BOK Park Plaza

[Ross MacLochness]

Why do so many people obsess over height? What does a few more stories add to your city other than hubris?

[dankrutka]

Why do so many people obsess over height? What does a few more stories add to your city other than hubris?

I'll never understand it either. I'd far rather more 4-8 story infill than any tower. IMHO, cities are primarily defined by what it looks/feels like at the street level where people live and interact, not at a distant skyline view. Many of the best cities in the world have no skyscrapers to speak of.

And I'll really never understand complaining about a building's height as if the people or political leaders of OKC somehow determine the height with their low expectations, instead of a business deciding on a height that meets their needs. There are a lot of posters that seem to think of building height as if we live in SimCity.

[TU 'cane]

People think lots of tall buildings look cool and add to a cities profile (both of these are mostly true).

Add that with OKC and Tulsa not exactly being like a Chicago or Dallas, and people get excited when these towers start rising.

Add that with this is only the second tower above 400' built in OKC in, what, 30 years?

It's just the inner kid in us wanting bigger, better, and more.
I'll say I'm over wishing this was taller though. I don't care anymore. It'll serve its purpose and I'm more interested in watching better urban use arise from the remaining city blocks.

[SOONER8693]

People think lots of tall buildings look cool and add to a cities profile (both of these are mostly true).

Add that with OKC and Tulsa not exactly being like a Chicago or Dallas, and people get excited when these towers start rising.

Add that with this is only the second tower above 400' built in OKC in, what, 30 years?

It's just the inner kid in us wanting bigger, better, and more.
I'll say I'm over wishing this was taller though. I don't care anymore. It'll serve its purpose and I'm more interested in watching better urban use arise from the remaining city blocks.

And in the mind of the majority of the populace, it is a sign of progress in their city.

[2Lanez]

People think lots of tall buildings look cool and add to a cities profile (both of these are mostly true).

Add that with OKC and Tulsa not exactly being like a Chicago or Dallas, and people get excited when these towers start rising.

Add that with this is only the second tower above 400' built in OKC in, what, 30 years?

It's just the inner kid in us wanting bigger, better, and more.
I'll say I'm over wishing this was taller though. I don't care anymore. It'll serve its purpose and I'm more interested in watching better urban use arise from the remaining city blocks.

And with limited housing in the CBD, far more people interact with downtown OKC by looking at the skyline from a distance than spend time walking block to block worrying about infill.

[dankrutka]

And with limited housing in the CBD, far more people interact with downtown OKC by looking at the skyline from a distance than spend time walking block to block worrying about infill.

Yeah, but you don't have to live downtown to spend time in the core. I've never lived in OKC's core (unless you count Midtown), but I've spent a lot of time there. But, more than that, I'd argue that looking at a skyline is not much of an interaction at all. That's why ground level activation matters so much... walking around the core, frequenting businesses, and bumping into fellow citizens are the types of meanigful interactions that define cities.

[Ross MacLochness]

Yeah, but you don't have to live downtown to spend time in the core. I've never lived in OKC's core (unless you count Midtown), but I've spent a lot of time there. But, more than that, I'd argue that looking at a skyline is not much of an interaction at all. That's why ground level activation matters so much... walking around the core, frequenting businesses, and bumping into fellow citizens are the types of meanigful interactions that define cities.

Not to mention that good urban design makes the city way more $$$ than does a building that is taller

[Pete]

And consider this: For this one 27-story building there are two massive parking garages being built, and the developers and architects both said it was impractical to build them higher.

Which means that if this building had been 40 stories, they would have likely built a third monolithic parking structure nearby.

[Timshel]

That's why ground level activation matters so much... walking around the core, frequenting businesses, and bumping into fellow citizens are the types of meanigful interactions that define cities.

On this point, the areas with the yuge buildings in major cities (that create the "cool" skyline) are often the least-liked parts of town by the locals - precisely for this reason. Speaking primarily from experience living in New York but also having visited multiple major cities, the highrises that create the skyline often have horrible ground level interaction. Ask a New Yorker if they'd rather spend time in Midtown and the Financial District or the Village, Williamsburg, Soho, etc. and 9.9/10 will choose the latter.

[Ross MacLochness]

On this point, the areas with the yuge buildings in major cities (that create the "cool" skyline) are often the least-liked parts of town by the locals - precisely for this reason. Speaking primarily from experience living in New York but also having visited multiple major cities, the highrises that create the skyline often have horrible ground level interaction. Ask a New Yorker if they'd rather spend time in Midtown and the Financial District or the Village, Williamsburg, Soho, etc. and 9.9/10 will choose the latter.

speak

[GoldFire]

Took these last night:

[TU 'cane]

Cool, thanks for the different views.

[stratosphere]

Cool, thanks for the different views.

Yep those look nice

[OKCRT]

Was talking with a local contractor today about some work and he mentions the BOK tower being built downtown. I told him that I wish that it was a little taller and he said when it's finished it will be almost as tall as Devon. I told him that I didn't want to burst his bubble but that it was just about finished. He said no that they another year to go. I said no the are building the last floor now. He was adamant that there was still about 20 more stories to go. He said he knew the contractor and said they had changed the plans several times. I said OK.

[gopokes88]

Was talking with a local contractor today about some work and he mentions the BOK tower being built downtown. I told him that I wish that it was a little taller and he said when it's finished it will be almost as tall as Devon. I told him that I didn't want to burst his bubble but that it was just about finished. He said no that they another year to go. I said no the are building the last floor now. He was adamant that there was still about 20 more stories to go. He said he knew the contractor and said they had changed the plans several times. I said OK.

That's the right response. They don't just re-engineer a project in the hundreds of millions on the fly, particularly a bank.

[Spartan]

Whelp, you heard it here first! Almost* as tall as Devon!

(*Depending on your definition of almost)

[Bellaboo]

Was talking with a local contractor today about some work and he mentions the BOK tower being built downtown. I told him that I wish that it was a little taller and he said when it's finished it will be almost as tall as Devon. I told him that I didn't want to burst his bubble but that it was just about finished. He said no that they another year to go. I said no the are building the last floor now. He was adamant that there was still about 20 more stories to go. He said he knew the contractor and said they had changed the plans several times. I said OK.

I wouldn't want that guy doing any work for me, sounds like he doesn't have a clue.

[Spartan]

I'd hire him. Sounds like he'd just keep going for free.

[OKCRT]

I'd hire him. Sounds like he'd just keep going for free.

Well he's a small concrete guy and he knows one the concrete contractors working on BOK. He said they have concrete coming on that project for the next year non stop. He called them the Ok Twin Towers.

[Anonymous.]

I feel like I've ran into your friend a lot. Some people are adamant about 'knowing' behind-the-scenes things happening in OKC, when they actually know less than the person they're speaking with. Hell, just being a lurker on this forum would have you more informed than 90% of OKC.

[Bellaboo]

Well he's a small concrete guy and he knows one the concrete contractors working on BOK. He said they have concrete coming on that project for the next year non stop. He called them the Ok Twin Towers.

About the first of March when they are finishing the crown then ask him again.

[Pete]

They couldn't change a single thing about the outside of that building without design approval and nothing has been submitted.

They are finishing the last office floor and we should see the crown start to take shape next week or so.

[GoThunder]

About the first of March when they are finishing the crown then ask him again.

Then it will be "yeah the economy isn't where it needed to be so they scaled it back."

[_Kyle]

Will there be any parts of this open to the public? (besides the bank branch?)

[Richard at Remax]

Should have bet him a nice steak dinner