Century Center

[catch22]

I thought they owned the building?

They own the building just as much as YMCA, Revolve Pizza, and Mahogany own it.

It's owned by 100 Main LLC, which is ran by Andy Burnett and others.

[Plutonic Panda]

They own the building just as much as YMCA, Revolve Pizza, and Mahogany own it.

It's owned by 100 Main LLC, which is ran by Andy Burnett and others.

Didn't realize that. For some reason I thought the NewsOk actually bought the building and then leased a couple spaces out.

[HOT ROD]

The Oklahoman is the anchor tenant, and we have numerous buildings downtown named for the anchor. I don't think it is inappropriate at all for century center to also be called the D'Oh-k building. (had to get that in there)

[ljbab728]

An interesting article about the plans for the video board. Please note that in the article the Oklahoman is still calling the building the Century Center.

Sign of the times: The Oklahoman's Big Screen | NewsOK.com

[ljbab728]

As per Steve, Revolve Pizza Kitchen is also coming to the Century Center.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5378055?embargo=1

The newest tenant to sign a lease, Revolve Pizza Kitchen, is set to provide yet more morning-through-evening activity at the corner of Robinson Avenue and Main Street. The deal was brokered by Danny Ojeda with Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort.
The downtown location will open for breakfast and will feature items not available on Memorial Road, Renegar said. He also plans to operate in the evening and on weekends.

[Pete]

As per Steve, Revolve Pizza Kitchen is also coming to the Century Center.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5378055?embargo=1

We reported that more than five weeks ago:

OKCTalk - Revolve Pizza Kitchen coming to downtown's Century Center


Also, this is ridiculous. A reminder that TIF dollars (tax money) helped pay for that video screen and at the time it was announced, very little was said about advertising. Now it will be fully half of their programming??

Wayne Snow, director of advertising at The Oklahoman, said programming for the Big Screen will allow for rotation of advertisers in a mix that will be 50 percent advertising and 50 percent news, sports, weather, public announcements and interactive content.

[Urbanized]

Not to quarrel, but are we certain that the video screen was paid for with public dollars, or are we just assuming this by lumping it into the construction cost of an incentivized project? If it had been installed two years from now on long-completed building instead, would you still take issue with advertising on the basis that taxpayers still had some sort of interest? And even if it was paid for with incentive dollars, how is it different from the Chesapeake Arena board that is heavily populated with Thunder sponsor advertisements?

[Pete]

The video screen was specifically listed as one of the improvements for which the $1.5 million grant to OPUBCO was to help fund.

Also, when this whole idea was pitched, advertising was only mentioned at the bottom of a long list of public benefits. Now it's fully 50% of what they plan to run? Funny how that's only reported now that the board is up and the advertising is obvious.

No comparison to Chesapeake Arena which is owned and managed by the City.


You can't possibly be arguing that OG&E (or Devon or another private corporation) should be allowed to build a huge video screen with at least some tax payer money and blast advertising into the Myriad Gardens, then pocket the proceeds.

[Urbanized]

I'm not arguing one point or another. I'm asking questions and seeking clarification. In fact, every sentence in my post ended with a question mark.

That said, I WILL argue that the Chesapeake board is similar, in that I can pretty much guarantee you that advertising/sponsor revenues tied to it go to the Thunder, NOT to the City. Saying there is "no comparison" is inaccurate.

[Pete]

Sorry, should have said "bad comparison" rather than "no comparison".

[Pete]

Yeah, I honestly don't know what I was thinking when they announced these plans because I really didn't think about it very fully.

But to be fair, this was not reported very honestly. This was how it was characterized:

Digital signage outside the building will serve as a “town crier” for the community featuring live video, breaking news, public announcements, activities, advertising and promotions of civic and charitable groups.

OPUBCO eyes downtown move | News OK

The phrasing makes it sound like it was to be advertising was for civic and charitable groups, not for sale by OPUBCO to anyone who wanted to blast our beautiful park with their commercials.

[Pete]

Considering this was the Oklahoman's project, they are professional journalists and they are reporting on their own story, this phrasing seems to be intentionally misleading:

Digital signage outside the building will serve as a “town crier” for the community featuring live video, breaking news, public announcements, activities, advertising and promotions of civic and charitable groups.

OPUBCO eyes downtown move | News OK

I don't know how you read that and not come away with the conclusion 1) the video screen was to be FOR THE COMMUNITY and 2) the ADVERTISING would be for the civic and charitable groups.

