OG&E Tower

[UnFrSaKn]

At least people can learn some Spanish by reading this thread.

[Jim Kyle]

Que dice?

[Plutonic Panda]

This thread is garbage, and the reason I don't read it is because its garbage! And the person who wrote it is garbage! None of this stuff IS TRUE!!! So get your facts straight. If you wanna talk about a tower, talk about Devon, its 50 (stories)!! That's all I've got to say, makes me want to puke....

Well, at the very least, it gave you something to do for about 10 seconds

[bchris02]

This thread is garbage, and the reason I don't read it is because its garbage! And the person who wrote it is garbage! None of this stuff IS TRUE!!! So get your facts straight. If you wanna talk about a tower, talk about Devon, its 50 (stories)!! That's all I've got to say, makes me want to puke....

I don't think it would have been reported in the Oklahoman if there was no chance of this tower happening. I myself am skeptical and will remain skeptical until I see a rendering, but as far as I know this project isn't completely dead yet.

[Pete]

It's not even a little dead.

The only issue is the final design / height and we'll almost certainly know that by next month.

[bchris02]

I think Omaha has hipster covered. Their downtown has a UO.

I was actually thinking about this recently. Cities like Omaha, Louisville, Columbus, Austin, etc - cities that are very attractive to hipsters and the creative class - all have urban universities close to downtown and a high student population. This basically allows the combined effect of a college campus and its culture and young professional nightlife to create really cool, vibrant urban districts. I really wonder how different OKC would be if OU or UCO were close to downtown rather than in the burbs. That's another thread though and has little to do with the Stage Center Tower.

[Pete]

OKC has tons of universities in the metro area and two very close to the city center: OCU and the Health Sciences Center. Plus ACM@UCO in Bricktown and the new OCU Law school.

Then there is the largest university in the state only 20 miles away, UCO, OCC, OSU-OKC, Southern Nazerene, Oklahoma Christian, OKC Community College, Rose State, etc., etc.

[bchris02]

OKC has tons of universities in the metro area and two very close to the city center: OCU and the Health Sciences Center. Plus ACM@UCO in Bricktown and the new OCU Law school.

Then there is the largest university in the state only 20 miles away, UCO, OCC, OSU-OKC, Southern Nazerene, Oklahoma Christian, OKC Community College, Rose State, etc., etc.

You are right. I forgot about OCU, which definitely qualifies as an urban university.

[Pete]

The Health Sciences Center has about 4,000 full-time students within a mile of downtown.

[Plutonic Panda]

We should really keep a tab on the people who are saying this project is dead, isn't going to happen, this thread is stupid and pointless, etc., so when the renderings and groundbreaking are announced, we can say "I told you sooooo"

[bchris02]

We should really keep a tab on the people who are saying this project is dead, isn't going to happen, this thread is stupid and pointless, etc., so when the renderings and groundbreaking are announced, we can say "I told you sooooo"

What will be great is if everybody is completely blown away by the project and it is something much better than people here are expecting. From what I've heard, the Stage Center Tower is supposed to be very wide, so even if its between 20 and 30 stories high it should make a good addition to the skyline.

[Plutonic Panda]

What will be great is if everybody is completely blown away by the project and it is something much better than people here are expecting. From what I've heard, the Stage Center Tower is supposed to be very wide, so even if its between 20 and 30 stories high it should make a good addition to the skyline.

I hope so, this will be cool. I will still be pretty disappointed if it under 35 stories, but you lose some and you win some I guess.

[metro]

I think you guys are loosing the point of the posters university comments. Most universities are filled with everyday students that enjoy urban life;living. OSU OKC, SNU, UCO, etc. don't count as urban universities from a walkability/placemaking standpoint which I believe is what he was referencing. I supposed Oklahoma City University could qualify, but so far, hasn't contributed much in the way of surrounding quality urban development/placemaking that you see in other cities. Nearly all, if not all our universities/colleges are more suburban in nature. Without a doubt, OUHSC and OCU Law aren't exactly street kids/trend setters/hipsters that are contributing to walkability/hipster vibe. Sure they'll help diversify things and put feet on the streets which we still need, but not exactly creating a more urban "vibe" from OCU/OUHSC.

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm just ready for any news on this site that isn't speculation. I hope the building has a wide footprint, yet still tall enough to please everyone who is sad to see the SC go.

[G.Walker]

I'm just ready for any news on this site that isn't speculation. I hope the building has a wide footprint, yet still tall enough to please everyone who is sad to see the SC go.

I just want to know the architect...

[bchris02]

I think you guys are loosing the point of the posters university comments. Most universities are filled with everyday students that enjoy urban life;living. OSU OKC, SNU, UCO, etc. don't count as urban universities from a walkability/placemaking standpoint which I believe is what he was referencing. I supposed Oklahoma City University could qualify, but so far, hasn't contributed much in the way of surrounding quality urban development/placemaking that you see in other cities. Nearly all, if not all our universities/colleges are more suburban in nature. Without a doubt, OUHSC and OCU Law aren't exactly street kids/trend setters/hipsters that are contributing to walkability/hipster vibe. Sure they'll help diversify things and put feet on the streets which we still need, but not exactly creating a more urban "vibe" from OCU/OUHSC.

