OG&E Energy Center

[Chitty]

Can we assume that Clayco/Williams made off with loads of cash in this situation?

[Pete]

Can we assume that Clayco/Williams made off with loads of cash in this situation?

Doubt Clayco did but we'll likely never know about Williams.

Remember, I reported just before that property closed that OG&E was the buyer and I got that from two different sources who absolutely knew what was going in. They were surprised as anyone when Williams was put fort as the buyer and both said he was still just a front for OG&E.

What a strange coincidence all that has come to pass now.

[bchris02]

The one silver lining in this is maybe the land can be developed into mixed-use residential that actually interacts with and complements MBG. I never liked the idea of fronting the park with sterile corporate complexes. OKC has one of the best urban parks in the country yet severely underutilizes it.

Question is, how many years will OKC have to wait for something like that to be proposed?

[dankrutka]

OKC has one of the best urban parks in the country yet severely underutilizes it.

How does OKC "severely underutilize" the Myriad Gardens? Seems a dramatic overstatement.

[Pete]

^

MGB is still completely undeveloped on 2.5 sides even if this project would have gone forward and it was to include a large amount of residential and some other services.

We are likely not to see anything that ambitious and of that quality for quite some time.


No way is this a good thing, it's just complete spin by people who made a ton of big promises and now are trying to save face.

[Canoe]

Who is to blame here? Who let Oklahoma City down?

[Chitty]

Doubt Clayco did but we'll likely never know about Williams.

Remember, I reported just before that property closed that OG&E was the buyer and I got that from two different sources who absolutely knew what was going in. They were surprised as anyone when Williams was put fort as the buyer and both said he was still just a front for OG&E.

What a strange coincidence all that has come to pass now.

Thanks Pete. This is all very strange.

I wonder if OGE would entertain ideas from the community about temporary use? I'd like to see more than a well manicured lawn there.

[bchris02]

How does OKC "severely underutilize" the Myriad Gardens? Seems a dramatic overstatement.

The park depends on events and programming to get utilization. If people lived near it, it would get used all the time because it would be in people's front yards.

[Pete]

Let's not go off in the weeds.... The MBG is heavily used all year round.

With the MAPS 3 park just starting up and Kerr/Couch parks set to reopen, the last thing we need is another big grassy open space.

[Anonymous.]

OGE holding out hope for oil prices to recover is my guess. But I bet we see it for sale within 2 years if prices don't go back up.

I wish they would list it right now. Maybe the powerball winner will be in OK and someone can afford it.

[Pete]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

[jccouger]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

We didn't need to know this....

This can not be unseen.

[bchris02]

With the MAPS 3 park just starting up and Kerr/Couch parks set to reopen, the last thing we need is another big grassy open space.

Downtown has far too many open grassy spaces as it is...for reasons exactly like what happened with Stage Center and Clayco. Developers come in with big promises, proceed with demolition, and then something always happens that causes them to not deliver so the lot stays empty for years if not decades, or becomes surface parking.

[dankrutka]

The park depends on events and programming to get utilization. If people lived near it, it would get used all the time because it would be in people's front yards.

I understand that, but to call it "severely underutilized" is absurd. Instead, just say something more accurate and reasonable like, "quality residential development around the park could improve its 24/7 use..." Anyway, back to topic.

[HangryHippo]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

This was my exact thought and it's such total bull**** we lost that block when it easily could have gone here. What a colossal f*ck up.

[bchris02]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

This is basically Pei Plan 2.0.

[TU 'cane]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

We didn't need to know this....

This can not be unseen.

This was my exact thought and it's such total bull**** we lost that block when it easily could have gone here. What a colossal f*ck up.

Did not need that to come to realization. OUCH.

[BDP]

Here is another cruel twist...

If this had come out a few months before, Devon/Hines could have developed this property and not torn down all the buildings on the block directly north.

Ouch.

[Canoe]

This site needs to be a part of the new John Rex Middle/High School.

[Patrick]

This site needs to be a part of the new John Rex Middle/High School.

Turn it into a big fun park for the kids. Bumper boats, mini golf, go carts. I can see it now. The lake is already there for the bumper boats.

Sad that we tore down Stage Center, which could've been renovated into a very unique children's museum. In Oklahoma, why do we always tear down historic structures when instead we could renovate them and reuse them into something unique? Belle Isle Power plant comes to mind. Could've become a very unique space which could've complimented an upscale retail area. Instead we're left with a Super Wal-Mart and seas of surface parking.

[jccouger]

Can we close this thread and reopen the Stage Center thread? Something we had is way more relevant to discussion than something that never was.

[PhiAlpha]

This is basically Pei Plan 2.0.

Dude, seriously...just stop while you're ahead.

[HangryHippo]

Dude, seriously...just stop while you're ahead.

In a weird way, he's not entirely off base. We lost nearly an entire city block of some of our oldest buildings for a building that could have gone on an empty lot that's going to sit empty for years.

[Tundra]

Steve looks pretty happy in his interview......

[bchris02]

Oil prices are a scapegoat. Clayco demanded the ridiculous subsidy when oil was still at $100/bbl so obviously they didn't think the market could support the project then, let alone now.