OG&E Energy Center

[Pete]

Looks like 16' floors for OG&E.

[NWOKCGuy]

nm

[Thundercitizen]

New towers are nice, and all, but has anyone asked KD if he approves and will re-sign with the Thunder in 2016?


Seriously, though, this represents another step in OKC becoming just a little bit more of a destination for free agents.

...and, here goes; "let's" combine south and north business towers into one 600-700' tower, so some employees can also enjoy "Central Park".

[David]

Here's a neat observation, via Short Order Poems on Twitter:

@stevelackmeyer I detect some design nods to the old Biltmore Hotel in Clayco's new renderings. Very cool.

It's not a perfect match, but I can definitely see some similarities in the step-backs at the top.

[ourulz2000]

Seriously, though, this represents another step in OKC becoming just a little bit more of a destination for free agents.

Nope.

[s00nr1]

I've already told my wife to prepare for a move downtown in 2016....seriously.

[UnFrSaKn]

Looking forward to the 3d rendering angles to give a real appreciation of the impact to the skyline.

[Urban Pioneer]

The renderings are really impressive. I agree with some of the earlier comments regarding out of state developers. It looks like we may have finally popped the bubble of amateur hour and "real" money in terms of developers and their capital.

Kinda thrilled that our streetcar route is on Hudson in that segment. It will help connect this urban massing to Auto Alley and broader Midtown in a very direct way. The system can also be later shifted to a two-line design if downtown reaches true critical mass. Hudson would obviously continue to be key in such a concept.

[MFracas84]

never mind. I was commenting on an earlier post before getting to the answer on a later post.

[modernism]

The designs are ok, was hoping on something little bit more modern, but its different. The residential towers can use a little bit more detail, and hopefully some nice crown lighting will accompany the office towers. But overall, good project, even if only the Stage Center site is developed, good deal.

[Pete]

Somewhat lost in all of this is the fact that Milhaus is looking to make another huge investment in OKC.

Perhaps they can move their proposal to Land Run's property at 4th & EKG or elsewhere.

Very good sign that they have just broken ground on LIFT and are already pitching a 20-story residential tower.

[Bellaboo]

Isn't the Sandridge 393 feet?

Post # 317 says it is.

[ljbab728]

Something like this will also likely give much more emphasis to national retailers like CVS to reconsider downtown in the next few years.

[catch22]

Isn't the Sandridge 393 feet?

yes, but one must really remember that Sandridge sits on a hill. And the Stage Center area is in one of the lowest parts of downtown. So, Sandridge will probably sit taller in the skyline, despite their physical dimensions being similar.

[Pete]

The renderings are really impressive. I agree with some of the earlier comments regarding out of state developers. It looks like we may have finally popped the bubble of amateur hour and "real" money in terms of developers and their capital.

No doubt we've seen a big corner turned in terms of out-of-state development and investment:

Metropolitan: Bomasada
LIFT: Milhaus
This proposal: Milhaus
OG&E Parcel: Clayco
South Parcel: Clayco
First National Center: Alterra and others


All of this just in the last year.

[bchris02]

Something like this will also likely give much more emphasis to national retailers like CVS to reconsider downtown in the next few years.

Agreed. CVS likely didn't even consider the already announced residential such as the Metropolitan and Edge when they killed the deal because it didn't pass the spreadsheet test. Maybe a CVS can go into the ground floor of one of these towers.

[Pete]

This should all be under construction in the very near future and all at the same time:

These four towers
Convention Center
Convention Hotel
Main & Hudson Tower
First National Center

And perhaps, something at 4th & EKG, too.

[hfry]

I was just thinking the same thing. Any sort of grocery or store of that kind would be perfect imo. And it will be a prime location for if and when housing goes up on the sides of the new city park. This whole project is a game changer for the west side of downtown and hopefully will only set the precedent new housing as it builds to the south.

[s00nr1]

An urban Target/similar in the ground level of this new development might not be out of the question.

[Pete]

I was just thinking the same thing. Any sort of grocery or store of that kind would be perfect imo. And it will be a prime location for if and when housing goes up on the sides of the new city park. This whole project is a game changer for the west side of downtown and hopefully will only set the precedent new housing as it builds to the south.

The density and number of workers and residents will really help fill in the gaps between this block and 21c and Film Row.

[Plutonic Panda]

Steve suggested an urban Hobby Lobby which I think would be interesting.

[catch22]

The density and number of workers and residents will really help fill in the gaps between this block and 21c and Film Row.

The population density on just these two blocks (assuming families, couples, and roommates bring the count close to 850) will be pretty close to the average density of a square mile of some of the outlying suburban area. Isn't our average density somewhere just above 1,000 per sq. mile?

[macfoucin]

Is any of this connected with the Populous plan? OG&E Tower - OKCTalk

[hfry]

I think the school being right there and it being brand new really helps with this residential growth as well. I have college friends in Denver who live in residential towers downtown and take the trains to school every day and i think that its a fantastic way to have housing in the core but allow students to travel any which direction for schools.I think this is something that could be in our future and it would help grow both the population downtown and the daily ridership of the mass transit with the streetcar and possible future I35 train coridor to go to OU or UCO, heck even Rose state along I40.

[UnFrSaKn]

If anyone wants to put the proposed towers, BOK tower or a 4th & E.K. Gaylord tower in this image, feel free.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ineaerial2.jpg