First National Center

[soonerguru]

they may not know rainy williams.

lulz!

[Pete]

We had discussed the windows before...

They kept everything original but all the spaces I saw had clear, sealed storm windows on the inside. You barely notice them as they have very thin bezels, so the original look is very much preserved.

Also, the entire complex is a beehive of activity, with ongoing construction and the restaurant, bar, hotel, and apartment staff all buzzing around trying to finish everything up and get ready for opening. There are three completely separate groups of employees (not counting construction): food and beverage, hotel, and apartments. They all work for separate companies: Apicii, Coury Hospitality, and NE Development respectively.

[Pete]

This is the top level of the parking garage and the ramp leading out.

[Pete]

The hotel check-in is pretty unique...

There is a valet/baggage room just south of the Robinson entrance in what was the Tinder Box space. You come up the escalator to the Great Banking Hall and then the hotel desks are on the far west end with windows overlooking Robinson.

The check-in area is to the left of the first photo.

And there are separate elevators for the hotel and apartments.

[BoulderSooner]

great pics pete ... this is such a home run project ..

[Pete]

First photo is the steakhouse facing Park (Stocks & Bonds); 2nd is the Gilden Acorn space on the corner of Park and Robinson (old Cafe 7).

[Pete]

First National Center is ready for its closeup

After years of being completely shuttered and a comprehensive top-to-bottom restoration, First National Center – originally opened in 1931 in the heart of downtown – is coming back to life.

The Great Banking Hall

The complex will function as three separate spaces: the public and shared common areas in the basement, first and second floors; the National Hotel on floors 3 through 13; and the Residences at First National comprising floors 14 through 32. There is also an attached parking garage with 620 spaces.

Throughout, most of the intricate and beautiful details have been preserved: marble flooring and columns, huge wall murals, ornate ceilings, Art Deco metalwork (inside and on the building's exterior), teller windows, glass and brass mail chutes, drinking fountains, interior doors, and on and on.

With historic details at every turn, the entire complex is a working museum.

Common Areas: Restaurants, Bars, Retail

Step off Robinson Avenue and through the revolving doors and you'll be looking square at escalators that access arguably the most beautiful interior space in the state of Oklahoma: the Great Banking Hall.

Entrance from Robinson



Ornate ceilings and light fixtures have been restored throughout



View of Great Banking Hall

For decades the public would come to conduct their transactions and business with First National Bank in this grand space, and everything has been delicately restored and enhanced.

At the center is a free-standing rectangular bar. Alongside is seating for the aptly named Tellers Restaurant, which will be open for dinner beginning April 7th.

Main bar in the Great Banking Hall



Seating for Tellers Restaurant

Above is a huge restored skylight illuminates from above. The original teller windows are still in place. The elaborate ceiling and marble columns have been carefully refreshed. Huge murals adorn the four corners of the enormous space, also carefully restored.

One of four large murals


Bar area and large skylight

On the ground level, a gallery runs from Robinson all the way to Broadway and will be an interior corridor that will access to the Gilded Acorn and Stock & Bond restaurants (to open later) as well as several retail stores, including a gift shop, an additional location for Plenty Mercantile, and a barber and beauty salon.

Facing Park Avenue will be retail stores for Lucchese and King Ranch. Near the far end of the gallery approaching Broadway, access is provided to the OKC Underground.

Ground floor gallery; Lucchese and King Ranch to the left



Entrance to the OKC Underground



Barber shop

Downstairs in the basement which was home to the bank's huge vault and safety deposit boxes, the entire area will be the Library of Distilled Spirits, with two separate bars, intimate seating, and a limited menu from Stocks and Bonds. A wall of original safety deposit boxes remains as do the massive vault doors.

Stairs down to the basement



Former entrance to safety deposit box area



The Library of Distilled Spirits

There will also be event spaces booked through the hotel.

For more information about the First National Center, follow this link: https://firstnationalokc.com/



The First: Residences at First National

Due to the unique nature of the main tower, apartments were fashioned of all sizes and shapes, adding to the already enormous character of the living experience.

Model apartment



Model apartment



Model apartment

Starting on the 14th floor and continuing to the penthouse on level 32, units range from studios up to 3 bedrooms and almost 3,500 square feet.

Residents can park in the attached garage but there is also a 24/7 concierge and valet parking attendant.

On the 14th floor, there are a variety of amenities available only to residents and their guests: a large lounge with seating areas, a business center, pool tables, and large kitchen; a complimentary dog wash; a rooftop dog park and lounge, a pool with large deck and full outdoor kitchen; a large gym with computerized exercise bikes and a host of other equipment.

Resident's lounge



Resident's lounge



Dog Park



Gym

Residential floors are fully secured with access separated from common areas and the hotel.

