OG&E Energy Center

[traxx]

Well if this project isn't a bait and switch.

Draw some pretty pictures of three towers, get everyone's hopes up. Now we'll be lucky to see one of those towers.

[Pete]

All that was ever relatively certain was the OG&E tower. The apartment building on the north parcel was always very iffy and the south parcel was always pie in the sky.

[hoya]

I'd like to see the city use the south parcel for the convention center, and then work a deal with ClayCo/OG&E to put a parking garage and 3 towers on the north parcel. We could have OG&E HQ, a residential tower, and a convention hotel. Have the 3 towers and the convention center use similar architectural elements and it would all look great.

[HOT ROD]

A sort of a convention district. I like it if this location must be, but still prefer the E Central Park sites.

[adaniel]

With the convention center site now wrapped up, do you see this start to progress, especially since OGE is now the one doing the negotiation?

[Pete]

I think everything else can now start to move forward again.

There was a lot in limbo until this decision was made.

[Spartan]

Is nobody else disappointed that the CC project can hold up so much development in downtown?

[Rover]

We could have just picked this site at the very first since it was the one suggested by the mayor at the outset.

It seems like everyone on here wanted the cc delayed to be the last thing Maps addressed...well, we got the wish.

[Stickman]

They did take their time, but I believe they gave it due diligence. It did hold up any possible land transactions for a short time in the four areas, but I don't think it hurt any development in the long run IMO. There is good and bad in each of the choices, time will tell. It will clean up the blighted area By Shields.

[SouthsideSooner]

The oddest thing to me about the whole site selection process is how wrong the city was in thinking that Rehco would sale them their property at a price the city could afford.
You would certainly think that Nichols, Howard and others involved would have had discussions about it prior to that site being selected. A lot of time and money was wasted because of the apparent misunderstanding and miscommunication between the parties involved.

it's going to be very interesting to see what Rehco does with their "100 million dollar" piece of property now and how long it sets empty...

[HOT ROD]

it also wasted a lot of money because the city paid for 'studies' from consultants and also the lost time and marginal revenue from proposed towers and future proposals.

Sure many of us wanted the cc to be last, but that was mainly because in the original MAPS 3 docket the cc was pitched as opening last, after all the other projects. Some certain somebody with a name beginning with N like a certain inner suburb's name, got behind the cc committee and wanted it first, and he wanted it in the REHCO lands, and he wanted other projects to defer. Well, luckily the civic process proves larger than one person with a big building and the original location pitched in MAPS 3 (also the mayor's preferred site under the C2S master plan) has been approved by the civic voted city council - but we surely paid the price on all ends.

Hopefully we learn from those lessons and don't allow one person or a system of closed door people to dictate civic process in future projects. To me, the only saving grace is that hopefully with the due process the city has a better design for the cc and its environs.

Also, as was said - the streetcar committee has already provided a route, if there are changes to have it abut the cc then those dollars for the rail extension or movement should come from the CC budget or a funding source (such as bonds) other than the MAPS 3 streetcar budget.

[Pete]

Just learned some new, pretty solid info on this project...

1. Clayco is completely out on the south parcel. Will probably be put back out to RFP in the near future.
2. A new proposal will soon be submitted to the various bodies and then ultimately for approval by City Council. Should be coming in the next 2-3 weeks.
3. The proposal will be for two new towers and a parking structure -- pretty much the plans we've seen.
4. The office building for OG&E will be built first but the status of the apartment tower is less firm. I suspect they will ask for TIF for those projects separately and (hopefully) build the apartments at a later date.

[bchris02]

Just learned some new, pretty solid info on this project...

1. Clayco is completely out on the south parcel. Will probably be put back out to RFP in the near future.
2. A new proposal will soon be submitted to the various bodies and then ultimately for approval by City Council. Should be coming in the next 2-3 weeks.
3. The proposal will be for two new towers and a parking structure -- pretty much the plans we've seen.
4. The office building for OG&E will be built first but the status of the apartment tower is less firm. I suspect they will ask for TIF for those projects separately and (hopefully) build the apartments at a later date.

Good to hear. I am excited to see this finally starting to move forward again.

I am really hoping the south parcel ends up being developed into housing, similar to what Milhaus proposed. Like many of us here, I was wooed by the pretty renderings Clayco put out but when it comes to urban design and complementing the park, the Milhaus proposal would have been a slam dunk.

[Pete]

If given enough time, I think you'd see lots of great proposals for that south parcel.

Milhaus could easily partner with others to do a mixed use project and there were lots of others interested that just didn't have time to put together a meaningful proposal.

[HangryHippo]

If given enough time, I think you'd see lots of great proposals for that south parcel.

Milhaus could easily partner with others to do a mixed use project and there were lots of others interested that just didn't have time to put together a meaningful proposal.

The second statement is what really excites me. The last RFP was so hurried - this time when it's not as hurried we'll get to really see who's interested and what they propose.

[ChrisHayes]

Any idea how big of towers we're looking at for OG&E and the apartment building?

[catch22]

Any idea how big of towers we're looking at for OG&E and the apartment building?

Let's not start this again

[ChrisHayes]

LOL, I'm just curious and anxious

[OKCRT]

Just hope and pray they are not less than 25 stories. They are going for the pyramid effect off the Devon tower from what I have heard but anything less than 25 stories just will not give that. In fact, they really should go for 30-35 stories but we all know that isn't gonna happen. 3-4 towers between 25-30 stories would be just fine IMO.

Then if we could get a few more (25-35) towers on the RHECO site the skyline might start looking like a real mid sized city should. Then go for the gold with a SuperTall and a 40 story at the Cox site and throw in several mid-tall towers at the cotton seed site and we enter the big leagues of skylines.

I would say this is not so far fetched within 20 years.

[Pete]

I assume the design will be as previously shown.

[UnFrSaKn]

Just learned some new, pretty solid info on this project...

1. Clayco is completely out on the south parcel. Will probably be put back out to RFP in the near future.
2. A new proposal will soon be submitted to the various bodies and then ultimately for approval by City Council. Should be coming in the next 2-3 weeks.
3. The proposal will be for two new towers and a parking structure -- pretty much the plans we've seen.
4. The office building for OG&E will be built first but the status of the apartment tower is less firm. I suspect they will ask for TIF for those projects separately and (hopefully) build the apartments at a later date.

Is the apartment tower separate from the two towers mentioned in #3?

[Pete]

Is the apartment tower separate from the two towers mentioned in #3?

No.

[TU 'cane]

Just learned some new, pretty solid info on this project...

1. Clayco is completely out on the south parcel. Will probably be put back out to RFP in the near future.
2. A new proposal will soon be submitted to the various bodies and then ultimately for approval by City Council. Should be coming in the next 2-3 weeks.
3. The proposal will be for two new towers and a parking structure -- pretty much the plans we've seen.
4. The office building for OG&E will be built first but the status of the apartment tower is less firm. I suspect they will ask for TIF for those projects separately and (hopefully) build the apartments at a later date.

Thank you very much for the update Pete.

So a new proposal could be a formality to simply re-introduce the project, or it could contain revisions, small or large.
I wonder how this will impact the first tower? I assume if they are confident the market will turn around and they can make money by the time the second tower is completed, otherwise, they may just go all in on the first.

I think most of us really only care about this single tower rising, if anything to at least feel something of value added where Stage Center was torn down.

[jccouger]

How long ago was Stage Center torn down? For some reason I feel like its been a full 2 years.

[gopokes88]

TIF for the apartment tower I think is more then fair as it is the first residential high rise and would provide comps for future towers. Helps break the ice