Project "X" - New highrise office tower for OKC?!

[Swake2]

Number of floors is not always a good indicator of height. In Tulsa The BOk Tower at 52 floors is taller than the 60 floor main Citiplex tower. Another example, The Midcon Tower at 36 floors is taller than the First Place Tower across the street with 41 floors.

Office buildings often have much more space between floors than hotels or residential buildings.

[BDP]

That's true, jbrown. If, in fact, it is 40 floors, it will most likely be taller than Chase, but that's not a gurantee.

[jbrown84]

Number of floors is not always a good indicator of height. In Tulsa The BOk Tower at 52 floors is taller than the 60 floor main Citiplex tower. Another example, The Midcon Tower at 36 floors is taller than the First Place Tower across the street with 41 floors.

Office buildings often have much more space between floors than hotels or residential buildings.

see one post above you

[CuatrodeMayo]

Modern office buildings and buildings in general are beginning to tend towards more distance between the floors. A good rule of thumb is about 15' floor to floor. 40 X 15 = 600 feet tall. That is assuming the building is the full 40 storeys. The final floor count is still being worked out according to FSB.

[jbrown84]

It seems that Decious' and CuatrodeMayo's seperate inside information are pretty consistent.

That's a good sign.

[brianinok]

Wow! I sure hope this project happens. Anybody know what hotel chains are doing multi-purpose towers in downtowns right now? Hyatt? Omni?

[JOHNINSOKC]

This all sounds too good to be true, but very exciting if it IS true!! I hope we hear something concrete in the near future. Of course, it would take a couple of years from the time construction started, in all likelihood, before it would be open. I'm VERY curious to know where the proposed hotel/condo tower would be located. I think the time has come for new Class A office space to be constructed. If the city can get a company to fill the KMG building and then the First National building gets overhauled and filled, then our downtown will really be booming with construction cranes. Who knows how many towers we would have downtown by now if the oil boom of the 80's hadn't gone bust. I hope the next few years bring multiple announcements of new office, condo and hotel towers. It's really starting to look like this city is going to take off to heights unseen in our history......VERY EXCITING!!!

[okcpulse]

I'll assume it's too good to be true until otherwise.

[John]

In one of the new plans, there was a 'proposed convention hotel' across the new boulevard from the Ford Center and on Robinson. I think in the lots where the on on ramp are and the gold building next door. (an at&t or OG+E building? i forget)

[Pete]

That same company has been hired to install the plumbing for a new 40 story hotel in downtown OKC. The building will be mixed-use, with condos on the uppermost floors.

Oh, PLEASE be true!

And actually, that's exactly the type of development that I've always thought would make the most sense if OKC was going to add to it's skyline. Perhaps it will be located on the southern half of the Galleria parking lot? It would be a perfect spot.

Also, here's some reasons why hotel/residential buildings usually have less height per floor as compared to office buildings:

1. Apart from the common and banquet floors, the space is much more chopped up and generally speaking, the smaller the space/rooms, the less ceiling height is needed.

2. Office buildings typically run all their HVAC through suspended ceilings so they can easily reconfigure space. It's rare to have suspended ceilings in hotels or condos.


If it does turn out to be a 40-story hotel and/or reidential tower, I bet Chase will still be taller. Still, I'll take it!!!!

[Doug Loudenback]

You guys are starting to make me feel optimistic about this project. That makes me worried because, as we all know, "There is a sucker born ...".

[JOHNINSOKC]

AMEN to that!!! I think 20+ years is long overdue for a new tower in this city.

[Decious]

The company that installed the plumbing for the new Super Target in Norman has landed a substantially bigger contract. That same company has been hired to install the plumbing for a new 40 story hotel in downtown OKC.

I hesitated to disclose the name of the contract company to discourage a bunch of "hey, I heard" calls. I figured that anyone who really wanted to know would just look it up. This plumbing and utility contractor is also doing the majority of UNP, including the JQH Norman Embassy Suites.

If anyone wants to know the name of the contractor just shoot me a PM.

[Oil Capital]

Number of floors is not always a good indicator of height. In Tulsa The BOk Tower at 52 floors is taller than the 60 floor main Citiplex tower. Another example, The Midcon Tower at 36 floors is taller than the First Place Tower across the street with 41 floors.

Office buildings often have much more space between floors than hotels or residential buildings.

Your point is correct, but I don't believe Midcon Tower is taller than First Place Tower. (And Emporis agrees. Emporis shows First Place at 157 Meters and Midcon at 156 meters.)

[floater]

I am not a Frankfurt Short Bruza fan myself, but I am glad they are doing the tower. Anthony McDermid or (especially) Rand would have come up with something too post modern.

I say go post modern. A new style for a new age. I think a McDermid or Elliot tower would both stretch the city's look and be reflective of its immediate surroundings.

Cuatro, do you know if that FSB drawing was the final rendering?

[CuatrodeMayo]

Watch out for terms. I think what you all are trying to say is that you want Modern, not Post-Modern. Postmodern architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I personnally think a Rand tower would we the landmark we have all been talking about. It would be definitely far better than anything FSB, Benham, or any other crapola A/E firm could produce. However what I saw was not that bad. It will look nice and will profoundly change the skyline, but it will be merely a shadow of what it could be in the hands of a great firm.

And no...the rendering was just a work in progress. It could change substantially.

[Kerry]

In regards to the KM tower - Devon said it would be much to small for them. Maybe a 40 story building would be just right.

[SpectralMourning]

Does anyone have any news on this development? I've been wondering about this for the past couple of days...

[metro]

Spectral Mourning, this is purely speculation, nothing confirmed..doesn't mean it won't happen, but it could be a dream as well...

[CuatrodeMayo]

From another thread:

Pete, FSB partnered with a national firm to design Kerr McGee Tower way back when. Don't be surprised if a similar arrangement is made for Devon Tower, where a local and a national are picked.

You heard it here first, folks.

[dalelakin]

Since you are one of the few to have seen a rendering care to describe it or possibly draw a rendering of the rendering?

[Steve]

Don't get too caught up on my FSB comment. I've got no special knowledge on that one, and wasn't meaning to imply FSB is going to get the job. As for the start of this thread by CuatrodeMayo... well, that's really interesting.
-STeve

[CuatrodeMayo]

On page 1:

From what I remember, it is an all-glass box with some more solid elements flanking it towards the bottom. It was situated diagonally on one corner of its lot. In front of it was a large public plaza with a pond-type feature. The designer did mention that incorporating public areas was a design goal. If there is parking, I couldn't tell where it was.

This was VERY early in the design phase for this project.

Nichols said Devon has yet to hire an architectural firm, though there have been "extensive conversations” with a potential candidate.

I think those "extensive conversations" are what I saw.

[Pete]

Also, their plans have likely changed since that first rendering was put together, specifically that they need more space now then they probably envisioned 1.5 years ago.

Also, Nichols said that he highly favors an atrium to a 'wind-swept plaza' so that would also represent a big change from the previous concept.


I think we all have to give it up to CuatrodeMayo, as he had the first solid information on something that has just now become somewhat official.

It's hard to get much by this group as a whole!

[jbrown84]

I went to FSB's website and I don't see anything remotely iconic (except the dome). Can they pull this off?