Interested parties can arrange a private tour or attend weekly open house events: Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM, and Thursday nights from 5 to 7 PM. Enter from Robinson and hosts will be there to greet and guide you.

For more information about the residences, follow this link: https://thefirstokc.com/



The National Hotel

Downtown is set to add yet another great hotel facility in its ever-growing ranks.

The Great Banking Hall will serve as a hotel lobby of sorts but the rooms themselves are on floors 3 through 8.

The National is a part of the exclusive Autograph Collection by Marriott and will be operated by Coury Hospitality which also oversees two of Oklahoma City's historic hotel gems: The Ambassador in Midtown and The Colcord just to the south.

Hotel reception



Typical elevator lobby



Presidential Suite



Presidential Suite



Meeting space

The first guests will be welcomed on April 12th.

The Hotel Valet will face Robinson just south of the main entrance. In addition to luxurious rooms and suites, meeting and event rooms will be offered.

For more information about The National, follow this link: https://www.thenationalokc.com/

[amaesquire]

Just wow.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Beautiful. Always was my favorite building

[gamermp101]

Does anyone know if they are planning to do a lighting schema at night for different events and holidays, much like the Empire State Building does in NYC?

[Pete]

Does anyone know if they are planning to do a lighting schema at night for different events and holidays, much like the Empire State Building does in NYC?

They've already been doing that. Typically, the lights are all blue when the Thunder plays at home, for example.

The system has the ability to be just about any color, and the banks of lights can be programmed independently.

[AnguisHerba]

Anyone else thinking about selling their house and moving in here? It would increase by monthly housing cost (mortgage/insurance/taxes/maintenance/utilities together) by about 50% but how can I resist.

[HOT ROD]

I echo others in that this has turned out absolutely amazing - Jealousy from Seattle. lol.

A couple of questions. Pete - were you able to get some pics from the Beacon Club? I have fond memories from up there and would love to see how that space turned out.

Do you know if they will light up the beacon at the top? That (to me anyway) is the unique feature of this building, a 'spinning' aviation beacon that no other building in the state (maybe even region) has. I know the lighting hits the upper floors and pinacle but the spinning beacon would be the cherry on the top (and could/should continue to run at night after the other lights turn off).

[Pete]

^

The old Beacon Club is now an apartment.

Not sure about the beacon itself.

[Bullbear]

^

The old Beacon Club is now an apartment.

Not sure about the beacon itself.

How that would be an impressive apartment!

[PhiAlpha]

This is the top level of the parking garage and the ramp leading out.

Funny. On the last picture it took me a second to figure out where that was and what building I was looking at. Major improvement by bank first there.

[HOT ROD]

Pete, would love to see it. a 3-storey pinnacle apartment 450+ feet up. WOW!!!

[s00nr1]

Does anyone know when the restaurants open? I have booked a room for our anniversary on 04/14 but can't figure out if the restaurants will be open.

[Pete]

Does anyone know when the restaurants open? I have booked a room for our anniversary on 04/14 but can't figure out if the restaurants will be open.

Telllers (in the Great Banking Hall) opens for dinner April 7th. The main bar opens 4/12.

Everything else will open down the line.

[shawnw]

Looked at a studio, 1-bd, and 2-bd unit at an open house today. So nice.

Studio was around 600sf and was like 2200 something.

[TheTravellers]

Channel 9 is going to do a tour/story about it on the 10 PM Wednesday news.

[Pete]

Great article about FNC from Travel & Leisure:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/hot...a-city-opening

[Urbanized]

I’ve been fortunate enough to be a guest for dinner the past couple of nights at Tellers and all I can say is wow. So far for me the highlight has been the yellowfin tuna, but I haven’t had a single item that wasn’t pretty special. The tuna was the single best entree I’ve eaten in recent memory. The ambiance is like few if any restaurants in the U.S..

I have enjoyed quite a few conversations with Apicii’s V.P. of Operations at this point, and even their NYC-based team is somewhat mindblown by the space they’re in. He compared it favorably to Grand Central Terminal, saying that is one of the few buildings in the U.S. that invites comparison.

This building (and the F&B options, as they come online) puts OKC in some rare air that I think we don’t yet fully appreciate.

[Pete]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-l...s-310781544967

Be the first to experience the newly renovated First National Center before the official opening on April 12, 2022!

Join us for an exclusive reception in The Great Hall, featuring classic European cocktails and antipasti from Tellers Italian Wood-Fired Grill. See history come to life at Oklahoma City's landmark with a tour of the First National Center's exciting new event spaces, residences, retail and The National Hotel.

Ticket Price: $150 per person | includes open bar and antipasti

[catcherinthewry]

Thanks, Pete. Just got my tickets!