downtown gentrification and overall vibrancy. Downtown Louisville is nothing short of amazing for a city of only 1.3 million people - it gives larger cities a run for their money. Whether you like hipsters or identify with them or not, their presence is great for an urban area and is a pretty good indicator of how vibrant and desirable that area is for those looking for urban living.

[soonerguru]

Right now hipster cities are the places people want to live. They are the places on the cutting edge of culture with vibrant arts and music scenes. Think about what makes places like Portland, Seattle, Austin, Denver, and the Twin Cities so attractive. Think about how far along those places are in terms of core gentrification. They are the leaders of the current downtown redevelopment trend. Look at Louisville, a city of similar size and demographics to OKC that has become known as a hipster haven and how far along they are in terms of downtown gentrification and overall vibrancy. Downtown Louisville is nothing short of amazing for a city of only 1.3 million people - it gives larger cities a run for their money. Whether you like hipsters or identify with them or not, their presence is great for an urban area and is a pretty good indicator of how vibrant and desirable that area is for those looking for urban living.

Great post. It's fun and easy to make fun of hipsters sometimes, but I'm glad we have our hipster havens too, and I'm glad they're growing.

[soonerguru]

I definitely don't want OKC to be considered "hipster".

Why?

[hoya]

Hipsters are just trendy young people. I have never been trendy. I have never been accused of being "stylish". But I don't have a problem with those who are. I think OKC could definitely use some flash, and if we appeal to the young and trendy crowd, then so much the better.

[Teo9969]

The definition of Hipster is growing every day and it's starting to encompass a fairly wide swath of people…

[Plutonic Panda]

I definitely don't want OKC to be considered "hipster".

I agree with you on this one.

[Urbanized]

Maybe not, but it sure wouldn't hurt for OKC to continue to gain a little more "hipness".

[bchris02]

I agree with you on this one.

Many of the amenities we all would like to see in OKC would likely come as a result of increased "hipness." Areas like Midtown, Uptown, and the Plaza are becoming what they are because of hipsters. You don't have to wear a beanie, listen to vinyl, sell your car, and drink PBR to enjoy the benefits of a more hip, vibrant community.