I agree with this. Cities that are seemingly ahead of OKC from a placemaking standpoint i.e. Louisville, Omaha, Columbus, Austin, etc got to where they are at at least partly because of their university presence. The case could even be made for Tulsa in that the University of Tulsa contributes to the vibrancy of their urban districts, which are arguably ahead of OKCs depending on who you ask. The OKC metro's only other bar district that has reached critical mass outside of Bricktown is Campus Corner in Norman. Now imagine if the OU main campus was where the Health and Science Center is. Downtown's nightlife and residential market would enjoy the combination of college students and young professionals and would likely be much farther along in the gentrification and placemaking process than it currently is.

Other cities like Charlotte, like OKC, do not have a strong university presence in the core. However, they have made up for it by developing a huge white collar base that lives and works downtown. That is the direction OKC is headed but it will take some time to get there.

[Praedura]

Steve is promising an exciting and momentous December!

OKC Central Chat transcript, Nov. 29, 2013 | News OK


So hopefully we finally get some goodies on this topic, as well as many others.

Fasten your seat belt!

[Pete]

Probable December announcements (guesses on my part):

• Stage Center Tower
• GE Global Research Center
• Drugstore in CBD
• More urban housing

[Jake]

Probable December announcements (guesses on my part):

• Stage Center Tower
• GE Global Research Center
• Drugstore in CBD
• More urban housing

Christmas coming early!

[Praedura]

I'm going to be listening very attentively the next few weeks.... and believe me -- I'm ALL EARS!

[Rover]

I agree with this. Cities that are seemingly ahead of OKC from a placemaking standpoint i.e. Louisville, Omaha, Columbus, Austin, etc got to where they are at at least partly because of their university presence. The case could even be made for Tulsa in that the University of Tulsa contributes to the vibrancy of their urban districts, which are arguably ahead of OKCs depending on who you ask. The OKC metro's only other bar district that has reached critical mass outside of Bricktown is Campus Corner in Norman. Now imagine if the OU main campus was where the Health and Science Center is. Downtown's nightlife and residential market would enjoy the combination of college students and young professionals and would likely be much farther along in the gentrification and placemaking process than it currently is.

Other cities like Charlotte, like OKC, do not have a strong university presence in the core. However, they have made up for it by developing a huge white collar base that lives and works downtown. That is the direction OKC is headed but it will take some time to get there.

I am not so sure about your comparisons. U of Louisville isn't in the city center and other than an area around the stadium isn't particularly urban or mixed use. Same for Creighton and Omaha...not exactly in downtown. U of Tulsa isn't really nearer downtown than OCU. tOSU in Columbus is a HUGE school and I love the area around it.. and the street running to downtown from it (can't remember the name), but it isn't in downtown either. tOSU and Uof T are each one larger than OU and OSU put together. They generate huge amounts of high paying jobs for the metros they are in.

Of those you mention, Columbus could be the best comparison to OKC. And really, from the OU HSC. tOSU has Battelle Institute adjacent, and this would be an equivalent to GE Research. Academic Center along with a private research center with tons of high paying jobs for highly educated individuals. Then connecting them with downtown and feed the districts in between with the benefits of both to create a very urban and prosperous center. Midtown and Saint Anthony's on one corner over to the OUHSC, down to (hopefully) the GE center, on over to downtown and back to Midtown forms a potentially GREAT urban center which is starting to develop in front of our eyes now. We may be late to the game, but we have HUGE potential to be a really great city center.

[soonerguru]

I am not so sure about your comparisons. U of Louisville isn't in the city center and other than an area around the stadium isn't particularly urban or mixed use. Same for Creighton and Omaha...not exactly in downtown. U of Tulsa isn't really nearer downtown than OCU. tOSU in Columbus is a HUGE school and I love the area around it.. and the street running to downtown from it (can't remember the name), but it isn't in downtown either. tOSU and Uof T are each one larger than OU and OSU put together. They generate huge amounts of high paying jobs for the metros they are in.

Of those you mention, Columbus could be the best comparison to OKC. And really, from the OU HSC. tOSU has Battelle Institute adjacent, and this would be an equivalent to GE Research. Academic Center along with a private research center with tons of high paying jobs for highly educated individuals. Then connecting them with downtown and feed the districts in between with the benefits of both to create a very urban and prosperous center. Midtown and Saint Anthony's on one corner over to the OUHSC, down to (hopefully) the GE center, on over to downtown and back to Midtown forms a potentially GREAT urban center which is starting to develop in front of our eyes now. We may be late to the game, but we have HUGE potential to be a really great city center.

Yeah, the comment about Tulsa U had me scratching my head. It's probably further from Downtown Tulsa than OCU is to Downtown OKC and in a sketchier area overall.

[BG918]

Yeah, the comment about Tulsa U had me scratching my head. It's probably further from Downtown Tulsa than OCU is to Downtown OKC and in a sketchier area overall.

They are about the same distance, and both lack a Campus Corner/Strip adjacent to campus like you see in Norman/Stillwater. I would say both have more of an impact on surrounding neighborhood districts than downtown, and their small size (OCU has around 3700 students and TU has around 4400) is limiting. If either were more like an SMU or Vanderbilt it would be a different story, and completely different if they were a major state university.

[Spartan]

What does the U of Tulsa have to do with the Stage Center site?

[G.Walker]

What does the U of Tulsa have to do with the Stage Center site?

+1 Fact is this is the BS before the real announcement, we have talked about everything, now we are just waiting, just a couple more weeks, I guess?