Century Center

**Urbanized** · 12-30-2014, 05:13 AM

The exterior metal mesh started going up Monday. It was more sheer than I expected.

**warreng88** · 12-30-2014, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda

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

Bright lights, big city: Operators look for advertising balance on downtown OKC sign

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record December 29, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Publishing Co. is seeking balance for the luminosity as well as advertising content for its massive digital billboard in the downtown business district, CEO Gary Pierson said.

Although David Morris, director of video at The Oklahoman, has been reported as saying the board at Robinson and Sheridan avenues will create a Times Square experience, Pierson said determining the extent to which that atmosphere is appropriate for the district will be an ongoing experiment.

“It’s all about balance,” Pierson said. “The sign is actually small in proportion to the size of the building. It depends what size board, where, what they’re going to put on it. So I think a hard-and-fast rule for or against (advertising) would be inappropriate. You have to take it on a case-by-case basis.”

That was the case when the sign was approved by the Downtown Design Review Committee, said Lisa Chronister, City Hall’s manager for the urban design division. While the Century Center was still under renovation, the company applied for a special exception because the normal maximum surface area for a downtown sign is only about 300 square feet, she said. When that variance was approved by the DDRC, the company had to clarify why it wanted more space, and Chronister said she wasn’t sure to what degree advertising was discussed.

When Pierson was asked about the mix of ads with NewsOK’s news and entertainment content, he said: “It’s going to be roughly 50-50; we’re going to have to live and learn as we go along.”

The sign is positioned to attract the eyes of street traffic and people leaving the Cox Convention Center across the street. The Colcord Hotel is the next closest tenant within line of sight. General Manager Blaine Thompson said he is pleased that the Century Center, which sat vacant for 20 years, will finally have a new tenant when OPUBCO moves in next year, and he appreciates the energy that a new digital billboard brings to downtown.

“The screen itself, while we were a little concerned, it is absolutely wonderful,” he said. “I find myself turning around to look at it. You find people all around town talking about it.”

Thompson said he hasn’t heard any complaints from guests about the lights at night.

Pierson said his company stayed in close contact with officials at the Colcord as well as Devon Energy Corp. headquarters down the street during Century Center development. Thompson confirmed the company installed window-darkening material referred to as blackouts.

“We knew it was coming and were already in the works in making sure we had blackouts in place on that side of the building,” Thompson said. “Soon we will have a nice blackout that covers it completely, and is what we would consider 100-percent blackout. It’s really a minor issue compared with something that brings vibrancy to the area.”

Pierson said the sign’s controls allow for luminosity to be set by degrees ranging from 10 percent to 100 percent, which no one has seen yet.

“It’s a live-and-learn situation,” he said. “After certain hours, we will bring the luminosity of it down. We’re trying to be a good neighbor.”

Chronister said few companies ask for exceptions to the 300-feet standard. The signage rules are complicated, she said, and require the committee’s input to ensure consistency for districts and corridors. As OPUBCO pushes the limits of downtown signage, more companies could ask to do the same.

“It just doesn’t make sense for them to invest in a big, electronic board if it’s not really integral to their business,” Chronister said. “But could they? Possibly.”

She said that if a company started selling ad space on its own building signage, investing in a larger size would make sense.

**Pete** · 01-15-2015, 04:21 PM

The mesh is up on the south side of the building but it's barely noticeable:

**Pete** · 01-15-2015, 04:24 PM

The mesh screen is so hard to see that I didn't even realize it's on the west side too.

**sooner88** · 01-15-2015, 04:27 PM

I'm getting a tour next week, I will try and take pictures.

**jccouger** · 01-15-2015, 04:27 PM

What is even the point of the mesh? To protect the parking garage from weather?

**Motley** · 01-15-2015, 04:36 PM

Isn't it to cut some of the direct sunlight off the windows?

**CuatrodeMayo** · 01-15-2015, 05:10 PM

The designer apparently didn't vet that item very well...

**Motley** · 01-15-2015, 05:26 PM

CuatrodeMayo, does it have a functional purpose?

**CuatrodeMayo** · 01-15-2015, 05:36 PM

I think it's mostly architectural, but it does serve to screen the parking garage and reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the glazing...or at least it was supposed to...

**CaptDave** · 01-15-2015, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by jccouger

What is even the point of the mesh? To protect the parking garage from weather?

Must be worried about RPG's...... I kid, I kid.

**kevin lee** · 01-15-2015, 07:59 PM

Mesh is applied to parking structures mainly to hide the concrete structure itself. It may not seem like much but it does take the eyes off the concrete in the back. It also adds as a weather barrier to keep the exposed concrete and metal from weathering. Some developers will also put up mesh if there are housing developments close to break up the light. This is a lower grade mesh, look up San Jose airport and you'll see some of the better applications of this stuff.

**soonerguru** · 01-15-2015, 08:08 PM

Looks like a backstop. Another project done on the cheap.

**UnFrSaKn** · 01-15-2015, 09:59 PM

January 15 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/willia...7649906451228/

**UnFrSaKn** · 01-15-2015, 10:10 PM

**Village** · 01-18-2015, 10:05 PM

Walking by it at night, it very obviously blasts the side of the colcord.

Click image for larger version.

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**Anonymous.** · 01-19-2015, 08:45 AM

This is starting to look really good.

**5alive** · 01-20-2015, 02:34 PM

Among the pictures at the top of the page, there is a photo of three sculptures to be relocated. Anyone know where they will be placed? I think they will look great downtown.

**Pete** · 01-20-2015, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by 5alive

Among the pictures at the top of the page, there is a photo of three sculptures to be relocated. Anyone know where they will be placed? I think they will look great downtown.

The will go on the corner of Main & Robinson.

**architect5311** · 01-20-2015, 04:06 PM

I have one question...how many birds is that net going to catch?

**Anonymous.** · 01-20-2015, 04:26 PM

Wow really another double curb cut for Mahogany Valet?! Not to mention the pointless one on Robinson for "temporary parking"? WHY?

Seriously why do we need these little private valet half circles in front of places? This also means Sheridan will be losing about 7 on-street parking spots that are across from the gardens. Robinson will be losing about the same amount of spots.

AP · 01-20-2015, 04:46 PM

It looks like they aren't actually curb cuts, but cutouts instead. Is that right?

**Just the facts** · 01-21-2015, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by andrewmperry

It looks like they aren't actually curb cuts, but cutouts instead. Is that right?

It looks like pedestrian will walk around them - not thru them, so yes, not a curb cut in the sense that it breaks up the sidewalk and causes a pedestrian/car point of conflict.