OG&E Tower

[jn1780]

I guess their putting up a big black privacy fence so noone can see them demolish it.

[zookeeper]

When that building comes down, Oklahoma City will have lost its one unique structure. Period. Love it or hate it. At this point, someone said in one of the articles, and I tend to agree, it is - in and of itself - a significant piece of public art not only in this city, but in this country.

[Bellaboo]

It's a shame they couldn't keep the small pieces on the left of the picture (just behind the pickup). Use it as an entrance or make some kind of coffee shop out of it.
Wouldn't be that difficult to build around it and pay a little homage.

[betts]

When that building comes down, Oklahoma City will have lost its one unique structure. Period. Love it or hate it. At this point, someone said in one of the articles, and I tend to agree, it is - in and of itself - a significant piece of public art not only in this city, but in this country.

We have a long history of being short-sighted.

[Pete]

It's a shame they couldn't keep the small pieces on the left of the picture (just behind the pickup). Use it as an entrance or make some kind of coffee shop out of it.
Wouldn't be that difficult to build around it and pay a little homage.

Or incorporated some of it in the Myriad Gardens; would be perfect for tree houses and slides and tube bridges.

Maybe this could be done at Central Park??

[jccouger]

Let's be honest. The pro & anti demo stage center crowds haven't been very open to the other sides opinions. Only the pro demo group has been wrong though, that is the difference.

[Urbanized]

It fools the eye. The few blue ramps and a few of the orange connecting tubes are really all that could be relocated. The building is 90%+ monolithic concrete. It will be a bear to demolish.

Fooling the eye is actually one of the things that makes the building remarkable. It is a huge gray concrete structure, yet it SEEMS airy and disconnected, and what people remember about it are the brightly-colored metal parts, which are actually a very small portion of the construction.

[Spartan]

I just wish we would reuse those few blue ramps, connecting tubes, and metal boxes. It could be a cool element somewhere without requiring the concrete structure.

[jccouger]

Eventually OKC is going to have the biggest "demolished historical buildings museum" in the world. That in itself is worth tearing down the stage center. What other buildings can we tear down so we can have pictures of them in this future tourist attraction museum? First National, the Oklahoma capitol, Devon perhaps? Heck, we can eventually even demo this future demo museum & really add some irony to it.

[HangryHippo]

Let's be honest. The pro & anti demo stage center crowds haven't been very open to the other sides opinions. Only the pro demo group has been wrong though, that is the difference.

There's that open-mindedness!

[GoThunder]

It still shocks me that there isn't a SINGLE shred of new information/renderings/design from the developers, yet the building is about to come down. This would sting a little less if we knew what was taking its place. I'm not even a fan of the Stage Center, but the way they have gone about this whole thing is offensive.

[Pete]

^

Don't be surprised if they announce some new news before the wrecking ball starts it's work.

Not saying they will for certain, but I think it's likely.

[catcherinthewry]

At this point, someone said in one of the articles, and I tend to agree, it is - in and of itself - a significant piece of public art not only in this city, but in this country.

Just because someone said something in an article doesn't make it true. Stage Center has always been a classical "emperor's new clothes" example. A few "experts" say it is a significant piece of architecture and lemmings agree. It's only significance is that it is one of the few examples of school of architecture that was a complete failure. It's one thing to preserve an Edsel, but it's another thing all together to preserve such a large, unusable structure when there is something ready to take its place that is better.

[zookeeper]

They could announce Oklahoma City's version of the new World Trade Center complex and most preservationists, and many interested in just this building, would not be appeased. It's not about what's going to replace it, at least for many of us, it's that it's being replaced at all. Build the new OG&E building anywhere. For me, what they announce in the way of details won't matter at all. Clearly, we're past the stage of arguing all of this all over again, but the outrage and, as betts said the short-sighted nature of all this will not change. Not now, not in 20 years. It's more than that.

[Dubya61]

I think you have it exactly backwards. The pro-demo group takes the approach that "I personally don't like this building, so it should cease to exist." THAT is the arrogant position, if you ask me.

This completely overlooks Stage Center's money pit status. The sad thing is that no one with a huge pocketbook liked this building.

[zookeeper]

Just because someone said something in an article doesn't make it true. Stage Center has always been a classical "emperor's new clothes" example. A few "experts" say it is a significant piece of architecture and lemmings agree. It's only significance is that it is one of the few examples of school of architecture that was a complete failure. It's one thing to preserve an Edsel, but it's another thing all together to preserve such a large, unusable structure when there is something ready to take its place that is better.

You know, that's really, really offensive. Lemmings?

[bchris02]

Well, OKC is replacing its one unique building with what will likely be a mid-rise not much different from the many that already line NW Expressway. I think people have the right to be upset about this.

Now the Main/Hudson development is a different story and I don't think preservationists have much of a case.

[catcherinthewry]

You know, that's really, really offensive. Lemmings?

I'm sorry. I apologize to any lemming that was offended by me comparing them to people who find the SC architecturally significant.

[jccouger]

Why is this a better use? Because it is moving OGE employees from one part of downtown too another?

[Of Sound Mind]

Why is this a better use? Because it is moving OGE employees from one part of downtown too another?

Because it's actually going to be used.

[Dubya61]

Why is this a better use? Because it is moving OGE employees from one part of downtown too another?

Because one will pay property tax and the other one won't.

[Pete]

Because one will pay property tax and the other one won't.

You know, I hadn't thought of this until now but because Rainey Williams will own this building and not OG&E, there will be property taxes assessed.

If OG&E owned it out-right -- like it does their current downtown HQ and several other properties -- there would be no property tax assessed.

And since property tax is based on total value, the annual taxes paid would be about a $.5 million per year, every year once the building is open for business.

[RickOKC]

I just heard someone say the demolition is set to begin TOMORROW. Not trying to start a rumor--more trying to get an answer to one. Is that true? Confirmed?

[Urbanized]

This completely overlooks Stage Center's money pit status. The sad thing is that no one with a huge pocketbook liked this building.

No, not overlooking it at all. I don't disagree that the money pit status hastened its demise. That doesn't conflict in any way with the statement of mine that you quote. There are many people who want it down simply because they personally don't like it, and they will freely tell you this. The second part of your post I COMPLETELY agree with. If a true champion with deep pockets had emerged for this building - not this year, or in the past two or three years, but A GENERATION AGO - we almost certainly wouldn't be having this conversation today.

[Dubya61]

The second part of your post I COMPLETELY agree with. If a true champion with deep pockets had emerged for this building - not this year, or in the past two or three years, but A GENERATION AGO - we almost certainly wouldn't be having this conversation today.

What a shame one didn't.