The word 'advertising' is used in a sentence that first declares the screen is for public use, then issues a long list of uses all of which are in that vein. And, it's not at the end or the beginning but surrounded by public service uses.

Now, we hear it's going to be fully HALF straight advertising for OPUBCO to sell?

Why does that little nugget only come out after the screen is installed and operational?

[bchris02]

I was at the MBG tonight and saw this for myself. I really like the big screen. It's big enough that it definitely adds to the vibrant feel of the area but its not so large as to be distracting if you are in MBG. I would say its something you really need to see for yourself before forming an opinion on it.

[Urbanized]

That's an expensive comma for the taxpayers.

Probably left out because they teach you to leave out the Oxford comma in J-school...

[ljbab728]

I was at the MBG tonight and saw this for myself. I really like the big screen. It's big enough that it definitely adds to the vibrant feel of the area but its not so large as to be distracting if you are in MBG. I would say its something you really need to see for yourself before forming an opinion on it.

I totally agree and I doubt that you can even see it from most of the MBG. That part is just not an issue for me.

Please note that they are asking for suggestions about what should be on the screen.

http://m.newsok.com/downtown-big-scr...rticle/5377534

Tell us what you think should be on the screen — #BigScreenOK.

http://bcove.me/rwq9mr2b

[David]

Probably left out because they teach you to leave out the Oxford comma in J-school...

Well that's just terrible. No wonder journalism is dying out if they refuse to use the Oxford comma.

[Urbanized]

I'd be a fan of what they said they were going to put on the screen and not fan of advertising, which they didn't say they were going to put on the screen. Can we just go with what was in writing?

But they DID say they were going to put advertising on the screen. In writing. The only thing to legitimately get in a twist about is its prominence in the mix.

[Jim Kyle]

Well that's just terrible. No wonder journalism is dying out if they refuse to use the Oxford comma.

That's not the only thing the AP Style Book has wrong. Look closely at any story in the paper that refers to Oklahoma County and notice that County is not capitalized, in accordance with yet another silly rule. I'm amazed at their inconsistency when they do capitalize City in referring to their home town!

[Mike_M]

Drove by the Century Center last night, the screen really makes a huge difference for the entire block. It gives that corridor some landmarks.

I agree that I would rather they reserve it for news and important information, but unfortunately it is what it is. I haven't really watched it for a long period of time, but is it just going to be NewsOK stories, or is there a plan to cover world news as well? I think it would be a nice touch. Either way, I think the screen is a cool addition to the CBD Mix.

[SoonerFP]

That's not the only thing the AP Style Book has wrong. Look closely at any story in the paper that refers to Oklahoma County and notice that County is not capitalized, in accordance with yet another silly rule. I'm amazed at their inconsistency when they do capitalize City in referring to their home town!

I'm certainly no expert in style, but perhaps they get the City right because the actual city name is "Oklahoma City," as in the City of Oklahoma City? Now commas inside or outside quotation marks (like what I just did) is a whole other issue...

[traxx]

It gives that corridor some landmarks.

That's good. Because before this building was redone, it was anything but a landmark. It was the type of building you could drive past every day and not realize it was there.

[CaptDave]

I'd be a fan of what they said they were going to put on the screen and not fan of advertising, which they didn't say they were going to put on the screen. Can we just go with what was in writing?

I think I prefer advertising to the disembodied head of a member of the esteemed Oklahoman Editorial Board regaling park goers with their latest nugget of wisdom.

[metro]

Agree, I'd rather see news headlines in the ticker scroller, with ads. The Oklahoman rarely has much of value to say anymore. If they were creative at all, they would be interviewing random downtown business owners every day and posting those videos on there.

[Jim Kyle]

I'm certainly no expert in style, but perhaps they get the City right because the actual city name is "Oklahoma City," as in the City of Oklahoma City? Now commas inside or outside quotation marks (like what I just did) is a whole other issue...

I'm sure that you're correct; I was simply overstating for emphasis -- although the first "City" in your example would be lower-cased in following AP style.

As for comma inside the quotes, I'm not sure what the AP says about that. The NCL Stylebook that I follow (of which I'm co-author and final arbiter) calls for that usage, as well as the serial comma. However I punctuate my writings much as a musician phrases a melody: full stop, partial stop, pause. Grammarians' rules go out the window at times.

[Plutonic Panda]

Bright lights, big city: Operators look for advertising balance on downtown OKC sign | The Journal Record