Fordson Hotel (formerly 21c Museum Hotel)

[UnFrSaKn]

Special OKC Central Live Chat 10 a.m. Today | News OK

[Pete]

Steve Lackmeyer: New 21c Museum Hotel will spur redevelopment of other OKC buildings | News OK

[Pete]

I just learned something very interesting...

Before settling on the old Fred Jones plant, 21c took a serious look at another downtown property. Even sent out preliminary construction bidding info.


Can anyone guess which one?

Hint: It is currently slated for renovation but not to a hotel.

[jccouger]

Rock island plow building

[Pete]

^

Good guess but incorrect.


I was actually surprised to learn this and the building makes sense, it's just not one that would leap to mind.

[GoThunder]

Stage Center

[David]

Mideke Building?

[Pete]

Nope and nope.


Keep guessing!

[DavidD_NorthOKC]

Marion?

[Pete]

No, not the Marion.


The building is more in the north center of the CBD.

[TechArch]

Journal Record?

[jccouger]

This game would be easier to play if there weren't so many buildings under renovation :P

[Chadanth]

The future OCU Law School?

[DammitDan]

Main St. Arcade Building?

[Pete]

Journal Record?

Winner, winner chicken dinner!


Yep, the Journal Record building was their first choice.

Not sure why they ended up at Fred Jones but I suspect the City helped put them together with the Hall family.


It's also interesting to note that they had designs on OKC independent of the building they ultimately chose.

That's a little different story than has been previously told.

[Plutonic Panda]

I was thinking the Marion as well

[Pete]

Some other interesting facts about the Journal Record project...

Was to be 135 rooms, $50 million.

Architect was Deborah Berke out of NYC, the same that has done all the 21c's to date. The local architect was Hornbeek Blatt.

I suspect this will be the same team for the Fred Jones site.

[BillyOcean]

Man that would have been cool. Still glad to see that the Hall Family and 21C have partnered up as that will no doubt expedite the development around the hotel.

[PhiAlpha]

I was thinking the Marion as well

I think the Marion would be wayyyy I small for that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[warreng88]

I was going to guess FNC.

[Pete]

Here is another very interesting thought about 21c and the Journal Record Building...

The preliminary plans said they were going to renovate all 168,000 square feet of the building which would include the western 1/3 owned and occupied by the OKC Memorial.

So, there were probably plans to integrate the museum into the hotel itself, lending a bit of a different angle on their "museum hotel" approach.

Would love to see the conceptual plans they had put together.

[HangryHippo]

I'm glad they ended up taking over the Fred Jones building. We're going to see a great renovation of the Journal Record building while also seeing additional activity brought to Film Row. Win win.

Would be cool to see what they had planned for the JR building though. I'm not sure I love the idea of a hotel near that space.

[bradh]

I wonder if the JR building and site wasn't chosen because having that much social activity next to a memorial like that was perhaps considered bad form in the end?

[Pete]

Remember the Hall family is a partner in the project at the Fred Jones Plant.

You can bet they made 21c a sweet deal.

[shawnw]

I asked about Rock Island and FNC in the Steve/21c chat so I knew it wasn't one of those. Journal Record would have definitely been interesting...