BOK Park Plaza

[TU 'cane]

I've been very curious to see how the crown would take shape in reality vs concept art. That is adding some serious height to the building. 2-3 floor equivalent as Pete's been suggesting for some time.

[_Kyle]

From today:

Great picture Pete!

[Patchy Proot]

I made a short trip and back to Independence, Kansas yesterday via HWY 75 through Tulsa. I hadn't been to our sister city in a while and was looking forward to viewing Tulsa's skyline. On the way back late last night while approaching downtown Tulsa I was in awe of the way almost all of the buildings were lit up. While driving around that crazy I-244 that takes you around downtown there are several great vantage points that let you take in the panorama of buildings. It was stunning if not beautiful the way downtown Tulsa looks at night. It just seemed more alive, vibrant, a feeling of 'this place is happening!' The 320 South Boston Building was the one that stood out the most. Although it is old and not the tallest, the way it was lighted was spectacular. There is not city in the US with a metro population of under 2 million that can match the look of downtown Tulsa. Nah, I'm not jealous......just a little envious maybe!

[soonerwilliam]

I noticed the same thing a few months ago when I to went by downtown Tulsa at night on I-244. Very impressive skyline at night!

[SOONER8693]

I've posted this before, but, this seems like a good place to hit it again. My wife is a flight attendant and occasionally if she can't get out of or into OKC for work, she will do Tulsa. Numerous times I've picked her up from late flights into Tulsa. Like 10-11 p.m. times. I am always impressed by how incredible the lighting on many of the buildings in downtown Tulsa looks. Very impressive. Then when we get back to OKC, downtown is darn near dark. A sharp contrast in the 2 cities. I'm hoping the crown on the BOK Park Plaza will help.

[traxx]

If we want OKC to feel alive, we need more lighting at night. I've noticed that the buildings and streets seem really dark in downtown at night.

[tyeomans]

I recently emailed the Downtown Design committee chair, and she said that there are currently no project in the works for any lighting of some sort.

[Pete]

Reasons for optimism:

1. BOK Park Plaza will have an illuminated crown
2. First National is much better lit now and has plans to do full color-shifting lights
3. SandRidge already has great illumination, just has it turned off right now
4. The proposed Omni will likely be well lit
5. Oklahoma Tower recently added color-changing LED lights to its crown

Really, Chase / Cotter Tower is the only real culprit and the owners just don't seem to care about much of anything.

[pickles]

Oklahoma City, The City of (Burned out street) Lights.

[Bellaboo]

Oklahoma City, The City of (Burned out street) Lights.

Not all burned out, a lot are just short of the necessary copper wire to keep them functional.

[G.Walker]

The downtown skyline was always lit about 7-8 years ago, now is very depressing. Sandridge Tower & Chase Tower not being illuminated makes a big difference.

[bchris02]

Sandridge turned out their lights when they started experiencing financial trouble due to the oil crash, sometime around early 2015. I am not sure how much it cost them in electricity costs to light the building but I remember it being a very significant amount. I think the building is more likely to be lit again if/when it is owned by somebody other than Sandridge or when Sandridge is pulling in the kind of profit they did a decade ago. I do think lighting it would make a huge difference. Sandridge is a business though and I am not sure at this point the cost to light the building makes financial sense for them if they are footing the bill.

I also wish the crown of Cotter Ranch Tower would be lit again. Even something as simple as a logo would make a difference.

The Oklahoma Tower's lighting is proof that a little can go a long way.

Some cities have skyline lighting incentive/ordinances and I wonder if such a thing would be helpful here. A city's skyline greatly contributes to its image so I can definitely see the motive behind such an ordinance. I can also see the arguments against it.

[bchris02]

The downtown skyline was always lit about 7-8 years ago, now is very depressing. Sandridge Tower & Chase Tower not being illuminated makes a big difference.

I would agree that it's depressing compared to 7-8 years ago but its improved since 2 years ago. The Devon Tower is usually always lit now (during the early years of its existence there were many nights that it wasn't lit). Oklahoma Tower is lit up again as is FNC. Like you said, Sandridge Tower and Chase Tower are the two biggest culprits. With Sandridge, it's very understandable that they don't light it given the financial shape the company is in. The Chase Tower is entirely on the apathetic owners.

BOK Tower's lighting should help out significantly once it is complete.

[bombermwc]

Something to think of when comparing Tulas's skyline to OKC's is the color of the buildings. Most of the taller structures in Tulsa are white (or have white towards the top), and thus are brighter at night with even a little lighting. Most of OKCs taller structures are not white....grey or glass/etc. You can do some quick comparing on that idea on 635 in Dallas as you go between the glass curtain vs stucco/stone surfaced buildings. The glass ones rely on a "line" of light like Devon to get any sort of light up on them outside of the office windows. There's nothing for a flood light to reflect off of really (think downtown Dallas' Bank of America). Whereas you see something like Park Central III on 635. Yes it's glass, but has the white stucco. I specifically chose that because it's the same design as the Valliance Tower on NWXway, just shorter and with stucco instead of stone. Compare those at night and you'll see what i mean.

[Romulack]

[Pete]

^

Thanks very much!

Here is a cropped and enhanced version. It looks like almost all the steel is now in place.

[shawnw]

I had forgotten that the crown was only on the "front half" of the building

[Pete]

I had forgotten that the crown was only on the "front half" of the building

Right:

[_Kyle]

Are they planning on starting interior work soon?

[Pete]

Are they planning on starting interior work soon?

I'm sure they have already started on the lower floors.

[StuckInTheCapitol825]

Bathrooms are currently being installed.
For now, until the tenant build-out, it's "just concrete for the floors and columns."
Elevators are about to go in.

[Pete]

[Anonymous.]

[Pete]

[ourulz2000]

Impressive. Most impressive.